Dahlia Jackson (plaininsight) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2021-04-03 17:19:00 |
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Entry tags: | #june 2018, dahlia, dahlia x grady, grady |
Who: Grady and Dahlia
When: late morning to start, Friday, June 8
Where: Castle View apartments
Status: complete
The first night in their new apartment hadn’t been the most comfortable, since they were sleeping on sleeping bags and couch cushions, but Dahlia had still passed out pretty quickly and solidly in her mostly-empty master bedroom. She’d been tired already, and knew there was another exhausting day ahead. Once they’d both woken up, she’d apologized to Elodie for the lack of real breakfast -- all the kitchen stuff was still packed and on the U-Haul -- while they munched on cold leftover pizza from Dino’s. The girl had said the night before that she didn’t want to be around for the moving because of Grady, and Dahlia was still okay with that. She was kind of particular about how she wanted things arranged anyway, after living alone for so many years.
She’d put on the same jeans she’d been wearing for a couple of days now, a t-shirt, and wrapped a scarf around her curls, ready to work and sweat. When she’d called Grady the night before, he’d been gracious and hadn’t sounded at all like his offer to help her move had been insincere. It was a relief, because she really did need help, and if it wasn’t him, Dahlia would be forced to go knocking on doors until she could find someone willing to take some money to lend a hand. Luckily she didn’t have to, and as soon as Elodie was gone, she texted Grady that he could come over anytime, then got started, moving between the parked U-Haul and their apartment, carrying in the boxes that she could.
Grady had definitely been sincere when he offered to help Dahlia move. He wasn't sure whether he would hear from her or not, so when she did call, Grady was momentarily taken by surprise. But of course he would help her out and it was a pretty valid excuse to see her again. He made sure things were covered at the station before he drove home, changed into more comfortable clothes, and drove to Castle View. Finding the van and u-Haul was easy and he could see Dahlia was already carrying things inside. He sort of wished Hunter was still living with him, because he could have definitely used the help carrying the heavier items. Oh well, he could handle this.
Parking and pocketing his keys, Grady stepped up while Dahlia was inside the open apartment and reached in to pull a box toward him. He lifted it with ease and headed inside, where he found her. "You picked the right day for this," Grady told her with a smile. "Though I feel a bit bad that you're spending a gorgeous day unpacking."
Dahlia was in the kitchen area, bent over rummaging in a box, and she looked up with a little start at the sudden sound of a man’s voice. She smiled immediately, her heart giving another tiny jump that was much more attraction than fear. He still looked good to her, even stone cold sober and in the daylight, so that was a good sign, right? “Well hey there,” she laughed, straightening up and wiping her hands off on her jeans as she walked toward him. Dahlia felt the urge to touch her hair and try to fluff herself a bit, because she probably looked like a hot mess already, but oh well. If he couldn't stand to look at her in grubby clothes doing work, fuck him. “It is nice, isn’t it? So hopefully we can get this done fast and make something of the afternoon.” He wasn’t in uniform, so she wasn’t sure if he was working today or not ... unless the Sheriff of this tiny-ass town just didn’t wear a uniform. Dahlia wasn’t sure how to physically greet him, considering the way they’d left off last time, so she just moved in for a light hug.
Grady definitely didn't think she looked like a hot mess. In fact, just the opposite. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her to be. "That sounds like a plan," he said, returning her hug. It did feel a tiny bit awkward, only because he wasn't sure if he was allowed to kiss her or not, or if that was even something he should attempt to do. It was another reminder that he had been out of the dating game for a really long time. Hopefully he would find his groove again. "You just tell me what you need me to do," he said when he pulled back.
She wasn’t sure if kissing was on the menu yet either, so Dahlia felt the awkwardness but was content to let it pass. It was unavoidable sometimes. They still barely knew one another, and there was no real playbook to this stuff. She didn’t want him to feel used for manual labor with no incentive, but she also didn’t want to get distracted into making out either, there was so much to do. “Well, I was working on the boxes, but now that you’re here we ought to get the furniture in,” she said. “No grand pianos or boulder collections or anything, I promise.” Dahlia gave him a little grin, then started to lead the way back out the door to the U-Haul.
"Furniture it is," Grady said, more than happy to get the heavy stuff out of the way. "I am a little disappointed about the boulder collections though, because I would have definitely loved to have seen that." He followed her outside, thankful that he did his best to keep himself in shape otherwise he might have had to call Nick to come and help out. The both of them managed to get the furniture moved in with little issue, though Grady was definitely going to feel it in certain parts of his body in the morning. With the heavier items out of the way, they still had some boxes to grab."I know this is a strange question to ask as we're moving you into your new place, but how you are enjoying the town so far? How's Elodie been?"
It was a lot easier to unload a truck than fit everything into it, but any sort of coordination of heavy lifting was something of a character test, and Dahlia appreciated how easy it was with Grady. He listened to what she wanted and didn’t get all ‘I’m the man so I’m in charge’ about anything. She couldn’t stand those types of guys. Dahlia left Elodie’s room largely unarranged so the girl could make her own decisions on where to put things, but she thought the two of them could handle that furniture just fine. It was the couch and her bedroom set that required the most work, so she was grateful to have Grady’s strong help. As they headed out to get more boxes, Dahlia smiled over his questions. “Well I haven’t actually seen a whole lot of it yet, but what I have seen I like. It’s a lovely place. She’s been okay, we spent our first night together last night in sleeping bags, but she doesn’t complain. It’s going to be an adjustment for both of us.” Dahlia paused at the back of the truck and gave Grady an assessing glance. “She didn’t want to be here while you were here,” she said. “Any thoughts on that?”
He was happy to hear Dahlia was enjoying the town. Grady knew it was picturesque and that the tourists would be arriving soon, usually just to say a night or two before they were on their way. Anyone who stayed longer tended to realize this wasn't as pretty of a town as it appeared. Grady reached into the truck for another box, but didn't lift it just yet as Dahlia's question drew his attention away from the task at hand. Elodie hadn't wanted to be here when he was. That was interesting and he made note of it before resting his arm on top of the moving box. "Plenty of thoughts," he said with a faint smile. "But I imagine she's afraid of me asking her some questions. We haven't seen her since her mom disappeared and we thought she might have gone with Ms. Hunt. If she knows what happened, I'd like her to talk to me about it."
