Elizaveta lounged on the couch, reading a book.
She was incredibly bored, for it was a quiet Saturday morning and Roderich had gone downstairs for work. Elizaveta did not have anything important to do until the next day. So she was pretty much stuck inside all day long.
She sighed and set down her book. She stretched her arms out, swinging her legs around to touch the floor.
It had been a boring week. She hadn't had much time to do anything she wanted to do, and yet now she had all the time in the world but couldn't think of a single thing she wanted to be doing.
She stood up and rubbed her eyes.
Perhaps if she got motivated and helped out in the store or something she'd feel more accomplished.
She walked lazily to the bathroom, and stripped down. She paused before getting into the hot shower to look at herself in the mirror.
She felt only dissatisfaction. She was not as pretty as someone like Florinda... But then again she really did not care very much about such things. Roderich thought she was pretty, so there really was no problem.
Then she stopped herself. Wait... did he?
She couldn't remember him ever really saying how he thought she looked... Panic began to rise in her gut.
He probably thought she was hideous if he'd never said anything!
She looked down at her trembling hands and clenched them, trying very hard to control herself.
"Calm down, Elizaveta..." She whispered to herself.
She quietly got into the shower, making sure to wash herself very thoroughly. She even used her special pomegranate-scented body wash, so she'd smell even sweeter than before.
She also made sure to brush and dry her hair so it was very silky and smooth, flowing down her back. She even applied makeup, just to make sure that she looked her very best. Roderich would have to compliment her!
She put on her regular black skinny jeans, converse, and a pretty blouse. It had flowers on it, and was very spring-y, which seemed appropriate, considering it was slowly growing warmer outside.
Elizaveta looked at herself once more in the mirror before grabbing her jacket and scarf and exiting the apartment.
She clomped down the stairs, and entered the shop. She almost immediately saw Roderich, who seemed to be very busy. He was talking to a man who had a little boy beside him, holding a violin. The man seemed to be complaining.
Elizaveta came up behind Roderich and said calmly, "What is the problem, sir?"
The man looked at her and his eyes widened. He coughed once and said gruffly, "My son here is very unhappy with his instructor."
Elizaveta rolled her eyes. Arthur.
"What did he do this time?" She asked.
Arthur had a problem with... Many things, including small children. If a child messed up on a piece, he'd be very harsh about it. Sure, he was a great instructor, but the Brit just could not hold back his tongue.
Elizaveta sighed. Three complaints for him in the last month. She'd have to fire him.
"He called my son a 'bloody git'!" He lowered his voice for the last part, as if these words had not already been shouted in his son's face.
The boy continued to smile and bounce up and down on the balls of his feet. Elizaveta could see exactly what about this child had ticked Arthur off. He wouldn't keep still.
Then, something very bad happened.
Arthur burst loudly into the room, and he looked like he was on a war-path. He was headed straight for the man, and you could tell from the look in his eye that he had been drinking. A lot. Another one of his problems.
Then, Antonio rushed out from one of the rooms and grabbed Arthur around the waist.
"Get-" He hiccuped. "The bloody hell off of me you-" Hiccup. "WANKER!"
Antonio dragged Arthur away, and Elizaveta apologized profusely to the man and his son, making sure to offer them a HUGE discount.
She rushed over to where Arthur was on the ground, struggling beneath Antonio.
"LEMME GO!" He yelled.
Antonio held him down just fine. Elizaveta got down close to his face and hissed, "You, sir, are fired."
Arthur's eyes widened and he seemed to come to a little bit. "N-no! Please, don't fire me! I'll b-be g-" Hiccup. "Good! Promise!"
Elizaveta shook her head at him. She looked at Antonio solemnly. "Would you please call Alfred and have him pick Arthur up?"
Antonio nodded and pulled out his phone, dialing quickly. He stood up and walked away, and Arthur just sat there looking dazed.
Officially, Arthur had been "fired" six times. Elizaveta just couldn't take it, when Alfred kept coming in to beg for Arthur's job back, promising that he'd be good and not drink or anything. She always caved in.
She knew that she probably would this time too.
After Alfred had picked Arthur up, mumbling about how annoying he could be sometimes, Elizaveta decided to go talk to Roderich.
She kissed his cheek. "How are you today, Roderich?"
He laughed a little. "I'm just fine, Elizaveta. That was quite a way to start the day..." He checked his watch. "Huh. It's only 10:34. Elizaveta..." He looked at her.
"Yes?" Her heart jumped with excitement.
He sighed. "Could you do me a huge favor and go straighten up the shelves?"
Her heart sank. Of course. Work.
"Oh, don't worry! You won't be working alone or anything!" He reassured her.
She got her hopes up again. "Really?" She asked enthusiastically.
He scratched the back of his neck. "Um, yeah. Gilbert came with Antonio to work today and... we figured we could use him for something."
Elizaveta sucked in her breath. Great. Him.
"U-unless you'd rather not..." Roderich said.
"Oh no! That's fine!" She said quickly.
Why did she say that? All she had to do was say Oh, I'd rather do something else please. But no, she just let her mouth say whatever it wanted to!
She kissed Roderich quickly and walked over to the shelves, scanning each isle for Gilbert.
She finally found him sitting cross-legged in front of the music-books. He was reading one. She had to walk closer to see which one it was, but she was surprised to see that it was the Green Day's American Idiot one.
She walked closer, not sure what to say. She loved that album, and it had been forever since she'd gotten to gush about it. Before she could think of something to say, he looked up and saw her.
His red eyes looked right at her, and for a second they were confused. Then he smirked.
"Hey." He said. He nodded at her.
She blushed and quickly gave a brisk little wave. "Hi."
He motioned for her to sit next to him. She timidly took a place next to him, a good foot away, though.
She coughed a little, nervous. How could she be so attracted to this man, while she loved another one so much? How could fate be this cruel to her? He was several inches taller than Roderich, and he was- to Elizaveta's dismay- much better looking.
"So..." She said. "You like Green Day?"
His eyes seemed to brighten up and he looked at her as if analyzing her whole self. She felt so... exposed to him. What could be possibly be seeing that made him look at her like that?
He smiled, seeming to accept whatever he was thinking about. "Yeah, they're awesome. Do you?"
She nodded.
He pointed to the book in his hand.
"Which song on this album do you like best?"
She was quiet for a second. Nobody had ever asked her that before. She replied quietly, "'Wake Me Up When September Ends'."
He smiled knowingly, showing his white teeth. "I like them all, but I seem to have a tendency to listen to 'Whatsername' more than the rest."
She looked at him quizzically. Such personal information, and they hardly even knew each other! This was a lot more... relaxed than it should be. He was acting like they'd been friends for years!
"So..." She said. The silence was awkward, but seemingly only to her. He just continued to smirk.
"So?" He said. He almost seemed to be enjoying her awkwardness.
"Aren't we supposed to be... working?" She said.
He chuckled. "It isn't like they're paying me."
She sighed. That was true. She didn't have to be there at the moment either.
"Hey..." He said, suddenly seeming just a teeny bit... nervous. "Do you wanna get outta here?" He said.
She was taken aback. So bold of him! In the back of her head, she was swooning for this bold statement. In the front of her head, the more rational part, she focused on Roderich's face in her mind.
She said nothing, for these two parts of her were at war.
He sighed. "Oh, c'mon." He got up and reached out a hand to help her up.
She got up on her own and brushed off her clothes.
He laughed. "I guess that means yes then?"
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and nodded slightly.
Elizaveta checked left and right to see if anyone was watching, and they weren't. Then she motioned for Gilbert to hurry out the door. He obliged, smirking all the while. She rushed outside after him, and the door closed behind them.