Eli Krauss & the Starry Eyed Girl

You know better.

This is what Jake Rhys is thinking. He is slumped at the bar with a dark ale in his hands. The day has been rough. His LSAT study group proves to him just how not ready he is to go to law school. He sees Fiona naked again because she left the bathroom door ajar in the morning and hasn't been able to get the image out of his head. And on top of that, he loses his favorite pair of glasses at the laundry mat. By five o'clock, that beer is calling his name.

You know better, Jake thinks as he flirts with the nameless redhead beside him. He knows he shouldn't do this again. He knows better than to fuck another girl four yards away from his ex. But he does it anyway. The lump of guilt rises as he unlocks the door's apartment and pulls the girl in by the hand.

The lump subsides when he sees that Fiona isn't home yet from work. And so he decides it will be okay because what Fiona doesn't know won't kill her.

_____

Brad starts to act normally again. He laughs and sings and HOME benefits from his relocated humor. Eli and Fiona do not talk, unless they absolutely have to. And when these necessary occasions rise, they speak through Brad.

The First Time happens when Brad leaves early. His girlfriend, Kat, is crying again and calls him during the last hour of his night shift at HOME to see if he can comfort her. Brad asks Eli if he can leave and immediately, Eli's eyes flicker over to Fiona who is serving a table across the bar. She is smiling again.

"Sure," he tells Brad without hesitation, "Do what you gotta do." His brother gives him a grateful nod and he waves goodbye to a confused and alarmed looking Fiona as he exits the bustling HOME.

The two remaining employees do not speak for the rest of the time. They silently maneuver the lagging drunkards out of the bar at two in the morning. They wipe down the counters and put the glasses in the dishwashers. And they very quietly count the receipts in the back room.
Fiona watches Eli count. He seems completely concentrated on the task at hand and she wonders if she should just leave. She tries to ignore the growing sense of tension in the room. Eli finishes and stands up, she follows suit.

"Good night then, I guess," Fiona says quietly.

Eli looks at her for a few seconds and then takes two long strides to Fiona. She sees his hazel eyes up close and notices for the first time that he has long dark lashes. He reaches a hand over and buries it into her honey hair, right behind her neck. Fiona's breathing stops altogether as he slowly reaches over to plant his lips onto hers.

And it is an instant fire and spark. She grabs him by the collar and his hands move from her hair to her bottom and they are slamming against the wall. Eli stops and moves his lips down to Fiona's neck and they are leaving a trail of heat to her collarbone. It is too much, this is too much, Eli thinks. This is when Fiona pulls away quickly and looks up at Eli. Their chests are heaving as she squeaks, "Oops." She has an all consuming shamed expression on her face and her fingers are touching her pink lips.

Eli cracks a smile for the first time in months.

Fiona smiles too.

"Sorry," Eli mutters.

"It's okay," she replies.

_____

Fiona continues touching her lips as she walks out of the subway and up the stairs to the apartment. She carefully unlocks the door, hoping that she doesn't wake Jake up. Imagine her surprise when she sees him on top of another girl.

She instantly freezes and Jake's girl screams when she catches sight of Fiona. Jake cusses loudly and pulls his ex girlfriend out of her frozen state.

"Sorry! Sorry," she yelps and runs across to her bedroom.

She undresses and wipes away tears from her cheeks. Fiona knows she shouldn't feel so hurt and right as she's getting into bed, she realizes just how much she wishes she could bring someone home too.

Her stomach flips when she pictures Eli Krauss in her bed.