collaborative love | [ON GOING] ×

page 5

Cadence
Elliot

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CHAPTER FIVE
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   Cadence made her way to the apartment building where Elliot lived. They were having one of their meetings to work on the book, and since he refused to go somewhere public because it apparently "scared away his creativity", and her apartment was messy, she agreed to go to his place. Not that she was proud of that.

   She walked up the steps of the address he had sent to her earlier in an email. Holding in the little button on the buzzer next to his apartment number, a rather loud sound followed, then silence.

   "Uh, yeah, come on up!" Elliot's voice spoke through the speaker, a sudden unlocking noise and buzzing came from the door, making Cadence jump to pull the door open swiftly. She made her way up the stairs to the third floor, walking down the hall to apartment 3C. Hearing lowly played jazz music on the other side, she knocked on the door, standing awkwardly. Within the drawn out, and long, ten seconds she had, Cadence looked at her sloppy outfit and gave herself an uneven smile just as the door opened.

   Elliot's figure appeared, his hair slightly repositioning due to the air flow from the door opening. He wore a navy blue apron with one of his t-shirts on underneath, and gray sweatpants to accommodate the look.

   "Hey, neighbor." Elliot grinned and opened the door wider to gesture for Cadence to walk inside with his spatula in hand, the jazz music louder now. The sound of sizzles and the smell of vegetables greeted her as she took in her surroundings. The kitchen was off to the left of her where a small radio played near the stove with a frying pan in use. Straight ahead and towards the right was the living room, furnished with dark colored, yet soft looking couch and ottoman chair.

   Elliot closed the door and smiled at Cadence looking around his apartment and went back to the stove, stirring the vegetables he was frying for his dinner.

   "Would you like some vegetables? Or anything to drink?" Elliot spoke over the music, yet not looking away from what he was currently doing. "I have water, orange juice, beer, could make you some chocolate milk?"

   Cadence turned around to look at Elliot's back. "That's funny."

   Elliot laughed and lifted the frying pan to turn around to the island counter, dumping the vegetables into a low dish.

   "I'm being serious."

   "I'm a carnivore, so no thank you."

   Elliot looked at her funny and smiled, raising an eyebrow. "So...?"

    "Vegetables are just little sins people like to invest for no reason." Cadence said, matter of fact, walking the counter to take a seat at the bar. She set her handbag and phone down next to her in the counter, watching Elliot work. "They're disgusting."

   "You sure have a strict view on things." He said, moving the now empty frying pan to the sink, putting a little water into it and watching the steam rise.

   "Is there any other way to look?"

   "Uh, optimistically?"

   "No."

    Elliot grinned and removed his apron, hanging it up on a hook on the wall nearest to him. He picked up his dish and got a fork from the drawer in front of him.

   "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat or drink?"

   "I'm fine, thank you."

   "Alrighty then." Elliot rounded the counter and made his way to the table covered in papers and an open laptop. Holding the dish and fork in one hand, he picked up and tossed piles of papers aside, scooting his laptop along with it. "Over here, Rabbit."

   Cadence rolled her eyes at the nickname and got up to walk over to the table, sitting across from Elliot, really the only other area with room.

   "Sorry about the mess, I was finishing some paperwork and bills." He apologized, setting his stuff down and sitting, scooting in his chair.

   "It's refreshing actually, knowing you aren't as perfect as you appear to be." She said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat, smiling a little. "Plus, my entire place is worse."

   Elliot stared at her for a moment.

   "What? Stop that, it's creepy."

   "You think I'm perfect."

   Cadence was silent for a second before responding. "I didn't say that."

   "Ah, but you implied it."

   "Can we just work and get stuff done? For once?"

   Elliot smirked and took a bite of his vegetables, nodding. "Absolutely."

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