Say what you will about emotionally charged rollercoaster rides, but Charlette’s whoops, dips, and loop-the-loops apparently had no effect on her appetite. Paul selfishly attributed this first, to his mother’s awesome meatball recipe and second, to the possibility that she was just plain ol’ hungry. His mom would be thrilled to know that they had, and finished, second helpings. And as usual, he cooked way more than the pair of them could realistically consume this evening. He did, after all, worship at The Shrine of Leftovers. So that was totally okay.<br/><br/>When Charlette slurped her first helping of pasta, Paul let it go, thinking she was just hungry. That, or it was an innocent accident. When she did it again, Paul did the same, though by no means any louder than her. This was not gonna turn into a slurping contest. He viewed it as a sign of being comfortable in each other’s company.<br/><br/><i>Unless y’all start slurping something else, Old Man.</i><br/><br/>Now that they were stuffed to the gills, they remained at the table a bit longer, minus any bustling activity for the time being. The first to legitimately move was Charlette, who was helpful after dinner by clearing the dishes. But then, she usually was, which he always appreciated. Paul, on the other hand, sat there like an anaconda who’d just gorged on two or three capybaras.<br/><br/>Paul thanked her for clearing the dishes as she made her way back to the table. She, uh, missed her chair entirely and landed on his lap instead. Charlette then proceeded to kiss his neck a little, while he sat there motionless.<br/><br/><i>I say, damn, Old Man. Looks like she’s hungry for some dessert. Now where’d I leave that yuletide log? Oh, right. She’s now sitting on it. heh heh</i><br/><br/>"Ya know, I'm not Jemma. I'm not going to hurt you," Charlette whispered, somewhat outta the blue. Actually, that was<i><u>way</u></i>outta the blue.<br/><br/><i>Ha! Suck on that, Old Man! What have I been saying all this time?! But noooooo. Nobody ever listens to me. Maybe now she’ll knock some sense into that thick skull of yours.</i><br/><br/>“Yeah, I know you’re not her,” he said. That was easy enough to confirm. The part about hurting him, not so much. So Paul left that bit alone. Charlette’s announcement also served as a timely reminder. He’d have to connect with his ex sooner or later. Also, he remained unsure as to whether or not he mentioned Jemma wanting to try again to Charlette. Perhaps he should clue her in.