192 An Unexpected Invitation

It was a quiet night in the condo they now shared. Both of them had come home from work at a reasonable hour.

"Are you sure you're not too tired?" Adam asked as he hovered over Elle who was preparing dinner in the kitchen. "We can just order food in."

"No, it's fine. I want to have a home cooked meal every now and then too."

"Let me at least help you." He argued.

"No, no. I'm sure you're exhausted too. Just go wash up, I'll be done soon enough."

Adam was reluctant but he had no choice but to except her resolution to prepare dinner alone. He trudged up the stairs to go shower while Elle hummed happily to herself as she prepared their meal.

A few minutes passed and Elle heard the shower shut off upstairs. After another few minutes went by Adam made his way back downstairs with damp hair and casual clothes on. Elle could hear his voice carry down the staircase.

'He must be on the phone.' Elle thought to herself as she curiously glanced his way.

"Yes, yes, let me ask her." Adam said as he approached Elle.

"My mother is inviting us over for dinner." As he explained he pulled the phone away from his face so that his mother wouldn't overhear them. "If you don't want to go that's fine, I'll make an excuse for us."

"I..." Elle hesitated. It seemed like it would be awkward and uncomfortable but she couldn't refuse his mother could she? No. In the first place his mother had always been perfectly nice and polite to her. Elle had no reason to refuse.

"It's very kind of her to invite us, let's go." She said resolutely.

Adam frowned. "Are you sure? You already started cooking dinner. I know you were looking forward to just resting tonight."

"That's fine, I can put what I cooked in the fridge for tomorrow." Elle said with a warm smile. "I'll go get dressed now so tell her we'll be there."

"Alright." Adam nodded before speaking into the phone again. "Elle said okay. We'll be there in thirty minutes." He conveyed to his mother as Elle rushed off to get ready upstairs.

"Make sure you dry your hair properly." Elle called down the stairs.

"Make sure you dress warmly." He called back to her. "The nights are getting colder."

It was indeed a cold night. December was almost upon them and with it came a wintery chill. Elle could see her breath fogging against the glass window as they drove to Adam's family home. Even though it was still quite early in the evening it was already pitch black outside.

"The sun has been setting earlier and earlier." Elle noted with a frown.

"We'll have snow soon enough." Adam replied.

Just then they pulled up to the Hayes residence. Elle had been here once before, and though it was quite recently, she had been so nervous to meet his parents formally that she hadn't bothered to take in a proper look at the home. She took it all in now as Adam drove up the long driveway.

Her own family home was quite big but it was really nothing more than just a very large house. The Hayes family home, on the other hand, was something closer to a mansion than a house. Elle did her best not to gape at it as they arrived.

Adam parked the car and came around to open the passenger door for her. As he held out his hand to her Elle let out a light sigh.

"I can't decide if I'm with you for your looks or your money." She said with a shake of her head.

Adam laughed heartily in response. "I'm with you for your looks so it will be a better balance if you were with me for the money." He teased back.

Elle's light mood quickly faded and her heart grew heavier and heavier as they approached the front door. She wasn't sure if it was her pounding heartbeat or her clammy hand in Adam's grip that gave away her anxiousness.

"You don't need to be nervous, love." He reassured her.

"I know, everything went perfectly well the last time I was here, but I can't help it. I want them to think well of me."

"There is no part of you to think badly of." Adam brought her hand up to his face and kissed the back of it . "Just relax."

Elle nodded. They rang the doorbell and after a moment they were greeted by Mrs. Hayes herself.

"Come in, come in." She encouraged, shutting out the cold behind them. "I'm just finishing up dinner, you guys can go have a seat in the living room. Make yourselves comfortable."

"Are you cooking yourself?" Elle asked with some surprise. In a house that was staffed it wasn't uncommon to have kitchen staff to cook for them. Elle recalled that Adam's mother had also cooked for them herself the last time they had come for dinner.

"Of course." His mother replied enthusiastically. "For such important guests I have to cook myself."

Elle flushed slightly. "Can I help you with anything?"

"No, that's fine. Just have a seat and relax. I'll be done soon."

Adam took Elle's hand and led her to the living room. After a few moments Adam's father joined them there.

"Mr. Hayes, how are you doing?" Elle asked politely.

"I'm doing fine, and you?" He asked in return.

"I'm doing well."

He nodded and the room fell into silence once more. Elle's fingers fidgeted nervously as the room grew painfully quiet. Adam was unbothered by it and sat comfortably. His father was exactly the same. Elle wondered how Mrs. Hayes put up with such an atmosphere all these years.

"MK will be hosting their annual company party in December, won't they?" Elle asked when she finally grew sick of the silence. "Will you be attending this year Mr. Hayes?"

"I hadn't thought about it." Adam's father replied honestly.

"I'm sure it would be encouraging to the employees to see you attend." Adam offered.

"Will you be attending Elle?" Mr. Hayes asked.

"Me?" She asked with surprise.

"Though it's only a contract and not through a regular position, you are still working for MK right now." Mr. Hayes pointed out firmly.

"Ah, I hadn't thought about it."

"You should attend this year." Adam added in. "Save me from enduring it alone."

Elle hid the embarrassment that came from having this conversation in front of his father. "Okay, I'll attend this year then."

Adam nodded his acceptance and a light conversation carried on between Elle and his father. Without his knowledge a smile had crept on to his face.