Love's Autograph Read Free Page A

finished her sentence and Ellie nodded. “I will be right back.” Maggie walked out of the living room and down the hallway. Ellie sat there with a puzzled look.
    “ Yeah, the Maggie-sitter just got here,” Ellie heard a woman's voice coming from down the hall.
    Ellie turned and saw the woman looking into the mirror and adjusting her hair. Ellie had the impulse to stand. It was the same feeling she had when the doors opened and a bride started down the aisle. Music played in Ellie's head. It was a tune she had not heard before.
    Ria was slightly taller than Ellie. Her hair was shoulder length, wavy, full and black. Her skin was darker than Ellie's pale complexion. Ellie's gaze was drawn to Ria's full lips, and the strong curves of her body. She wore a silky red top and a black skirt. Roxie was right. Ria looked different from Ellie's other girlfriends. She was real. Ellie realized she had involuntarily stood.
    Ria spoke into a phone, “She doesn't like it when I say babysitter. I'm so nervous about this date. I've been waiting for this social worker chick to ask me out for months. So I finally beat her to it and asked her out. She looks so cute walking around the hospital halls. I call for a psych consult any second I can get, if you know what I mean.”
    Social worker? She’s not going out with me? If I’m not going out with her, I must be the babysitter? How did this happen? Ellie opened up her phone and scrolled through her texts from Ria.
    Ria said, Roxie recommended you.
    Ellie said, We were just talking today about how we should meet.
    Ria said, You free this Saturday night.
    This Saturday? Yes , Ellie said.
    Ria said, How about 7pm?My place?
    Sure. Text me your addres s, Ellie said.
    Those texts are so ambiguous. They could be about anything. Maggie walked past her mother carrying a bunch of notebooks. She placed them on the coffee table. Ellie took the flowers in her hands and place them under the chair next to her.
    “ These are all my notebooks. There is the Wolf, Rabby, Slither...” Maggie said to Ellie. She stopped talking as Ria walked into the room. Ria was still on the phone. Ellie focused her attention on Maggie, but did not completely lose sight of Ria.
    Ria has have the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen.
    “ Umm, I have to go. I'll call you later,” Ria said. She hung up her phone. Ria gawked at Ellie and Maggie as if she were watching dogs playing poker in her living room, and none of them were using coasters.
    She recognizes me.
    Ellie walked toward Ria. Ellie called this moment the defrosting. When a fan meets EJ Way, he or she gets frozen in awe and has to be defrosted. Ellie's tactic is to make small talk and let the person know that Ellie is a normal human like him or her. She started this process with the introduction.
    “ Ellie is here. She brought flowers. You can leave now,” Maggie said in her robotic voice.
    “ Maggie, that probably wasn't the best way to say that. We'll work on it,” Ria said as she stared, mesmerized, at Ellie.
    “ Ellie Jane, but I like to be called Ellie,” Ellie said.
    “ Nice to meet you Ellie. I'm Ria,” Ria said as she shook Ellie's hand.
    “ Nice to meet you,” Ellie said.
    Ria turned to Maggie, “I'm going to talk to her for a minute. Okay, Maggie?”
    “ Yes, but just for a minute. You said she is here to spend time with me ,” Maggie answered.
    She probably didn't know that I was EJ Way when we were texting. I texted her as Ellie. I guess Roxie didn't tell her who I am.
    Ria waved Ellie to the kitchen. “What?” Ria said. “This never happens. She never warms up to people this fast. She hardly warms up to anyone. She's showing you her notebooks?”
    Doesn't she know who I am?
    “I have a way,” Ellie answered and laughed
.
    .
    “You look… you look…you seem a little overdressed for babysitting,” stammered Ria. “You brought flowers?”
    Does she have a clue I ’m EJ? She’s gorgeous—and oblivious that I am famous. I want to