Complicated.
2:
Ashley's body was drenched with sweat and her breathing was coming out in quick pants. The muscles in her legs were burning from the one and a half hour exercise she had just put them through. She wrapped the front of her tank top around her hand and pulled it away from her sticky skin, letting the slight breeze in the April air cool her off.
When she finally reached her apartment building, she climbed the stairs, one by one, on wobbly, worn-out legs. At the third level, her floor, there was a young woman lingering outside her door. She had a round face, gorgeous blue eyes, and short, choppy blond hair. Her tan skin had a pinkish hue to it, giving her that 'just at the beach' look.
Ashley pulled the earphones out of her ears and dropped them against her chest, leaving the cord dangling from her neck. "Uh, hi," she said, moving toward her.
"Hi," the blond smiled, showing off a dimple in her left cheek. "Ashley, right?"
"Yeah... oh, shit. Are you Corey?" The woman nodded. "I'm so sorry. I went out for a run, and I guess I lost track of time," she apologized, shoving a hand into the front pocket of her running shorts for her key.
"It's okay; I just got here."
Ashley quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open, letting Corey through first. As she passed, Ashley's eyes traveled down her body. Corey had on a fitted brown polo shirt, khaki Dickies that were cutoff just above the knee, and brown Vans. Cute, the brunette thought. She wiped away a trail of sweat that was trickling down the back of her neck. "Ugh, I'm a mess," she grimaced, cleaning her hand off on the front of her top. "I'm sorry. Do you mind if I grab a quick shower?" She figured it was safe to leave the blond on her own for a while.
"Uhh, no. Not at all."
"It won't take me but a few minutes." Ashley moved toward the hallway, but turned around right before it. "Oh, uh, if you want, you can look around."
Corey watched the smaller woman disappear behind one of the three doors in the hall. The other two doors were open halfway. She could see that one was a bathroom and the other was an empty bedroom.
She shifted her gaze around the room she was standing in. Abstract art pieces hung on the off-white walls and funky, globe-shaped lamps graced the end tables. The convertible sofa and two chairs were a drab olive color, and neatly positioned around a black coffee table. The entertainment system was against a brick wall. It held a plasma TV, DVD player, and two video game systems. There were shelves on either side of the entertainment system filled with books, CDs, and DVDs. In one of the corners, there was a staircase that spiraled up to a door. She would have to ask Ashley what was behind that door later.
She moved on to the next room -- the kitchen. It was large and spacious, with an island counter in the center, and equipped with all of the necessary appliances. Including a small table and four non-matching chairs pushed underneath it.
After stepping out of the kitchen, Corey headed to the empty bedroom. On the way, she noticed a closed door behind the living room's brick wall and figured it was Jenna's room.
The rest of the apartment had hardwood flooring, but the bedroom was carpeted. It was a decent size, much larger than her old dorm room, and had a small walk-in closet. Also, there was a glass door leading out to a balcony. She walked over to it, opened the sliding door, and stepped out. That's where Ashley found her minutes later.
"What do you think?"
Corey turned and faced the freshly showered brunette, who was now dressed in a midriff top and short denim skirt. "It's great." She smiled brightly. "I love it."
Ashley grinned. "Love it enough to want to live here?" she asked, squinting her eyes from the sunlight.
The taller woman tilted her head, looking through the glass door. Her eyes darted from one point of the room to another as she pictured her stuff in it. "Yeah, I think so..."
For the next twenty minutes they went over expenses, then Ashley answered any questions that Corey had about the apartment.
"The staircase in the living room, what does it go to?"
"The roof."
"Really?"
Ashley nodded. "Do you wanna check it out?"
"Oh yeah," the blond grinned.
They left the balcony and walked through the apartment. When they reached the living room, Ashley ascended the stairs first. At the top, she reached up and pulled down the lock at the top of the heavy door before throwing it open.
There wasn't much on the roof but a few chairs and a rectangular-shaped something covered with a blue tarp.
Ashley saw the blond eyeing it and decided to uncover it. She untied each corner and pulled the plastic covering off to reveal a pool table. They kept the tarp over it incase it rained, even though it hardly ever rained in LA.
"Do you play?" she asked, looking at the blond with a cocked eyebrow.
"Um, a little."
"Are you up for a game of One Pocket?"
"Sure, I've got time," the blond smiled, and reached for one of the cue sticks lying atop the table.
Ashley leaned over the table and began setting it up, while Corey applied a bit of chalk to the tip of her cue.
"So, you work with Jenna," the longer haired woman started. "Are you a hairdresser too?"
"Not yet," Corey replied. "I'm still in school."
"What do you do at the shop, then?"
"Different things like answering the phone, scheduling appointments, sweeping, and anything the stylists need me to do."
"That sounds... fun," Ashley added, sarcastically. She placed the cue ball in the other woman's hand. "You break."
Corey swept her bangs across her forehead, getting them out of her eyes, and put the cue ball in place on the felt tabletop. Chewing on her bottom lip, she leaned forward and lined up her shot. She called her pocket and made the break. "What do you do?" she inquired, straightening up.
"I bartend at The Radisson on week nights," Ashley answered, taking her turn. "And sometimes, on the weekends, I sing at local bars and clubs."
"You're not in school?"
"Uh, no. I tried the college thing for a while, but it didn't work out."
A ringing sound interrupted their conversation. Corey reached into her back pocket and removed cell. She looked at the screen, checking the Caller-ID. "It's my girlfriend," she said, lifting her gaze to Ashley.
"Go ahead, take it. It's cool."
Corey pressed the green answer button and brought the phone up to her ear. "Hey Baby," she smiled, as she moved to rest against the edge of the pool table. "What's up?"
While Corey was on the phone, Ashley's eyes darted aimlessly around the rooftop.
"You remember that apartment I told you about? Well, I looked at it today, and I've decided to move in to it... It's amazing. I can't wait to show it to you." Corey paused, listening to her girlfriend speak. "I don't know, as soon as possible I guess..." The phone conversation went on for a little longer, then ended with an 'I love you, too'.
Ashley smiled at the blond as she put the cell back into her pocket. "How long have you two been together?"
"Um... four months." Corey smiled big. "I've never been with anyone like her before. She's really special."
"Sounds like you got a good one. You better hold on to her."
"Oh trust me, I will."
After that they went back to their game.
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