Sequel: I'd Do Anything ›
Status: Say to me, "Why can't we look the other way?"
Hooked on a Feeling
Thanksgiving
“Can someone get that?” Annalise barked, pulling dishes of hot artichoke dip out of the oven. She spun and returned to loading feta and spinach triangles onto a plate.
Olivia stuck her head in the kitchen. “It’s Lars and his friends. They brought a pie.”
“How sweet.” Annalise pushed the plate of triangles into Olivia’s hands as well as a heaping relish platter. “Set those out.”
Annalise strained her potatoes and set them aside, basted her turkey, and traded the green beans in the mircrowave for the corn. Olivia had tried to help, but usually it would just frustrate Annalise. So Olivia had made deserts and helped with prep work and then greeted and entertained guests.
“Annalise?”
Annalise looked up from assembling her egg beater and smiled. “Hey, Max. Happy Thanksgiving.”
He crossed the room and kissed her on the cheek and waved the pie in his hand. “It’s not Thanksgiving without the Pacioretty strawberry-rubarb pie.”
Annalise smiled. “I love strawberry-rubarb. Isn’t it out of season though?”
He shrugged. “No one said my mother isn’t a nutjob. Where should this go?”
“All the pies are set out on a table in my sister’s room. She’ll show you.”
He disappeared and Annalise dumped a stick of butter and some heavy cream into the potatoes before starting to whip them. She faintly heard her name over the egg beater and looked up and smiled to see Lars in the doorway. She turned off the egg beater.
“Hey! Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t hug me, there’s food all over this apron.”
Lars laughed and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. He looked like a Brooks Brothers ad in a deep blue sweater with a white collared shirt underneath. Max must have told him what to wear for the occation.
“Can I do anything to help?” he offered.
“Get yourself a drink, and stay out of my way.”
He laughed. “Alright. Where’s Cass?”
“I put him in my room for the time being. It was too much to be cooking and keep him away from the food. You can probably let him out now though. Just make sure my sister’s room is closed.”
He disappeared and Annalise returned to her egg beater. She was almost done. Then she could relax.
She checked the consistency of her potatoes, smoothed over the top and covered the bowl in tin. She mashed the sweet potatoes, covered the top in brown sugar, and put them back in the oven. Finally, she combined all her prepped ingredients for the salad, and took off her apron. She grabbed her artichoke dips and headed into the living room.
The small apartment was packed. The entire pool team was present, as well as a few of Olivia’s friends from school. Annalise invited a few of her old coworkers, not feeling comfortable enough at her new place of work to invite anyone over. She and Olivia had spent the night before moving the sectional, which luckily was pretty lightweight, into the bedrooms and setting up a borrowed banquet table and folding chairs.
Annalise set the artichoke dips with the rest of her appetizers, got herself a glass of wine, and looked around at her party. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. She herself was dressed in a black sweater dress with three quarter sleeves. Olivia, standing next to her, was in a short sleeved red dress.
“Filo triangles are a hit.” Olivia muttered.
“Always are.”
Lars came up beside them, Casanova trailing behind, and put an arm around Annalise. “Great party.”
“Thank you.” Annalise sipped her wine. “Mmm, this is good wine. Olivia, does anyone need anything?”
“Yes, you need a Xanex.” She looked over at her sister and the hockey player. “You two look so adorable. Let me take a picture.”
Annalise laughed and shook her head, but Lars kept a tight arm around her shoulders. He looked down at her and said, “Come on, just one smile.”
But Olivia had already snapped the photo while they were looking at each other. They almost looked like a holiday shopping ad. Olivia decided to take on the title of holiday photographer and went off to take more photos.
Soon Annalise was directing dishes to be set out on the table. Olivia grabbed her arm and sat her in the seat at the head of the table, with Olivia on her right and Lars on her left. Butch, a half crazy old black man missing some teeth whom Annalise played pool with, stood to say grace. Annalise sat back and watched everyone dig in. Perfect.
~*~
After desert and coffee, everyone slowly trickled out the door. Everyone except Lars, Max, and Jarred Tindori. Jarred was helping Olivia do dishes and pack up leftovers, while making her laugh hysterically. Lars and Max were putting Annalise’s living room back together and refusing to let her help. So Annalise sat on a piece of the sectional that had already been placed and ate a second piece of strawberry-rubarb pie.
