Some Assembly Required WHO Elise Delaney OT Jake McKenna WHAT Goodies from Brazil WHERE Elise's Apartment → Wal-Mart → Elise's Apartment WHEN Saturday, April 30, 2016 ~10:00 PM WARNINGS TBD
When Jake had texted back that he'd be over in a bit, Elise made a half-hearted attempt to straighten up her small one-bedroom apartment. She didn't even bother using her speed. It wasn't that the place was any less cluttered than usual. Empty wine and liquor bottles gathered in groups of three and four underneath tables, by her desk, and atop her clothes hamper. She kept saying she was either going to recycle them or use them for a project, but neither had happened thus far. Partially finished sketches were stacked with sketch pads and art books atop her desk, some taped to the walls and even the frame of the doorway that opened up into her bedroom. She'd taken the door off as soon as she'd moved in. For a while, she'd had a beaded curtain hanging there, but the constant clicking when they swayed had quickly become annoying. She'd switched it out for a curtain of brightly colored flowers in an ombre pattern, and now only updated it with different types of flowers whenever she felt the need for a change. Elise didn't like the idea of anything or anyone she couldn't see being in her apartment, but being able to see out when she was in bed meant that anyone else could also see in — and that offered a glimpse of clothes strewn all over and more art supplies stacked from floor to ceiling.
Her apartment wasn't messy, Elise would say; it was simply in a state of organized chaos. In some ways, it was true. She didn't let anything in her apartment gather dust, and she vacuumed once a week. The hardwood floors gleamed...where they weren't covered in canvases and papers and, well, bottles. Anyone who didn't know her would think she was a semi-functional alcoholic. Those who did know her understood that it'd take a lot more than a bottle of wine to do her in.
Therefore, she made sure she picked up all of her bras and unmentionables and tucked them out of sight, and then did a cursory review of all of the unfinished pieces lying out. As long as there wasn't anything too embarrassing on display, she was happy. It wasn't like Jake had never seen the inside of her apartment before. In fact, sometimes she didn't even bother trying to neaten things up. As long as the couch was clear and the television was visible, that was usually all that was necessary. Given the way Jake kept his apartment almost pristinely neat (because, of course, he had clients visit him there), Elise kind of got a sadistic little kick out of having him over in her domain every now and then.
The scent of drying paint from her current work-in-progress was heavy in the air and Elise opened a couple of windows just enough to let in a cool breeze that might help reduce the fumes. She was used to it, but to others with heightened senses, it might be a bit too much. When she was done, she dropped down onto the couch and stretched out, still in her jeans and an oversized white, paint-stained men's undershirt. Flinging her arm toward the coffee table, she reached for the remote and turned the TV on, content to flip through channels until Jake showed up.