Who: Margo Hanson and Eliot Waugh What: Knocking some sense into him When: Recently (pre zombie invasion) Where: Their apartment Warnings: Eliot’s going to be drinking so... Status: Complete when posted
Eliot poured himself a drink, mixing things on instinct and taking a sip before sighing and moving to sit on their couch as he shot Margo a smile. “This couch is a lot more comfortable now that I’m not sleeping on it anymore Bambi,” he teased her. “There should be enough in the shaker for you to pour one if you want. It’s not my best creation but it’s better than some of what we’ve ordered in bars. What was that one drink that I said smelled like a slug? And looked like the trail of one in color?”
***
Margo had had a long day of finding an outfit for an actress who had a slew of premieres coming up soon and honestly, Margo had come too close to strangling the snotty bitch. Back in New York, Margo had shopped for numerous broadway actors and only a small handful of them had thought they were as entitled as this particular actress. She wasn’t even a very well known actress; more of an up and comer, but she had definitely gotten on Margo’s last nerve with her ridiculous demands and tantrums over the cut and color of some of the dresses Margo had suggested.
So, drinks were a godsend at the moment. Getting up from the couch, Margo went to pour herself what was left from the shaker, “You chose to sleep on the couch. You know that we could have shared your bed.” It wouldn’t have been the first time Margo and Eliot had shared a bed before, “And I don’t recall the name of it, but I remember that it was fucking awful. I would have thrown it back in the bartender’s face if he hadn’t already moved on.” She moved back to the couch and sat down beside her best friend.
***
Eliot smirked at her comment about they could have shared his bed. “I know Bambi but as much as I love you I’m not looking to get all cuddly at night with you right now.” He wasn’t looking to actually have anyone in his bed but Felix right now but he didn’t come right out and say that.
“I almost called him back so that I could do that,” he admitted, taking another sip of his drink and putting one arm around her over the back of the couch. He pulled his phone out when he heard it ring, glancing at the text from his client quickly and firing off a response to reassure them that he had everything under control. “God protect me from micromanaging clients.” He muttered, setting it down beside him on the couch. “That reminds me - you had that actress today right? How’d that go?”
***
“Awww, you hurt my feelings, El.” It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know who Eliot did want in his bed. Considering the number of times a certain someone had spent the night since she had moved in with Eliot, it seemed that her best friend was quite smitten.
Despite whe he had just said about not wanting to get cuddly, Margo leaned into Eliot’s side as he put his arm around her and she took a sip of her drink while he checked his phone. “Ugh, don’t even get me started on that. Stupid bitch thinks that just because she played, drunk girl #2, on an episode of some crappy CW show, she can insult my taste now that she has a part in some B horror movie.”
***
“You’ll live I’m sure” Eliot teased her with a smirk as he took another sip of his drink. He was pretty sure he’d said a lot worse to her over the years. Or at least around her.
He didn’t want to get cuddly at night but the middle of the afternoon on their couch? That was an entirely different story. She was the closest thing he had to a long term relationship. “And she’s insulting your taste? Is she blind? Or just moronic?” His phone went off again and he glanced over at it, looking to see who was calling him and letting out a little sigh before hitting ignore because it wasn’t Felix. It wasn’t a client either so he didn’t feel bad about not taking the call.
***
“I finally told her that she’d be going to the premier in a burlap sack if she didn’t let me do my fucking job,” Margo didn’t think that anyone had ever really spoken to her like that, because her people all looked just as shocked as she had, but she had let Margo dress her after that, “These younger actresses think they’re the shit and it’s infuriating.”
She took another sip of her drink as she glanced over when Eliot’s phone rang again, “Expecting a phone call?” She quirked a brow at him. It was entirely likely that he was waiting for a call from a client, but at the same time it could have been someone else entirely.
***
“I wish you could, or would, charge extra when people push you to that point Bambi. We could use that money to finish this place in style.” Eliot teased.
“Not expecting so much as hoping.” He admitted with a somewhat embarrassed smile. “And no I’m not hoping for another job. I’ve got a quite enough going on with the three I’m handling.”
***
“You and me both, El.” Margo was sure that the more clients so got, the more money she would end up making, much like she had in New York, but she had to work her way up on this end of the country first. She was looking forward to the day when she would finally get to work with someone who was actually famous.
A smirk spread across Margo’s lips at that, “And who exactly are you hoping is going to call? It wouldn’t happen to be Felix, would it?” She didn’t know why Eliot didn’t just call the other man himself, but then again, Eliot was complicated when it came to things like admitting feelings for people.
***
Eliot looked down into his glass at Margo’s question, swirling it almost lazily as he pretended to have to think about the answer. “It might be,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant but a part of him knew that she probably wasn’t fooled by his act. She knew him better than anyone and seemed to have a talent for seeing through the games and acts he tried to pull over on people.
***
Margo finished off her drink and leaned forward to set her empty glass down on the coffee table before sitting back against Eliot and rolling her eyes, “Why don’t you just man up and call him? You obviously want to talk to him.” Considering how smooth and charming and outgoing Eliot could be, it boggled her mind sometimes how introverted he could also be at times. “I doubt he’d hang up on you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Honestly, she’d seen the way Eliot and Felix looked at each other, so there was no question that they had pretty strong feelings for each other.
