2007-07-07: Espana, Ole!

Starring:

Elena_icon.gif Eric_icon.gif

Summary: Eric runs into Elena at Famous Vito's. Both talk about the current events at Evosoft/Lancaster Electronics, the photoshoot opportunity in Spain, and most importantly, the strange node Elena found in Gene's brain.

Date It Happened: July 7, 2008

Espana, Ole!


Famous Vito's Pizza

She was studying. ….over the summer? Then again, she was a nerd like that. Elena has her glasses perched on her nose, having decided to venture out during the day now that she's feeling a little better. Dressed in a pair of shorts, a tanktop, and a hoodie, her hair is pulled up in a loose twist, a highlighter twirling absently around and around and around her fingers as she frowns at the picture of a dissected brain in the text. A normal person would be queasy to be reading things like this along with a snack, but after diaper duty for Juanita, puke duty for Luis, and cleaning up Manny's injuries over the years, she's lost her capacity to be squeamish. She's got a plate with three slices of hawaiian pizza in front of her, as well as an open can of pepsi. She doesn't seem to be gnoshing on any, though, so engrossed she is at what she's reading.

"…do you always study that much Elena?" The question comes from a figure that walked in the door a moment ago before noting the pretty latino at the table. The voice is easily figured to be Eric Walker, wearing a pair of black jeans and a grey shirt with Grimlock on it that proudly says 'Me Grimlock Kick Butt' under the picture of the raging dinobot.

There is a pause before he grins slightly down at her. "Mind some company?"

She looks up, her dark eyes blinking behind the cats eye frames, and then Elena removes it from her face, giving him a small smile. "It's…." She pauses, linking her fingers together. "It's a project. I….it's something I have to tell you about eventually because I don't know what to make of it." She chews on her bottom lip, but she shakes her head and smiles up at him. "But no, of course not. Sit. Wanna pizza?" She offers him the plate with a hint of a smile. "I think I bought too much, I don't know if I'll be able to eat them all." Pause. "….okay I can, BUT, if you ate one or split one with me I wouldn't feel like such a cow afterwards." She gives him a cheerful smile. "How are you?"

"Cow? You?" Eric laughs as he slides into the seat opposite her, reaching out for a piece of pizza. "Thats the last thing I think of when I look at you," He replies with a grin as he takes a bite of said pizza. "…tell me something eventually? Like what?" He asks questioningly before he shakes his head lightly. "…well…if you don't want to tell now then I shouldn't pry." Pause. "…and do you really want to go to Spain with everyone for that thing?"

"Well…" Elena pauses, and takes a quiet sip of her diet pepsi. She can't help but frown a bit, but she looks over at him, concern softening her features. "I….remember when I mentioned Gene was building me a brain scanner? To use for Cass's clinic?" she asks, keeping her voice low. "So it's finished, and I tested it on him. I haven't used the brainwave monitor yet but…the scan itself…there's…" She sighs, and looks up to meet his eyes. "I found something -weird-. Around the main artery that supplies blood to the brain. It looks like some kind of node, or growth. I'm thinking maybe I ought to show it to Cass or a specialist to be sure, but…I'm afraid of what it could mean. I…don't even know if I ought to tell him what I think first or talk to Cass and get a second opinion. It's part of the reason why I'm reading this book." She lifts it up for him to see. It's a text on Neuroscience.

At the last, she blinks. "Well I was just wondering about that. If it's a photoshoot, PR people need to go too, right? I was wondering if that was part of the mix. Why?"

"…I…" Eric dosn't even know what to stay to that. He looks…well…to coin a phrase, poleaxed. Quite quite poleaxed. "Gene?" He shakes his head slightly. No that can't be right. He…he's known him for so long. Its gotta be nothing right, it can't be something like…he things. Why does his mind always go for the worst thing possible at times like this. "…I…yeah…talk to a specialist but…" What that could mean is just bad.

At the next question he blinks. "Well of course we'll need PR people to go too…its all part of the mix…I just wanted to make sure you actually wanted to spend that much time with Jaden and I."

