Frank & Elyse – Chapter 9

xxx stories: Frank & Elyse – Chapter 9

by Burnt Redstone

Waking early was built into Frank’s brain. He couldn’t sleep in if he tried. He’d gotten used to it and used the extra time to work out.

He looked out the window and the morning was looking bright and clear. An excellent day to go for a ride. He ducked his head out the patio door to test the temperature and there was a bite to the air. He went back to the bedroom and pulled out his full length cycling tights, a long sleeve jersey and his windbreaker. The outfit made him look like he was dressing up as a superhero but it was damn comfortable.

He also brought along his panniers in case he found a place to buy some fresh vegetables. He went outside, locked up, and got his bike out of the garage. He put his helmet and gloves on, mounted the bags to the rear rack and set off downhill.

The roads were pretty quiet this early in the morning and he enjoyed the peaceful ride. It didn’t take him long to reach the beach and he stopped for a while just to feel the ocean breeze. The bite was stronger here so he was glad he chose to cover up.

Once he’d had his fill he made his way up the hill away from the beach towards the shopping district. He kept his riding level pretty tame as this was just a shakedown ride for his new bike. So far it was living up to expectations and he was deeply impressed with the quality of the ride. Traffic picked up the closer he got to the main drag and he learned that the disc brakes worked very well when a senior citizen obliviously pulled out of a parking lot in front of him. The old man glared at him as he left the parking lot at a snail’s pace.

Frank decided he would do a little more exploring so he headed inland and came upon a dirt trail through the trees. That was fun so he rode as many of the trails as he could find.

When he exited the path at a roadway he recognized where he was and knew there was a grocery store not far away. He rode along the road until he spotted the shopping complex. He parked and locked his bike and went inside with his panniers. He left his helmet on as this was the simplest way to carry it but he popped open the chinstrap. He got a few stares as he was wearing his cycling clothes but he just ignored the gawkers… after he confirmed nothing important was showing.

He loaded up on fresh fruit and vegetables then cashed out. Everything went into his two panniers and he realised he might want to pick up the front panniers for larger loads or pick up a trunk bag for the top of the rear rack. He was thrilled that this experiment was working so far but he still needed to get the loaded bags on the bike and all the way home. He had no idea how the bike would handle with the heavy bags in place. Only if the groceries, and he, survived the trip home could he truly call it a success.

Frank was on his way out of the store when he spotted Beverly walking towards him with a concerned look on her face. Damn.

“Good morning Frank.”

“Good morning Beverly,” he replied.

“I’m so sorry dinner didn’t work out last night. I never expected it to end like that,” Beverly lamented, clinging to his arm.

They were blocking the entrance so he guided them over to where he’d parked his bike and he set down his bags.

“I’m sorry it turned out that way as well. We can reschedule for another night- not tonight,” he asserted when it looked like Beverly was going to make the suggestion. “Let’s give it a few days. Did you have a nice dinner with Elyse after I left?”

“Elyse was so apologetic after you went home. She was terribly upset so she left shortly after you did,” Beverly pouted. “I put your wine in the fridge to chill so we can have it at our next get together.”

Frank wondered just how much of that apology was for him and how much was just to let Elyse escape the dinner. He put that thought aside.

“OK, I’d better get these groceries home. Later in the week we can give dinner another try, ok?” Frank said and she nodded with a smile.

“Don’t you have a car?” Beverly asked looking at his bicycle.

He smiled at her puzzled expression. “Yes, but this is healthier. I get exercise as I run my errands.”

“You look good in those tight pants!” Beverly said with a grin and he smiled awkwardly at her. How was he supposed to respond to that?

He connected the bags to the rack and unlocked the bike. Once the bike was clear of the rack he swung his leg over and closed the straps on his helmet.

“You have a good day Beverly. I’ll see you later!” he said to the woman who just nodded and continued to watch him with that silly grin on her face. No, she was leering now. He sighed.

He rode back towards the main intersection out of the parking lot and paid close attention to the bike’s handling but he didn’t really notice any significant changes. Soon he was riding back towards his place and he was no longer conscious of the load he was bringing along. He rolled down the hill and his braking showed no differences either. He pulled into his driveway and got off of the bike. He tugged the panniers off then moved the bike into the garage and up onto its hooks. The helmet went onto its own hook and he ran his fingers through his hair so it wasn’t flattened to his skull.

