The switch in Amber's tone and focus were as sharp as if she'd cut the moment through with the knife. The softness of her hand and her mouth disappeared, and she rushed to leap out of the car as fast as if House had demanded ten diagnoses and promised to fire the last one to blurt out an idea. Foreman sighed and unclicked his seatbelt, climbing out the passenger side onto the sidewalk. The home was nice bungalow, and as he stood up, the front door opened and Mrs. Volakis stepped out. For the last second he'd have to himself, Foreman hung back from Amber's greeting, holding the salad and waiting to be introduced. Before Amber could start--although it looked like it hadn't occurred to her--Mrs. Volakis was calling for the rest of her family.
Foreman could feel his back stiffening, but he kept any sign of it to himself. When a tall, bluff man with a shark's smile that had to be shared among all the Volakis siblings started towards the car, Foreman went into action. He was the stranger and the interloper; fine, that was a given. He could work with that, he always had. He intercepted Amber's brother and, balancing the salad in one hand, he offered his right to shake. "Eric Foreman," he said, with every appearance of outgoing interest.
"Geoffrey Volakis," Geoffrey said. His handshake was firm but not crushing, and his air of self-confident friendliness wasn't as off-putting as Foreman had feared. "I'm guessing you let my sister drive--if she had her way she'd buy a car with jet propulsion."
Foreman smiled, a fraction tightly. "The drive was fine," he said. Despite one or two of his own private thoughts about Amber's need for speed, he couldn't help bristling slightly at her brother's complacent pomposity.
"Geoffrey, the bags," Mrs. Volakis said, coming up beside them.
Foreman looked over his shoulder at the car. "I can--"
Geoffrey clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about a thing, Eric," he said. "I know where I'm taking them." He headed for the trunk Amber had opened and started pulling out suitcases.
"So," Mrs. Volakis said, taking Foreman's elbow and giving him an appraising look up and down and nodding as if he'd already passed muster. "I'm so glad to meet you, Eric. Don't worry about the drive, we were just glad you could make it," she said. "Amber wasn't sure you two could get the time off."
"Of course," Foreman said. It was early yet, but so far he hadn't gotten any sign that he was 'controversial', let alone unwelcome. That might come later, after a few glasses of Thanksgiving wine or a heated talk about politics, or, he suspected, if anyone tried to puncture Geoffrey's attitude, but his first fears had been somewhat soothed. Amber's family were a bit overbearing, but nothing Foreman hadn't felt before from his own parents. It was almost traitorously welcome to be fussed over. "Wouldn't miss it. I, ah--" He proffered the salad, only the slightest bit hesitant, and Mrs. Volakis smiled.
"It looks delicious. Thank you, you're very thoughtful," she said, taking it out of his hands. "Come on, now, let's get you two out of the cold."
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Foreman could feel his back stiffening, but he kept any sign of it to himself. When a tall, bluff man with a shark's smile that had to be shared among all the Volakis siblings started towards the car, Foreman went into action. He was the stranger and the interloper; fine, that was a given. He could work with that, he always had. He intercepted Amber's brother and, balancing the salad in one hand, he offered his right to shake. "Eric Foreman," he said, with every appearance of outgoing interest.
"Geoffrey Volakis," Geoffrey said. His handshake was firm but not crushing, and his air of self-confident friendliness wasn't as off-putting as Foreman had feared. "I'm guessing you let my sister drive--if she had her way she'd buy a car with jet propulsion."
Foreman smiled, a fraction tightly. "The drive was fine," he said. Despite one or two of his own private thoughts about Amber's need for speed, he couldn't help bristling slightly at her brother's complacent pomposity.
"Geoffrey, the bags," Mrs. Volakis said, coming up beside them.
Foreman looked over his shoulder at the car. "I can--"
Geoffrey clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about a thing, Eric," he said. "I know where I'm taking them." He headed for the trunk Amber had opened and started pulling out suitcases.
"So," Mrs. Volakis said, taking Foreman's elbow and giving him an appraising look up and down and nodding as if he'd already passed muster. "I'm so glad to meet you, Eric. Don't worry about the drive, we were just glad you could make it," she said. "Amber wasn't sure you two could get the time off."
"Of course," Foreman said. It was early yet, but so far he hadn't gotten any sign that he was 'controversial', let alone unwelcome. That might come later, after a few glasses of Thanksgiving wine or a heated talk about politics, or, he suspected, if anyone tried to puncture Geoffrey's attitude, but his first fears had been somewhat soothed. Amber's family were a bit overbearing, but nothing Foreman hadn't felt before from his own parents. It was almost traitorously welcome to be fussed over. "Wouldn't miss it. I, ah--" He proffered the salad, only the slightest bit hesitant, and Mrs. Volakis smiled.
"It looks delicious. Thank you, you're very thoughtful," she said, taking it out of his hands. "Come on, now, let's get you two out of the cold."