Eric at least can read behind the lines. Elena reaches out across the table to take his hand. "Look, maybe it's not as bad as it looks," she tells him simply, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. She's hoping. She's -praying-. She's gotten to know Gene better for a few months, she doubts Eric even KNOWS what…. she shakes her head. "I have to talk to Cass anyway. I mean, I'd feel like an idiot taking him aside and telling him something bad only for it to be wrong, right?" she says. "I….it's going to be fine. Even if it's bad, there's a way. I promise." Her jaw sets and she looks determined. Someone had to look NOT-poleaxed and it had to be her. She with the stubborn face. At least, she hopes there is, even though…

When he blinks, she stares at him. "….what? Why wouldn't I?" she asks, a little flabbergasted by what he says. "I mean, I know Jaden picked me as part of the crew going but…" She laughs. "All craziness aside I think you guys are awesome! It'd be fun hanging out with you and him. Besides, I think it'd be easier going around with me there anyway unless you suddenly became fluent in Spanish in the last three months."

Eric hardly reacts to the squeeze for a moment before returning it. Then he sighs before he nods. "Thats…the best idea I think," He says slowly before he sighs slightly. "…sorry, that just took be a bit by suprise Elena…" He says quietly before he blinks at the look on her face. Then a laugh comes out and he shakes his head slightly. "…you look…adoreable…when you have your face all scrunched up and stubborn like that you know." He says after a moment with a half smirk on his face.

He pauses a moment, not letting go of her hand for a moment before he adds. "Well your right, we /are/ awsome." Then a laugh and a shake of his head. "…that aside though, I'm glad you have fun with us…I know…well there was awhile there you didn't seem too happy with me…and then I go and dissipear. I am still a bit sorry about that." A blink then and a laugh before he shakes his head and adds. "No…I don't think I'm fluent with Spanish at the moment, though I'm getting better."

"I know full well that isn't an entirely objective opinion," Elena says, sticking her tongue out at him, but she does give him a rueful little grin. She exhales a breath, shaking her head a bit and glancing out the window. "I know. I didn't mean to spring it up on you but….I know you've known Gene for a while. Your father recruited him personally, didn't he?" she asks, giving Eric a look. "I figured if I could tell anyone, it would be you. You and he….Gene doesn't really have a lot of friends. Until us anyway. You, me, and Jaden. I'm dreading it a little bit. If I'm right and if Cass confirms it and if I check with a specialist. I'm…actually a little bit afraid as to what they'd all say."

She frowns quietly.

When she looks up at him at what he says, she looks down at the uneaten pizza. "It wasn't just…it wasn't because I….wasn't happy with you, Eric," she says, fidgeting a little bit in her seat. "I just…it sounds like a crappy excuse but there was a lot going on, and…if I came off as mean or anything like that, I'm sorry. I hope…you didn't think I was…." She closes her eyes. She's so….freaking….BAD AT THIS. She's been 'practicing' with other people lately and it never gets any easier. "I hope you didn't think," she tries again. "That I was mad at you. I'm not." She gives him a small smile. "I don't think I ever could be."

"Damn right its not, I would say I'm heavily biased," Eric replies with a laugh as she makes a face at him. His face turns serious again before he shakes his head slightly. "…yeah. Dad did recruit him personally. He's like a favorite cousin, I've…known him for awhile now." He says slightly, glancing down. "…he never did have alot of friends. Though I'm glad that we all seem to have made a difference in that. Well…I'll just try to have faith that its nothing serious." He finally says as he sits up a bit taller in the booth. "Sometimes thats all you can do you know."

He listens though to her words and smiles slightly towards her, glancing down at the slowly cooling crust that he was picking at, and picking up a piece of pineapple to pop it into his mouth as she speaks. "…I know…you don't really need to apologise you know. I mean you didn't do anything wrong…" Glancing up towards her eyes he does mirror her Elena's smile. "…I'm glad. That makes me rather happy…I'd rather not have you mad at me Elena. Thats not just because your Dad is a bit scary."

"Like I said. Even if it's bad, we'll do something about it," Elena says determinedly. She squeezes his hand once more, before slowly retracting it so she could pick up a piece of pizza, chewing on it quietly. She's already mulling over her options, that slight twist to her mouth that suggests that she's thinking with that perpetually-churning brain of hers….