As he stepped out of the garage he came to a halt as Elyse was standing by his bags. He saw she was wearing yoga pants and a tight stretchy top under a loose hoodie left unzipped. The outfit accentuated her curves which he found more than a little distracting. Lovely green eyes were looking at him cautiously.

“Good morning,” he said quietly. He locked the garage and turned back to look at her. Damn, she made him nervous!

“Good morning. I want to apologize for how I behaved last night. I’d had a very frustrating day and I lost my temper at you for no good reason. I’m so sorry. I hope you can forgive me.” She was tipping her face down and looking at him from under her bangs. He felt a tremble go through his body. She was so damn beautiful!

Frank felt himself beginning to tingle in a place that was not so well covered at the moment. He hadn’t felt anything there in… a very long time. He struggled to understand why his body was betraying him at such an inappropriate time.

“Yes, of course. We all have bad days,” he said, trying to hide his reaction to her. He pointed to the bags at her feet to indicate he needed to pick them up.

“Oh!” She looked down and bent to lift the bags giving Frank an unexpected view of her cleavage. His face warmed up.

“Wow! These are heavy! What’s in them?” she asked lifting the full panniers.

Frank accepted the bags from her hands and held them in front of his bike shorts as he was just beginning to show his reaction to her body. “Groceries. I should get them into the fridge.” When she made no move to leave he continued. “Would- would you like to come in for a moment?”

She smiled and he was momentarily stunned by it. He turned and walked to his front door and let them into his house.

“It’s empty!” she exclaimed.

He smiled and glanced at her look of surprise. “Yes, as Beverly mentioned last night I brought almost nothing with me from New York.”

She stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. “It’s such a lovely house,” she sighed as he moved past towards the kitchen. She followed.

Frank set the panniers down on the countertop and began pulling the contents out. She was watching and her eyes showed how surprised she was at how much he’d carried in them.

“Do you always ride your bicycle to get your groceries?” she asked in wonder.

“Actually this was my first attempt and I believe it was a complete success! Nothing got crushed or damaged in any way.” He opened the old fridge and loaded the crisper tray with the veggies and the fruit went on the shelf above that.

When he looked back he caught her staring at his ass but she quickly turned away and walked over to the breakfast nook where he’d set up a cheap card table and four folding chairs. He swore her cheeks were showing a blush of her own.

“You know, I put a bid in on this house as well,” she said quietly.

“We were bidding against each other?” he asked in surprise.

She nodded as she looked out the windows to the deck.

“Sorry?” he said carefully.

She shook her head and looked back at him with a smile. “No, it’s fine. You won fair and square. I admit I was upset at the time as I was eyeing this property for some time. Since I filed for divorce… a month ago.

Frank couldn’t suppress the snort of surprise that escaped. A month? He saw she was looking at him curiously.

“Sorry. My divorce process took over a year. It was… a very bad time.” He looked down to avoid seeing her resemblance to his ex.

“May I ask you something?” she asked quietly.

He glanced nervously at her. “Sure.”

“You… seem to have trouble looking at me. Why is that?” she asked gently.

Frank’s face burned and his hands felt clammy. “I’m sorry. It’s just- you look a little like Stephanie. My ex. She… put me through hell in the past year.” He really wanted to be someplace else at the moment.

“Oh my god! You moved across the country to avoid her and ended up across the street from someone who…” Elyse’s voice failed. “I’ll go.”

Frank turned to look directly into her eyes. He forced steel into his spine to hold himself in place. “No! I mean, it’s not your fault. It’s an issue I have to deal with. I know you aren’t her. The resemblance is superficial. Her blond hair was longer and wavy. Her eyes were blue, not a lovely shade of green and her lips were over inflated and… always sneering or frowning… unlike yours…” Her shy smile once more filled his vision and he lost track of himself momentarily. He forced himself to turn away to get his control back. “I really should get cleaned up.”

“Of course. Before I go could I borrow your phone book? I have to look up Internet service providers to see if I can’t get someone to do the installation today. It’s critical I get a connection by tomorrow. My office expects me to work remotely.”

“I never received a phone book. I don’t think they print them anymore. It’s all done online these days. If you want, you can connect to my network to do your research.”

Her brows crinkled in worry. “I don’t think that will work. Before I left my office the techs installed something called a VPN on my laptop. I don’t even know what a VPN is but the way they explained it to me I think I have to use it from my own home Internet connection.”

He nodded with a smile. “I know a thing or two about VPN’s. It means Virtual Private Network. It’s a piece of software run on your laptop that sets up a secure connection between the laptop and a server at your office. You can use your laptop anywhere as the security of the connection is based on the software on your laptop.”

