"What are you talking about?" Avery walked over to Elliot.
"Nothing much," he said. "I need some time alone with Layla."
"Oh, are you asking me to leave?" Avery asked sarcastically. "You want to talk to her about Eric, right? Did you really think I wouldn't know what you were thinking? You are trying to get me to leave as if I couldn't figure out what you guys were talking about."
Hearing his pride shatter, Elliot blushed.
"Mom, show Dad some mercy!" Layla said calmly.
Avery hummed and turned to look at Elliot, "Come to the bedroom once you are done talking to Layla. I need to talk to you as well."
Elliot felt uneasy, sensing that he was about to be lectured by his wife.
After Avery left, Layla suppressed her laughter as she looked at Elliot, "What were you trying to ask me, Dad?"
Elliot took a sip of water to regain his composure before saying, "Eric has a girlfriend now, so I trust that you won't do anything out of line, will you? There are plenty of good men out there, and a young woman as brilliant as you has all the choices she wants."
"Dad, I just talked to Eric briefly tonight, and Mom probably shared more words with him than I did!" Layla mocked. "I know that he has a girlfriend. I won't try to get in between them, so just relax!"
Elliot felt far more reassured but soon thought of another problem. "Is Eric still dating?" Elliot had forgotten to ask Eric about it.
"Why would I feel guilty? I didn't say much to him."
"Is that how you treat your guests? You weren't like this the last time we saw him! Eric didn't do anything wrong, did he?" Avery asked sharply.
Elliot sat down on the lounge chair. "I just feel like Layla is still into him. I would feel embarrassed if she keeps pursuing him. Don't you understand?"
"Please don't associate your daughter's love life with your own pride," Avery deadpanned. "Think back to how we used to fight. We made a fool of ourselves every time we fought! If only I had a father like you, we would have never ended up together."
"That's not the same. Can't you talk to Layla? If she ends up being Eric's mistress..."
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