Arista

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

Ellie awoke to a heavy weight settled along her body, another lighter weight rested along her ankles. Eyes blinking open as sleep fades away, she's met with muted sunlight filtering into the room and a hand resting inches from her nose. Somehow during the night both Bryce and Cammie had shifted, and somehow Ellie had ended up as a human pillow.

Snorting softly into the silence, Ellie shifts beneath Bryce's weight to reach for her phone. Just as she's unlocked the screen a distant sound draws her attention away, head lifting and eyes landing on a figure nestled in blankets. Blue eyes blink at her slowly in a way that Ellie can't help but mirror, Lydia shifts and stands on silent feet.

Wiggling out from beneath a pair that cling like koala's, Ellie quietly follows Lydia as she moves down to the main floor. It's early and with it comes a slight chill, they pass Delta and Poppy who are fast asleep to enter the kitchen.

"I'm surprised you didn't leap out of bed and try to attack me." Lydia murmurs with an arched brow, Ellie snorts and sits down on a barstool with a wave of her hand.

"Funny, now why aren't you sleeping?" She asks instead of responding to the tease, eyes roaming over the woman before her as she shrugs and huffs out a breath.

"Believe me, I want to be asleep for the next two days." Lydia begins and a lightly-tanned hand lifts up to run fingers through brown strands, Ellie tilts her head and stays quiet. "But the last four hours or so involved a major multiple car pileup that...well frankly I'm surprised they let me leave." Her lips are pursed and her brows are furrowed, Ellie can't help but grimace in sympathy for her friend but also the victims.

"Adrenaline crash." She replies as she stands, moving towards the stove and shoving Lydia towards the chair she'd just vacated. "Right then, sit and I'll make us some tea, then you'll take a nap while I wrangle your husband and daughter and then head home." She hadn't forgotten the surprise Sofia had mentioned, but she also didn't want to leave her friends without at least helping them first.

So she sets to boiling water and telling Lydia how their day went yesterday, letting the dogs out when they join them not too long after.

She does wrangle both onto the couch with their own blanket each, after ensuring Lydia was settled into bed after a shower and two cups of tea. Before she leaves she makes them food for later, sending off texts as she waits for the food to finish cooking.

Absently she takes a picture of Delta who's been watching her move around, fingers moving across her screen. Her eyes are large and almost pleading, her ears are slightly lowered in an expression clearly meant to tug at the heartstrings.

You owe her a treat. She attaches to the picture she sends him, eyes flicking king up to the first text. She doesn't reply to it until she's seated in an Uber, leaving behind three sleeping people with warm food and a locked front door.

Maybe I'll surprise you with a visit sometime. Or maybe you can visit me. She sends the message without even checking, only to wince and almost immediately delete it when she catches a glimpse of what she'd said. Really now? She couldn't or rather shouldn't be encouraging encounters with Calvin, her stomach twists as she locks her phone and rests it facedown along her thigh. She needed to focus on her job, on her family and those she kept close. No doubt Monday will bring with it chaos and running around, but with it comes relief because she can focus on something that isn't the occasional thought of a rich and rather bold businessman and his cute puppy.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

Gently wiping sweat from Cammie's cheeks and forehead, Ellie glanced at the light sheets she'd changed not to long ago. Passing the thermometer over flushed skin, she set it aside and pulled Cammie in close. She had a mask on to protect her from getting sick, the numbers that met her gaze weren't promising at all. Earlier it had read 100.01 and now it showed 103.2, running a hand along a damp shirt covered back she bit her lips indecisivly.

Standing with Cammie in her arms, she moved towards the master bedroom. Bryce's light snores echoed in the silence, nudging him awake with a free hand. The light that flooded the room had Bryce wincing and scrunching up his nose, Ellie nudged him again and exhaled a breath. "Her fever is higher now." She murmurs with a glance at the head resting on her shoulder, Bryce grunts and shifts to slowly sit up.

By how much?" He asks as he reaches for Cammie, handing her over Ellie lifts a hand to let her fingers comb through her hair. Out of the two of them Bryce has more medical experience, she hates not being able to help more then what she's already done.

