ELECTRIC FEEL ↝ Schmidt

CHAPTER FOUR

"CALM DOWN, ELISE. It's okay. Winston said you're always welcome", Elise was preparing herself for what was potentially the bravest thing she had done — walking over to loft 4D and making herself comfortable, like she had been told to do several times. She was their friend now, and she had the permission to hang in the apartment, yet the thought of it was wonderfully nerve-racking and built anxiety within her. Unloading her nervousness into the fast steps around the hallway, Elise considered the many possibilities, and how she could be kicked out, and wondered if Winston had misspoken and meant that she wasn't always welcome. Therefore, perhaps, it would be the best to turn around and leave, and come with an invitation instead of spontaneously bursting in. Because, frankly, Elise was not a spontaneous person. Nor a brave one.

Already about to take a step towards the elevator, the very same lift stopped with a ping, and she froze to the spot as Nick and Jess came out laughing at each other. Only when they noticed Elise standing there with wide eyes and a face drained of color, they ceased their laughter, and Nick threw his arm over Elise's shoulder to guide her towards the front door of their apartment in the assumption that the woman's intentions were to visit — which they were, until she grew too fearful and decided to back away. But now, at least she didn't have to come alone, when Nick and Jess were more or less pushing her indoors and that meant her presence was desired, which again delighted her.

"Ellie! How are you?", Nick asked as the three of them entered the apartment, and the young woman shrugged shyly whilst looking around the already familiar surroundings. From the couch, Winston greeted his friends and directed a smile to Elise, who returned it, but truth be told, she couldn't help but wonder about Schmidt's whereabouts.

"I'm fine. The shop is closed today so I thought I could stop by, if that's okay", Elise answered Nick's question, with a careful smile lifting her pink lips, and all three nodded their heads in agreement, assuring that it was more than okay. Elise smiled a bit more, glad to know these people liked her so much, because she did have a shortage of friends, but now it seemed she had found the best ones yet.

"Of course!", Jess smiled, but after glancing around, she leaned closer to Elise with an apologetic look. "It's just— I don't know where Schmidt is at the moment, so...", the woman shrugged, and Elise had already opened her mouth to protest and explain that she wasn't there for Schmidt only, that there was nothing between the two, but before she could have the chance to do so, Schmidt himself appeared from his bedroom and marched straight over to Elise, who was left with an open mouth, devoid of words and common sense as she stared into those dreamy eyes of his.

Jess shut her mouth, and so did everyone else, just stared at the two as they looked into each other's eyes, silence falling into the room and along with it, great tension, which was impossible to read and therefore caused Elise to grow nervous. She couldn't interpret the situation, nor the observing look on Schmidt's face, but luckily, the silence lasted for a couple of seconds only, and then, the man spoke and much to Elise's shock, linked his arm with hers.

"Elise, are you busy? No? Good, come to the bar with me", Schmidt stated simply, and whilst Jess' eyes widened and Elise opened her mouth to disagree, the man had already led her to the front door. She wanted to disagree so terribly much, but the hold he had on her was too good to weasel out of, and the temptation to go with too large to resist, and therefore, instead of pulling away and refusing to leave with him, she merely doubted his intentions and the location they were heading to.

"The— The bar? What bar? Why?", Elise asked several questions, none of which were answered, and after she managed to shoot Jess a fearful look as a cry for help, she was taken out of the loft and waves were offered to her as the door shut. Once they had reached the elevator, Schmidt let go and mentioned how he wished to remain reasonable and lower the possibility of looking like a stalker kidnapping an innocent woman, which admittedly made Elise choke a laughter and mask it with an awkward cough fit. Schmidt noticed though, and he desperately tried to hide a proud smile, but that didn't go unseen either.