Grim Celebrates Thanksgiving

Grim went about rubbing her feet, gently at first and increasing the pressure as she moaned and threw her head back.

"That feels so good."

"So, tell me about you and Curtis." Grim said as he continued.

Whitney huffed. "Wow, it's a long story."

"We've got time and I want to know."

"Okay, well we met in junior high. His parents died when he was thirteen and his aunt raised him. We became friends fast and the summer before our freshman year he told me he liked me and wanted me to be his girlfriend. I thought he was so cute and every girl liked him so I felt special that he wanted me.

We dated the entire four years. If he wasn't at his aunt's house then he was with me and my parents. We went to the same college and continued to date but it all fell apart our sophomore year. I got an internship for my dream job in New York so I had to transfer schools. Curtis's aunt died a week before I was to leave and he just shut down mentally. He left town without a word and I thought I would never see him again."

Grim listened intently. "It seems like he stills harbors feelings for you."

Whitney tilted her head back up to look into his face. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Grim stopped rubbing her feet as she moved her legs and climbed onto his lap.

"You shouldn't be. It's been eight years since I have seen Curtis and I am happy to see him but the only man I want is you."

Grim nodded and watched her move her head into his. He tilted up his chin and accepted her kiss. She pulled back when she heard a knock on the door. She turned slightly while still in Grim's lap and saw Curtis standing at the doorway.

"I am heading out but can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Curtis stated motioning for her.

Whitney climbed off Grim and the bed and approached Curtis. He pulled her aside and Grim could see him handing her a small sheet of paper.

"This is my number. I want us to keep in touch after you leave okay. It was really great seeing you Whitney."

Whitney accepted the slip of paper and the hug Curtis gave her. After he released her she watched him walk toward the stairs. She walked back in the room and got back in the position she was in before Curtis interrupted.

She tried to kiss Grim but he pulled back. She gave him a confused look. "Something wrong?"

"No, I just want to get something to eat. I'm starved." he told her as he gently patted her butt and made a move to stand.

Whitney scrambled off his body and stood as well. They left the room and headed downstairs. They entered the kitchen and saw Alice starting dinner.

"Do you need some help?" Whitney asked as she grabbed a cookie and munched on it.

Alice looked over her shoulder. "No, but thank you. Dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes. Too bad that Curtis couldn't stay."

"He said he's been coming by for Thanksgiving dinner since he got back in town. Will he be joining us this year?" Whitney inquired.

"I suppose so. Will you set the table for me baby?"

"Yes ma'am."

Whitney grabbed some plates from a cupboard along with silverware and headed into the dining room. Grim followed her and watched her set the table.

"What are the plans for tomorrow?" he asked.

"My mom and I will be cooking all day baby. If my dad were feeling well than he would show you around town." Whitney stated and then blew out a breath.

"If you want I can try and sneak away in the afternoon and we can visit the fair. They always have one around this time and end it the day before Thanksgiving."

Grim nodded. "That sounds like fun. I've never been to a fair before."

Whitney raised an eyebrow as she laughed. "Where the hell did you grow up that you never been to a fair before?!"

Grim chuckled. "Don't make fun of me."

She laughed some more as she finished setting the table. They sat in the entertainment room and watched the news until Alice called them for dinner.

They walked into the dining room and sat down. Alice fixed a plate for Theodore and excused herself but told them to dig in.

Grim filled his plate with food and didn't leave an empty space. Whitney watched him with bug eyes as he piled the food on.

"Jesus, I swear your stomach is a bottomless pit. Are you sure you don't have a tape worm?" she chuckled.

Grim stuck his tongue out at her as he began eating. He was finished with the food and cleaned his plate by the time Alice came back down to eat.

"Paul, you didn't have to wait for me to fix your plate. Dig in sweetie."

Whitney laughed. "Mom, he just finished eating."

Grim let out a burp and covered his mouth. "Excuse me."

Alice smiled. "Well Whitney, looks like you've got a man with a hearty appetite. Help yourself to seconds."

Grim didn't have to be told twice as he filled his plate to the rim once again.

"You are going to have a field day on Thanksgiving. My mom cooks like she's feeding several small families!" Whitney stated.