"Three degrees, I gave her cough syrup and she had a bath. Should I-" She's cut off when Bryce shifts to stand, taking a step back to give him room as he leaves his bed. When he falters she reaches out to steady him, frowning when he slowly exhales and blinks his eyes rapidly.

"Headrush, I'm good. Okay here's what we're going to do..." The list he recites is impressive to say the least, but it gives her something to focus on and do. Cammie is taken back into the second bathroom for another bath, Bryce collects her bedsheets and swaps them out for a new clean pair. Her sweat-soaked pajamas are replaced with dry ones once she's finished, nose running and cheeks still flushed.

They make their way downstairs where both dogs are sleeping on the couch, the light from the kitchen a guide in the dark. Ellie serves them their food with she and Bryce gently coax her into taking seven spoonfuls, before letting her be. The sheets and pajamas are put to wash, the already dried and folded clothes rest on the counter to be put away later.

The dishes are placed in the dishwasher, Lydia's portion is left out with a plastic container atop it that's meant to help keep it warm. The kitchen light is turned off and a quick check is done to make sure all the doors are locked. She guides them upstairs with itchy eyes, both of them say good night to Cammie as she curls up under her new sheets with a purple bunny tucked in close. A moist towel is left over her forehead to hopefully lower her fever some, then the only light in the whole house comes from the master bedroom.

"Do I have clothes here?" She asks as Bryce sits at the edge of his bed, hands coming through his hair. He hadn't eaten much himself but had promised he'd eat more later, half slumped where he sits she can see his exhaustion.

"Think so, yeah. Lydia somehow picked out what was yours and gave you a drawer. I think she said it would be the third on the right." His voice doesn't sound like he's speaking through gravel anymore, he sounds tired if anything. Ellie moves to the designated drawer and pulls it open, blinking at the amount of clothes inside. She stays here when she's off shift and cammie needs a babysitter sure, but she doubts she'd been over enough to have left this much clothes.

"Since when did I leave so many clothes here?" She asks in confusion, picking a crimson tank top and black gym shorts from their folded piles. They smell like the detergent they use, soft and well locked after.

"You do know you spend a fair amount of time here right?" Bryce huffs out at her, laying down with a soft groan. With the evidence staring back at her, she silently agrees with him that she must because the neatly folded piles don't lie. Slipping into the bathroom to change, she pulls her phone free from her pants as she slips them off. Once she's dressed and washed her face, she's just started searching for a spare toothbrush when the door opens to show a large hand holding one out to her.

"Here. Forgot to leave one out, when your done do you mind sharing with me? Lydia texted she won't be off until five and there's no way you're sleeping on the couch. Bryce murmurs before closing the door, Ellie snorts and shakes her head at him. They've been friends long enough that anyone who knows them only see two best friends, though there was a time that rumors had started that they were having an affair. But if anyone saw the way Bryce looked at Lydia and doubted his love for her, then they were stupid.

It's happened several times by now that they'll end up sleeping beside each other on the couch after long shifts or too many drinks, that Lydia simply laughs and posts the pictures to her Instagram with heart emojis and no one bats an eye. Spitting out foam and washing out her mouth, Ellie shakes her head and stifles a yawn as best she can into her elbow.

The room is dark when she closes the bathtoom door behind her, steps light as she moves to the other side of the King-sized bed. There is a guest bedroom she can sneak off to once everyone else is asleep, her phone is set down and left alone, body curling up as a slow breath leaves her lungs.

"I hope you don't mind being cuddled." Comes a muffled voice moments later, ellie snorts and presses her cheek harder into her pillow. Bryce and Cammie share a habit of cuddling anyone who will accept it, limbs curling and locking like octopus arms.

"Go to sleep." She mutters with a foot kicking backward, she's met with air and a low chuckle.

She doesn't hear her phone vibrate later in the night.

Cammie joins them with the dogs following behind, Ellie's plan to slip into the guest bedroom is thwarted by little arms curling around her waist. Sleep claims them all with little resistance, the moon luminous and large outside.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

Slipping away from a child curled around her like a koala, had been a challenge in and of itself. Once certain that Cammie was tucked in without the blanket being too tight, she moved down the hall to check on Bryce. He was sprawled on his side with his limbs stretched out, mouth open and snoring quietly. Humming softly she descended down to the main floor, checking the front door before moving through the living room and into the kitchen.

