Whatever It Takes

Andrew walked behind Amanda and Sylvie as they decided to wait off to the side of the concession stand at the movie theater. He adjusted the baseball hat that was sitting on his head as he joined the girls, interrupting their conversation about getting a mani-pedi together in a few days.

“Hey there, lover boy,” Amanda teased, elbowing him lightly in the ribs. “I see that you finally let Emilia leave your side.”

He could feel the heat rise to his cheeks as the two girls giggled at his cute behavior. “Shut up, I really like her.”

“Well we can see how. She’s so polite and her accent is mesmerizing. Man, I just love how she says my name!” Sylvie gushed, “She makes it sound so sophisticated.”

Andrew laughed at her comment, understanding where she was coming from. “I like how she says my name too. Do you guys really like her?”

The two girls nodded eagerly as they began to rattle off a few things that they loved about Emilia. Before attending the movie, the three different couples went out to dinner where she officially met some of his closest friends. He thought that everything went by smoothly and that she got along with everyone very well. Of course Amanda’s and Sylvie’s opinion meant something to him because he considered them his friends as well, and he knew girls could read each other easily.

He watched as Emilia she shared a laugh with Corey and Bryan while the trio stood in line to buy a few snacks for the movie they were going to watch. He could hear her loud laugh all the way across the room as Corey cracked yet another joke. Sylvie told Emilia throughout the night that she didn’t have to laugh at Corey’s lame jokes, but Emilia genuinely thought he was funny. That gave her a few brownie points in Corey’s book.

“Was she nervous about meeting us?” Amanda asked, “That girl seems like she doesn’t have a nervous bone in her body.”

“No, she was definitely nervous. She probably still is, to be honest.” Andrew answered, “I told her that you guys would be too distracted by her accent.”

Sylvie laughed, “Well you’re right. It sounds so much cooler-”

“Sh! They’re walking over!”

Amanda and Sylvie giggled again as Andrew hoped that Emilia hadn’t heard their conversation. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as Emilia, Corey, and Bryan approached them. Corey and Bryan left with their significant others and began walking towards the theater as Emilia stood in front of Andrew.

“Here, I bought you your favorite,” Emilia said casually, handing him a bag of Reese's Pieces.

He smiled, taking the candy from her hands as he could see Amanda and Sylvie staring at him from the corner of his eyes. “Thanks, how’d you know these were my favorite?”

“You leave the wrappers all over your kitchen counters,” she laughed, taking a sip of her soda.

He chuckled as he slyly slid his fingers in between hers as the rest of the group were waiting for them. Her hand felt delicate in his as Bryan loudly awed at them, making Amanda smack his chest for being so childish. He looked down at Emilia, who was blushing at Bryan’s actions. He kissed her temple as he put his arms over her shoulders, pulling her into his side. As they settled into their seats, Emilia sat in between Andrew and Sylvie, leaving him at the end of the row.

About a half hour into the movie, Andrew took off his baseball cap and removed the arm rest that was positioned between the two so he was able to rest his head on her shoulder. He was tired from the past couple of days due to the back to back games, but there was no way that he would be missing out on another date with her.

“Making yourself comfortable?” She asked quietly.

Andrew gave her a nod as he moved his body forward slightly so she could drape her arm around his shoulders, just like how he had done to her earlier. He was glad he wasn’t sitting next to Bryan or Corey, because he knew that they would be making fun of him at the moment. They had been doing that almost all night long when Emilia or the other girls weren’t paying attention. It was fun to tease the young hockey player when it was obvious that he was still trying to impress Emilia.

As he was intently watching the movie, her hand traveled to his head. Her fingers ran through his hair, making him sigh quietly in satisfaction. Every once and a while, Sylvie would look over at the new couple and would awe every time Andrew would feed Emilia one of the candies she had bought him. She and Amanda were glad that Andrew found a girl that he cared for so much. They both thought that he was a good looking, sweet guy that just needed someone to see past all of the scars on his face.

After the movie was over the three couples walked to the parking lot together. While Andrew was saying goodbye to Bryan and Corey, he could hear Amanda and Sylvie invite Emilia to their mani-pedi date that they were talking about a few hours before. He smiled, being thankful that Amanda and Sylvie had welcomed Emilia with open arms, although he was surprised that they had invited Emilia after one meeting. They must have liked her a lot more than he thought.

“Did you have fun tonight?” He asked, glancing down at her as they drove back to his place.

“I did. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out with a group like that,” she smiled. Thinking back, the last time she was able to go out with a big group of friends was the summer that she got pregnant with Ellie. “Do you think your friends liked me?”

He gave her a look, like she was crazy for even second guessing herself. “Are you kidding me? They loved you. Sylvie and I were talking about how much we love it when you say our name.”

“You like it when I say your name? Andrew that’s such a sweet thing for you to say, Andrew,” she said, repeating his name over on purpose. “Andrew why won’t you look at me, Andrew?”