***
Eliot drained his drink, setting the now empty glass down beside him and leaning his head against Margo’s. “I do want to talk to him but...that ugly green eyed monster of mine reared it’s head up a little bit with him and I’m a little afraid of how he’s going to react. And there’s the fact that I’m terrified I’m going to end up being the rebound guy for him and I hate being that guy Margo and you know it.” Was he being irrational and worried over nothing? Probably but he couldn’t help it. And she was the only person he could be honest with about it. Without worrying that she’d judge him for it. Well no more than she judged him for any of the things he’d done over the years.
***
Margo’s brow furrowed and she turned her head as best she could with Eliot’s resting on it, “What did you get jealous of? Someone else flirt with him last time you were out or something?” Sure, she didn’t know Felix all that well, but he didn’t seem like the sort who would flirt with someone else while with someone he liked. “And why would you think you’d be a rebound?” Eliot was that same person for her as well. There were plenty of people that Margo had known longer than Eliot, but ever since they had met, they had simply clicked in a way that she never had with any other friends.
***
“It was completely ridiculous. He told me about one of the ways he’d made money in the dreams and I got stupidly jealous of the fact that he’d slept with men for money in them.” Eliot muttered, deliberately looking away from her as he felt his cheeks heat up at the confession. “I almost wish it had been over someone else flirting with him. Then at least I’d have a...explainable reason for it.”
He didn’t think he’d wished for his magic to cross over from the dreams ever as much as he did right now. He’d use them to make some sort of alcohol show up in front of him. Grab a bottle from their bar without ever moving from this spot. “Because the night we met he was looking for someone to join him at a club to dance while he was getting back in the scene after breaking up with his last boyfriend.” He said, looking back at her a little embarrassed hearing himself say it outloud.
***
Margo couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “You’re jealous of guys who don’t even exist? That’s ridiculous.” She moved so that her body faced Eliot and she could see him despite the fact that he wasn’t looking at her, “You’re not exactly celibate in our dreams, you know. Do you think he’s jealous of those guys?”
Even if they did have their magic in this world, she didn’t think that this conversation would go anywhere with more alcohol, which was probably the first time Margo had thought that more alcohol wouldn’t fix something, “Wasn’t that months ago though? If you were a fucking rebound, he would have dumped you by now.” From her experience, people didn’t usually make googly eyes at people they considered a rebound from a relationship and that’s exactly the look Felix tended to give Eliot when he thought no one was looking. Margo however, always noticed these things.
***
“I know. I know.” Eliot said, letting out a sigh as he looked back at her. “It’s completely ridiculous of me to have gotten jealous of them. And I know that. I just...it was just a stupid moment and I tried to gloss it over by telling him to forget I asked the question. And he let me get away with it we haven’t talked about it since then. I regretted it the second I hit send on that question because I’m pretty sure he’s not jealous of the guys in my dreams. Or in my past period.” He admitted. Or if Felix was he did a damn good job hiding it.
“A few months ago and I’m terrified he’s going to realize that at some point. I...I’m really into him Margo. I thought I was just getting into something fun with him but...it’s become a lot more than just fun and games. I mean it’s still fun but...I really like him. And that probably terrifies me more because other than you...everyone I really like I end up fucking things up with.” He admitted, leaning forward to set his glass down when he realized he was still fiddling with it.
***
“Blind nuns could see that you have a massive hardon for him, El.” Margo sighed and quirked a brow at her best friend, “I know you hate doing it, but I think you have to actually talk to him about this.” Where Margo was usually pretty straightforward with people that she was interested in, she knew that Eliot was a little less so. At least not when things got serious, but as far as she was concerned, if Eliot didn’t actually talk to Felix then he was likely to do the one thing he was afraid of doing and that was messing things up.
***
“I do don’t I?” Eliot asked with a sigh, leaning back and laying his head against the back of the couch. “And as much as I hate to admit it Bambi - I think this is going to be one thing I have to do on my own.” He told her, turning his head towards her. “Tell him how I feel and - apologize for being stupidly ridiculously jealous I guess.” He grabbed his phone and unlocked, trying to angle it away so that Margo couldn’t see the picture he had for Felix’s contact photo - not that he thought the older man would mind Margo seeing a picture of him in Eliot’s bed but Eliot just wanted to look at it in private for a minute, before hitting the call button. No time like the present to see if Felix was available to come over and talk.
***
“You do.” Margo smirked a little as she watched Eliot. “You mean you don’t want me hanging around while you tell him that you have heart eyes for him?” He couldn’t help but tease Eliot in an attempt to lighten the mood. Eliot had a tendency to get morose at times and Margo often tried to cheer him up in one way or another when that happened, “I’ll give you some privacy, if you want.” Margo did try to peek over Eliot’s shoulder as he unlocked his phone, but he brought it to his ear too quickly after locating Felix’s number so she simply stood up and picked up both empty glasses.
***
Eliot laughed a little despite his mood, swatting at her lightly as he heard the phone ringing on the other end, a smile spreading across his face when he heard that familiar British accent on the other end. And if there was a slight pause before Felix agreed to come over Eliot attributed it to having to check his schedule to make sure he wasn’t going to be missing any meetings. He hung up as the call ended, getting up off the couch to start tidying up and usher Margo out the door before Felix got there. This was a private conversation - he’d fill her in later. How much later would depend on how things went with Felix.