“Oh! That actually makes sense to me! Do you work in IT?” she asked.

“No but I traveled a lot and had to securely connect to my office from various places. I’ve used VPN’s quite frequently. I’m retired now.”

“Retired? How can you be retired? You’re much too young!” she exclaimed in surprise.

“I sold my shares in the company I created to my partners. So… now I’m retired,” Frank said with a smile. “Why don’t you get your laptop and give me fifteen minutes to get cleaned up then come over to do your research. I can make us lunch. I was going to make a chicken caesar salad.”

Once more she flashed her brilliant smile at him and nodded. His equilibrium took a hit each time she did that. His mind kept expecting her to scream vile accusations or belittling insults at him. When he got kindness instead he reeled in confusion. He braced himself against the counter and her eyes went to his hands.

“Are you ok?” she asked gently.

He forced a smile out and nodded stiffly.

“She really did a number on you, didn’t she?” Elyse said compassionately, her eyes softening.

Frank’s eyes widened and he had to grit his teeth to contain the gasp as a huge wave of emotion, feeling strangely similar to relief, washed over him. “Excuse me please,” he croaked as he turned and walked down the hall towards his bedroom. He heard the front door closing as he walked into his master ensuite. He pulled off his cycling clothes and stepped in the shower. Tremors ran through his muscles as he turned his face up to the spray.

He allowed himself a few minutes of that and felt himself calming. Shampooing and soaping himself clean took only a few moments and he actually felt much better once he stepped from the shower. He toweled himself dry and put on some comfortable jeans and a polo shirt. He slipped his sandals on and went back out to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Twenty minutes later he came to the conclusion that Elyse wasn’t coming back. He stepped outside and crossed the road to knock on her door. Moments later the door opened and she looked at him with concern in her eyes.

“Are you coming over to do that research and have lunch?” he asked.

She bit her lip and his eyes were immediately drawn to the gesture. Damn.

“Are you sure it’s ok?” she asked.

“Yes! As I said, it’s just something I need to deal with. I feel much better now. Thank you,” he said with a smile.

“I’ll get my laptop. One moment.” She darted back to her kitchen and returned with the device in her hands. She locked up and they went back to his place.

Once they were inside he led her back to the kitchen and she sat at the card table. “Your taste in furnishings is very… utilitarian,” she said with a grin.

He smiled self-consciously. “Yes, the table and chair set was cheap and temporary. I plan on redoing the kitchen from scratch so I didn’t want to get any furniture until the room is done.” He put two plastic bowls on the table with plastic cutlery and carried the large bowl of caesar salad to the table. He then brought three smaller bowls to the table. One contained freshly grilled chicken strips, the second had freshly sliced lemon wedges in it, and the last contained seasoned croutons.

“All I have to drink is water or wine,” he said. He looked in the fridge again. “The wine’s a nice pinot grigio.”

Elyse nodded. “I’ll have a glass of wine please.”

Frank got two glasses out of the cupboard and poured for both of them. He carried them to the table and Elyse’s eyebrows went up. “Not plastic?” she teased.

“Never!” he responded in mock outrage.

He took a seat across from her and they filled their bowls with the salad and added the chicken and croutons. Frank squeezed lemon juice on his salad as Elyse watched curiously then she did as well.

“What shall we toast?” Elyse asked.

“How about to new beginnings?” Frank suggested.

Her smile was warm as she nodded and raised her glass. They sipped the chilled wine and it was delicious.

“Oh, that’s really nice! Very light!” she said and he could tell she meant it. He nodded and tucked into his lunch.

They ate in silence for a bit then she glanced over at her laptop. “Do you think you could show me how the VPN thing works? If I can connect to the office today the IT department will see I was able to connect and that may relieve some of the pressure of getting a connection for Monday.”

“Sure, no problem,” he said.

“The salad is delicious!”

“Well, it’s difficult to make a bad salad if your ingredients are fresh,” he stated.

“Did you grill the chicken?” she asked

“Sliced and grilled,” he admitted.

“You like to cook?” she asked with raised eyebrows.

He cocked a brow and pinned her with his eyes. “What makes you think I wouldn’t?”

It was her turn to blush. “Sorry, I have to admit I got totally the wrong impression of you from day one.”

He looked away and nodded. “So did I… of you.”

She lifted her glass once more and caught his eye. “To new beginnings?”

He nodded looking into her warm green eyes. “Yes. I’d like to start over.”