Dahlia had her empathic senses wide open, the part of her that was always suspicious of men hunting for any indication that Grady had harassed Elodie in some way. There was nothing shady in his emotions though, which made her relax a little inside. At least as far as Grady was concerned. Dahlia still harbored plenty of unease and worry for whatever Elodie had been through, that big blank spot between them. “Yeah, so would I,” she said with a sigh, reaching up to wipe at her brow with the back of one wrist. “She hasn’t told me anything about any of it yet, and I haven’t wanted to push so soon, but ... I hope she trusts me enough to tell me one day, you know? Until then, I just want to make her comfortable.” She gave a brief little frown and then tried to brush it all aside, picking up the next box to take in.
Grady nodded, because he understood where Dahlia was coming from. But he didn't have the luxury of trying to make Elodie Hunt trust him before talking to him about her mother. She was a minor who had disappeared for months after her mother had and now she was home. Grady was of the mind that she had been one of the many who went missing off of Witcham Road in January, but he wouldn't be able to make that connection until he spoke to her. "I'm going to have to ask her a few questions," Grady told Dahlia, somewhat apologetically as he lifted the box from the truck. "But I can give her a bit of time to get settled with you."
She knew it was inevitable, and Dahlia completely understood, she just wanted it to be under the proper circumstances, and not cornering the girl in her own brand new home to interrogate her, while she was adjusting to living with a stranger. Not that she thought Grady would’ve been super hard on Elodie, Dahlia just knew it could seem that way to a scared kid. “I appreciate that,” she told him, glancing over her shoulder with a little smile. “We can schedule something soon. Her dad -- well, a lot of our family, really -- has plenty of run-ins with the law, so ... there’s a tradition of mistrust, I guess you could say.” In the apartment, she put the box down in the living room and wiped her hands off on her jeans.
"You wouldn't be the first," Grady said with a soft chuckle. He set the box down beside hers. "Don't worry, I don't plan on interrogating her. It can be casual, once she's feeling sorted out." She might not have any answers for him either. He paused and rested his hands on his hips as he caught his breath a bit from all of the lifting and moving. "There's ah... a situation that went down a few months ago, around the time her mom disappeared. I have a feeling maybe she was involved with it. But nobody officially reported her missing so I didn't really connect the two incidents until you mentioned her." Grady didn't want Dahlia to think the only reason he had volunteered to help her was to ask questions about Elodie, but it was difficult to turn the cop part of his brain off. So he shook his head and smiled a bit. "What would you say to grabbing some lunch when we're finished here? There are a few places at the marina that are pretty good, with a nice view."
Dahlia frowned lightly as she wondered what kind of ‘situation’ he might mean. She could tell he wanted to move away from work topics though, and Dahlia felt like there would be time to ask later, when they weren’t hauling things around. She tucked it into the corner of her mind for later. There were a lot of things piling up there, but she could be patient. The invitation made her smile again. “Yeah, I would love that,” she said. “But only if you let me buy you a couple of beers, as a thank you for all this.” Dahlia gestured around them. That wasn’t the only way she planned to thank him, and it showed momentarily in her face as she glanced him over, but it was hard to flirt when she felt sweaty and gross, so she didn’t say so.
The gentlemanly thing to do would be to reassure Dahlia that she didn't have to thank him, let alone buy him a beer or two. But she seemed like the kind of woman who would insist anyway and of course he was going to take any excuse to spend a bit more time with her. He was sweaty too and brought another shirt to change into. He certainly didn't mind her state of dress. He thought she looked cute, actually. And it wasn't like they were going to The Boathouse for lunch. Maybe dinner... in the future. If this goes well. "I think that sounds fair," he said with a grin before turning to head back out to the truck. "Do you like seafood?"
“I do, I’m a woman of taste,” Dahlia said breezily, grinning a bit to herself as she followed behind Grady and giving him yet another appreciative glance. He certainly looked scrumptious in a pair of jeans, so that really felt true today. They carried the rest of the boxes in and arranged things with some semblance of order inside, enough that Dahlia felt okay leaving the rest of it for later. She opened a few boxes and bags until she found a towel, and when Grady came back in from moving the U-Haul for her, Dahlia flashed him a smile. “I’m gonna do a quick freshen-up so I don’t ruin your appetite if you sit downwind of me,” she said, gesturing over her shoulder back toward the little hall that ran to the bedrooms. “Help yourself to water or whatever you need, be out in a few.”
It had been a long time since Grady had been out with a woman and even longer since he'd flirted with one, save for the night he had actually met Dahlia. He liked the way she looked at him, even when he was sweaty in a t-shirt. Grady tried to take care of himself and his appearance, considering his job, but it was another thing to try and look good for a woman. When they finished up, Grady wiped his hands on his jeans. The physical labor had certainly helped him work up an appetite and while he was more than happy to help, he was even happier that they were finished. "Not a problem, thanks. I've got a clean shirt in my car I'm going to change into, if you don't mind." He didn't want to strip in her place without her permission and he certainly didn't think the sheriff should do it in an apartment parking lot.
“Of course, yeah, the spare bathroom’s right ... well you know exactly where it is, don’t you?” she interrupted herself with a laugh. Dahlia rolled her eyes and bounced her fingers off her forehead before she turned to head back into her bedroom. She pushed the door mostly shut but didn’t bother with locking it up tight or anything. If Grady wanted to come peek at her while she changed, she would feel him coming ... and maybe wouldn’t mind so much, if she was being honest. Dahlia had already unpacked some of her bathroom stuff so it was easy to wash her face and pits and at least get herself smelling better. She changed into some fresh jeans and a shirt that was actually flattering, switched out the scarf on her head to one that wasn’t damp with sweat, and slapped on some lipstick and a touch of perfume before she emerged feeling much more human.
Grady was definitely not the type to try and peep in on a woman changing. He had his imagination, of course, but the last thing he wanted to do was creep her out or scare her off. While Dahlia cleaned up, Grady headed out to his car to grab his t-shirt. He made use of the spare bathroom, folding up his damp t-shirt to toss into his car. He was waiting for Dahlia when she appeared and he smiled at her. "You clean up nice," he said and instantly felt lame for it, but it was out there now so he had to just own it. Seriously, it was like he was a fourteen year old kid again. Maybe he ought to ask Nick for advice on how not to sound like a jackass. "Ready to go?"
That pop of embarrassed regret was bright and clear to Dahlia and it just made her smile at him even more. Eventually that lack of confidence might get old, but she was willing to bet it would pass if they kept seeing each other. It was just part of being out of practice. “Thank you, it’s amazing what some lipstick will do,” she said with a little grin. Dahlia went to grab her purse, then gestured Grady toward the door as she headed that way. “Ready if you are, chief. ... would it be chief, or sheriff? Or am I not allowed to call you that kind of thing?” Her tone was light and teasing -- she definitely didn’t want to constantly remind him of work, but it was hard not to toss in an affectionate reference here and there. Dahlia had never dated a cop before.