The space was large compared to her own, with a round table on one side, as island stood in the center with the actual cooking area taking up the rest of the space. Glancing down at Delta who had followed her down, Ellie rolls her shoulders before reaching down to unclasp her collar. Something white fluttered to the ground, a confused frown pulled her lips down as she lifted the oddity from the floor.

If you’re not sick of my face yet, give me a call sometime. I’d love to see more of yours. 555-1234.

Her mind flashed back to the lunch she had with Calvin, fingers tightening fractionally along the edges of the napkin before relaxing. "Who'd think he'd use you to pass a message along." Ellie dryly replies, shaking her head once before setting the napkin down on the marble countertop. The sky outside had slowly shifted to evening, orange-crimson sunlight filtered in from the window as she pondered what to cook.

Exhaling a breath she moves first to the pantry where she selects ingredients, setting them beside the stove before returning to grab a set of steel dog bowls Lydia had bought for Delta on the rare occasion she stayed over during the night. Once both were filled with food and water respectively, she sets them on a mat on the opposite side of the island, heading back to the sink to wash her hands thoroughly before focusing on the meal prep. She looses herself in the rhythm of chopping and measuring, pausing to pull out a rice cooker and pot to add to the mix.

Once the rice has been set to cook, the pot full and slowly heating with ingredients for a hearty broth Ellie let's her elbows land on the counter. A glance at her screen shows a text from Lydia and Dimitri, her social media messages are swiped away. Her eyes shift to the napkin before flicking away, nose scrunching up as she let's herself ponder.

Though he came on strong, he'd seemed genuine when they'd spoken earlier. She knows better then to let herself be swayed by anyone, the fact that she's even contemplating anything is slightly out of character for her. Locking her phone she sets it facedown on the island, turning on her heel and heading out to the living room where she'd left her bag earlier. A small journal is pulled from inside, leather bound and brown in color where she keeps her recipes safe and stored.

Lowering the heat to the pot when she re-enters the kitchen, Ellie checks on thr rice cooker before moving to peek into the laundry room. A modest sized room with space for an island to fold the clothes on the opposite wall, Ellie finds two baskets mostly filled in front of the machines. It's easy to get lost in sorting the items out into separate piles, the evening lightly slowly fading into darkness. Closing the door to the washing machine once it's filled with clothes and adding detergent, she closes the door behind her as the machine chimes.

The pot she's cooking homemade Ramen in is boiling away, she adds in the last ingredients before lowering the heat and checking on the rice. Okayu is made with rice and water, something easy to eat when one isn't feeling well. Checking her recipe notebook Ellie turns off the cooker and removes the lid, before doing the same to the pot of Ramen as well. Flicking on lights as she opens a cupboard to pull down bowls, she tugs a wooden spoon from another cupboard and beings filling each bowl. One is left uncovered to cool while the others are covered with plates to keep them warm, air rich with the smell of food.

Her fingers itch at her sides as she collects her phone, teeth digging into her lip as she moves towards the stairs. Pausing halfway up she unlocks her screen, blank message thread filling her screen in an almost tantalizing way. Stomach swooping oddly as she let's her fingers settle along the keyboard, Ellie exhales before letting herself type.

Me: I wanted to thank you for lunch. And to apologize for running out on you.

She hits send before she can consciously convince herself why this is the craziest thing she's recently done. Her message pops up in a gray bubble and mockingly glares back at her, clicking her tongue she exits the Message app and locks her phone. Shaking her head and shoving her phone her in back pocket, she continues up the stairs after flicking on the light.

Resolutely ignoring why her heart is hammering slightly in her chest.

Mentally and adamantly telling herself she won't make a habit of texting a random rich guy she'd met while undercover.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

How is it harder to dress a soon-to-be eight year old, then to make sure her dad doesn't suffocate in a too warm shower Ellie has no idea. Finally getting Cammie dressed is almost immediately followed by a sharp yip from the open doorway, a glance over her shoulder shows Delta setting Poppy carefully on the ground. The Gremlin as Ellie has taken to naming him, is young and spunky with the most dramatic personality she's ever seen. Brown eyes watch her in a way that makes her narrow her eyes, though her attention shifts away when a series of coughs fill the air.