“Your Jeep, your bicycle, and your muscles all led me to believe you were some kind of jock,” she confessed after she swallowed the sip of wine.

He snorted in amusement. “No, I’m no athlete. I got the Jeep to help me get the bicycle to the start of remote trails. It will remain in the garage if my destination is reachable by bike or the stuff I am picking up can fit in my panniers. I love cycling for the exercise it gives me and the peace and grace of the movement. My muscles are just the result of perseverance and hard work. I don’t enjoy working out but I know it’s good for me so…” He shrugged.

He glanced at her and frowned slightly. “I’m sorry to admit I let your resemblance to my ex set my impression of who you were. As I said she was… difficult… over the past year and I seemed to catch you when you were frowning… or yelling.” Elyse put her face in her hands. “It reinforced the impression. I can see you aren’t like her at all. I just have to undo what she’s done to me. I ask for your patience while I work on that.” She nodded to him and they returned to eating.

When they were done Frank collected the dishes and put them by the sink. He’d do them while she was using the Internet.

“Let’s work on that VPN connection,” he suggested.

She nodded and brought her laptop over and flipped it open and on. Once it reached the desktop she turned it to Frank and he connected her to his wireless network.

“Now whenever you come over with your laptop it will automatically connect,” he smiled as he turned the laptop back to her. “This icon loads the VPN software. I’ve used this one before. Just double click on it.”

She did and the application opened. “You see this setting here? Your techs have already configured the connection. All you need to do is click on this and then click on the connect option. Go ahead.”

She followed his instructions and a prompt jumped up on the screen asking for her password. He looked away as she typed it in. A few second later the prompt disappeared.

“What happened? Where did it go?” Elyse blurted.

“It’s still running. See the little icon at the bottom right? If you see that it means you have a good connection. If you open up your applications that access your office servers you should now be able to get to them.”

She opened her office chat client and immediately received a message from the on-duty IT staffer acknowledging her successful connection.

“AH! It’s working!” she squeaked with glee and clapped her hands together.

“There you go. Simple, right?” he grinned at her enthusiasm.

“Sure when you explain it. I must have asked the tech who installed it on my laptop to explain how it worked a half dozen times and each time it just sounded more and more technical and complicated!”

“Yeah, that’s how techs speak. I picked up enough tech talk to learn how to pick out the important bits,” he nodded thoughtfully.

Elyse sent a quick note to the tech indicating she would be connecting the following day. He acknowledged her response.

She looked at Frank once more.

“To disconnect the VPN just right click on the little icon down there and choose disconnect. Then do it again and choose exit.”

She did it and the icon disappeared. She grinned and clapped once more. “Oh my god Frank! I can’t tell you how nice it is to get help with this stuff from someone who doesn’t just drown me in tech jargon.”

He just shrugged and grinned. “You still have an Internet connection so you can do your research for Internet providers with a browser. You ok from here? I’m going to go do the dishes.”

“Yes, thanks!” She popped open her browser and began.

“Would you like some more wine?”

She looked at him with a happy grin and nodded quickly so he topped up her glass.

Frank moved to the kitchen sink and began to fill it. His knees were wobbly from all the smiles she was hitting him with. He sipped at his wine hoping it would relax him in her presence.

As he worked he could hear the sound of her talking on her cell as she called the places she found online. He wasn’t listening to the words but just the tone and inflection in her voice. She had a very warm and friendly manner and he let that sink into his brain as he held an image of her beautiful smiling face in his mind. He hoped that would help break the link to his memories of Stephanie.

The dishes done he glanced over at Elyse and saw she was deep in conversation with someone so he went out to the garage and grabbed his toolbox. He carried it back inside and pulled a tape measure from the box. He took some measurements of the walls in the living room and entered them into his notes app on his cell. He planned on painting this room and he’d need to know how much paint he’d need. Also drop cloths to protect the beautiful hardwood floors.

He heard footsteps behind him and looked to see Elyse walking into the living room with a frustrated look on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

She sighed. “None of the service providers I called can get an installer to my place before Wednesday. I already have an appointment with the original company for Wednesday so I may as well stick with them. They had the best price for what I need anyway.”

“If you want you can work from here until you get your connection. I mean, it’s probably not as comfortable as your place with all your fancy comfortable chairs and proper height desks and stuff,” he said in a teasing tone and drew a smile from her.

“I’d hate to impose on you,” she said wincing but he saw she was relieved by his offer.

“It’s no bother at all. When does your work day begin and end?”

“I could be over at 8:30AM and leave by 4:30PM if that’s ok.”