"Well, lipstick... and I like the scarf too," he said, following her to the door. Honestly, he liked all of it. She was a gorgeous woman, after all. Maybe he just needed a beer or two to ease the lingering jitters of dating someone new. "Most people in town call me Sheriff." Grady smiled and led her towards his car. "I'm sure some people here have other nicknames for me, but rarely do they say them to my face. Occasionally they do, if they're feeling brave." He chuckled and walked around to open the passenger side door for her. "Of course, you can call me whatever you want to call me." There, that was flirtatious, wasn't it? Maybe he wasn't on top of his game, but he'd get there. Thankfully Dahlia seemed patient enough to put up with his occasional failure.
Dahlia laughed lightly as she moved to climb into the passenger seat, her fingers drifting over Grady’s forearm as she passed him. It was a sweet gesture to hold the door, and she just couldn’t resist touching him once, at least. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said as she got settled. “You’re going to regret it when I start calling you ‘Sheriff McHottie’ out loud.” She grinned and gave him a cheesy little wink. She didn’t expect him to be some suave Casanova, because she certainly wasn’t ... whatever the female counterpart would’ve been. Dahlia liked it when people were comfortable enough to be their dorky selves.
"Is regret the right word?" Grady laughed and shut the door once she was safely inside the car. When he climbed into the driver's seat, he tossed his shirt in the back, thinking he should have probably thrown it into the trunk. He didn't need his car stinking when they finished up with lunch. Before he pulled out of the spot, he glanced at Dahlia. "Does Elodie have a key, if she gets home before I drop you back off? I don't want her to be stuck outside waiting." He was pretty sure Dahlia had it covered but Grady couldn't really turn off the "dad" part of him that was as prevalent as the Sheriff part was.
“She does,” she answered warmly. It was sweet of him to think of Elodie, though she supposed as the dad of teenagers it made sense. “The office gave me two copies, so she’s got one. I think she was trying to avoid all of the unpacking though, so she probably won’t be home for a while.” Dahlia thought about pulling her phone out to text the girl, let her know that the hard part was done and she was going to lunch with Grady, but ... that felt a little too clingy somehow. Elodie had been basically on her own for a while, and Dahlia had promised she wasn’t going to act like a babysitter. If Elodie wasn’t home by the time Grady left, she would text her. “So how’s life been treating you the past couple days? Hope your post-birthday hangover wasn’t too bad.”
"Smart kid," Grady said. With Elodie taken care of, Grady got them on their way. He had definitely worked up an appetite and Grady was trying to think of the last time he'd had lunch with someone who wasn't Jen or his own deputies. Usually he was eating a quick lunch in his office. "Post-birthday hangover was more than tolerable, thanks. Life's been good though. I mean... as good as it can be, being Sheriff McHottie in a town like Point Pleasant. Sometimes I feel like my good looks are being wasted here." He flashed her a teasing grin. "I'd ask you the same but it seems like your days have been busy with getting settled. It's a nice apartment though. I know a lot of people who live in the complex. They're good people."
Dahlia laughed to hear him use the silly name for himself, delighted that he seemed amused by it. As someone who was very good looking and worked with the public all the time, she had to imagine Grady got hit on fairly often, or there were some eligible bachelorettes who brought muffins by the station all the time or something. She did note how he phrased it though -- ‘in a town like Point Pleasant.’ It reminded her about what Elodie had said about this place, and that she wanted to ask Grady about it. Just ... later, maybe. They had a nice vibe going right then. “They are definitely being wasted, but I am here to help out with that, to make sure you’re properly appreciated. You’re welcome,” she said, then giggled a bit. “That’s good to know about the apartments though, I’m glad. You would know best out of anyone, I guess. I looked at a place to rent in Seaview too, but it looked a little sketchy. So this seemed better.”
Grady had been hit on once or twice on the job, maybe more but he tended to be a bit oblivious, or he flat out ignored it, especially if the woman was married. Ty and Jared tended to get the ladies in town all hot and bothered and honestly, he kind of missed having them around for that distraction. He couldn't deny that he was incredibly interested in seeing how Dahlia planned to make sure he was "properly appreciated" but he supposed he would find out sooner than later. Hopefully. Grady didn't want to rush anything. "Seaview's not that bad," Grady said, keeping his eyes on the road. "Low income housing but there are some good people there too. But... Seaview doesn't come with a pool, so I think you chose well."
“Yes!” Dahlia said with enthusiasm. “The pool was a big selling point, not gonna lie. I’m so happy this is all happening in June, so I can actually enjoy it.” Not that she was happy any of it was happening, she wished Elodie didn’t need a guardian at all, that her parents were stable and married and not disappeared ... but if it had to happen, at least she could enjoy the warm weather before she started to freeze her ass off during a Maine winter. “You’ll join me for a dip sometime right? Have a mimosa? Or are you not supposed to be seen canoodling with the locals?” She let her head fall back and grinned a bit as she looked over at him, taking advantage of Grady’s averted gaze to do a bit of staring.
"I think canoodling is only frowned upon when I'm on the clock." Grady grinned and did his best not to think about how he seemed to always be on the clock in this town. He had free time today and he was going to enjoy it by not thinking about anything work-related. "But of course I'll join you for a swim this summer. We have a pretty nice beach but generally the water is a bit too cold to really enjoy it, even at peak summertime." He paused and then cocked a brow while glancing at her. "I have to be honest though, I've never had a mimosa before."
“Never?” she asked with some faux-shock. “I make a badass mimosa, we’ll have to see if you have any taste. Actually I make a lot of badass drinks, I’m kind of a cocktail connoisseur, so ... be prepared to be forced to try a lot of recipes.” Dahlia laughed a bit. “I will keep regular beer on hand though, just in case.” She found that she felt really good, riding in a sunny car, bantering with an attractive, decent man. It was coming pretty naturally to her, which was always a good sign. Sometimes it was hard for Dahlia to tune out other people’s emotions to get in touch with her own, but she didn’t feel at all crowded out by Grady. Enough so that she kind of wished she wasn’t so starving so they could just go park somewhere and make out like kids. “I know you probably don’t have any time for yourself, but ... anything you like to do? Fishing, camping, sports ...? Or hell, I dunno, maybe stamp collecting? Don’t want to assume.”
Grady had never been a cocktail kind of guy, but he was definitely willing to give it a try if Dahlia was making them. He turned toward the marina parking lot and laughed as he glanced at her. "Stamp collecting? How old do you think I am?" It was strange to be asked such a question, especially considering he had no idea how to answer. His job took up so much of his time that he wasn't sure he had any real hobbies. "I do enjoy sports, yes. I've been camping a few times, but not since moving back to Point Pleasant. I lived in Portland for a while," he explained as he began to search for a parking spot. "But you're right, I really don't have a lot of time for myself. It's a small town so I don't have a lot of deputies, so it's up to me to pick up the slack. What do you like to do? Besides painting, of course."