"Why do you cook so much?" Grim asked around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"I donate leftovers to the homeless. Curtis helps run a soup kitchen downtown so I like to help out."Alice beamed at her yearly Good Samaritan deed.

The three chatted throughout the rest of dinner and through Grim's third and fourth helpings. Alice declined help with cleaning the dishes and ushered Whitney and Grim away.

The two headed upstairs where they gathered their clothes for a shower. Whiney entered the bathroom first with Grim following her. She placed her hand on his chest to stop him from walking in.

"We can't shower together this time. I'll let you know when I'm done."

Grim pouted a bit but nodded his head. He went back into his room and sat on the bed. He wondered what the next few days held for him and Whitney as he laid back on the bed. Whitney knocked on the door ten minutes later and Grim sat upright to look at her.

"I'm done in the shower, so it's all yours."

Grim got off the bed and entered the bathroom. He showered quickly and once he left the bathroom he walked into Whitney's room. He saw her pulling back the sheets to the bed and preparing to get in.

She stopped when she saw him at the doorway and watched him stalk into the room.

"Something wrong?" she asked as he stopped before her.

"It will be weird not sleeping next to you." he smiled.

Whitney smiled back. "It's only for a few days. Get some rest and I'll see you in the morning."

Grim dipped his head to hers and kissed her lips. "Good night." he whispered when he pulled back.

Whitney watched him leave her room and she got into bed. She switched off the light and laid her head on the pillow. As she drifted off to sleep she let out a long sigh that ended with Paul's name.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012 4:38 AM

Grim sat up in bed, not able to sleep. There was less than forty eight hours before Whitney's father was to pass away. What the hell was he going to say to Whitney? He knew she would be devastated and the thought of her being hurt caused his heart to ache.

He threw the sheets off his body and got out of bed. He paced the room for a few minutes before he heard his stomach growling. He left the room and made his way downstairs. He entered the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and stuffed his face with anything that didn't need to be cooked.

He was just opening the carton of milk to drink it when the light popped on and enveloped him. He looked toward the entrance to the kitchen and saw Alice standing there.

"Paul? It's four in the morning; why aren't you in bed?"

Grim stood straight and wiped his mouth. "I couldn't sleep."

Alice smiled. "But you sure can eat."

Grim closed the refrigerator door and went to wash his hands. He turned to Alice and watched her start some coffee.

"How's Theodore doing?" he asked her.

Alice sighed. "He's still pretty weak. I hope whatever is going on inside his body, he can fight through it."

Grim leaned against the counter and ran his hands over his face. "It sucks that he had to be sick around this time of the year."

"He's got many years ahead of him so all I'm worrying about is nursing him back to health."

A few moments later the coffee was done and she filled two cups, one of which she handed to Grim.

"Cream or sugar?"

Grim asked for sugar and Alice grabbed a spoon from the drawer to Grim's left. She dipped the spoon in the sugar jar behind him and added it to his coffee as well as her own.

Grim gulped down the coffee as Alice blew off the steam from her coffee. She watched him drink the hot beverage like it was water and raised an eyebrow.

"You sure you didn't scorch your taste buds?" she chuckled.

Grim stuck his tongue out and rubbed it. Nope, they were still there. He looked at Alice who gave him an unsure look.

"Where did Whitney find you?" Alice half laughed.

"He actually found me." Whitney yawned as she appeared in the kitchen. She looked toward Grim. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep." he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll leave you two alone." Alice stated and made her way out of the kitchen.

"What time are we going to start cooking?" Whitney asked her mother before she got too far away.

"Around noon. I'll run to the store around ten o'clock and we'll cook when I get back."

Whitney inched closer to Grim and wrapped her arms around his neck when she was in front of him.

"Why couldn't you sleep?" she asked as she began to peck at the skin on his neck.

Grim shook his head. "I don't know; maybe it was because you weren't beside me."

Whitney fawned at his words and kissed his lips. "Come on, I'll lie with you for a minute until you go back to sleep."

She pulled him to the stairs and they ascended them together. Once they entered his room Whitney pushed him on the bed and laid down next to him. She wrapped his arm around her and felt his lips on her cheek. A few seconds later she heard his soft snoring in her ear.

