A Place To Stay

Chapter 18

Dinner Party

Claire wiped her hands on her apron, looking over the stove approvingly. Everything was almost done. She was so excited to be having her first dinner party. Well, she reflected, it was actually just the Doctor and Elli coming over. But she had never had anyone over, and she was thrilled.

A knock at the door signaled that her guests had arrived. Claire had her hands full, so Cliff answered the door. It was the Doctor and Elli, of course. Elli came through the door grinning, and held out a bottle of wine to Cliff, which he accepted. Elli immediately made a beeline for Claire and started helping her out. The Doctor and Cliff chatted as Cliff struggled to open the bottle of wine.

“Urgg,” Cliff tugged on the corkscrew. “Do you know how to open these?” he asked Doctor. Doctor had to shake his head. “I don’t drink, so no, not really.” Elli caught a glimpse of Cliff’s pitiful struggle with the bottle, and sighed in an exasperated way. She walked over and effortlessly popped the cork out with a flip of her wrist, then went back to helping Claire.

Cliff looked at Doctor, startled. “Hey, how did she do that?”

Doctor shrugged. “She drinks a lot of wine, and I’m not the one opening all those bottles.” He grinned.

Cliff grinned back. “Heh heh…Oh yeah, hey Claire, do we even have wine glasses?”

Claire looked up from the stove. “Mmm hmm,” she said, nodding. “They’re at the very top of that cabinet.” She gestured, and went back to work.

Cliff went over and opened the cabinet, then stretched as high as he could, but couldn’t reach the top shelf. Doctor, who was quite a bit taller, walked over and plucked the glasses from the top shelf easily, then set them down on the dinner table. Cliff slumped a little and looked pathetic. “Man, I’m just worthless today. I can’t do anything.”

Claire turned around, rushing forward to him to give him a big hug. “Awww, my pitiful baby’s not worthless!” She lowered her voice and said, “Don’t you remember this morning you…” the rest of the sentence became a whisper in his ear. Cliff flushed and grinned.

Elli just rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the stove. “I don’t even want to know what kind of deviant activities you two are reminiscing about.”

Claire turned to look at Elli, her arms still locked around Cliff’s neck. “Oh, and isn’t that the pot calling the kettle slutty? Who was just telling me all about the poison ivy on her back from getting busy while searching for herbs?” Cliff choked on a laugh, while Elli swung the spoon at Claire menacingly. “Shut up!” she growled. Doctor just rolled his eyes, by now very used to not only Elli’s libido but also her propensity to talk about it.

Claire dodged Elli and then leaned in and snatched the spoon from her. “Ooh, you are so lucky you’re my best friend, or I would have…” Elli huffed.

Claire stuck out her tongue. “Would have what? Kicked my ass? Isn’t that against the Hippocratic oath?”

Elli had to laugh at that, and took her place once more at the stove. Soon dinner was ready. Elli poured three glasses of wine for herself, Claire, and Cliff, and then one glass of milk (in a wine glass of course, so he wouldn’t feel left out) for Doctor. Dinner was delicious: Happy Eggplant, Grilled Fish, and Apple Souffle for dessert.

Claire and Cliff were not used to drinking, so just one glass of wine had them both giggling and tipsy. Elli, of course, was used to wine, so she just laughed inwardly at the two of them. “Lightweights,” she smirked to herself.

“Oh, and do you remember the time that we caught Karen and Rick skinnydipping in Goddess Pond?” Claire giggled to Cliff.

“Oh, do I ever.” Cliff put his head in his hands. “I don’t ever, ever, ever, want to see Rick naked again. That scarred me for life. I thought Bozo the Clown was poking his head up between his legs!” This made Claire laugh so hard that she had to gasp for air. “And what exactly were they doing?” Cliff continued. “It looked like Karen was riding him like a pony in the water. And why was he blindfolded? I don’t understand those two…”

Elli laughed as well. “Uh, it’s kind of well known that Karen is a super freak. It’s probably better not to think about what those two do behind closed doors.”

Claire laughed. “Behind closed doors is fine and well! But this little bit of freakery occurred out in the open, and it ruined our romantic little midnight stroll!”

Cliff nodded. “I wasn’t exactly in the mood any more after seeing Rick naked, and the look on his face was pretty scary too!”

Claire giggled. “And it takes a lot to put Cliff out of the mood. A LOT!” Cliff blushed. “Well, it’s true!” Claire went on. “I swear, he could be dying of a stab wound, and he’d be like ‘Just…let me make it…to the bed…now…climb on top of me.’” Cliff laughed, admitting that was probably true.

Doctor nudged Elli under the table. She shot a glance at him and smirked. They were both enjoying the show that the tipsy couple was putting on.

Claire took a long sip of wine and then pondered for a moment. “I think…yes, I’m sure of it. Not a day has gone by since the first night that we slept together that we haven’t gotten it on in some way or another.” Cliff tried to protest. “No, it’s true. Even the night after the hurricane, we had ‘crying sex’ late that night. It was really pathetic at first, but it ended up cheering both of us up. But really, can you think of a single day that we haven’t?”

Cliff furrowed his brow, thinking hard. He opened his mouth suddenly to say something, then shook his head and shut it again. “Nope,” he finally said. “You’re right.”

Elli raised her eyebrows. “My god, you two are superhuman. Even I can’t claim that. I mean, don’t you ever get sick and you can’t do it.”

Claire shook her head. “We hardly ever get sick, and even if we do, that doesn’t stop him…or me…”

Cliff smirked. “Yeah, there we go. You were trying to make it out like I’m some sex crazed demon, when it’s you just as much as me!”

Claire flushed. “Well, it’s still your fault. Why do you always have to be so hot?”

Cliff gestured his hands innocently. “I don’t do anything. I can’t help it if I’m beautiful,” he purred, running his fingers through his silky brown ponytail.

Claire waggled her finger at him. “Oh, you DO things. Like this,” she propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her fists, then gave a loving, pathetic look. “You make that face at me while I’m cooking dinner all the time. That face is responsible for a lot of burned dinners! And also, you walk around with your shirt off and always seem to need to reach something that makes you have to stretch over me. That’s just a little suspicious…”

Cliff propped his elbows up on the table and rested his chin on his fists, batting his eyelashes at her. “I have noooo idea what you’re talking about.”

Claire groaned. “You!” She lunged out and grabbed at him. Cliff squealed. “Stop! I’m ticklish!”

Doctor cleared his throat, and stood up, pulling Elli to her feet. “I think we’ll leave you two lovebirds alone…”

Claire stopped tickling Cliff and covered her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry! I’m not being a good hostess!”

Doctor shook his head and smiled. “No, it was lovely. We’ll see you two later.” They turned to leave. Elli popped her head back in the door to say, “Have fun!” and gave them a sly wink.