When he mentions the last, she laughs, looking over at him and shaking her head. "Eric I think you've got a pass for LIFE with me for what…you did for me….my family way back when. I know we've all been busy but I've not forgotten that, all of it." She gives him a look - it's a strange expression, it's a gentle one, mixed with mostly gratitude with just a hint of regret that it happened in the first place. She exhales a breath, and props a chin on her hand…. and blinks. "Hey. Has Gene been to Spain? If he hasn't maybe we should bring him along too," she suggests.

"Your thinking again," Eric accuses her, his lips turning up in a smile. "Not that you ever stop," He adds after a moment before he glances up towards her. "A pass for life eh?" He says slowly, about to follow that up until he notices that look on her face. It takes his breath away almost for a moment, as he's never really seen a look like that directed at him, stalls what he was going to say as he just watches her a momnet. He would do what he did again if he had too, but…she knows that. There isn't a need to say it and make her feel worse about it again. It totally derails his train of thought though and he falters on what he was going to say.

At the last question though, he just blinks and seems to shake himself out of it. "…no I don't think he has…and he has been working a bit hard on it all. I bet he wouldn't mind a bit of a vacation, I say we take him too." Just one more thing to expence out. It'll be great.

"I think, therefore I am," Elena quotes, pointing the pizza at him lightly, but she smirks faintly afterwards. "Besides, like Cass told me before, we're the nerds of the group. It's our job to figure things out." She can't help but exhale, nibbling on the end of the pizza again with a thoughtful look on her face. Doing that while thinking, she looks sort of like a feeding chipmunk. But then she blinks when Eric seems to be staring at her. "…what?" she asks curiously, furrowing her brows a little bit at him. "You okay?" When he brings up Gene however, she groans. "You know he's not going to go unless it's work related," she points out. "He -claims- he tries to be social on occasion but I think it might take the full defensive line-up of the New England Patriots to pry him away from his lab to go to Spain just to promote the changes in the company.

She pauses. "…..maybe we should have Jaden tell him," she says. "Con him into going. Say it's company business and he has to go and that there has to be a representative from the R&D Department there." She pauses, and an exasperated look enters her face. "Even if he…you know. IS sort of the entire R&D Department all by himself. Can't hurt to try, I just don't think he'll go for it unless someone higher up in his job makes him go."

Now now, Eric and Jaden would both agree that instead of a chipmunk she would be Gadget from Rescue Rangers. That fits better. Minus the clutzy. Clutzy we reserve for Cass. Anyway, cartoon rodents aside the youngest Lancaster seems slightly off balance after that look but he rallies quickly enough before he returns the look. His is warm, but in his eyes is an almost fierce protectiveness of her. "Nothing nothing, I'm fine." Pause. "…just…thinking." He adds with a rueful smirk.

He winces though at her thoughts about Gene, nodding in agreement. "Jaden can do it, he would enjoy doing it you know. There has to be an R&D Rep, and Gene is…well he's the most well adjusted of anyone of that type in the staff." Scary thought that isn't it. "Besides, he's the best we have…and you don't want to know how much vacation he has saved up."

"…..smartass," Elena remarks, but she does smile at him cheerfully and takes a sip of her Diet Pepsi. "Alright, well….yeah. I probably won't want to know how much vacation time Gene's saved up. I'd get jealous. He can probably…you know, he can probably spend a couple of months backpacking through Europe if he was so inclined. But he doesn't seem to like the sun. Just be in his lab…" She pauses, and her eyes soften thoughtfully, looking out the window and suddenly remembering something. "….then again….he did mention that what he does isn't…you know. It doesn't feel like work to him. I don't know. He equates who he is with what he does. I don't know if it's healthy but…" But it was the only thing that set him apart from anyone else. Made him special. For someone who feels so ordinary, wouldn't someone like Gene cling to that?

But when Eric tells her he's the -most- well adjusted member of the department, Elena stares at him slackjawed. Gene was a bit of a social pariah as it is, and he's the most -well adjusted-? "…just…do I want to know where you recruit these people?" she asks.

"…what do you expect?" Eric replies with a laugh as he leans back in the chair to watch her. "…and yes he does, months and months. Though he never finds a reason to use it. Except for conventions." He shrugs slightly. Some people are just like that. "…and yeah, he does what he loves. Thats the best way to work." He says with a grin. "I love computers and finance, so thats why I'm enjoying myself in what I'm doing. It helps when you actually like your job you know." He shrugs. "…its how Gene has always been. Now though that he has friends, he might come out of that thinking a little bit."