“Shut up,” he laughed, being thankful that it was dark so she couldn’t see his face change colors.

“You’re adorable, Andrew.” He frowned, wishing that he never said anything in the first place. When she saw the little scowl on his face, she couldn’t help but grab his hand and kiss his cracked knuckles. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. I have that effect on people.”

He laughed at her joke but he knew that there was some sort of truth behind it. He had no idea how she was able to make herself so attractive and irresistible. It scared him how much he was liking her after knowing her for a short amount of time. Despite being scared, he liked the feeling of having someone there for him. Someone to support him, love him, or someone to randomly ask how his day was going.

“Are you sure I can’t drop you off at your place?” Andrew asked, glancing down at Emilia as she let out yet another yawn. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

She quickly shook her head, “My car is still at your place.”

“How about I drop you off and then tomorrow I pick you up so we can grab breakfast together? Afterwards we can go back to my place and hang out for a bit before I have to leave for the airport. How does that sound?”

Smiling, she rested her head on Andrew’s shoulder. “That sounds quite lovely. Are you going to be taking me to your favorite breakfast place you told me about?”

“I was planning on it.”

Ten minutes later, Andrew was walking his sleepy date up to her door. Her hand was linked to his as her head was resting on his bicep. Her eyes were closed the whole way up as he tried to remember which door was hers. Emilia let out a small whine as he announced that they had reached her door.

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” she mumbled against his chest. As much as she wanted him to spend the night, they both knew it was too early in their relationship for it.

Placing a kiss on the top of her head, Andrew slipped his hand underneath her jacket and rubbed her back soothingly as he heard yawn yet again. “Tomorrow morning will be here in a few hours. Get some sleep, okay? I’ll pick you up at 10.”

She gave him a little pout, which made him laugh at her childlike behavior. Once he puckered out his lips, she stood on the tips of her toes and gave him a kiss. His hands that were once on the middle of her back were now slipping downward, stopping at the little curve of where her bottom started while her arms wrapped around his neck. Suddenly, Emilia wasn’t so tired anymore.

She dropped her pursed down to the floor as she pushed him against the wall. She let out a little giggle as she felt his hands go underneath her shirt. His touch tickled her as their breathing became heavier and heavier by the second.

“Well look what we have here!” Rob’s voice echoed loudly, making Emilia quickly pull away from Andrew’s lips. “Isn’t it way past your bed time, young lady?”

Emilia rolled her eyes, knowing Rob was only teasing her. “Very funny,” she playfully sneered. “What are you doing up at this hour anyway?”

“Lydia is craving ice cream and Sriracha sauce so I’m on my way to pick it up,” he shrugged. “You’re Andrew, right? Emilia can’t shut up about you.”

She felt her cheeks burn of embarrassment as the two men shook hands. “Yeah, I am,” Andrew laughed nervously. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too. If you guys will excuse me, I have to pick up some Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and some Asian hot sauce for the crazy misses,” Rob said, flashing Emilia a smile as she sent him a glare. “You two kids carry on.”

Once Rob walked away to head towards the elevators, Emilia covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry about him. He and his wife tease me all the time since I’m so much younger than they are.”

“So you talk about me a lot, eh?” He asked with a sly grin. Emilia grabbed his face, and gave him one last kiss for the evening before saying goodnight. She quickly picked her purse off of the ground and unlocked the door, managing to swing it open right before Andrew pulled her back in for another kiss. Her body was frozen slightly from his sudden actions, but she soon relaxed in his arms and kissed him back just as eagerly as he did. “Just so you know,” he said, resting his forehead gently on hers, “I talk about you a lot too.”


Emilia pulled her car into her cousin’s driveway after spending a majority of her day with Andrew. After the delicious breakfast they had together, they made their way back to his place where they spent their time together on his couch with their limbs tangled together. She even tagged along with Andrew as he walked his dogs around the block. He promised her that when the weather was warmer, he’d take her to the beach so she could see just how crazy his dogs could get.

Now she was walking into her cousin’s home where she would be joining them for Sunday roast. It was similar to the American Thanksgiving, only it was every Sunday and they had a pork roast instead of turkey. Her cousin’s wife was born in the States as well but could cook one hell of a roast that their grandmother would be proud of.

“Mummy!” Ellie shouted as she ran into her mother’s arms. She was lifted up into Emilia’s arms as she placed a big kiss on her mother’s lips.

Smiling down at Ellie, she couldn’t help but fall in love with those chocolate colored eyes that she shared with her father. “Hi darling, did you have fun with Max and John?”

“Only a little. Max kept being mean to me but Uncle Nathan put him in time out. I wanna go play again!” She cheered happily.

She placed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead before putting her down on the ground. “Mummy will be in the kitchen with Aunt Ashley.”