Dahlia laughed along with him and gave an exaggerated shrug. “No offense meant, I was just trying to think of the polar opposite of sports,” she said with a grin. Stamp collecting hadn’t been a serious suggestion, and if he did have any super-dorky hobbies, he probably wouldn’t tell her this soon. It sounded like her suspicions had been right and he didn’t have time to cultivate hobbies, which was a shame. Dahlia was a big believer in self care and carving out time for stuff that made her happy, but she knew that wasn’t practical for everyone. “Besides painting and getting creative with alcohol ... I like to read, I’m a little obsessed with true crime podcasts, I really love horror movies. I cook? But in a weird, sporadic way. So I’ll get fixated on like, casseroles for a month and then bake a bunch of cakes in a row ... but anyway, yes. I like outdoorsy stuff too, I just don’t do it on my own much.” Once Grady had parked, Dahlia reached for the car door.
Grady knew that true crime was a big draw for people. But seeing as how he was someone who saw "true crime" every day... he had no desire to watch or listen to it during his free time. He supposed the same could be said for horror movies, although he could still stomach those from time to time. If he had enough to drink he wouldn't sit there wondering if what he was watching would eventually happen in Point Pleasant. But Grady enjoyed hearing about what Dahlia liked to do and he grinned as he listened, trying to imagine her kitchen counter covered in cakes and her freezer packed with casseroles. "I try to cook," Grady said, climbing out of the car with Dahlia. "Especially when I'm home with my daughter. Most of the time I end up ordering takeout. I'm pretty skilled at multitasking at work, but at home... I don't know. It's like I forget how to function as a normal adult man."
Dahlia instantly thought they should try to cook together sometime, picturing some lowkey sexy music and a couple of glasses of wine and smelling something delicious on the stove. Or baking together, having playful flour fights and licking icing off of one another’s fingers. Or maybe her brain was just too stuck in romantic comedy mode. “Most normal adult men aren’t running a town’s police force basically on their own,” she pointed out as she joined him on the other side of the car. “What is normal anyway? A bunch of bullshit, if you ask me. As long as your daughter gets fed, you’re doing fine.” She gave him a smile and let him lead the way toward the restaurant. It was a lovely day, breezy down on the marina, and Dahlia was struck yet again by the beauty of this little place. It surely didn’t look evil and ominous, not with the sun sparkling off the water and people milling around enjoying the weather. “But you should come over sometime, let me handle dinner for you.”
"Jen is pretty self-sufficient," Grady said. She tended to make sure Grady took care of himself more than he had to with her. As much as he was glad Hunter was safe in Portland, he sometimes wished his son had stayed, if only to keep an eye on Jen when Grady couldn't. But she was a smart girl and while he worried about her in this town, he didn't doubt her ability to take care of herself. "I'm not sure normal exists in any capacity," Grady added with a soft laugh. "But you know, I'm not going to say no to any dinner that doesn't have to be cooked by me." On the way to the restaurant Grady was greeted by a few people, but thankfully nobody stopped him for a long chat, or to complain about something mundane... or something worse. "Do you want to sit outside?" he asked Dahlia once they reached the door. There were a few tables out front but it wasn't exactly peak summer so he understood if she was too chilly.
At least they were on the same page about ‘normal,’ Dahlia appreciated that attitude in people. There was so much diversity in the world, so many experiences to have, she’d long ago decided not to bother trying to fit her life into social norms and she felt like she’d benefited immensely from that. Dahlia kind of got a kick out of all the people saying hello to Grady -- it made sense that they all knew him, but she wasn’t accustomed to living in this small of a town. “Outside would be great, yeah,” she answered brightly. The air felt good to her after all the work they’d done that day, and Dahlia gave a little groan of appreciation as she sat down at one of the tables. She was getting too old to move all of her stuff over and over, she needed to downsize to an RV or something. “So what’s good here?” she asked, glancing over through the front window of the restaurant. “Since you’re like, king of takeout around here.” She flashed him a grin.
"Is it a cop out answer if I say everything?" Grady knew someone would come out to hand them menus but he knew most of the restaurants in this town pretty well. "The lobster rolls are my favorite. They've got some pretty great shrimp scampi too. And a maple bacon salmon, if you can believe it." He chuckled, happy to be sitting finally and enjoying the beautiful view, and company. "I guess that's one benefit of my job... we order enough take out at the station that we've all kind of become food connoisseurs. And yes, it's as sad as it sounds." Grady really did love his job, despite all of the problems that came with it. But there were plenty of times he wished he was back in Portland, married and settled and not devoting almost every minute of his life to this town and everyone in it. Those times tended to happen when he was at his desk at nine thirty at night and eating Chinese take out for the third time that week.
Dahlia made interested noises about all of those options, but the shrimp scampi really sounded good. She had to imagine the lobster was a little pricey and she didn’t want to make him spend much on lunch after he’d already helped her out so much ... but was lobster even expensive in Maine? Isn’t this where most lobsters came from? She resolved to check the menu once she had one in her hand. “It dosen’t sound sad,” she told Grady with a warm smile. “You’re all busy, and eating shrimp scampi is better than a ton of fast food all the time, right?” Dahlia’s eyes ticked down to Grady’s torso, then back up to his face. He definitely didn’t look like he ate junk too often. A moment later a waitress appeared and handed them menus and took their drink orders. Dahlia eagerly looked over the food, more hungry than she’d realized. Spotting crab cakes on the list made her change her mind, and when the waitress came back, that was what she asked for. Smiling at Grady once they were alone again, she crossed her legs and leaned back a bit, soaking in the breeze and the sun on her skin. “So are you free the rest of the day?” she asked. “Or do I have to give you back to your duty at some point?”
Grady had caved and ordered the lobster rolls though he planned on taking most of his meal home to Jen. Maybe. He was pretty hungry. With their food ordered, Grady relaxed again, content enough just to keep his focus on Dahlia. It was ingrained in him to always be aware of his surroundings, but he was doing his best to ignore the part of his brain that had become completely "cop". She was too pretty to ignore for the other people walking along the boardwalk. "I've got the day off, which is a rarity," he admitted. "So unless someone calls me with an emergency..." He tapped his knuckles against the table. "... I'm pretty free. It's been a while, so I'm not entirely sure what to do with myself."