Lifting a small cup filled with strawberry flavored children cough syrup she'd found in the master bathroom, she presses it to slightly chapped lips. Cammie makes a face but drinks it with a wince, cheeks flushed in a way that has Ellie reaching for a forehead thermometer next. "Well, dorogoy. You have a pretty high fever." She murmurs softly as she sets the thermometer down on a small wooden bedside table, free hand lifting to cover her little frame. Her ears catch the sound if running water still coming from down the hall, Delta whines as she rests her head atop the sheets.

"Can I have a story?" Comes Cammie's voice after a few moments, Ellie's hand soothing through her hair. Her voice sounds like her dads had, low and gravely only there's congestion mixed in as well.

"Of course, why don't you think of one while I go check on your dad." She gets a nod in response, when she stands from her kneeled position her knees creak slightly at the movement. Delta doesn't move and with a careful glance at The Gremlin, Ellie exits the room and moves towards the master bedroom not too far away.

The bathroom door opens just as she raises a hand to knock, head tipping back on her shoulders to find hazel eyes blinking down at her. Strawberry-blonde hair now rests freely and damp atop his head, face and neck bare of the soot that had decorated them. Lifting a hand towards the doorway she arches a brow at him, he snorts and gently shoves her to the side so he can pass. He walks slowly as if sore as he moves towards the bed, clicking her tongue she closes the bathtoom door before following him. She hands him Ibuprofen and a glass of water, his nose scrunches up when he realizes it isn't ice cold like he usually drinks it.

"Do I get a story? I know you're going to tell one to Cammie." Bryce quips as be sets the glass down, mohagony wooden bedside table a slight mess with a digital clock, a book and a framed photo of a family beach trip from years ago. The master bedroom is painted light gray with a tall black bookshelf and dresser along one wall, the other wall holds a artfully decorated and comfy looking reading nook and a plush rocking chair settled in the corner. Cammie's room is painted sky-blue with her own reading nook taking up one wall, the other holds a dresser and a play area where her toys are kept as well as a bookshelf.

"Answer your phone in two minutes." Is all she replies with, tugging on his hair just as he settles comfortably beneath his sheets. She's up and moving before Bryce can do more then grunt, steps silent on the wooden floor as she moves back down the hall. Delta lifts her head from the white carpeted floor where she's laid down, a white fluffball watches from the bed. "Dorogoy..." She chides as she moves further into the room, hands lifting to tighten the ponytail she'd used to tie her hair with.

"He jumped up here I swear." Cammie squeaks out with her hands holding a book out to her, Ellie hums and accepts the book without really taking in the cover. She settles in atop the sheet and is immediately being hugged tight, a too warm little body curling in close.

"You know...I've never read this in English." Ellie comments as let's her eyes roam the cover, free hand petting through silk-soft strawberry-blonde hair. It's the first Harry Potter book The Sorcerers Stone, cartoon-based image printed colorfully across the front. She knows the basics of the world and who Harry is, but Dimitri had been into the series more then she and Sofia had ever been. A little hand pats her thigh and she glances over to find blue eyes Watchung her, cheeks still red and little nose running.

"Really? Is it different in Russian?" Cammie asks with a sniffle, Ellie reaches for a tissue and hands it over before humming softly. The cover feels smooth under her fingers, back pressing into the pillow she'd placed behind her for comfort.

"My brother read the books, I never really stayed still enough to read anything." Ellie replied softly, lips lifting into a grin that Cammie can't see. Her phone buzzing has her shifting slightly to pull it free from her pants, she answers the call and presses Speaker before setting the device down. "Alright, shall we?" She chirps with a slight wiggle of excitement, fingers opening the cover and flipping to the first page. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly
normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense..."

"Oh, yes." Ellie heard Bryce whisper through the speaker, Cammie giggled and and settled in even closer.

"Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere..."

Her eyes were focused on the page, voice quiet and words flowing easily. No doubt both would be drifting off to sleep soon, which would give her time to prepare a meal and do whatever chores Lydia hadn't managed to get to if any at all.