After Ellie ran off, Emilia took off her winter coat and hung it on the coat rack where she placed her purse on the floor. She walked into the kitchen, where her cousin Nathan was peeling a few carrots as his wife Ashley was taking a peek at the roast cooking in the oven.

“So, how’d your date go last night?” Nathan asked, pecking Emilia’s cheek.

She sat next to Nathan and helped him peel some of the other vegetables that were laid out on the table. “It was really good. I met his group of friends last night,” she said with a smile.

“Who is this guy anyway?” Ashley asked, pouring her husband and his cousin a cup of tea.

“His name is Andrew, and he’s a hockey player for the Blackhawks,” Emilia explained as Ashley walked over with two mugs in hand. She looked at Nathan and Ashley, wondering if they had any idea who he was.

By the look on Nathan’s face, they didn’t have the slightest clue who he was. “I never did get into hockey,” he said with a shrug. “How’d you two meet anyway?”

Emilia told them the brief story about how they met at the dentist office. It was a very odd way to meet someone, so Nathan couldn’t help himself when he laughed as she told the story. The two girls talked about the dates that Emilia had went on as Nathan just sat in between the women, peeling and chopping away.

“Nath and I talked this over, and we don’t mind if you drop Ellie off every weekend so you can go out with Andrew,” Ashely said with a smile. “We can tell that you really like this guy and it looks like it can go somewhere if given the chance.”

“I can’t do that to you guys. I feel awful about it,” Emilia said quickly.

Nathan rolled his eyes after he finished up with the carrots. “Don’t argue with us, okay? Ellie is good to have around our boys and you really like this guy. Maybe once he knows about Ellie then things will be different, but from now on we expect to see Ellie every weekend.”

“What do I tell Ellie? I don’t want her to feel like I’m neglecting her,” Emilia frowned.

Ashley gave her a comforting smile. “Just tell her that there’s this guy that you like and that he makes you really happy. If you give her all your love and attention while you’re with her, she’ll understand. We know you’re a mother before anything else, but you deserve to find a guy that makes you feel happy.”

Sighing, Emilia leaned back into her chair as Ashley continued with dinner. So many things were running through her mind, she didn’t know what to concentrate on. She wanted to tell Ellie, making sure that her daughter understood that she didn’t love her any less just because she would be spending every weekend with her cousins. Emilia also began to wonder if and when she should tell Scott about Andrew.

She knew she was getting ahead of herself since she and Andrew weren’t official but she didn’t want Scott to feel like Andrew was taking his place as Ellie’s father. Even with Scott being busy with the US Army, he always made time to call, Skyke, and send Ellie presents. They moved to the States not only because home in England was getting rough, but because Ellie would be a lot closer to her father.

Dinner was ready an hour later and by the end of the meal, everyone was stuffed. Emilia helped Ashely clean up while Nathan kept the children occupied. After everything was packed up and put away, the Hurst girls made their way home so Emilia could give her daughter a bath and put her to bed.

Ellie was fast asleep in her bed as Emilia was in the living room. She was watching some drama on TV as she had a small bowl of grapes resting next to her. Her phone rang as she popped a few grapes into her mouth at once. Once she reached her phone, she smiled seeing Andrew’s name pop up on the screen.

“Andrew,” Emilia greeted with a smile, “how are you?”

He laughed, hearing her speak with her mouth full of food. “I’m good. I just got back from dinner with the guys and now I’m back in my hotel room. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing quite alright,” she said before popping another grape into her mouth. “How’s LA treating you?”

“It’s pretty good so far, but it kind of sucks because you’re not here,” he mumbled quietly, putting a smile on her face. Before Emilia could tell him how sweet he was being, she heard another voice in the background, teasing Andrew for admitting his feelings towards her. “Shut the hell up, Saad!”

She giggled quietly, “You poor thing. You could have just texted me to save yourself the embarrassment.”

“You’re worth the embarrassment,” he admitted shamelessly. “I can’t wait to see you later this week.”

Grabbing the bowl of grapes next to her, Emilia repositioned herself on the couch to get more comfortable. The bowl rested on top of her stomach as she grabbed another grape to eat. “Are you sure you want to see me three days in a row?”

“With the way your work schedule is I’ll be glad to see you every chance I get,” he said quietly, most likely because he didn’t want his roommate to ruin the moment. “It’s just going to suck when I have away games on the weekends and I won’t be able to see you.”

Emilia felt guilty that she couldn’t see him as often as they’d like. She felt like she was selfish for not telling him about Ellie, but she knew that there was a huge possibility that he would turn away once he would find out.

“Listen,” she began softly, “I know that it’s frustrating and I really do apologize for it. There’s just some stuff going on in my life and I just think it’s too soon to tell you.”

He let out a little chuckle. “I’m still yours as long as you’re not a serial killer.”

She smiled at the thought. He’s still mine.