Fervency

CHAPTER: S I X

"Good morning, beautiful! How would you like your eggs?" Frypan greeted Elodie.

"Over medium." A giggle escaped her lips. "Coming right up!" he winked. She waited patiently at one of the tables until finally he came over with a plate of piping hot food.

"There you are! Two eggs over medium, bacon and a piece of toast." he presented the food.

"It looks delicious" she complimented, "Thank you."

"Any jam?"

"Sure, what do you got?"

"Strawberry and blackberry" he replied.

"I'll take blackberry."

"Ah!" he pointed a finger at her, "A woman after my own heart. I'll get it over to you."

With a small sigh of delight, Elodie salt and peppered her meal until he came back to leave the jam with her.

"Hey Elly" A voice greeted her from behind. There stood Chuck with Alby at his side.

"Morning you guys."

"Mind if we sit here?" Chuck wondered.

"Go for it." she chirped, before sticking a bite of egg in her mouth.

"By the way, where did you learn to fight like that? That was awesome!" Chuck's eyes went wide with excitement. Elodie's lips lifted in a closed smile before she swallowed her food.

"If I knew, I'd tell you" she released a laugh, shyly looking down to her lap.

"Yeah well I definitely feel safe with her around." Chuck gushed.

"Me too" Alby admitted, causing the three of them to break out in laughter.

"Alright, what did I miss?" Frypan joined the group.

"Elodie knows Kung Fu!"

"What?! You're kidding..."

"More like Krav Maga." Alby clarified.

"Well I'll be dipped!" Frypan set a hand on his hip, "It's a good thing too. Not all the guys here are friendly."

"Well" Elodie stood to her feet, "duty calls. I'll see ya later boys."

The three boys watched as she left and once she was far enough in the distance, they got back to their conversation.

"That's so cool!" Chuck's eyes lit up, "Hey, I wonder if she was some kinda secret agent before she came here."

"You have a point..." Alby looked down at the table in thought. "She's different. I can't put a finger on why."

"You still trust her, right?" Frypan inquired.

"That's what gets me." Alby looked up to the cook, "I just...have the feeling that I can. I had it right off the bat."

***

"I like what you guys have done with the place" Elodie approached the track-hoes. She panned around the garden, taking in her surroundings.

There was a large area tilled and in sections. Some had tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots... just about any vegetable you could think of. Fruit trees were planted in rows from behind the garden as well as many stalks of corn. There was even a handmade porch swing sitting in the midst of it all.

"A row of roses or even sunflowers would look so nice there" She pointed to an open space along the outside of the vegetable garden.

"Didn't know we were asking for your critique." Zart quipped.