She got a little thrill inside to hear he was off for the rest of the day. Bottom lip caught in her teeth, Dahlia smiled at him. She could think of plenty of ways to occupy his time. It probably wouldn’t be kosher to put a sock on the doorknob the very first day in the apartment, though. She did have to be responsible, as much as she wanted to climb into Grady’s lap already. “Well if you’d like to come hang out while I start unpacking, I’d love the company,” she told him. “Promise I won’t make you lift anything else.” Dahlia would be understanding if he didn’t want to, of course, or if he got tired of being around her, but she couldn’t resist making the offer, at least.
Grady had a few things to get done that day but none of them were terribly pressing and certainly not as appealing as spending more time with Dahlia. "I don't mind the lifting," Grady assured her with a grin. "You can just hand me things and point to where you want them." Maybe he was still a little hesitant about this entire thing, simply because it had been years since he had spent any meaningful time with a woman, but Dahlia made him feel at ease and he was willing to simply "go with the flow", or whatever the popular phrase was today. "Not to sound too much like a cop at the moment, but do you have any questions about the town? You know where everything is that you might need?"
Dahlia’s smile was warm as he accepted. Even if he just hung around for another hour or two, she thought it would be nice. Grady had a good vibe about him, even apart from the obvious attraction, and it was comforting to be around in a new place. She was glad to know that her tipsy judgement of him hadn’t been off the mark. Some people were only fun when they were drinking ... or when she was drinking. “I think I’ve got the basic layout figured out so far,” she said, idly bouncing her crossed leg a little. “I did a bit of driving around looking for a place to rent.” She paused, then quirked a brow at him and added, “I do wonder about some ... strange things that Elodie said, though. About Point Pleasant. I dunno if she was just trying to spook me or what.”
Grady's smile remained on his face though he was sure she could tell it slipped a little at her mention of 'strange things'. "What sort of strange things did she mention?" He wouldn't lie to her but Grady couldn't imagine dumping the entirety of Point Pleasant in Dahlia's lap. Not when she had barely begun to unpack. The truth would probably send her screaming out of here. Or maybe not. Maybe she wouldn't believe. Maybe she would be intrigued. Maybe it was better if Dahlia knew what lurked around this town. It might keep her safe. Grady realized that he was definitely overthinking this and he should just wait until he knew what Elodie was saying. For all he knew the girl was messing around and talking about Sasquatch.
Not only could she see the subtle change in his expression, Dahlia could feel the shift in his mood, the instant conflict and worry. That felt like more confirmation about what Elodie had said than his words could be. She wondered if he would try to lie to her, like Elodie claimed he did with everyone else to cover up the things that weren’t supposed to happen. Dahlia tilted her head slightly as she studied him. “I believe her words were that horror movies are totally real here,” she said. “Reality isn’t normal, and impossible things happen here. She didn’t give me any specifics, but she definitely didn’t make it sound like a good thing. What do you make of that?” She wasn’t exactly testing him, but she was curious to find out if he would be honest with her or not, especially since he was unaware she would be able to tell one way or another.
He couldn't deny that Elodie's description of Point Pleasant was pretty accurate. But if he outright agreed with the girl, it was possible Dahlia would peg him as crazy. Maybe he was. Maybe they all were and they just didn't know it. He exhaled slowly, trying to think of the sanest way to explain things to her when the waitress returned with their drinks. He was able to take a drink from his beer to prolong the inevitable for a few moments more before finally giving Dahlia a slightly resigned sort of smile. "I think there's some truth to what she's told you. Things happen here that are hard to explain. I don't know about it being a horror movie, but people who live here know to take certain precautions."
Dahlia was darkly amused at the arrival of their drinks giving Grady a couple of minutes to stall. She sipped from her own as the waitress went away, patiently waiting for her answer. Judging from Grady’s hesitance and how he was feeling inside, she recognized that as a diplomatic half-answer. It was obvious to Dahlia that he knew more than he was letting on, but she could sympathize with not wanting to sound crazy, especially to someone you were interested in. Just like she kept her super-empathy to herself ... but that didn’t really affect other people. If the town she was living in was dangerously haunted or something, she wanted to be able to protect herself. “What sorts of precautions?” she asked Grady, her tone even and her gaze steady. “What do I need to know?”
"Just be aware of your surroundings. Stay inside whenever there's any unusual weather. Try to avoid being out late by yourself. And I say that to everyone who lives here, not just women. This town can be unpredictable and it's best to just expect... pretty much anything, at any given time." Grady's smile softened a little and he flicked his thumb idly over the slightly bent label of his beer. "Usually someone's living here for a few weeks before they're introduced to all of the strange shit. Pardon my language. Point Pleasant is just an unusual town. Nobody really seems to realize that until they've lived here for a while." But the natives, they knew it from the moment they were born. It was probably why it was easy for so many of them to turn a blind eye.
It was so interesting, the way they both framed it as ‘the town’ and not the people in it, like Point Pleasant was its own entity. It wasn’t ‘watch out for the roving bands of meth heads,’ it was ‘this town is a horror movie’ and ‘unpredictable.’ Grady’s small apology for saying ‘shit’ made Dahlia smile reflexively -- he would learn that was utterly unnecessary with her soon enough, if they kept spending time together. She had a mouth like a sailor sometimes. “That’s all very vague and makes me even more curious, but I will take your advice to heart and be careful,” she said after a moment’s thought. She couldn’t exactly demand that he tell her specifics and explain everything, since it all seemed hard to explain at all. Grady wasn’t lying to her though, she could feel that much. “Forewarned is forearmed, right? Maybe I got lucky that I met you so quickly.”
"I'm not trying to be vague," Grady said before pausing. "Maybe I am. But I know how all of this sounds to someone who has just moved here. People go missing here often. Too often. We had some bad weather a while back that turned people violent. Stone statues in the cemetery? They move." Grady laughed, but there was very little humor in it. "Elodie's mother allegedly ditched town, but... it's far more likely that she died." He wasn't about to suggest getting sucked into another dimension as an alternate possibility. That was a little too crazy to mention just yet. Grady shook his head and sighed. "I don't know you very well, Dahlia, but I would like to get to know you. You don't have to believe anything I tell you, or anything Elodie tells you. But you're right, forewarned is forearmed."
That was more specific, but no less worrying. Weather turning people violent? Moving statues? Dahlia understood more now why he was being cagey about it. As sheriff, she was sure that he was directly involved in almost all of that, too. The part about Elodie’s mother likely dying made her frown vaguely, but not at Grady. She’d of course known that was a possibility, but Dahlia had thought a drug overdose or an accident was the likely culprit, not something weird or supernatural. She considered Grady’s words as she took another sip of her drink. “Firstly, let me reassure you that you don’t sound crazy,” she told him, her tone fairly normal as she set her glass down. “I don’t have a lot of ... direct experience, I guess you could say, but I have an open mind. It’s a weird world. None of this is like, scaring me off from wanting to get to know you too. I believe your experience, it’s just ... a lot to take in. I thought maybe Elodie was just trying to fuck
with me, but I see that’s not the case.”
