The Covenant - Chapter Thirty-Nine

"I was sorry to hear that you've not been feeling well" shares Annie taking a homemade crocheted blanket from the sofa to cover up his feet while Rick is reclining in the chair next to the TV. Rick sneezes a couple of times and blows his nose before responding.

"Thanks for coming.  I guess the cold got more than I expected from me" Rick resolves in a voice higher pitched and more clogged than normal.

"I brought you some cookies that I made to make you feel better.  They are chocolate chip" then with a little encouragement Annie adds "I haven't tried them yet though. I saved them all for you".  As these words come out of her mouth, Annie begins to have second thoughts about her baking skills.  She puts two cookies on a napkin for him. "Uhhh... I'll get some milk for you, I'll be right back".

Smiling to himself, Rick takes a bite and pierces his lips.  He can't swallow but unsure of what to do.  He hands the rest of the cookie to Oscar who quickly puts it in his mouth only to spit out immediately and look up to Rick as if she has been poisoned.  Unaware of her reaction, Rick hands down the second cookie for her to take.  But Oscar in her lemon angel wing coat turns up her nose and slowly walks away, plopping down to sulk on her fluffy dog bed in the corner.  Rick then decides to hide the second cookie between the cushions of the couch so that is appears that he has eaten them.  He forcibly tries to swallow, but gives up putting the remains of the cookie hidden in his napkin.

Happily Annie comes back into the room carrying two glasses of milk. "Oh you've already eaten your cookies, would you like some more?"

"No, not now if you don't mind.  I'll have some later when I'm feeling a little better" politely offers Rick not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"Oh, okay.  I'll have some then" grabbing two of cookies off the decorated plate Annie takes a large bite. "Yuck .... this is awful!  Why didn't you tell me they were so bad?" violently spitting out the cookie into her napkin and scratching her tongue with her teeth to remove any remaining taste.  "I remember at one point I got interrupted,  think that I might have put in the cookie batch a second tablespoon of salt. No wonder they are so horrible!"

"Did you say tablespoon? Did you mean teaspoon instead?" gently asks Rick but knowing from the taste it definitely from the first option.

"Is it a teaspoon?  I thought the recipe said tablespoon.  How do you know the difference?" asks Annie not much of a cook or baker, but more of a fast food guru.

Trying not to choke on a laugh, "A tablespoon is abbreviated in all caps, whereas a teaspoon is in lower case letters" sincerely instructs Rick guessing that perhaps that was the problem.

"Ohh ... I forgot about that.  I didn't really do well in home-economics in school.  Baking really isn't really my thing.  My parents didn't cook much either growing up so they didn't have a chance to teach me" states Annie offering a reasonable excuse for her less than satisfactory baking delights "I mostly get take-out because it tastes better and costs less that trying to make a meal that I will eat for three days in a row which eventually ends up in the trash anyway."

Feeling amused, Rick kindly nods his head, hoping the second cookie will not be discovered in the cushion next to her that is slightly popping it head out between the arm rest and cushion.

"It was very thoughtful of you" Rick offers trying to ease her disappointment "It definitely made me feel much better."

"Yeah, well maybe next time it will be a little better or I may just buy a box from the store and pretend that I made them" laughs Annie slightly embarrassed at her own confession of future plotting, but rather convinced that it might be the better option.

"Some time when I'm feeling more like myself, I'll have to make you dinner" suggests Rick already thinking of a meal plan to impress her.

"That sounds wonderful!" thrilled exclaims Annie truly appreciating a good home cooked meal but also at the idea of spending time with him alone again. "I can hardly wait!" Hoping dreamily that the meal will be more towards the romantic rather than the friendship side of things.

"Do you like puzzles?" asks Annie thinking that a puzzle would given them plenty of time together to talk "I brought one with me just in case you do."

"Yes I like puzzles!  I see you brought a 2500 piece puzzle, that is quite a large one of the skyline.  I hope we can manage it" Rick states feeling up to the challenge.

At that moment, Annie wonders if she might have been slightly too obvious in her motive to spend more time with him in Alfred's apartment.  She spent quite a bit of time looking for the largest puzzle with the most pieces that still fit into her budget.  She hopes Rick doesn't entirely see through the reason for her choice, then trying to come up with an acceptable excuse but feeling that it might be falling a bit short of the truth being revealed responds "Yeah, I do puzzles a lot.  They relax me.  The bigger the better."