For now she'll settle in to learn just what had Dimitri to fascinated back when they were children, nose buried in pages with his chin resting on his knees.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

Bryce helped as best as he could as Ellie helped him up the front stairs, body heavy in a way she knew meant exhaustion. The drive to his modest home hadn't taken too long, Bryce had drifted off and hadn't woken until she'd shaken him awake.

The door opens with a jingle of keys, Ellie shuffles inside with Bryce propped on her shoulder. Delta shuts the door behind them as she moves forward, letting Bryce go when they're near the couch. "Do I need to call Lydia?" She asks with an arched brow, hands settling on her hips as she peers down at her best friend.

"Smoke inhalation." He answers with a wrinkle of his nose, hand lifting to rub his right eye. "Captian Morgan said I'm off until I feel better, Lydia was with a paitent so I was seen by Nurse Salvatore which means she should be calling-" He's interrupted by a phone going off, nose scrunching up as a sigh leaves his lips.

"Hey, Lyds." Ellie replies once she's answered the call, Bryce is sitting up and unlacing his boots. She's met with muffled voices and what sounds like the beeping of a heart monitor, head tilting she waits for her friend to answer.

"Where the hell is he?" Her tone is sharp and angry, Ellie winces and exhales a breath. "If he went back to work after Nurse Salvatore checked him over-" Ellie clicks her tongue once, Lydia falls silent and for a moment no one speaks.

Until Bryce begins to cough, body hunching over his knees with a hand covering his mouth. "I brought him home, he was out looking for medicine for Cammie." There's a hiss down the line, Ellie rubs her hand along Bryce's back sympathetically. "Focus on your shift, Delta and I have these two taken care of." There's movement and a loud sigh, and then Lydia's voice is filling her ear once more.

"I'll text you the treatment for smoke inhalation, you're the best." The words bring a smile to her lips, Bryce slowly quieting as his coughing fit ends. "Don't be afraid to bully them into listening either, I gotta go." There's frustration in her tone, no doubt from experience dealing with two stubborn people.

"Bye bye." Ellie chirps before ending the call, stepping away and surveying the living room with narrowed eyes. Her phone buzzes in her hand, a detailed message of what Bryce can and can't do for the next few days. Humming softly she moves towards the thermostat and changes it, glancing at her friend who's tilting to one side where he's sitting. "Right, you should shower. I'll set it for you and you won't change it. And Cammie?" The front door opens just as she speaks, a familiar figure holding another smaller body in her arms meets her.

"Oh, Ellie thank god." Mckenzie sighs out as she steps inside, strawberry-blonde hair tied messily atop her head. A little head lifts up and she's met with blue eyes and small hands reaching towards her. "I hate to do this but Lindsay called and said we're so packed that she's about ready to start tossing pastries over the display to settle the crowd." Ellie takes Cammie and Mckenzie glances at her then Bryce and a worried frown settles on her lips. "I can help if you need an extra set of hands-" She beings while her eyes glance over her brother with concern, Ellie hoists Cammie higher on her hip and offers a shake of her head.

"You're fine, not the first time. If I need help I'll call." She says and she's met with hazel eyes focusing on her, Mckenzie glances at them all and pets Delta atop her head once before turning to the door.

"You better! Cammie has a cough and fever, an upset stomach and I was told she's already vomited. Behave you two! I'm sorry, Ellie!" And she's off with a wince and dip of her head, cheek dusted in flour Ellie doubts she's even noticed.

"Alright, Bryce shower. Cammie to bed and Delta...can you find Poppy, I'd rather not get bitten today." Delta takes off with a yip, Bryce stands shakily to his feet and Cammie sniffles and clings tighter to her.

Not what she expected her Saturday to turn into, but she doesn't mind so much.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

His response to her question had a brow arching up, though she didn't immediately reply. Ellie wasn't one to play easy for anyone, much less for someone who oozed a playboy persona like Calvin didn't. He didn't take it back though like one would think, which had her stomach squirming just slightly.

The mention of desserts had her expression smoothing out, back straightening in silent anticipation. She had a sweet tooth a mile wide, her eyes already scanning for the smaller menu the waiter had left behind earlier.

