** There are significant changes in this chapter, although the essential story remains unchanged. I draw you attention to this name: Elsie Kuhn-Leitz. The actions she is attributed to be responsible for in this chapter, which is fantasy, are actions she undertook during WWII, for which she was named a Righteous Gentile.
*Merci M. Tootallday
*
"Dogs. Jesus Christ you have four dogs? As if one of these beasts isn't enough?" Jeff stood in the doorway of Eva's home, staring down the big black dog that looked like someone had cut its tail off.
"What the hell happened to this one's tail?" He pointed at the dog he was talking about.
Bellyboy's hackles went up, ears went back, and his tail was very still. Bingo had a tennis ball in his mouth and weaved in between Bellyboy and Jeff, tail wagging so fast her was kicking up dust. Sammy was trying to grab the tennis ball out of Bingo's mouth. Ruffian was barking his head off and sniffing at Jeff's leg.
Eva, too tired to truly appreciate the moment, walked back to the doorway where Jeff stood frozen to the spot. She stood in front of Jeff and shooed everyone away. No one paid her any attention. Eva stamped her foot, clapped her hands and looked straight at Bellyboy.
"You. Out. Now." She made a sweeping motion with her arm and ended it by pointing to the back of the house. Bellyboy slowly backed up and backed up until Eva turned away from him and focused on Ruffian. She placed her hands on her hips and leaned over top of him. She said nothing, just stared at him. He slowly stopped barking and walked away.
"Bingo, drop it." Bingo dropped his ball and as Sammy lunged for it, Eva kicked it across the room. Sammy and Bingo slipped and slid on the hardwood floor trying to get to the ball first.
"Jesus Christ. How did you do that?" Jeff finally took a few steps into her home so Eva could shut the front door.
"I speak dog." She locked the front door then walked to the basement door. "I'll be right back, have to get them outside to potty. Kitchen's down the hall to the right. There's a kettle on the stove. Would you heat some water for tea?"
"That, I can do all by myself." Jeff clapped his hand and began walking toward to the kitchen. At the sound his hands made, Ruffian began barking again.
Eva opened the basement door and whistled.
As Jeff entered the kitchen he heard the pounding of what sounded like an army running down a flight of steps. He shook his head as he picked up the kettle and filled it with water. Once he set the burner to high, he pulled out his cell phone and texted Kate. "OMFG she had 4 big dogs."
"What the hell did I get myself into?" he muttered as he looked around the kitchen. Sleek lines, stainless steel everywhere, utilitarian in appearance; evidently Eva was not a doily and still life kind of girl. He approved. The windows looked original though, and, on this 75 year old house, he did not approve. He opened the cupboard doors in search of a mug and some tea bags.
He found the mug and then realized the tea bags would be in the stainless steel canister marked "Tea" on the counter top. "Hidden in plain sight I see." He tried to remember how Eva took her tea from when they were helping that old lady with the dickshit dog, or whatever it was called. "Dickshit? That wasn't the kind of dog. What was that?"
"Cock-a-poo. Not a dickshit." Eva sounded irritated but he saw she was holding in a laugh. "I left the dogs outside. They are harmless really, well, except Bellyboy. But he'll get to know you and then he'll be fine."
"What the hell are you doing with all those dogs?" Jeff sat down and watched Eva pull out a very dainty tea cup complete with saucer.
"Kind of a long story. I've had Ruffian the longest, going on nine years now. They all found me over the years. I've had more than that, but four is my limit. The ones I keep are the ones that seem to just mesh with us from the get-go. Just this morning I gave away a mother and her eight pups born in my house two nights ago. Oh. That was when you tried to contact me and I was so tired I couldn't talk, remember?"
Eva proceeded to tell Jeff the thrilling tale of the dog in the night, delivering the pups, and the flood in the basement. All the while he sat watching her as she made her tea. He smiled looking at her ass when she reached up into the cabinet to get the honey. He noticed the band of smooth flesh she exposed when her shirt rode up. He saw how her petite breasts seemed like a decent size on her. He saw the way her mouth moved when she talked and focused on her tongue when it slipped out to wet her lower lip. She had set of plump lips that were highly kissable. Highly erotic looking, also, when wrapped around something much larger than the honey stick she was currently sucking on.
Then he looked into her eyes and once again, he was mesmerized. She could be telling him anything and he'd agree right now.
"So who'd you get to take the puppies?" Jeff asked, not caring about the answer. He just wanted to keep watching her lips and her hands as they moved to accentuate her story.
"Would you believe the contractor, or well carpenter, who's done all the work around here for me? He told his wife and she begged to take the lot. She came over this morning. Oh, um that reminds me. I have a lot more to tell you. But I really need to soak in my grotto and I... um..." her face turned bright red and she looked like a deer in headlights.
"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do here. I have to go soak in my tub and unwind but, um, you're here." She looked down then looked at the wall as if something interesting had appeared there, her face bright red.
Jeff grabbed her hand as she reached for her empty tea cup and encased it in both of his. "I'll do whatever you want me to do, stay where ever you want me to stay. But I want to be with you."
"You really mean that."
"Don't sound so surprised. Yes, I really mean that, all of it." He stood up and pulled Eva to her feet. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "We've touched in our thoughts, but not in real life. I've held you and you've felt it, but we've never looked in each others eyes and talked. So yea, this is kind of weird for me too."
He kissed her lightly on the nose, then turned her around and patted her behind. He placed his hand on her shoulders and marched her toward the stairs. "I'll give you a twenty minute head start. Then I will come up and sit somewhere so we can talk. Just talk while you unwind. Does that sound like a plan?"
Eva turned around before she hit the second step. "Jeff, I ... Oh I hate sounding like such a little school girl. I'm not used to sharing my thoughts, my feelings and certainly not my..." she ran her hands from her neck down to her cleavage, then twisted her hands away. "um... Is there something I'm supposed to do or say?"
Jeff cocked his head. "I'm not sure what you mean? Do about what?"
"Am I supposed to let you know when I want to have sex, or do I wait for you to let me know?"