As they start to work on the puzzle at the dining room table, Rick begins "Annie I've been wanting to talk with you."

"Yes?" eagerly responds Annie but also slightly fearful of what might be said.

"How long have you known Elliot?" cautiously asks Rick not sure that he wants an answer but moving forward anyway "Are you interested in him? Do you have plans to marry him?"

"What? I've been wanting to talk to you to.  I think that you might have heard things that may have been said that are not quite accurate" begins Annie not sure if he is interested in her or ready to warn her about Elliot's reputation which she is already fully aware of.

"How well do you know him?" asks Rick feeling uneasy but knowing the necessity of hearing an answer.

"Not all that well.  As you know we met in Peru and then before I came to New York he had already met Beth and Ariel and was spending time with them" honestly replies Annie hoping that there will not be any misunderstandings between them.

"I knew him awhile back when he was engaged to Maria Betram" replies Rick deciding not to share everything he knows at that moment. "He has an interesting past."

"Yes, I know.  I've heard some about it" offers Annie wanting to assure Rick that she is only interested in him but not sure how to begin.

Rick then considers that perhaps Elliot has told her everything, and she is still interested in him anyway.
"Oh I didn't realize that you already knew. I was just curious."

"Ummm ... did you know that I saw Elliot and Ariel at the deli after leaving Tanisha's home?" asks Annie wanting to continue the conversation "It looked like he was holding her hand".

"Really? Isn't she suppose to be in New Jersey?  Didn't he say that he would be skiing in Vermont?" quickly asks Rick seriously hoping that Annie is not jealous of Ariel and Elliot, but only sees them as friends.

"Yeah, I thought it was kind of strange.  They haven't told anyone they are a couple" offers Annie hoping that Rick will understand that she sees the two of them as a couple and that she is not with Elliot without blunting having to admit that fact. "I was rather surprised."

"Me too, if I had seen them" agrees Rick as he continues "I hope that you are not too hurt by seeing them together."

"Oh no ... I'm not interested in Elliot.  He is way too much of a flirt for me.  We often talk together, but the interest factor ends there" wanting for Rick to understand her feelings Annie shares "He likes to play the field and needs all the attention on him.  It gets rather tiring after awhile trying to keep up."

"So you're not with Elliot.  Does he know that you are not interested in him?  Your family seems to think that you are on the verge of getting married" shocked but pleased Rick explains "I was lead to believe by several people in your family that you would be engaged soon."

"It is more in their fantasy life than mine.  Elliot is a nice guy but he is not for me.  Ariel really isn't too bad of a match for him, but I don't quite understand why he is keeping their relationship a secret either.  I don't think anyone would complain that they are together" Annie offers considering the choice available to Elliot.

"I think your family has expectations that the two of you are a couple" suggests Rick not wanting to encourage her relationship with him but only to point out that the family is the motivation behind it "Lydia Russell in particular seems to like him."

"She has often liked to play a matchmaker in my life, but I can make my own decisions" firmly states Annie "But I want to be chosen too" remembering how he left her before without much of an explanation except to hear from friends he had entered the training college as a cadet.

"Yes, it's important for two people to chose each other rather than induced to find something that doesn't really exist because of the opinions of others" remarks Rick "a good relationship must be grounded in the certainty of the love two people have for each other rather than being persuaded into a bad relationship for other motives belonging to those around them" having a visual memory of her standing and talking with Lydia Russell after their graduation in the park many years ago which seemed to be the beginning and end of their downfall.

"Yes, I agree.  If Elliot and Ariel would like to be together than they ought to be allowed to be" suggests Annie wanting to add to but too fearful to share her thoughts "I would be with you if you wanted me to".

Suddenly a loud pounding is at the front door.  Annie quickly gets up to answer.  "We've been waiting for you.  Elliot is back from skiing and Ariel just arrived a few minutes ago.  They've opened the roads and subway.  We're going out to dinner to meet Ben Wick and Lauren who are at the airport so you need to get dressed.  You only have a few minutes.  I've been told you can come as well, Rick, if you are feeling any better."

"Yes, I think that I might join you. The Nyquil seems to be doing its job" agrees Rick looking forward to an evening with friends.