andhiswife | (Reply)

Greta sighs again, tipping her head towards Demelza's in both acknowledgment and apology. She's not exactly proud of getting all worked up and complicating matters, even if it was her friend's questions that had prompted it. She could have anticipated them -- should have, really. Though even that wouldn't have made her a better liar.

She's still feeling a little uncertain about the whole affair, but mentioning Jordan helps bring things into focus. It's not unusual for her to babysit the girl, and knowing that Jordan could spend time at her apartment without having to tiptoe around the dog would put her and Sam's minds at ease. It doesn't even have to be about the time they all spend together; it could just be about that. She might be seizing onto that explanation a little too readily, relieved to have such a sensible excuse, but it's still the practical thing to do, isn't it?

It also helps that Demelza's promising to behave herself. Greta greets that with a faint, dubious snort, though it's just as much a relief as the babysitting excuse. She doesn't truly believe her friend would make things difficult on purpose, but if Greta's own overblown response is any indication, it could still happen by accident. She just wants this to be simple. They're meeting a dog, that's all.

"All right," she murmurs, digging out her phone and sending him a quick text before she can change her mind again. She's learned that just calling people directly isn't really done, and she doesn't want to interrupt him if he's busy. She sets the device aside and returns to the form, but only gets through half a line before there's an answering buzz. At that point, she does give in and just call him -- if only because she knows it'll be far quicker than trying to explain the whole situation by text.

He sounds pleased to hear from her, which helps put her at ease; she's evidently not interrupting anything important. Greta catches Demelza's eye, then quickly pivots away. She can't have this conversation and watch her friend's reactions at the same time. Instead, she ambles slowly about the lobby as she explains the situation, with occasional pauses and backtracks due to Jordan's interruptions (a good third of which are just 'hi, Greta!'s, bellowed at such volume that she has to pull the phone away from her ear with a sympathetic wince for Sam). Fortunately, he doesn't seem the least bit taken aback by her request, once she gets around to it, and assures her they'll be by as soon as they can manage. By the time she hangs up, she's grinning, buoyed by relief and pleased anticipation.

She'd almost forgot her audience, and she self-consciously reins herself in a little. "You promised to behave," she reminds her, though there's still a smile lurking in the corners of her eyes as she returns to the form. Knowing what a production it can be to get Jordan out of the house (even when she's inclined to be cooperative), Greta assumes she'll have more than enough time to fill it out before they arrive.