At the look on her face though, Eric just starts to laugh as now its Elena's turn to look poleaxed. It takes him a moment to calm down, but when he does he just grins. "Online games." he says entirely strightfaced.

"I know. But it would do him some good to see the sun on occasion. Have you seen him lately? He's been sick on and off. I think….if….you know. He could use some time outside, get some color on him. I just don't think being cooped up all the time is healthy," Elena explains with furrowed brows. But when he tells her that he's got months saved up, she can't help but quirk a grin. "That's what I figured," she says, finishing her pizza and propping her chin up on both hands. And when Eric tells her what he does, straightfaced, she looks at him. "……..please tell me you're not serious," she says. In her mind, she's picturing an entire room full of monkeys with super-sized brains, hopping around their chairs, typing in their computers, communicating telepathically and all jazzed up with Mountain Dew.

Hey, it could happen.

"I thought your people would be stalking MIT's graduating class at a regular basis," she laughs, dragging her bag over and stuffing her textbook inside.

"I can't wait to see him on the beach, just…to see it," Eric replies with a laugh and a shake of his head. "No though, I don't think its healthy, however we can go back to getting a football team offensive line to drag him out of it. Even if we tried that he would most likely invent something to keep him in there just to spite us all."

He remins straightfaced for a good ten or fifteen seconds before dissolving into laughter just at the terrified look on her face. "Oh man, I really want to know what your thinking right now, judging from the look on your face its gotta be good. Its all around though, Dad keeps a good track of the most promising people and snaps them up as quick as he can. He's got a knack to picking people with a bit of vision, its why the company does so well."

"He'll need his inhaler with all the sand and everything," Elena says worriedly. "…wait. Beach? Are we going to Barcelona?" She actually looks pretty damned excited about it. Barcelona's the only Spanish city she knows about that isn't landlocked after all. She leans back. "I hear there's some excellent seafood there. And….I think we're right on time for the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. And I figured if all else fails, I can knock him out and we can pretend he's on a wheelchair and drag him to the airport terminal," she jokes. Images dance in her mind, of chibi Elena putting chibi Gene to sleep, with chibi Eric and chibi Jaden carting him off in a wheelchair with a wig and giant aviator glasses.

But when he laughs and says what he does, she laughs. "That commercial. Have you seen the Monster.com commercials? The guy who works in an office full of monkeys? Except these are SMART monkeys with super-sized brains that can communicate telepathically." She makes comical gestures with her hands. "Ones that can drink Mountain Dew on one hand and type amazing speeds despite the fact that their opposable thumbs are on the other side, and can force choke bananas."

"…damn, I let that slip didn't I?" Eric says with a shake of his head, though he's smiling. "I forgot your the smart one." He adds after a moment of grinning towards her. Yes. They are going to Barcelona. Yes there will be a beach involved. In Spain. And a four star at the very least hotel. With roomservice. There is time enough to figure all that out later though. "…and yes, that will work if everything else falls through. We'll get him to go with us."

He blinks and has to think, but he slowly nods before he smirks slightly. "…thats not /too/ far off the mark. There is lots of Mountain Dew involved, and amazingly fast typing…and sometimes the guys do act at the very least like monkeys." He grins once as he tries to hold back more laughter at the image. "…I love that imagination of yours Elena."

Her jaw hangs open. She tosses him a piece of crust. "You -forgot- I was the smart one?" Elena gasps, looking mock-offended. "You JERK. What are you trying to say?" She can't help it though, she outright laughs. Then again, she always did laugh rather freely, and easily. Shaking her head, she folds her glasses and puts them in her case, stuffing that in her bag as well. "And that sounds great. I'll foot my portion of the bill if the Company isn't writing this off as a business expense," she offers. There's no way in hell she's letting Eric pay for her, he's already done enough for her in this life as it is. "I can't wait, it's going to be a lot of fun."

But at the last, she laughs again. "Must be all the bus fumes and long hours in the library. And labs. I don't know. I guess my mind just twists that way." She checks her watch and she exhales. "Though I really ought to get going," she muses. "I was going to go to the store and grab a bunch of stuff for dinner tonight."