9:18 AM

Grim shot up in bed when he heard a knock on the door. He looked down at Whitney peacefully sleeping and then looked toward the door as it opened and Alice entered.

She gave him a disapproving look and then called Whitney's name. Whitney groaned as she sat up.

"Let me talk to you for a minute baby." Alice stated and motioned for her to follow her out the room.

Whitney got out of the bed and followed her mother outside. Alice pulled her down the hall.

"You know I don't approve of you two sleeping in the same bed knowing you're not married."

"Mom, it's the twenty first century and we didn't have sex. He was having trouble sleeping so we just laid next to each other." Whitney explained.

"Regardless of what century it is, this is my house and tomorrow night I want you and Paul to sleep in separate rooms."

"Yes ma'am." Whitney pouted.

Alice nodded. "Good. Now I am going to the store and when I get back we'll start cooking for Thanksgiving dinner."

Alice placed a kiss on Whitney's forehead and walked downstairs. Whitney turned around and saw Grim emerging from his room.

"Was she pissed?"

Whitney smiled and waved at the air. "Nah, she'll be all right."

"Why don't you check on your father since your mother's gone?" Grim suggested.

Whitney agreed and walked into her father's room. She saw him reaching for a cup of coffee and he stumbled causing the cup to topple to the ground. He cursed lightly as he attempted to sit up to clean up the mess. Whitney rushed over and stopped him.

"I got it daddy." she said as she cleaned up the mess.

She tells him she'll be right back as she takes the cup downstairs into the kitchen where she cleans it. She fixes a fresh cup and rushes back upstairs. She hands the coffee to her father and he slowly sips it.

"Thank you." he says weakly.

Whitney noticed he was paler than what he was when she saw him a few hours ago.

"Daddy, you look very pale. Are you sure you don't need to call your doctor?"

Theodore shook his head. "He's not going to tell me anything new. I'll be fine in a few days."

Whitney waited for him to finish his coffee and then took his cup. "Do you want anything special for breakfast?"

Theodore thought for a moment. "Just boil me two eggs and make some toast."

Whitney left the room, walked back into the kitchen downstairs and made the quick breakfast for her father. She took the food to him and left the room as he began to eat.

****

Half an hour after eleven o'clock Alice arrived back home from the grocery store. She called for Grim to help her bring the food inside and it took them fifteen minutes to bring it all in.

Whitney helped her start to unload it all. They began to peel, cut up, rinse and clean vegetables. Alice then cleaned the turkey and ham and prepared the stuffing. Whitney began the dough for fresh croissants.

While the started the food they chatted amongst themselves and Whitney asked about Curtis but she made sure to ask general questions to avoid sounding too interested.

Alice told her that Curtis came around on the holidays and was a sought after bachelor but he hadn't been in a serious relationship since the two of them ended their romance all those years ago.

Whitney felt a bit weird hearing that because she definitely had her fair share of men over the years. She let her thoughts linger as she continued to help her mother prepare the food to be cooked.

Around three o'clock Grim appeared at the kitchen and got Whitney's attention. She left her mother's side and walked toward him.

"Can you sneak away? There's only so much football I can watch." Grim groaned.

Whitney chuckled. "All right. Get changed and we'll head out."

Grim kissed her before he walked upstairs to change into some clothes suitable to keep him warm outside. Whitney told her mother she was taking Grim to the fair and headed upstairs to change as well.

The two left the house twenty minutes later and walked the short distance to a train station where they got on a train and headed downtown to the state fair. Once they arrived Grim seemed mesmerized at the sight of the bright lights, rides and the smell of salty popcorn and funnel cakes.

"What do you want to do first?" Whitney asked as they walked hand in hand through the gates.

"I want to do everything!" Grim exclaimed as he released Whitney's hand and took off running toward the first ride he saw.

Whitney couldn't help her laughter as she followed him. For the next three hours they rode every ride, played every game and Grim ate anything he could get his hands on.

When it started getting dark Whitney decided to call it a day. They began to head for the exit but they stopped when they crossed paths with Curtis.

"Hey! I didn't think I'd run into you here." Curtis smiled while focusing his attentions on Whitney.