Her phone ringing has her blinking in surprise, because she has it set to vibrate for everyone except for a select few people.

Pulling it from her bag she's met with Bryce flashing across her screen, glancing up at Calvin she offers a sharp shrug and swipes the green button.

"Either I've been awake too long and I'm imaging things." His voice sounds like gravel, exhaustion clear as day even down the line. Brows furrowing she glances up and peers out the window, head tilting when she spots him not too far away.

"Hello to you to." She replies with confusion coloring her tone, she remembers him texting that he'd be on shift for the next twenty-four hours. His laugh sounds rough as it comes through the tiny speakers, the cough that follows has her brows pulling down further and a frown tugging her lips down.

"I was sent home early, large apartment fire that ended up with me going to the ER. Cammie needs meds, she's come down with-" Ellie inhales sharply and clicks her tongue, her free hand setting her spoon down.

"You should have started with that." She murmurs with a shake of her head, eyes lifting to Calvin and her lips lifting into a small sympathetic smile. She doesn't reply but ends the call, standing with an apologetic grimace settling on her face. Bryce was a friend of Sofia's who worked as a firefighter, a man she'd met more times then not on scenes or rarely when they made plans to go drink.

His wife Lydia worked as nurse with Sofia, she'd been the one to introduce them when they'd so happened to be in the ER waiting for a suspect to be treated after fleeing a scene. Cameron is a bundle of joy and a joy to have stay with her when her parents are both at work and she's off, its made her question if she really wants kids or not in her future.

"I'll have to ask for a rain check, my best friends daughter has come down with something and he needs to grab medicine for her." She's quietly explaining as she stands, Delta raises and shakes herself with a soft sigh. Finishing the last of her drink, she slings her bag over her shoulder and pauses for half a second.

She's pressing a kiss to his cheek within the next second, aware that a pair of hazel eyes are watching from not too far away. "Dasvidania." Ellie whispers against his skin, pulling away and turning to move towards the door. She pauses and bites her lip, half turning to glance at him and Stella who Delta had said goodbye to as well. "Thanks for lunch, we should do this again." Is out of her mouth before she can reel the words in, manners ingrained in her taking over for this moment.

Then she's pausing to leave some cash for her meal, then exiting out into the rain with Delta right beside her. Bryce hasn't moved from his spot, umbrella keeping him dry in the rain. He's wearing a beanie which hides his strawberry-blonde hair, cheeks dusted black with soot and eyes red at the edges. He's as tall as ever and his pale skin looks red, the hug she's folded into isn't unexpected at all. What is however is how she can feel heat radiating from him, squeezing carefully she holds him for a few seconds before pulling away. holding out a hand she's met with a blink of hazel eyes. "Keys." She demands with a wiggle of her fingers, Delta's rail wags happily as she leans into the large hand patting her head.

"I can drive." Bryce sasses back with a knuckle rubbing his nose, Ellie huffs out a sigh and shakes her head in fond exasperation at him.

"Keys." She repeats with a glare up at him, he holds her eyes for a second before sighing almost too carefully and shifting the umbrella so she's covered as well. He turns and gestures to his parked gray Honda Pilot, which is when she notices the bags in one hand.

"I wasn't walking around in scrubs, Jones was with me until I dropped him off at a Thai place and I quickly ducked into this store to change. And buy a toy for Cammie." His voice has dropped to a low whisper, broad shoulders hunching as if speaking causes him pain.

"Which is how you spotted me. Right, keys." Delta doesn't jump up immediately when the back door opens, Ellie dries her paws and body with a small towel she finds and Bryce confirms is clean, and then she's settling into the driver's seat once the door is closed. She can smell smoke from him as she turns to engine on, eyes glancing out to the restaurant where she can just make out Calvin's back and Stella's head.

She's not sure if she's just run away, or gracefully left with a legitimate excuse. She's not sure how to feel, glancing at Bryce who looks like he's dozing and then to the sky and its thick clouds. Sighing she shifts into Drive and shakes her head, silently debating on which pharmacy they should stop by.