Eric dodges the crust, laughing the whole time. He just grins towards her, not replying for the moment. "Nothing nothing!" He calls out laughing, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I wasn't saying anything!" As she starts packing her things though his hands come down before he blinks. "You sure?" Eric had it all set up too if she couldn't stretch her funds that far. "Alright…if your sure," I mean he won't force her not to pay. If he did she would just dig her feet in he knows. Stubborn one that she is. "…yes, yes it is." He smirks slightly.

"Yeah…you library people are just an odd bunch." He says with a grin before he nods once towards her. "…alright." Then a pause for a moment and he grins. "Come on then, want me to give you a lift then? It'll be faster than the bus…and not near as many fumes."

"OH SURE. Try to save your ass, why don't you?" Elena cries, tossing him another piece of crust. But she does laugh again, and shake her head, settling in. "And I'm -sure-," she says. "Jaden pays me pretty well, and I've got some money put away. I could use a vacation, and Papa trusts me with you so it's not like I'm going with a bunch of people he's never met." She stands up then, slinging her bag across her shoulder and chest, turning to look over at him and smile. "Though hopefully it won't be too hot in those costumes for you guys," she teases. "Seeing you both in period gear is going to be hilarious. You might be able to pull it off though."

At the offer of the lift, she blinks. "…you sure you don't mind? I haven't gotten word on the guy I e-mailed on craigslist about the scooter he was selling so I'm still stuck with New York mass transit."

This time Eric catches the crust and just takes a bit out of it. Munch. Munch. Munch. "Thanks," He says with a half teasing and half chalanging smile coming to his lips. He pauses a moment though and then nods. "…alright then. We'll work out all the details later." A mischivious grin again. "I'll have my people call your people, and we'll do lunch." He says with a wink, managing to pull off the old line with a flourish. "As for the costumes, I'm sure it'll be just fine for us, you know how Jaden will just love it."

He nods once though before he laughs. "Well yeah, I don't mind at all. Easier for you and its no trouble for me. I think I know the way to your house by now." He says with a smile. "Besides, I get to spend more time in your glowing company, so it really is a win-win situation for me."

"I'm too poor to have any people, remember, Oh Prince of Wall Street?" Elena goads, but she does grin at him, and take a step away from the table. "Alright," she says simply. "Let's hop to it then. But yeah I figure….well, with Jaden since his assistant quit I suppose I ought to put together some sort of intinerary for him. Not like he'll FOLLOW it but….I have to try and keep him on the course if he wants credibility, you know?" She IS a PR person after all, she's doing her best to make sure Jaden follows some sort of line. At least he's mindful of what 'sexual harassment' is now.

She takes a step for the door, and blinks at what he says last. She can't help but turn a little pink on the cheeks, but she does laugh and knuckle his shoulder. "Since when did you become so smooth?" she asks him with a slightly quirked brow and a smile, turning to take a step out the door.

"Well Jaden does better when he has /some/ kind of plan he can look at and then ignore," Eric replies as he shakes his head slightly. "So in general it /is/ a good idea. I'll try to keep him relitively in line, but I make no promisies." He grins once towards her as he stands and turns to follow her towards the door. "He'll come around, slowly…but usually he can at least be guided…a little bit." He /is/ sorta like a force of nature Jaden is.

As she blushes and knuckles her hand against his shoulder, he just laughs and smiles back. "The company just brings out the best in me I guess." He quips right back.

She lets the door swing open, Elena looking over her shoulder and grinning at him, mirth dancing in her predominantly dark eyes. "A little bit. But …did you -see- his reaction when he asked about the…" She looks around. Gene's work is something she respects, so she tries to keep mentions of his inventions at a downlow in public. "…-thing-? I honestly have never seen him act like that before." Act like he knows what he's talking about. "I mean, I felt like….I was actually -seeing- Jaden for the first time. I mean everyone else thinks he's a goof and all and I've always known he's a good guy but….he KNOWS things. He's not stupid like everyone else thinks."

She slides her hands in her pockets, waiting for Eric to step out with her, then she'll try and look around for the familiar-looking Mustang.

And at the return, she LAUGHS appreciatively. "-Now- you're laying it on," she says with a grin, shaking her head. "I'm starting to think all the shyness in the last semester was just a ploy."

