I’ll definitely need a few trips to the gym after this, but there’s no way I can turn it down…
Chapter Nine
Elly
It took me a few minutes to process the scene in front of me. Ian’s grandmother was a sweet old lady who had to make sure we had a plate of food before she could relax. Ian’s grandfather stood up to give him a hug and then dove straight into a conversation about current events. They were both quite spry for their age. Once things settled down a little bit, Ian’s grandmother joined her husband on the couch and sat as close as possible, even though there was plenty of real estate on the other side of the sofa. Ian and his grandparents spent a few minutes getting caught up—based on the conversation, it seemed that he visited pretty regularly, and they were surprised when he called to ask if he could stop by.
“Elly, would you like more cake?” Ian’s grandmother motioned to my empty plate and smiled.
“No ma’am.” I shook my head back and forth. “But thank you, it was delicious.”
“So how long have you known this joker?” Ian’s grandfather looked at me and motioned to his grandson.
“We…” I glanced nervously at Ian. “We actually just met.”
“Ah, good.” He nodded. “Maybe he hasn’t stolen all of my good jokes yet. What’s green, fuzzy, and would kill you if it fell out of a tree?”
“Uh…” I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know.”
“A pool table! Ha! Can you imagine that?” Ian’s grandfather started laughing.
“He hasn’t told me that one yet.” I smiled and looked at Ian.
“I was saving it…” Ian chuckled under his breath.
“Please forgive my husband…” Ian’s grandmother rolled her eyes. “He thinks he’s a comedian.”
“I was a comedian before you came along and told me to get a real job.” Ian’s grandfather grinned and nudged his wife.
“Really?” I blinked in surprise.
“Trust me; I saved him from a lifetime of disappointment.” Ian’s grandmother chuckled. “And also became his captive audience of one.”
“She says that like she wasn’t in the front row while I was doing my set the first time, I saw her—batting her eyelashes every time I looked her way.” Ian’s grandfather narrowed his eyes.
“He tells everyone that, but what I was really doing was trying to stay awake until he got off the stage.” She grinned.
“That was what? 1967?” Ian leaned back in his chair
“Yep.” Ian’s grandfather nodded. “She laughs at my jokes every day since then, even if she doesn’t want to admit it.”
“I humor you…” Ian’s grandmother nudged him. “Otherwise you’d pout.”
“I only pout when you talk over my shows.” He nudged her back.
This is why Ian brought me here…
Up until that moment, I wasn’t really sure why Ian brought me to see his grandparents. It seemed like an odd place to go on our first date—or our first non-date—either way, it was one of the last places I expected us to end up when I agreed to meet him. It finally clicked once I saw the way they interacted with each other. They had been married for fifty years, and it was clear that they were still very much in love. They teased each other, but it was playful, and it seemed that Ian got his sense of humor from his grandfather.
“Oh, Ian—since you’re here.” Ian’s grandmother leaned forward. “Can you help me put the angel on the tree? I tried, but I’m a little wary of that stepladder.”
“Yeah, and there’s no way I’m going to get on it.” Ian’s grandfather shook his head. “She might push me off to collect the insurance money.”
“Stop it…” Ian’s grandmother gave him a playful slap on his arm.
“See that? You both just witnessed her abusing me!” He pretended to be wounded. ?
??There are laws against slapping the elderly!”