If she sees him again she'll apologize.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

She almost snorted at his assumption of her being a chef, but instead thought of what dishes she favored. Russian cuisine was of course a given with French and even Spanish foods. "Asian." She replied with a tilt of her head, fingers tapping along the table before falling still. Though they hadn't been poor they'd picked up skills from watching their family members, in her case it had been her Grandfather Nikolai and Uncle Andrei who had taught her. Shaking her head slightly to rid the memories of standing beside her burly-muscled Grandfather and lanky Uncle, Ellie offers a shrug of her shoulders. "One would think I'd say Russian, but honestly with Asian cuisine it makes one want to invite their family and share it with them." Which usually ends up happening she doesn't add out loud, her apartment filled with the rich aroma of food and laughter.

She silently curses herself at her own words, teeth biting at the edge of her cheek. Telling anyone even a small cornel of truth can lead to any number of situations, and here she does just that as if she owes him anything. She adores what she does at the hospital there's no qualms there, it's that she's letting herself speak any of it outloud. She can't be vulnerable around just anyone, she can't let anyone in, she can't let herself show any weakness. His soft smile drew her attention, mental cursing stilling at his words.

The waiters arrival offered a distraction, though his eyes never do leave her even as he speaks to the young man. Like she was someone he didn't want to look away from, like she mattered when she was sure he had women lined up and ready to accompany him to wherever he went.

Movement beneath the table has her blinking, before shifting slightly to see what it could be. Seeing Stella sniffing Delta had her lips lifting into a small smile, heart warming when a lick was placed on her nose. Delta for her part stretches out her limbs, pressing in close to her feet before falling still again.

The clearing of his throat has her eyes lifting up from her plate, steam rising from the soup before her. His question had her pausing for a moment, because she didn't exactly have plans. She was on call if anything major happened but she didn't have a shift until Monday, Ellie hummed and lifted up her phone with a finger held up in a silent wait a moment gesture. "You've been nice company so far, you and Stella both." Ellie replied absently, focus split between the man before her and her screen. "As for further plans, no I don't have any until later in the day." She adds while her fingers fly across her screen, the message before her has her fighting a delighted grin from spreading across her lips.

Sofia(Sonya)
Stopping by later. I have a surprise for you. ♡

Me: I hate surprises.

Sofia(Sonya)
I know. But you'll love this one.

Her sister works crazy hours and shifts like her own, enough so that Ellie rarely gets to see her despite the fact that they live not to far from one another. She's not one for surprises but with how today is going so far, she's going to let the world do as it wants.

Slipping her phone away, she glances up at Calvin she offers an apologetic shrug as she lifts her spoon once more. "How would you make it worth my time? The rain doesn't look like it has plans on stopping soon." She remarks with a pointed look outside, voice teasing as she takes a sip of her soup.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

His response when it came, sounded genuine and held emotions that Ellie could almost feel. It helped assuage and disband the rant she had unconsciously been forming in her mind, enough so that she felt her shoulders relax and her expression soften. "It does." She replied with a half-smile lifting a corner of her mouth, fingers tapping along the cloth-covered table before falling still.

When Calvin replied to her question, his answer wasn't what she was expecting at all. He looked like someone who spent time outdoors, with people or attending lavish parties dressed in dazzling suits. As he continued to speak her mind brought the image to mind, though blurry at the edges with no real scene aside from him with a book and a glass of cabernet.

Eyes blinking at him when he asked her in then what she did, Ellie turned her gaze away from his for a second before returning them to him. "I love trying out new recipes to make." She replies with a hand lifting so that a knuckle can rub along the edge of her nose, shoulders rolling once before falling still. "If I'm not doing that it's a tie between watching trashy reality TV or reading a book." She bit the inside of her cheek with enough force for it to hurt, willing herself into silence before she really begins to babble.

It's far too close to the truth, to what she does when she's not at work or visiting her family.

"I..." Ellie began quietly, gaze focused on to the darkened street instead of Calvin's eyes. "I play piano at the hospital when I have time, nothing fancy or anything like that but it does seem to help." Her words are softly spoken, chest tighting with emotion at her own admittance. It had started as something to do when waiting to meet her sister for lunch or dinner, then she'd seen the expressions of a group seated in cushioned chairs once and it reminded in her mind for days. How tired they'd looked until the music reached them, how they'd relaxed and closed their eyes if only for a moment.