"Jaden…watches PBS and reads comics for that," Eric teases his friend, even when he isn't here to defend himself. "Really though…he's always been a goof, but every so often he does suprise everyone." He pauses a moment, thinking back as he smiles towards her. "…he is a good guy, he just had no idea how to show it really. Or he tries to show it his own way, and it just turns out odd."

Outside? The familiar looking Mustang is nowhere too be seen, however as Eric pulls a set of keys out of his pocket and hits the unlock button, the lights flash on a Shelby Cobra in the parking lot. "Besides, I get to show you my new car if I take you home." He adds lightly with a grin.

"…and I am not laying it on!" Eric adds after a moment with a wink. "Not all the shyness was a ploy, I supose I just…feel a bit more relaxed around you or something Elena."

"A new…what. What." Elena crosses her arms over her chest and -eyes- Eric. And then she bursts out laughing. "You…you -rich people-," she can't help but say. Granted her prejudice against them are a little more relaxed now, what with Jaden, Eric, Peter….and Gene isn't bad off either. Being a genius inventor paid well. She blinks at the flash in the parking lot as the security systems are turned off to spy something she's only seen in her favorite action movies. In this case, Bad Boys II.

"And he is," Elena returns thoughtfully. "I've always thought he had a good heart, it's just…yeah. It's been hard trying to make other people see that, but the Cain Foundation should improve his image some. It was entirely his idea. I was so proud of him." She starts walking towards the Shelby, easing the bag off her so she can stow it at the floor of the car when she gets there.

"Oh you SO are," she laughs, but when he confesses he's more relaxed around her, she gives him a smile. "Well. It fits. You know, with the…" She wiggles her fingers at him, hoping he'd get it. But she's just teasing him.

"A new car, I've been saving up for one!" Eric says with a laugh as she gives him that look. "I had to fix some…well…most of it up myself, though I'm not a gearhead I know enough about it to do that." He waves her towards the car, the door being unlocked now as he heads over towards the drivers side. Blue with white racing stripes. He runs one hand over the hood though. "…always wanded one of thease." He adds after a moment, a slight smile coming to his face. "…but I wanted to get it myself. Means more that way."

He shakes his head out of his own thoughts though and glances back up. "…yeah, the Foundation should give him a good boost, as well as the board meeting and the merger giving him alot more credibility in the business world."

"…alright alright, maybe I am…dosn't make it less true but maybe I am!" He replies after a moment before he rolls his eyes at the fingerwiggling. "Oh just get in the car."

"Jesus everyone I know is some sort of motorhead in a way," Elena says, hopping into the Shelby and strapping on her seatbelt. Looking at him, she gives him a smile. "I know. We've had this conversation before," she tells him. This wasn't the first time she's heard it, about how he changed his name in the first place so he could make his own way. But when he rests a hand on the hood, she laughs. "Hopefully no restaurants blow up around it. It'd be a pity. She's beautiful," she says simply. She knows….zilch about cars but she knows a pretty one when she sees it.

"When IS that board meeting anyway?" Elena asks, looking over at Eric when he finally gets in the driver's seat. "Is it in the books yet?"

She laughs. "With the open top it's kind of tempting to do the Six Flags thing when you hit a hundred," she says. "You know…" She lifts her arms up over her head. "Wheeee!"

"I know, sound like a broken record don't I?" Eric teases as he turns the key in the ignition. It starts up easily, and puurs like a kitten and he just has to smile slowly. "…oh man, I really hope nothing blows up on the way to the grocery store. I mean one or two more times and I might call it a habit with us." he adds with a shake of his head.

"Its in the books, end of the week, I sent out an email but I don't know if Jaden even looked at it, and I might need Gene there too. You as well of course." He chuckles. "I'm…going to make some people angry I think." He dosn't seem all that bothered about it though.

He glances at her a moment then just leans forwards over the steering wheel to hold him up as he laughs and laughs. "…you…you…" He sticks his hands up. "Wheeeee!" Then returns to laughing. It takes a few moments for him to regain control again and he just smiles fondly towards her. "…you are adoreable you know that Elena?" He murmurs softly towards her, eyes fixed on her.

"Not really. It's nice to know some people are still working for their money despite what they already have," Elena says simply, leaning back against her seat and inclining her head at him. But about blowing up, she can't help but laugh. "I'm sure that was just a once in a lifetime thing. I think. I hope. You ought to be a little more worried if -Cass- gets in this car, apparently she makes things blow up." She says this with all the ribbing of a little sister, of course. She thinks Cass is adorable.