"She might have still been fucking with you," Grady said. "But it could have also been her way of trying to warn you herself. I couldn't really say." Like Grady, Elodie could have been trying to be vague but helpful at the same time. "And it is a lot to absorb, and I'm sorry for dumping it all on you right before your shrimp scampi." He smiled faintly, hoping she wasn't suddenly put off by this entire thing. "But... I haven't dated a woman in a long time, and my job deals with... well, all kinds of strange things. I don't want to end up having to lie to you if this goes beyond today." He hadn't really planned on being this honest, but as he spoke he realized it was probably the best thing for them both. If Dahlia felt like it was Too Much, better to know now before he got invested. For all he knew, she could be planning to take Elodie and move out of town now.
She found herself smiling at Grady’s candor, not oblivious to how hard that could be for most people. Especially men who were rusty at relationships. “You didn’t dump it on me, I asked,” she pointed out, loosely folding her arms on the table and leaning forward a bit. “And you didn’t lie, which I very much appreciate, so ... points for you.” Dahlia smiled wider at him. Weird phenomena in town or no, it was a beautiful day and she was having a lovely time with a nice man who she liked, so Dahlia couldn’t complain. “I’ll probably have a couple hundred questions once it all sinks in, but I’ll try to feed them to you slowly. I’m sure you get tired of being neck-deep in it all.” She paused, then added, “I really want it to go beyond today, personally.”
He did enough lying for his job that it felt good to be able to tell the truth for once. Hell, it felt good to know what the truth was, even if it wasn't pleasant. Grady couldn't help but feel some relief that Dahlia seemed to understand and accept what he was saying. And there was definite relief that she seemed to want to see him again. He wouldn't have been able to blame her if she ran screaming from the table. Grady smiled at her. "That's good to hear. Because I do too. And I promise to answer as many questions as I can. I don't know everything about this town, but... I don't think anyone does." And if telling Dahlia the truth meant it would give her some awareness and keep her safe, then it was worth it, even if it did make him sound a bit crazy.
It was such a similar answer to what Elodie gave her, Dahlia had to chuckle a bit. Maybe that was just how this town was, lots of questions, few answers. In spite of her rampant curiosity about everything and everyone, Dahlia was pretty comfortable with uncertainty, ‘I don’t know’ was a full answer. “That’s all I can ask,” she told him with a smile. She could tell he didn’t love the subject, which was totally understandable, so Dahlia decided to let it drop for the moment. Grady had given her the basics on being careful, especially at night, which was always good advice but sounded even more important in this place. She’d opened her mouth to change the subject when their food arrived, which was the perfect timing for a yummy distraction.
The food was good. The company even better. It was nice having a normal conversation with someone without being on the clock. When it was time to go, Grady got his leftovers boxed up to take home for dinner later that night. But before heading back to his car, he and Dahlia opted to take a walk down the pier first. It was a nice day and it felt wrong to pass up enjoying the weather for a bit longer. Not to mention the fact that he was all about stretching out his time with Dahlia as much as he could before he would inevitably have to return home. "This place is going to be packed in a couple of weeks. There's a carnival coming to town and some of the summer festivals are scheduled already. I'm constantly surprised by how many tourists just sort of... pop through. I'm not sure how people find us, half of the time."
They’d been on their feet and working hard for a while, but having a nice meal and sitting in the breezy sunlight had done wonders to re-energize Dahlia, so she had been game to stroll along the pier for a bit first. It was a lovely place, and she spotted quite a few shops and little places she wanted to explore more when she had the time. For now she was content to enjoy Grady’s company and soak in a bit more warmth before she took him back home with her. Dahlia already selfishly hoped that Elodie was still gone, but she wouldn’t pout about it if that wasn’t the case. She was still an adult. Most of the time. “Ooh, I love carnivals,” Dahlia replied with enthusiasm. “And festivals. And people-watching, so I’m excited for summer events. I’ve never lived this close to the ocean, I’m honestly not surprised you guys get a lot of tourists. It’s a pretty town. Everybody’s always looking for that vacation spot no one else knows about, but word still gets around.”
Grady supposed he had to agree, although the tourists never stayed too long, which honestly he was grateful for. Yes, it was good for the town to have outsiders spending their cash here, but he could only imagine the headache it would bring if a tourist went missing. It was hard enough dealing with the town itself, let alone outside media and law enforcement. "Unfortunately the ocean this far north is usually too cold to swim in, even at peak summertime. A lot of people still do it, but I can't imagine it's terribly pleasant." Grady paused, realizing he probably sounded like a downer, especially to someone so new to town. "The views make up for it," he added a bit lamely, flashing her a smile. "You should take a walk up to the lighthouse sometime. It's amazing what you can see up there."
Dahlia gave a light laugh and slipped her arm through Grady’s, bumping their shoulders gently together. She hoped he wouldn’t mind the touching, out there in the open where he was probably recognizable to most of the people wandering around them. “You don’t have to tour guide me,” she told him with a grin. “But I do appreciate it. I bet it’s beautiful. Really, the whole place has been beautiful so far. I’m here for several months at least, even if it wasn’t. Elodie ... needs someone. Some stability, where she already has friends. Especially if you’re right about her mom.” That was a downer, but it was the reality she was facing, so Dahlia wasn’t going to ignore it. She walked in silence with him for a moment, then looked up at his face. “Shall we head back?”
"I do sound like a tour guide, don't I?" Grady grimaced, but laughed because she was right. "I'm sorry." He really needed to get out of his head when it came to this whole dating thing. It was odd that his personal life didn't seem to come as naturally as his professional one. That was something he knew he probably ought to work on. Grady understood what she was saying about Elodie. If Jen had been in the other girl's position, he would have absolutely wanted someone around to take care of her. When Dahlia asked if they should head back, Grady nodded. "Yeah, we probably should. You've got a lot of unpacking to do." He nudged her teasingly and then led her back in the direction of the parking lot.
One of the benefits of being an empath was that Dahlia came equipped with a deep well of patience for people. Grady wasn’t doing as badly as he thought he was, but she could feel those little spikes of self-deprecation inside him when he harshly judged what came out of his mouth. It was something she hoped would fade with time and Grady becoming more comfortable with her. They chatted a bit more in the car on the way back to the apartment, and Dahlia got a pleasant little flutter of nerves as she unlocked her new front door to let them in. She called out to Elodie but got no answer, and Dahlia used a quick trip to the bathroom to double-check that she wasn’t home. The apartment was empty except for them. Grinning a bit to herself, Dahlia stuck her head out of the master bedroom door and called down the hall to Grady, “Think I’m going to start in here, come on back.”