She was well known around the hospital now, with paitents even requesting video calls to hear her play when they couldn't get out of bed.

Coughing once and ignoring what felt like fire on her cheeks, Ellie lifts her glass and takes another sip of her drink.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

The rumble of thunder had Stella tucking herself closer to Calvin in search of comfort, a glance down at Delta showed her relaxed and slowly blinking as if falling asleep. Her nose wrinkled slightly at the rain pouring outside, not because she disliked it but because LA residents seem to become stupider when any change in climate happened.

The question had her blinking in genuine surprise, eyelashes fluttering unconsciously before she exhaled softly. "Fashion and Retail." She replied with a slight wave of her hand, gesturing down to her attire before lifting her glass up to her lips. Here at least she wasn't fully lying, her father wanted to help expand her mother's fashion store, small in Russia but growing in popularity. He himself doesn't mind handling the business aspect so she can focus on a dream she's had since childhood, his own dream of owning a clinic as a Pediatrician on hold due to a recent rather large surgery.

His almost nonchalance about what he does, has her frowning with a tilt of her head. Her parents loved their jobs, even her siblings despite their complaints and grumbling wouldn't change their careers unless they absolutely had to. She herself had clawed her way up a ladder filled with egotistical men who didn't believe a woman could be an investigator, she didn't quite understand. "How can you not be?" She asked with a brow arching up, mouth smoothing out as she watched the man before her. "How can you not be impassioned by the things you do?" Her glass is set down, head still tilted at him. Maybe it was an American thing? To choose so many different jobs and not care for them? Odd.

The arrival of their waiter had her glancing down at the menu she'd forgotten about, eyes flicking over each item until she settled on something somewhat familiar. Ordering a Cassoulet with a smile she focused on her companion once more, rain continuing to pour restlessnessly outside.

It felt odd to sit here with someone, with a stranger who didn't know what her actual job was of who she really was. Not that anyone here in LA really did, except her siblings and Director D'Angelo. And here she was building another lie that she had to keep closely guarded, much like her heart and wayward mind that liked to fixate on things until it consumed her completely.

She needed a drink. Maybe two.

"Tell me, what does someone with so much on his plate do to unwind?" She asks after taking a sip of her tea, legs crossing under the table as she settled in more comfortably. Though she was nonchalant towards him and wasn't too fond of his aggressive flirting, she had time to kill and with the rain outside continuing she didn't quite want to walk home just yet.

A series of quick vibrations came from inside her bag, muffled but easy to feel where it sat against her knees.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

The restaurant wasn't far, and yet the clouds above only seemed to darken further and take over more of the sky. The staff Calvin greeted by name grinned wide, she found it slightly odd but then again she'd somehow made friends with the head Librarian within the FBI's archives and books so she remained silent.

Delta settled on her side with her belly directly onto of her feet, folded hands resting atop the table once she'd set her bag agaisnt her stomach. Though no stranger to being flirted with, she rarely actually accepted any offers to meet for any sort of meal. The restaurant wasn't full but the air smelled of devious scents, the basket of bread before them lay untouched except for the piece that Calvin had taken.

His first question had her mentally flailing just a bit, though her expression remained pleasant. The compliment afterwards had her expression smoothing out, though a half smile remained on her lips. She had a story to follow and even though this hadn't been expected at all, Ellie knew she keep herself and her words in check. "I work for my father for the time being, his company while very popular in Russia is in need of an expansion." Her gaze left his rather intense eyes, a flash of lightning signaled the beginning of what looked like a very large storm. At the end of the day, this man who oozed the aura of someone who was rich and got what he wanted, would never really care for someone with nothing to offer.

"So I came here in search of some support." She finished just as then waiter arrived, she asked for sweet tea and was met with a grin. Taking a sip when the cup was set before her, she tried not to squirm at the feeling of his eyes on her.

Like he was trying to see through her, to see how she ticked.

"And yourself? What do you do?" She asks with a slight tilt of her head, a hand lifting to push her braid behind her shoulder with an absent flick. While she doesn't much care for the man before her, she's a trained investigator with a wandering mind that sometimes leads her into trouble. She's curious.