{ ny party / 1st January, 2005 / with Lizzy }
Rudy blinked a few times, like he needed to physically recalibrate to keep up with the rapid fire string of words coming out of Lizzy’s mouth. If she was trying to downplay the sir situation, she was doing a spectacular job of making it even funnier. And Rudy? Well… He did say he was going to let it go for now but if he didn’t he’d probably say something along the lines of: ”Midnight jogger… huh? Yeah, they’re everywhere this time of night. Real formal types, those joggers. Biiig on manners.“ It was just not the time or place to lightly roast her, even if the temptation was right there. He didn’t know her well enough, not yet, and the last thing he wanted was to scare her off or make her feel stupid for trying. So he kept quiet. For now.
When she started theorizing about the kind of house that might feel like grape soda, Rudy looked back at her with an expression that could either be read as I have no idea what you just said or that might actually be the solution. So while she was thinking and continued rambling, Rudy looked up at the rows of dark, sleeping homes and tilted his head thoughtfully. ”You know, I’m not sure what a grape soda house looks like,“ he murmured, half to himself, low and quiet… ”But I’m gonna be disappointed if it’s not what I’m imagining it to be… Gotta admit you might be onto something here, brilliant.“ And as brilliant as it was, which he could’ve admitted a bit louder, that didn’t help them much. They kept going, retracing steps, zigzagging past garden gnomes and fences and empty driveways while Lizzy repeated the words fast, way too many times only to realize what Katie was trying to say. And just like that the ysolved the mystery. Well… Lizzy did, but that did not stop Rudy from snapping his fingers, already pivoting like a detective who’d just cracked the case. ”Graystone Avenue, duh“ he repeated, all exhale and swagger, as if that had been his guess all along, when it absolutely hadn’t. ”And of course it’s 4!“
And Rudy would’ve kept joking if he hadn’t caught the way Lizzy lit up, that genuine relief, so he let the act drop with a lazy smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. ”Yeah, no doubt,“ Rudy said, nodding as if it was common knowledge the whole time. ”Knew it the whole time, didn’t you? Was just trying to see how long it would take for me to figure it out? Okay…I see you, I see you.“
And from there, it didn’t take long to spot the right place.
”You were right… The place kind of does look like a grape soda factory,“ he said as he moved ahead first, taking Katie’s hand to better help her up the stairs to her front door. ”You got a key, champ?“ Rudy asked but instead of looking at her, his eyes flicked to Lizzy because she was obviously the one holding all the answers now. The look was half a question, half surrender: Can you decode this? Is she speaking in riddles or Morse? You’re fluent now, right?