"Yeah, I promised Paul he wouldn't have to stay cooped up in the house all day. Besides the fair is leaving in the morning and Paul had never been to one before." Whitney told him.

He nodded and then extended his hand which he placed on Whitney's shoulders. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Whitney gently removed his hand and nodded. "Sure."

They walked a few feet away from Grim but he kept his eyes on them. He could hear what they were saying but pretended to be distracted.

"What did you want to talk about?" Whitney asked.

Curtis let out a sigh. "Did your mother tell you I started my own business a few years back?"

She shook her head no. "She said you were a sought after bachelor but never divulged into what you did for a profession."

Curtis sighed once again. "Well, I had an accountant who I thought I could trust but I recently found some discrepancies in my financial reports. I know you are a very successful business consultant so I was hoping you could help me get to the bottom of this."

Whitney was taken aback by his request. "Curtis, I'm heading home Saturday morning. It will take me more than two or three days to help you. I had a client with your same problem and it took me months to figure out their books."

Curtis stuck out his bottom lip, practically begging. "I know this but I don't know who else to turn to."

"What would you have done if I hadn't come home to visit my parents?" Whitney pointed out.

"I don't know but you being here is a sign to me. I'll pay you so you won't be out financially and you'll have more time to spend with your parents."

Whitney groaned and then looked over at Grim who was kicking the dirt out from under his shoes.

"What about Paul? He's my boyfriend and he's not going to be happy with me staying here while he goes back to New York."

"Will you at least think about it?" Curtis pleaded.

She blew out a breath and told him she would think about it but stated for him not to get his hopes up. She backed away from him and walked back over to Grim. She placed her hand in his and led him to the exit. He asked her what Curtis had wanted; even though he already knew. Whitney told him she would tell him when they got back to her parents' house.

****

9:48 PM

Grim and Whitney arrived at her parents' house an hour after they left the fair. Whitney saw her mother screaming out in the front yard as two EMT workers pulled her father out of the house on a stretcher. She released Grim's hand and rushed over to the scene.

"Mom! What happened?!" she screamed as she grabbed her mother.

"Your father! He wasn't breathing right so I called 911." Alice yelled in a rushed voice.

"Oh my God! He is all right?"

Alice placed her hands on her face and shook her head. "I don't know. Take my car and follow the ambulance to the hospital please."

Whitney accepted her mother's car keys as she got into the back of the ambulance once her father was loaded.

"Paul! Come on, we've got to go!" Whitney yelled and rushed to the garage.

Grim blew out a breath and sprinted to the garage after Whitney. They got into Alice's car and Whitney drove to the hospital behind the ambulance. Once she arrived she found a parking spot and she and Grim rushed into the emergency room where they found a few workers restraining her mother.

Whitney rushed over and grabbed her mother and the workers released her. Alice cried on Whitney's shoulders as she gripped her tightly.

"Mom, daddy is going to fine, he said so." Whitney comforted her.

Grim walked over and hugged them both. He made a mental note to sneak away and contact Paul to find out what the hell was going on.

Whitney ushered her mother to the waiting area and they sat down together. Grim stated he was going to get them all something to drink and he walked around a corner. He found a dark corner and called out for Paul.

He appeared a few seconds later and pulled back his hood. "What do I owe this summon?"

"Whitney's dad was just wheeled into the emergency room. I thought you said he had until the 23rd."

Paul nodded. "He does but he's sick and most sick people end up in the hospital."

Grim sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "Come on Paul, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Don't tell me he has to celebrate the holiday in a hospital room."

"Hey, I don't make the rules. Sorry but there's nothing you or I can do."

Paul disappeared after saying that and Grim felt like punching something. He took a few moments to compose himself and then asked a passing nurse for three cups of water. She disappeared and returned with his request.

He walked back to the waiting room and handed two cups to Whitney and her mother. They both thanked him as they drank the cool liquid. The three of them waited for two hours before a doctor came out to speak with them.

"Mrs. Ellison, your husband is suffering from pericardial effusion..."

"What is that?" Alice interrupted while wringing her hands together.

"It's fluid or build up of blood around the heart that can cause inflammation. Your husband's trouble breathing while on bed rest is a severe symptom. I'll be keeping him overnight for observation and will have more details on his condition tomorrow."