Eleanor

She'd love to stay in bed through the afternoon, but Eleanor does have to show the house today, so she gets up & gets ready while it's still mid-morning. Just as she's finished dressing, the phone rings.

It's Corrine, and she expected to be reaching Mercedes. Apparently Mercedes didn't bother to inform her friend of the change in plans. Corrine is surprised, but laughs, "It's just as well, I suppose, she would be giving me the hard sell the whole time, anyway. I just want to take a look, I'm not sure what I'm in the market for yet." Corrine is staying in a resort on the lake, and she says she'll be at the house in a few hours.

Justin comes up behind her as she's hanging up. She turns, and catches something in his expression that bothers her. "Do I look that bad?" she asks meekly. Xtina has told her a million times she's a terrible dresser with no sense of fashion: Eleanor really couldn't care about what her clothes look like, as long as she's comfortably covered. Justin has never commented directly about her clothes, but he does seem to spend a lot of time improving her wardrobe: he brought her to his own tailor to get her that black pantsuit which she thought showed too much cleavage, but when she wore it to work, Mercedes' glance was very approving. Almost disconcertingly so. He doesn't complain about it, but her poor taste in fashion must really bother him.

"You're beautiful, Elle," he says, tickling her. He's using playfulness to distract her, she thinks. Because he hates her suit. "That's sweet, Justin," she says with a sigh, "But please, Corrine will be here in a few hours. This is important, I need to know, do I really look that bad?"

He cups his chin in her hand & looks her in the eyes, "Clothes are not as important as you think, Elle. People respond to what you project," he says with deep gravity, and then pulls her face right up to his, speaking with his lips brushed against hers, "Eleanor, you know you're smart enough & strong enough to handle anything. Just take that confidence you project in your walk & wear it when you're standing still," he says, & kisses her softly. She doesn't know what to make of him sometimes, he answers questions she didn't ask, and his kisses make her forget her original query.

She doesn't have to ask him to be out of the way when Corrine comes, he tells her he'll make breakfast (or more like lunch by now) and then take the boat out onto the lake, leaving Eleanor to attend Mercedes' business.

Justin cooks & cleans up, leaving the house in perfect order before he takes the boat out onto the lake. The warmth of his parting kiss lingers, and Eleanor feels like she's glowing with energy & confidence when she greets Corrine at the front door.

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