Grady followed Dahlia, waiting as she searched for Elodie. When she called from the bedroom, Grady hesitated for only a moment before he headed down the hall to join her. He didn't know why being in her bedroom was suddenly a Thing in his mind. He had helped her move her furniture in here earlier. But they weren't working anymore and unpacking was a lot less strenuous than moving everything in from a U-Haul. But being in the room with her didn't mean anything had to happen and he had no idea if he was disappointed or relieved by that realization. Grady joined her in the bedroom and gave her a smile. "Give me something to do. I'll feel too guilty if I just sit here and watch you unpack everything."
She could feel that Grady was a bit nervous and uncomfortable in her bedroom, but Dahlia couldn’t exactly change her mind without being obvious, since he was keeping that under wraps. Maybe she liked to make him a little nervous anyway. New connections could be nerve-wracking things for anyone. She smiled back at him and hummed as she glanced around at all the boxes and furniture, trying to think of a task that wouldn’t put him in contact with her underwear or bathroom stuff. Dahlia wanted him a little fluttery but not uncomfortable. “Here,” she said, pushing one of the bigger boxes of clothes toward the bed with her foot. “You can put these on hangers for me? They’re all in that trash bag. Just start making a pile on the bed and I’ll put ‘em away.” Dahlia moved to rummage in a box on the dresser until she found her bedroom bluetooth speaker, and started connecting it to her phone again. “Any kind of music you absolutely loathe?” she asked him lightly.
Clothes on hangers. He could do that. He picked up the box of clothes and carried them over to the trash bag near the bed. It gave him something to do with his hands anyway and Grady opened the box as he glanced at her. "Uh, music loathing, let's see... I'm kind of a classic rock guy. I don't know that I loathe any kind of music but you're probably never going to get me listening to rap or hardcore country. I've learned to tolerate quite a bit of music, having two teenagers." Cocking a brow, he drew out a shirt and reached for a hanger. "Of course, if you absolutely love rap and hardcore country, ignoring everything I just said."
It was funny how many people gave that answer. Dahlia could’ve gotten into the racist undertones of claiming to hate all rap and the cultural significance it actually had as an art form, but she hadn’t had nearly enough wine for that. It was too early to go all racial-politics on Grady anyway, poor guy. Dahlia laughed at that last part as she scrolled to find a good playlist for someone who liked classic rock, and shot him a teasing look. “Even worse, I love hardcore rap-country fusion,” she said, then gave a little gasp of fake shock before she giggled. “Naw, I got you covered.” What started playing out of the speakers was rock-y without being too metal or obnoxious. Dahlia set her phone down and found a box that had the clothes she kept in her dresser, then started putting those away, shaking stuff out and re-folding as she went. “So what is Jen into? Any weird teenager hobbies? Sports? I might need to pick your brain about handling teenage girls, I’m rusty.”
Grady cocked a brow and smiled, still working on getting her clothes onto the hangers. "Now, to be honest, I'd give that fusion a listen to." The question about Jen prompted a soft chuckle from him before he shook his head. "I don't know if Jen's hobbies would help you any. She's into insects. Bugs. I'm terrified to go into her room. She's got... a lot of them as pets. Can bugs be pets?" He was asking out loud, more than asking Dahlia. "At first I thought it was just a way to keep her dad out of her room, because she knew crawly things make my skin crawl. But no, she's pretty passionate about it. She used to do ballet, but that kind of fell to the wayside.” He glanced at Dahlia with a faint smile. “She’s pretty into true crime now. She’s told me she wants to be a medical examiner.”
Dahlia looked surprised and mildly impressed at that revelation about Grady’s daughter. She was very into bugs, that was interesting. “Wow, that’s unique,” she told him with genuine appreciation. Dahlia liked to hear about young women forging their own path and having their own interests. “From some of the gross true crime I’ve watched myself, the bug thing could be beneficial to a medical examiner. Determining time of death and that sort of thing ...” He probably already knew that, being a cop and all, so Dahlia huffed at herself and grinned. “She sounds smart, like she takes after you. Besides liking bugs.” She wanted to meet Jen already, but she knew it was probably way too soon for that sort of thing. “I wonder if she and Elodie know each other -- she was supposed to graduate this year too,” she added.
Grady chuckled. "Jen is definitely unique. And I mean that in the best way possible." He remembered when his daughter accompanied him to the tunnel and her interest in what he was doing. It made him nervous, thinking about her devoting her life to something that could potentially become dangerous. But it also made him proud. The two emotions constantly warred with one another. "I'll ask her if she knows Elodie," he said after a moment. "A lot of Jen's friends seemed to be juniors, but that doesn't mean she didn't know her... the school is pretty small. Does Elodie have any plans for summer school to make up what she missed?"
Everything around here seemed pretty small, so Dahlia wouldn’t have been surprised to hear that Jen knew Elodie, at least by reputation. It could only be a good thing for her and Grady if they at least got along. It was probably too soon to be thinking like that, but oh well. “She’s not sure if she wants to do that or get her GED,” Dahlia explained as she loaded clothes into dresser drawers. “She was staying off and on with one of her former teachers, Charlie Harris? Who is supposed to help her with either one of those once she decides. I don’t think she liked school much even before ... all this, so either one is fine with me. I just told her she needs to be working toward some sort of diploma.” Dahlia finished with her dresser clothes, and walked around next to Grady, bumping her hip against his playfully as she reached for the stuff he’d already gotten onto hangers.
Grady hummed his agreement. He was grateful that Jen was safe and had graduated high school and he hoped Elodie did the same, just so she wasn't hindered going forward. "I know Charlie," Grady said, setting another piece of clothing aside. "She's a good person. If she's helping Elodie out, I think she'll be in good hands. Kids that age tend to think they know better than everyone, including their parents. Maybe especially their parents." He grinned at the hip bump and reached up to brush a stray curl back behind her ear. "I wish I could say I was the best person to get parenting advice from, but sometimes I feel like I'm clinging on by my fingertips. I just got lucky with Jen... she's incredibly laid back about everything. I think she had a boy over once, but with friends and that was the extent of my fatherly panic."
