Status: soon
No Vacancy
an invitation
Elliot is sitting on his terrace, eating the Chinese delivery he ordered to celebrate a successful move-in. The terrace is small and there’s barely any room left to walk after he’s decorated it with two black plastic chairs and three potted plants, but he’s never had a terrace before. He likes it.
He hears the doorbell ring and gets up with a sigh. Out of curiosity, he peeks through the peephole before opening the door. The girl from this morning–Frances–is standing there, biting her lip, running one hand through her hair. The other is tucked in her back pocket. She seems kind of nervous.
“Hey again,” Elliot says with a warm smile, hoping it eases her nerves. Part of him decides it’s unfair to assume she’s nervous. Another part is hoping she is, but he doesn't really know why.
“Hey,” Frances says. He notices that she stopped running her hand through her hair. They look at each other for a few seconds and he realizes he should invite her in.
“You fixed this place up fast,” she says once he’s given her a quick tour. “God, I love that painting. Who’s it by?”
“My gir–my ex-girlfriend. Norah. She has a gallery in SoHo.”
“Oh yeah? When’d you break up?”
He raises his eyebrow and gives her a few seconds to apologize for asking such an intrusive question during their second meeting, but she’s completely unabashed. He smiles slightly.
“Last week.”
“Ahh. Who broke up with who?”
“She with me.”
“Why?”
He doesn’t know why he feels comfortable enough to tell her, but he does. “I cheated on her at a bar. No excuse, but I was drunk. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I think it would’ve happened anyway sometime soon. I guess…I don’t know, I guess the love was gone.” He sighs. He hasn’t said it out loud before and after doing so, it really sinks in.
She nods in what he assumes is empathy and leans against his kitchen counter. “I see.” He doesn’t say anything, so she continues. “You’re wondering why I came over.” He shrugs. “Okay, well…You’re new to the building and there’s a little unofficial tradition around here that new tenants be thrown a welcoming party. So my place right across the hall, tomorrow night. I’ll invite people worth meeting. Sound good?”
He nods, unsure what to feel. He’s slightly overwhelmed. “Uh, yeah, sure. Do I need to bring anything?” She shakes her head.
“Just yourself.”
“Okay.”
“Well, I’m gonna get going.” He leads her to the door and holds it open. She steps through, but turns around with an afterthought. “Oh, and one more thing. Bring a lot of good stories to tell.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow night.”
“See you then.”
He shuts the door after her absorbing her departing words. He leans against the door frame with his eyes shut tightly for thirty seconds before retreating to his terrace to finish his shrimp with lobster sauce. Much to his chagrin, he discovers it’s gotten cold.
He hears the doorbell ring and gets up with a sigh. Out of curiosity, he peeks through the peephole before opening the door. The girl from this morning–Frances–is standing there, biting her lip, running one hand through her hair. The other is tucked in her back pocket. She seems kind of nervous.
“Hey again,” Elliot says with a warm smile, hoping it eases her nerves. Part of him decides it’s unfair to assume she’s nervous. Another part is hoping she is, but he doesn't really know why.
“Hey,” Frances says. He notices that she stopped running her hand through her hair. They look at each other for a few seconds and he realizes he should invite her in.
“You fixed this place up fast,” she says once he’s given her a quick tour. “God, I love that painting. Who’s it by?”
“My gir–my ex-girlfriend. Norah. She has a gallery in SoHo.”
“Oh yeah? When’d you break up?”
He raises his eyebrow and gives her a few seconds to apologize for asking such an intrusive question during their second meeting, but she’s completely unabashed. He smiles slightly.
“Last week.”
“Ahh. Who broke up with who?”
“She with me.”
“Why?”
He doesn’t know why he feels comfortable enough to tell her, but he does. “I cheated on her at a bar. No excuse, but I was drunk. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I think it would’ve happened anyway sometime soon. I guess…I don’t know, I guess the love was gone.” He sighs. He hasn’t said it out loud before and after doing so, it really sinks in.
She nods in what he assumes is empathy and leans against his kitchen counter. “I see.” He doesn’t say anything, so she continues. “You’re wondering why I came over.” He shrugs. “Okay, well…You’re new to the building and there’s a little unofficial tradition around here that new tenants be thrown a welcoming party. So my place right across the hall, tomorrow night. I’ll invite people worth meeting. Sound good?”
He nods, unsure what to feel. He’s slightly overwhelmed. “Uh, yeah, sure. Do I need to bring anything?” She shakes her head.
“Just yourself.”
“Okay.”
“Well, I’m gonna get going.” He leads her to the door and holds it open. She steps through, but turns around with an afterthought. “Oh, and one more thing. Bring a lot of good stories to tell.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow night.”
“See you then.”
He shuts the door after her absorbing her departing words. He leans against the door frame with his eyes shut tightly for thirty seconds before retreating to his terrace to finish his shrimp with lobster sauce. Much to his chagrin, he discovers it’s gotten cold.
♠ ♠ ♠
<3