“This pie is fucking delicious.” Annalise muttered. “Thanks so much, Max.”
“Actually, my mom overnight mailed it to me.” he said sheepishly. “I can’t cook.”
“Can’t is an understatement.” Lars said. “You could burn water.”
Annalise laughed. They placed the last piece of the sectional and flopped into it.
“This thing is comfortable.” Max muttered. “Hey, Annalise, can I sleep over?”
“Sure. But you’re getting yourself to Buffalo tomorrow.”
He groaned. “Buffalo. City of dying dreams.”
“Come on, we’ll kick ass.” Lars reassured. He looked at Annalise. “You’ll watch, right?”
“Of course.”
Olivia appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Want the leftover salad?”
Annalise waved her pie. “Wrap it and leave it out. I’ll have it for breakfast.”
“Gross.”
Jarred came out of the kitchen with a stack of Tupperware. “Olivia made us each a thing of food.” He announced.
“Great.” Max said, pulling himself out of the sectional. “Come on Lars, we should get going.”
Annalise followed them to the door, hugging Jarred and Max and wishing them a good night. Olivia trapped Casanova in the kitchen with her so he wouldn’t try to make a great escape. Lars was fiddling with the buttons on his coat while his friends left.
“You’re going to miss your ride.” Annalise said softly.
He looked out the apartment door. “They’ll wait. If they don’t, I can take the metro.” He grabbed her hand. “Hey, you did a great job tonight.”
She smiled. “Olivia told you to say that.”
“No, really. The food was wonderful. The people were wonderful. You looked beautiful...”
She laughed. “Shut up, Lars.”
He pulled her in close to him, holding her tight so she wouldn’t run. “Really.” He insisted, cupping her chin and brushing his thumb against her lips. “Absolutely beautiful.”
Lars was frozen in place, transfixed by her full lips and warm eyes. But she was moving, for once not away but closer. Rising on her tip toes to press her lips against his.
She realized what she was doing, and backed away, fighting out of his frozen arms.
“You should go.” She said, barely above a whisper. “Game tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” He said, backing out the door in a daze. “I’ll see you when I come back.”
“Okay.”
She shut the door and fell against the wall, not sure if she wanted to cry or laugh. What had she done?
Lars wasn’t sure what happened either. She had kissed him, so he thought. But the look on her face afterwards. Like she had done something wrong. It wasn’t wrong. Not at all.
Olivia stuck her head in the kitchen. “It’s Lars and his friends. They brought a pie.”
“How sweet.” Annalise pushed the plate of triangles into Olivia’s hands as well as a heaping relish platter. “Set those out.”
Annalise strained her potatoes and set them aside, basted her turkey, and traded the green beans in the mircrowave for the corn. Olivia had tried to help, but usually it would just frustrate Annalise. So Olivia had made deserts and helped with prep work and then greeted and entertained guests.
“Annalise?”
Annalise looked up from assembling her egg beater and smiled. “Hey, Max. Happy Thanksgiving.”
He crossed the room and kissed her on the cheek and waved the pie in his hand. “It’s not Thanksgiving without the Pacioretty strawberry-rubarb pie.”
Annalise smiled. “I love strawberry-rubarb. Isn’t it out of season though?”
He shrugged. “No one said my mother isn’t a nutjob. Where should this go?”
“All the pies are set out on a table in my sister’s room. She’ll show you.”
He disappeared and Annalise dumped a stick of butter and some heavy cream into the potatoes before starting to whip them. She faintly heard her name over the egg beater and looked up and smiled to see Lars in the doorway. She turned off the egg beater.
“Hey! Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t hug me, there’s food all over this apron.”
Lars laughed and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. He looked like a Brooks Brothers ad in a deep blue sweater with a white collared shirt underneath. Max must have told him what to wear for the occation.
“Can I do anything to help?” he offered.
“Get yourself a drink, and stay out of my way.”
He laughed. “Alright. Where’s Cass?”
“I put him in my room for the time being. It was too much to be cooking and keep him away from the food. You can probably let him out now though. Just make sure my sister’s room is closed.”
He disappeared and Annalise returned to her egg beater. She was almost done. Then she could relax.
She checked the consistency of her potatoes, smoothed over the top and covered the bowl in tin. She mashed the sweet potatoes, covered the top in brown sugar, and put them back in the oven. Finally, she combined all her prepped ingredients for the salad, and took off her apron. She grabbed her artichoke dips and headed into the living room.
