Fading With Time

Chapter 11

Some are Just Professionals

                Elliot turned in a circle surveying the attic as he moved.  Elizabeth waited impatiently for his answer watching him wondering around.  He ran his hands over the unfinished walls looking for what she didn’t know.  He even stepped into each of the side rooms to do a quick check of those as well.  The floorboards squeaked beneath his feet as he made his way around the attic.  Finally, he came back over to where she stood nodding his head in approval.

                “Jan had told me what you two were going to be up to today.  You’re going to have to have an electrician run power up here.  Not only to see by but to run all of Jan’s equipment she’ll need.”  Elizabeth sat stunned looking at Elliot in shock.  It hadn’t dawned on her that electricity would need to be wired up into the attic.  She began to wring her hands together in worry as she looked around.

                “How long do you think that will take?”  She asked dreading the answer.

                “Not long actually.  Dewy’s crew is already outfitting the house with a bigger fuse box so the back yard has light.  We just need to run your new project by him so they can allot for that.  He can probably spare the electricians on the crew to wire up your attic while they’re waiting on the outside walls of the new building to go up.”  Elizabeth released the breath she had been holding once she heard his good news.

                “Can we go out and talk to him now?”  She asked him while making her way back over to the entrance.

                “I don’t see why not.”  He said then paused for a moment while looking her over.

                “What?”  Elizabeth asked wondering if she had something on her face.

                “You don’t have anymore booby-traps set up do you?”  At his question Elizabeth laughed merrily shaking her head no.  “Then lead the way.”  He waved at her motioning her to start heading down the ladder.  Once back on the second floor they took in the couple who had been fighting not moments before.  Neither was saying anything now just standing across from each other scowling at the other.  Elliot shrugged his shoulders and walked right in between them on his way to the stairs.  Not wanting to be left alone with the surly pair Elizabeth scrambled to catch up.

                “Where are you two going?”  While Jan had directed the question at them she was still busy staring Clayton down.

                “Out to talk to Dewy about running some electricity up to the attic.”  Jan nodded her head in understanding.

                “You two behave now.  No one likes it when mommy and daddy are fighting.”  Elliot yelled back up the stairs at them.  Elizabeth saw Jan roll her eyes at his comment while Clayton snorted.  Hustling down the stairs Elizabeth sent a glare at Elliot which he chose to ignore on his way out the door. 

                The pair had to use the front door and walk around the house to access the yard.  While Dewy’s guys had fixed her door and her back steps already they were now working on the back patio.  Dewy had insisted on it.  He had told her there was no sense only partially fixing the back-entrance area up.  She had been grateful that he had brought it up.  Of course, she told him she would pay for all the extra supplies and work they did.  She was simply happy it would all be done and one less thing she would have to worry about in the future.  Walking across the lawn they found Dewy inside the newly raised frame of the building.  Elizabeth looked around the structure in awe.  It was going to be a lot bigger than she had been envisioning but that was a good thing since there would be quite a bit of stuff it would be storing.

                “What do you think?”  Dewy asked her as he walked up to the two of them.

                “It’s amazing and big.”  Elizabeth answered in amazement.  Dewy chuckled at her expression.

                “I changed the measurements a bit after we talked the other day.  It sounded like there was more coming than I had thought, and I wanted the space to be large enough for you.”  Elizabeth nodded in agreement as her gaze wondered around.  She would have loved to walk through it but feared she would be in the way of the crew.  The structure was the size of a mini warehouse and Elizabeth was glad that the land her house sat on was large enough to construct such a monstrous thing.

                “We actually came out her to ask you a question.”  Elliot’s voice cut through Elizabeth’s thoughts dragging her back to their initial purpose.

                “Sure, what’s up?”

                “The girls have got it in their heads that they want to set up for a massive art project in the attic.  The only problem is there’s no electricity up there.  I think it’s a better idea to hard wire it in then to try and run enough extension cords to power everything.  Think your guys can take a look and get it done?”  Dewy contemplated the building they were in before calling a few guys over.  He talked it over with them before turning back in their direction.

                “They haven’t started on the new fuse box yet since we were waiting on the outdoor lights to come in.  Where not close to being ready to wire this one yet either.  They’ll come over and have a look, but I don’t anticipate it being a problem.  Depending on what you’re needing it shouldn’t take long.”  Elizabeth smiled glad that it wouldn’t be terribly inconvenient for them.  The small group headed back up to the house. 

                By the time they came up to the second floor Jan and Clayton were nowhere to be seen.  Elizabeth looked around curiously while leading everyone over to the attic.  Elliot noticed what she was doing and chuckled.  Elizabeth stood beside him as they allowed the crew members up into the attic ahead of them. 

                “What’s so funny?”  She asked curiously.

                “You might want to stop looking for them.  It’s a big, and up until a couple minutes ago, empty house.  They could be doing anything right now.”  Elizabeth scrunched up her face at his words.  While he didn’t come right out and accuse them of christening her house, he made it crystal clear that that was what he had meant.

                “They are so not doing that.”

                “You never know, I would be.”

                “Addison wouldn’t.”  He laughed at her giving in.  She was right Addison would never think of doing such a thing in someone else’s house.  He wouldn’t even be successful in talking her into it if he were the type of person to do such a thing, which he wasn’t.  Instead of being an adult about losing, because what fun would that be really, he stuck his tongue out at her on his way up the ladder.

                “Real mature Elliot.”  She chided him good naturedly.

                “How dare you accuse me of such a thing.  Whoever told you I was a mature adult lied to you Lizzy.”  He huffed in mock offense.  Elizabeth laughed at him, following behind as they climbed the ladder.  They were close enough to the workers that they both saw Clayton and Jan moving away from each other quickly.  They had obviously caught the two of them in an intimate moment even if it hadn’t been as bad as Elliot had teased.  Clayton rubbed nervously at the back of his head as Jan turned a bright shade of red.  Elizabeth’s mouth hung open in shock not really believing they would be doing anything.

                “See, I told you.  Arguing must be their foreplay.”  Elliot joked quietly to Elizabeth.  Instead of saying anything back she elbowed him in the stomach hard.  Elliot bent slightly at the waist from the impact of the blow.  Elizabeth smiled innocently as everyone turned their attention to the two of them.

                “Way to go.”  Elizabeth whispered from the side of her mouth earning her a pained laugh in return.  She really had no idea how Addison lived with him.