The DINNER ~ Wheelsy AU

[noteasytobepink]

She'd been working two days, a day to get a handle on the simple art of flower arranging (complicated stuff would come later) and to start learning delivery routes. It had been nice to be moving again, doing something, anything, constructive and today...

...today she actually teleported back to Bill's house with an armload of groceries and flailed. "I'M RUNNING LATE! DID THE ROAST IN THE CROCKPOT TURN OUT...wait. YOU"RE NOT HOME ARE YOU?!"

It probably wasn't time for him to be home. Meep. Talking to an empty house and running late on starting the meal still! Right! Dough! Dough first, for bread and a sweet dough for tarts. Those needed to rise, then she could start peeling potatoes...

Right. She could do this. She flipped on the radio, tossed her floral shop hat on the counter and stared COOKING. Dancing and cooking but hey who didn't need music to cook well? "Knife!" she called out, years of habit having the warning go out amidst the music so no one got hit by the knife headed toward the sink.

She tended to throw things when she was cooking. Yep.

Comments

[no_andy_taylor]

"Since always." Heading for a cupboard, he began pulling down plates to set the table.

"Rememberin' dates an' times is a big girlfriend duty. Guys are never good with that stuff."

[noteasytobepink]

"Is this some world rule I was never made aware of?!" she laughed. "Your reality needs a manual! A rule book! And I think it was 6."

[no_andy_taylor]

"Well you already know I'm forgetful with my lunch an' all. Dates an' times aren't any different." He laughed.

"Six o'clock, so then she outta be here in a bit. She always shows early."

[noteasytobepink]

"I figure that's because you like people feeding you," she chuckled. "If you 'forget' then people are more likely to try to throw food at you!" It was just her job, now, to make sure it was some semblance of healthy!

"Alright, so...and minute now huh?"

[no_andy_taylor]

"Well that, too." He admitted, looking up from his table setting to throw her a grin.

Finishing setting the table, he glances at the clock.

"Yeah, probably. Need help with anything else?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, you could dump the roast and veggies from the crock pot into a serving dish?" she offered. "Or cut bread? The tarts need to bake a bit longer."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Serving dish, right."

Glancing around, he waffled between which cabinet to go to. Surely he had a serving dish of some type somewhere.

Picking a door, he opened it and dug around.

"How 'bout a big bowl?"

His arm stuck up over the counter top holding a big blue mixing bowl.

[noteasytobepink]

"...that works for the potatoes?" she laughed. "Are you seriously lost in your own kitchen Bill?" That was...kind of hilarious.

In a weird way though.

"Top cabinet lover!"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Well hell, I hardly ever use half the stuff in here," he said, searching for something for the meat.

"Hell, I been usin' the same plate, glass an' silverware for years now. Minus a pot or pan, I never needed nothin' else t'feed myself with."

[noteasytobepink]

"Then where did all your kitchen stuff come from Bill?" Did he have strangers loading his house with cookware?!

Maybe it was a 'getting your own house' tradition to give kitchen stuff? His world was weird!

"I think I'm going to cry Bill."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"My mom." As evidence, he pulled out the long sought serving dish, with decorative leaf pattern. "An' other folks. Some of it's stuff they thought I needed, some of it's stuff that never made it home after it came here with food in it, I dunno."

He shrugged, and began loading meat into the dish from the crockpot.

"Why does that make you wanna cry?"

[noteasytobepink]

"You have all this nifty stuff in here!" she laughed and waved at his cabinets, "And you don't even know what you have! I bet there's even things in here you don't know how to use! Like this. What does this even do?!"

[no_andy_taylor]

He glanced over, tilted his head, and finally gave up.

"I don't know. Some kind of... spikey potato peeler?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, it's your spiky potato peeler!" she laughed and waved it at him. "You could have an adventure just crawling through your own kitchen cabinets!"

[no_andy_taylor]

"I'll leave that t'you. You get bored just come in here an' find uses for all this junk."

Chuckling, he took the meat to the table, and started scraping the potatoes into a bowl.

[noteasytobepink]

"You may be setting us up for a catastrophe, words like that," Clarice teased. "That or kitchen wars. Bet this makes a good catapult..." which she was not testing on bread being sliced?

Be grateful!

[no_andy_taylor]

"Well you already promised not t'burn down my house, so beyond that I ain't too worried."

The potatoes joined the meat on the table, and Bill glanced around to see if there was anything else he could do.

[noteasytobepink]

"Waste of a good house," she noted cheerfully. "And the tarts would be ruined. Still, some of this stuff may end up in other parts of the house..." She slid a plate of sliced bread around him and nipped his shoulder while doing so.

"Salad dressings? I already have the salad in a bowl in the fridge too."

[no_andy_taylor]

"Other parts of the house?"

He headed to the refrigerator, pausing to headtilt at her before opening the door.

He was rising with the bottle of ranch in hand when the door bell rang.

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, some of it looks like it's make a better letter opener, or back scratcher, than kitchen stuff and..." Oh crap that was the doorbell! Yes, time for the immediate 'am I decent' check.

Hmmm, okay, time to button her shirt up properly. How had she managed to button it crooked earlier? "Get the door!" She shooed the man while playing with her buttons.

[no_andy_taylor]

"Back scratcher?" Confused by that, and surprised by the door, Bill started to head to get the door, then back to the table to put the dressing down, and caught in a bout of indecision as the bell rang again.

"Uh... lemme just, I'll get the-- okay."

The easiest thing was to leave the dressing on the counter as he passed while heading towards the living room to get the door.

[noteasytobepink]

"You do whatever!" She laughed. "I'm working on being decent!" Ish. Was she ever really decent? This town would choke if it saw her normal battle dress. Granted, she still had to make a new one of those and...

...anyway, yes, decent. Oh, she was missing a button, that's how she buttoned up wrong. Too late now right? Right. "HI BILL'S MOM!" she called down the hall.

[no_andy_taylor]

Bill opened the door, smile on for his mom, when Clarice's shout came ringing out. He winced a bit, and his smile turned sheepish.

"Hi, mom."

June Pardy stood in the doorway, a towel covered pie in hand, and gave her son a bit of an odd look before smiling.

"Bill." Balancing the pie away from her body, she pulled Bill in for a hug, which Bill returned.

"I hope I'm not too early."

"No, y'alright. Just about ready t'eat, c'mon." He reached for the pie, but June deftly kept it out of his reach, waving him on so she could follow him to the kitchen.

[noteasytobepink]

Mostly decent (missing button was at her waist and as long as she kept her shirt tucked in...) and smiling Clarice ducked her head into the hall to watch the pair advance. Oh...no..."Bill's going to be spoiled," she noted cheerfully. She found it best to keep talking through the 'OMG Pink?!' shock with new people!

"A pie and tarts...Bill, if you don't eat at least a little salad I'm hiding dessert."

[no_andy_taylor]

To June's credit she only faltered slightly when catching sight of Clarice. Word had of course gotten around town about the pink girl staying at Bill's house, but seeing her was a bit of a different thing than hearing about it.

"Hello, there."

Bill took in a nervous deep breath, and stood to the side so he could do introductions.

"Mom, this is Clarice. Clarice, this is my mom, June."