The small apartment was packed. The entire pool team was present, as well as a few of Olivia’s friends from school. Annalise invited a few of her old coworkers, not feeling comfortable enough at her new place of work to invite anyone over. She and Olivia had spent the night before moving the sectional, which luckily was pretty lightweight, into the bedrooms and setting up a borrowed banquet table and folding chairs.
Annalise set the artichoke dips with the rest of her appetizers, got herself a glass of wine, and looked around at her party. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. She herself was dressed in a black sweater dress with three quarter sleeves. Olivia, standing next to her, was in a short sleeved red dress.
“Filo triangles are a hit.” Olivia muttered.
“Always are.”
Lars came up beside them, Casanova trailing behind, and put an arm around Annalise. “Great party.”
“Thank you.” Annalise sipped her wine. “Mmm, this is good wine. Olivia, does anyone need anything?”
“Yes, you need a Xanex.” She looked over at her sister and the hockey player. “You two look so adorable. Let me take a picture.”
Annalise laughed and shook her head, but Lars kept a tight arm around her shoulders. He looked down at her and said, “Come on, just one smile.”
But Olivia had already snapped the photo while they were looking at each other. They almost looked like a holiday shopping ad. Olivia decided to take on the title of holiday photographer and went off to take more photos.
Soon Annalise was directing dishes to be set out on the table. Olivia grabbed her arm and sat her in the seat at the head of the table, with Olivia on her right and Lars on her left. Butch, a half crazy old black man missing some teeth whom Annalise played pool with, stood to say grace. Annalise sat back and watched everyone dig in. Perfect.
~*~
After desert and coffee, everyone slowly trickled out the door. Everyone except Lars, Max, and Jarred Tindori. Jarred was helping Olivia do dishes and pack up leftovers, while making her laugh hysterically. Lars and Max were putting Annalise’s living room back together and refusing to let her help. So Annalise sat on a piece of the sectional that had already been placed and ate a second piece of strawberry-rubarb pie.
“This pie is fucking delicious.” Annalise muttered. “Thanks so much, Max.”
“Actually, my mom overnight mailed it to me.” he said sheepishly. “I can’t cook.”
“Can’t is an understatement.” Lars said. “You could burn water.”
Annalise laughed. They placed the last piece of the sectional and flopped into it.
“This thing is comfortable.” Max muttered. “Hey, Annalise, can I sleep over?”
“Sure. But you’re getting yourself to Buffalo tomorrow.”
He groaned. “Buffalo. City of dying dreams.”
“Come on, we’ll kick ass.” Lars reassured. He looked at Annalise. “You’ll watch, right?”
“Of course.”
Olivia appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Want the leftover salad?”
Annalise waved her pie. “Wrap it and leave it out. I’ll have it for breakfast.”
“Gross.”
Jarred came out of the kitchen with a stack of Tupperware. “Olivia made us each a thing of food.” He announced.
“Great.” Max said, pulling himself out of the sectional. “Come on Lars, we should get going.”
Annalise followed them to the door, hugging Jarred and Max and wishing them a good night. Olivia trapped Casanova in the kitchen with her so he wouldn’t try to make a great escape. Lars was fiddling with the buttons on his coat while his friends left.
“You’re going to miss your ride.” Annalise said softly.
He looked out the apartment door. “They’ll wait. If they don’t, I can take the metro.” He grabbed her hand. “Hey, you did a great job tonight.”
She smiled. “Olivia told you to say that.”
“No, really. The food was wonderful. The people were wonderful. You looked beautiful...”
She laughed. “Shut up, Lars.”
He pulled her in close to him, holding her tight so she wouldn’t run. “Really.” He insisted, cupping her chin and brushing his thumb against her lips. “Absolutely beautiful.”
Lars was frozen in place, transfixed by her full lips and warm eyes. But she was moving, for once not away but closer. Rising on her tip toes to press her lips against his.
She realized what she was doing, and backed away, fighting out of his frozen arms.
“You should go.” She said, barely above a whisper. “Game tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” He said, backing out the door in a daze. “I’ll see you when I come back.”
“Okay.”
She shut the door and fell against the wall, not sure if she wanted to cry or laugh. What had she done?
Lars wasn’t sure what happened either. She had kissed him, so he thought. But the look on her face afterwards. Like she had done something wrong. It wasn’t wrong. Not at all.