But when he gets to the board meeting, she nods a touch. "Right," she murmurs. "Well, better tell Gene then. If you sent him the e-mail, he's probably had it entered already in his calendar though he's probably wondering what the deuce he'd be doing in a board meeting."

When he LAUGHS at her, she swats him. "WHAT? That's what they do in Six Flags! And it's not like this thing has a top. So…you know?" she cries, but she does laugh afterwards. "GOD. Why do I hang out with you?" she wonders out loud. But she can't help the grin on her lips. At his last, she blinks at him, and at the softer tone. "Ah. Well…" she says, coloring again, and rubbing the back of her neck.

With a sniff, she reaches over to press a fingertip on his nose, squinting at him in a mock-glare. "Stop embarassing me and just drive," she tells him.

"Well I try at least," Eric replies with a smile before he puts the thing in drive and eases out of the parking spot. "I'll keep that in mind though about Cass. Between her and Lachlan though I'm sure they would make plenty of things blow up." One causes it, and one just naturally bashes things in the face. Though he can't help but like them both. One is adoreable and the other is just funny.

"Idea man, he's come up with quite a few, and he can explain the newest breakthrough better than I can." He adds with a grin. "Dazzle them all with technobabble to get at least a few on our side."

"My charming personality?" Eric suggests with a grin before he turns his attention to the road. However, at the nose tweak he smiles and then brings one hand up to take her gently by the wrist. He holds her hand there for a moment, and then just quickly kisses the palm of her hand before letting the hand drop. A blink then, he has no idea what just came over him, what thought process caused him to do that.

Blushing now he glances back to the road. "…er…I…" He seems to be on the verge of apologizing for that, even though he isn't sorry about it. Not really. "…er…grocery store right?"

"….well. Lachlan's a tank," Elena says with a bit of a laugh. "The easiest way for anything to get blown up in this town is pulling a Koopa on Cass." She can't help the reference, it's so geeky she should be ASHAMED. But she she couldn't help but grin when she sees the expression on his face as he talks about the dynamic duo.

"Yes. Your charming personality," Elena retorts, giving him a look - but she can't help but laugh. "I just think you ought to give the board SOME notice that you're about to turn the— " She is cut off when her wrist is taken, and her hand turned gently so he could press his lips on the center of her palm. The gesture blindsides her, after so long without any sort of romantic contact of any kind whatsoever, she's understandably surprised. All these months of really getting to know him, Eric had always been an impulsive creature despite his shyness.

The flush on her cheeks deepen further. When her hand is dropped she's still staring at him, and when he mentions the store, she turns to face forward, clearing her throat. "Uh….yeah," she says softly. She's SO CONFUSED. WHAT? But…FRIENDS. THE FRIENDS ZONE. She… augh when is school starting? "Wholefoods?" She looks over at him, and gives him a smile. "Besides. I'm pretty sure YOUR fridge needs filling too. You can't subsist on TV dinners alone you know."

"Lachlan is a blunt weapon, and he likes it like that," Eric replies with a laugh. "But I have to agree that is the quickest way to get into trouble in this town…" Then he pauses. "…did you just say 'Pull a Koopa' on Cass?" pause. "Yes. Yes you did." Pause. "…I'm forever going to equate her to Princess Peach now you know that. Its all your fault!"

"Its more fun when you don't know its coming," Eric says softly, a smirk quirking his lips. That applies in the present case as well it seems. Though fun is an objective thing. He seems to still hold a slight flush, his eyes sliding towards her slightly as he watches her sit there, the look on her face, almost trying to judge her responce and see just how she took it.

He dosn't know what brought that on, but…he liked it, and the smile on his face and the soft look in his eyes tell that as he glances towards the confused girl a moment and then murmurs something softly under his breath. Raising his voice he laughs as he pulls onto the street. "…Wholefoods sounds good to me." He murmurs before he smirks. "…I have more than /just/ TV dinners. I have ramen too. Maybe some fruit." Pause. "Somewhere." Then he laughs and shakes his head. "Besides…if I actually get something in my fridge, then I don't have an excuse to come raid your house for dinner do I?"

With that he pulls the new sportscar onto the street and into the flow of traffic to head towards the market.

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