Sequel: And You Lied to the Angel ›
And They Call Her Cinderella
Chapter Two.
Friday, October 26, 2012
8:09 p.m.
Eames grinned to himself as he pulled up to the apartment building. He never doubted that he would be able to get the man--Arthur--(Eames had said the name aloud multiple times on the drive over. He just couldn't get over the way it sounded when he said it out loud) to go out with him. He was simply unable to believe how easy it had been.
He parked along the side of the road (in a No Parking Zone, which Arthur would point out when he got into the car and Eames would reply to with "You really are a bore, love. You notice I didn't get a ticket, don't you?") and made his way up to the building. He climbed the front stairs, taking them two at a time.
Once Eames reached the doors he turned to the panel of buttons and pressed the one with 21B Arthur beside it. He waited a few moments with no response, then pressed it again.
"Sorry," came a voice from a speaker to the right of the panel. "Come up. Mine is the first apartment on the second floor, to your right."
A buzz sounded and then a click, and Eames opened the door (the handle of which he'd had his hand on since he pressed Arthur's button the first time). This time he walked up the stairs, his hands sliding up the hand-rails as he went. He couldn't help but smile to himself at the thought of seeing Arthur again in only a few moments' time.
He reached the second floor and turned to his right to face apartment number 21B.
Eames stood in front of the door, grinning a small grin. He wondered if he'd get to see the inside of Arthur's apartment that night (he would) and asked himself how long it was appropriate to stay after a first date (Eames would slip out of the apartment at 4:27 the next morning).
He knocked on the door, which was immediately opened by Arthur.
Arthur was wearing a dark green coat and a black scarf, with black dress pants and dress shoes. Eames almost felt under dressed. Almost. He opened his mouth to ask if he could come in, but Arthur quickly reached over to flip off a light switch, patted the pocket of his coat to make sure he had his keys (he did), and shut his door.
"Hello," Arthur said once the door was securely shut behind him. He looked up at Eames.
Eames smiled. "Hello, darling." He held his arms out toward the staircase, allowing Arthur to go ahead of him like the gentleman he pretended to be on dates such as this one. "I hope you don't mind that I've already chosen where we're going."
Arthur looked back at him over his shoulder. "Not at all," he said.
Eames' hand was on the small of Arthur's back as the two walked through the front doors and down the front steps. That small grin was still on his face (it wouldn't leave his face for awhile, not until 10:39 p.m. while he was standing in front of the bookshelf in Arthur's living room with a cup of coffee in his hand), and though it bothered Arthur a tiny bit (he couldn't tell you why, and neither could I), it also made his heart beat a little faster.
8:09 p.m.
Eames grinned to himself as he pulled up to the apartment building. He never doubted that he would be able to get the man--Arthur--(Eames had said the name aloud multiple times on the drive over. He just couldn't get over the way it sounded when he said it out loud) to go out with him. He was simply unable to believe how easy it had been.
He parked along the side of the road (in a No Parking Zone, which Arthur would point out when he got into the car and Eames would reply to with "You really are a bore, love. You notice I didn't get a ticket, don't you?") and made his way up to the building. He climbed the front stairs, taking them two at a time.
Once Eames reached the doors he turned to the panel of buttons and pressed the one with 21B Arthur beside it. He waited a few moments with no response, then pressed it again.
"Sorry," came a voice from a speaker to the right of the panel. "Come up. Mine is the first apartment on the second floor, to your right."
A buzz sounded and then a click, and Eames opened the door (the handle of which he'd had his hand on since he pressed Arthur's button the first time). This time he walked up the stairs, his hands sliding up the hand-rails as he went. He couldn't help but smile to himself at the thought of seeing Arthur again in only a few moments' time.
He reached the second floor and turned to his right to face apartment number 21B.
Eames stood in front of the door, grinning a small grin. He wondered if he'd get to see the inside of Arthur's apartment that night (he would) and asked himself how long it was appropriate to stay after a first date (Eames would slip out of the apartment at 4:27 the next morning).
He knocked on the door, which was immediately opened by Arthur.
Arthur was wearing a dark green coat and a black scarf, with black dress pants and dress shoes. Eames almost felt under dressed. Almost. He opened his mouth to ask if he could come in, but Arthur quickly reached over to flip off a light switch, patted the pocket of his coat to make sure he had his keys (he did), and shut his door.
"Hello," Arthur said once the door was securely shut behind him. He looked up at Eames.
Eames smiled. "Hello, darling." He held his arms out toward the staircase, allowing Arthur to go ahead of him like the gentleman he pretended to be on dates such as this one. "I hope you don't mind that I've already chosen where we're going."
Arthur looked back at him over his shoulder. "Not at all," he said.
Eames' hand was on the small of Arthur's back as the two walked through the front doors and down the front steps. That small grin was still on his face (it wouldn't leave his face for awhile, not until 10:39 p.m. while he was standing in front of the bookshelf in Arthur's living room with a cup of coffee in his hand), and though it bothered Arthur a tiny bit (he couldn't tell you why, and neither could I), it also made his heart beat a little faster.