For a second Dahlia was a little surprised that Grady knew Charlie, but then she remembered what size of a town she was in. Plus they were both civil servants and all that. It was good to hear him vouch for her though, she was glad Elodie had somebody upstanding looking after her these past few weeks. “I think all parents feel that way. I get that ‘barely hanging on’ impression from a lot of my friends with kids, at least,” Dahlia said with a chuckle as she turned to carry her clothes to the closet. She’d meant to hang them up how she liked them, in a particular order, but the way he’d touched her hair made her not want to linger in the closet too long. She got everything in her arms on the rod, then came back to stand next to Grady. Smiling faintly, she gently took hold of his forearm to turn him toward her and stepped in a bit closer. “I think it’s pretty sexy,” she murmured. “The fatherly thing. It suits you.” She slowly slipped her arms around his waist and smiled up at him. “I don’t think I gave you a proper hello.”
Grady couldn't help but chuckle a little at the thought of being sexy. Not only in general, but being "fatherly". But he was going to accept the compliment because it was nice to be on the receiving end of one. Grady slipped his arms around her to draw her in a bit closer. It felt natural and that was one thing he was truly grateful for. There weren't many women who would have a lot of patience for perpetual awkwardness of a forty six year old man. "What does a proper hello look like?" Grady asked, cocking a brow.
Even though she didn’t have her own children, as she’d aged Dahlia had grown more and more attracted to men who were good, involved fathers. Maybe it was a reaction to her own dysfunctional family, but it generally seemed that a man who cared for and protected his kids was going to be a better partner. Even if they started out a little awkward. “More like this,” Dahlia murmured, pushing up on her toes to press her lips to his. She kept it chaste at first, since he’d felt unsure about being in her bedroom and she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, and Dahlia was very aware of the mattress right next to them. Grady’s mouth felt just as nice as it had when she was half-drunk and in the van in the dark, so that was a good sign.
A lot of the uncertainty Grady had been feeling faded away as soon as her lips were pressed to his. She tasted as good as she had the other night and Grady slipped one hand behind the nape of her neck, holding her gently as he instinctively deepened the kiss. It felt amazing to feel his body wake up, like all of his nerve endings were slowly surfacing from some long, deep sleep. Dating had occasionally crossed his mind over the past few years but he had been so busy with work and keeping the town in one piece that he hadn't really had much time for it. And frankly, no one had really caught his eye in any way that mattered. Maybe Dahlia being new to town helped. She didn't have the baggage of Point Pleasant hanging over her the way he did. It certainly made all of this a little easier and it certainly didn't hurt that she was beautiful with incredible lips.
Sensing Grady relaxing into it felt almost as good to Dahlia as the way her own body responded, warmth spreading through her core. She didn’t really mean to spy inside of his head, her gift had just always been enhanced by touch, and there was plenty of touching going on. She parted her lips to taste him when prompted, really enjoying the way his hand felt on the back of her neck. Strong but not forceful, like the rest of him seemed to be. Dahlia kissed him deeply, her hands moving to slide up his sides to his chest just to feel him and get a tantalizing idea of what was under his clothes. Unlike Grady, she’d had quite a few love affairs in the past several years -- nothing serious, Dahlia felt that her person just hadn’t come along yet -- but she always adored getting to know someone knew like this. Dahlia gave his bottom lip a little nibble then smoothed her tongue over it, a soft hum of appreciation in her throat.
Grady was fairly certain that his body hadn't tingled this way since high school. Dahlia certainly knew how to kiss and that soft noise in her throat was intoxicating. He knew how easy it would be to just guide her to the bed and start shedding clothes, but something held him back. Grady didn't want to put her off or frustrate her, but he liked her a lot and hopefully she would understand if they took things slow. Not too slow... he wasn't sure he could handle that. His thumb brushed beneath her earlobe, enjoying the sensation of her soft skin. When he finally pulled back, Grady smiled down at her, not bothering to move too far. "It's nice to know we don't need alcohol to make that work."
It was easy for her to read that sex wasn’t on the table today, and that was fine by Dahlia. As pleasantly flushed as she felt, it was actually pretty goddamn refreshing to make out with a man who wasn’t laser-focused on getting in her pants. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth briefly to get the last of Grady’s taste and opened her eyes slowly. Dahlia smiled back at him, feeling a little dreamy and nice. “Always a good sign,” she agreed softly. She gave a gentle squeeze where her hands rested on his sides, then let them drop. Her smile turned a notch brighter. “You’re a good kisser, sheriff, I dunno if anybody’s said so recently.”
Grady laughed. "No, not recently. So thank you for that. You're a pretty good kisser yourself." And he wanted to kiss her again. Maybe when they finished unpacking her things in here, she would let him. It had been so long since he had experienced that kind of physical intimacy and Grady was realizing how much he had missed just being able to kiss someone. "What else do you need help with?" He wanted to be useful here, some deeply ingrained desire to make sure Dahlia knew he would be there to help her, not only with unpacking and moving furniture.
He had a great laugh, and Dahlia already wanted to hear more of it. She got her chance as they moved on to unpacking the kitchen, chatting away while Dahlia had Grady put things on the high shelves and shift the heavier boxes around for her. Besides just enjoying having him around, he was a big help and by the time Dahlia glanced at the oven clock, she felt much more settled into the apartment. Somehow a couple of hours had passed already, and she was sure that Elodie would be turning up sometime soon. She ought to have Grady out of the house by then. Dahlia sighed and rested her hands on her hips, giving him a bright smile. “I can’t thank you enough for today, truly,” she said. “Even if you didn’t lift a finger, just the company was awesome.”
"It's the least I could do," Grady said. He was more than happy to help her out and it had given him an excuse to hang around. He knew he needed to get home and check in on Jen and see what she wanted to do about dinner. It felt a little too early to tell her about Dahlia, but he had a feeling his daughter would like the woman. He wandered close to Dahlia, slipping another piece of her hair behind her ear. It was impossible to keep his hands to himself, apparently. "Would you let me take you to dinner soon?" He was sure she wanted to get settled a bit more but she also seemed like the kind of woman who adapted pretty quickly to her surroundings. And Grady was self aware enough to realize he wanted to see her again sooner than later.
Dahlia laughed softly, and bit her tongue on reminding Grady that the least he could’ve done was absolutely nothing for her, because he barely knew her and didn’t owe her anything. That seemed dumb and counter-productive to say out loud though, so she didn’t. She smiled yet again when he tucked her hair, enjoying every single one of those little touches they’d shared. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want even bigger touches in more private places, but Dahlia wanted to pace herself. She didn’t want to come on too strong with this one. “I would love to go to dinner, yeah,” she answered, resting one hand on Grady’s side as she looked up at him. “Anytime, just say when. My Point Pleasant social calendar is totally bare so far.” Dahlia huffed a softly amused sound. The way he asked it, like she’d be doing him a favor by being taken out, was adorable.