“I’ll give you a key. I may be out riding at that time in the morning,” he replied.

She blinked in surprise. “You’ll give me a key?”

Suddenly Frank worried he may be sending her the wrong message. His face flushed and he back pedaled. “You know, so you can let yourself in tomorrow if I’m out riding. No other reasons. No expectations,” he blurted then closed and rubbed his eyes as the words sounded even more damning.

He heard a quiet snort and opened his eyes. She was smiling happily at him so he hadn’t offended her. That was a relief!

“You’re a very sweet man, Frank. I will borrow a key. Thank you.”

Unreasonably warmed by her words, he nodded and walked to his bedroom to get the spare key. He handed it to her when he got back out to the living room.

“What are you measuring?” she asked as she added the key to her keychain.

“I’m going to repaint the living room as the walls are looking a little dingy. Something bright but neutral. Eggshell?” he said looking critically at the room.

Elyse looked shyly at Frank. “May I offer a suggestion?”

He looked pleadingly at her. “Please! I have very little design sense and this is the first home I’ve had to do by myself.” Frank suddenly realized the scope of that task and felt completely inadequate to meet the challenge. “Any help you could give me would be welcome.” He saw her eyes light up at his request.

“Ok… well, I think this room needs a little warmth. It’s a gathering place for friends and family. It deserves welcoming colors and fabrics. What’s your style?” she asked.

Frank blinked at her. “Style?”

“Traditional, Country, Rustic, Casual, Transitional, or Contemporary?” she said tilting her head as she looked at him. She seemed to be trying to get a read from him. “Wait! You bought a bed, right? I need to see it!” With that she hustled down the hall towards his bedroom.

Frank froze in place. Following her into his bedroom just seemed to be a little too intimate. Moments later she returned and nodded to him.

“What made you pick that bed?” she asked.

“It’s very well made. Quality work and… I liked how it looked,” he admitted.

“Good! You have excellent taste. It’s what I would call Transitional. Somewhere between Traditional and Contemporary. Simple and sophisticated.”

“That first part sounds like me,” he said with a self-deprecating grin.

She gave him a fake stern look and assessed the room once more.

“Linen white.”

“What’s that?”

“That’s the color I’d paint these walls. It’s light and warm but has a creaminess to it. I’d take it right from the front door to just outside the kitchen. Down the hallway as well. Not inside the kitchen, dining room, or the bedrooms though,” she said as her eyes were focused on the image in her mind.

Frank got his tape measure out and measured the remaining area he’d need to paint. “Well, I know what I’m doing tomorrow,” he grinned at her when he was done.

“Do you have dinner plans tonight?” she asked.

“Uh, no.”

“To thank you I’d like to take you out to dinner. I saw a lovely place on my drive up the coast. I made a reservation for 7PM, a table inside by the window so we’ll get to enjoy the sunset.” Elyse was looking at him hopefully and he couldn’t help but smile and nod.

“Great! I’ll pick you up at 6:30PM,” she grinned and he returned it.

She looked at his tool box then back to him with another hopeful look. “Could I borrow some tools so I can assemble my bed frame?”

“Sure, as long as I get them back,” he teased.

She flashed him another bright smile and he felt its impact through his body. When she turned to pick out the tools she needed he leaned back against the wall to brace himself.

Elyse turned to show him the tools she had in her hands. Just a few screwdrivers and a couple of adjustable wrenches. He nodded. “Oh! My laptop.” She turned back to walk to the kitchen.

“There’s a plastic bag on the counter you can use to carry the tools,” he suggested.

She stopped and put the tools in the bag then grabbed her laptop.

He walked her to the front door. “What’s the dress code for dinner?”

“How did Beverly put it? Ah yes, dressy casual,” she smiled as she shook her head. She looked back at Frank. “Thank you so much for your help with the VPN, for loaning me the tools, and for that delicious lunch!” she said beaming her lovely smile at him.

“You’re most welcome!” he replied as his cheeks burned. His brain was spinning but he did his best to remain calm. She hesitated then she was out the door.

He sighed as he closed the door. Aside from the shakes he hadn’t felt this good… in a very long time.

As he returned to taking measurements he looked forward to dinner.

————–

Parent Post: Frank & Elyse – by Burnt Redstone

• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 3 - 4
• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 5 - 6
• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 7 - 8
• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 9
• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 10
• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 11
• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 12
• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 13
• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 14 - 15
• Frank & Elyse - Chapter 16 - 17 - 18