Chapter 38: Scott Brownstone
The ring of the doorbell brought her out of her laptop. In quick succession, she saved what she was working on, closed the laptop, and bounded out of the room. She crossed the parlor floor to the door and looked to see who it was. The townhouse was a typical New York four-story brownstone where the first floor was called the garden floor, and the front door actually connected to the second floor called the parlor floor. The second and third floors were really the third and fourth floors, which made things more confusing. Whoever designed these buildings also decided to make a street-level connection on the garden level.
Ellie smiled when she saw a tall dusky-skinned woman. Ellie opened the door.
"It took you long enough," Ainsley Wilcox said, once the door was opened.
"Had to save my article," Ellie said, "Now get in here before I freeze."
Ainsley chuckled and stepped in. Ellie closed the behind them.
"I forget you're a delicate Southern Flower," Ainsley said.
"But I was born in NYC," Ellie said.
"Yeah, whatever," Ainsley said, walking into the living room and shedding her coat.
"It's true, why do you think I have this place to stay," Ellie said.
"Cause your Daddy has more money than god from all his books," Ainsley said, with a teasing tone in her voice.
"Not as much as you think," Ellie said.
Ainsley smiled and vaulted over the back of the sofa. She landed on the cushions and she sprawled out. Ellie just shook her head.
"I thought you were going to text me," Ellie said.
"Oh shit, I forgot, Libby," Ainsley said, "But the Uber driver was bangable. I felt like slumming," Ainsley said.
Ellie chuckled and shook her head, "Really Ains?" she asked.
"What do you think? So, are you going to be boring and work all night, or are we going to cause chaos?" Ainsley asked.
"I wanted to finish what I was working on first, Ains," Ellie said.
"Boring," Ainsley said.
"I have to pay the bills somehow," Ellie said.
Ainsley laughed, "What bills, Daddy pays most of it," she said, "We're young and should be living."
"You just got to keep on livin, l-i-v-i-n," Ellie said in jest.
"Exactly, Libby," Ainsley said.
Ellie shook her head, "So, Ains, what do you purpose?" she asked.
Ainsley sat up and quickly was on her feet, "Simple Libby, you go shower, and change into one of those dresses you have that screams fuck me, then we're going to meet up with Fin, Jade and the guys. Fin will know where we could spread chaos," she said.
"Is that your solution for everything, Ains?" Ellie asked.
Ainsley smiled, "Live fast, die you, and leave a hot looking corpse, Libby," she said.
Ellie nodded, hardly thinking that Ainsley read Knock on Any Door, or saw the movie, "Alright, give me thirty to finish the article and then I'll get ready," she said.
Ainsley smiled and flipped her dark hair, "If I must," she said.
"You must, plus you have to arrange for where we're meeting everyone and how we're getting there," Ellie said.
"No fun, Libby," Ainsley said.
"That's the price of admission, Ains," Ellie said.
Ainsley pouted, "Fine, now get to work, the sooner you get done, the sooner we can make the world jealous," she said.
"Do what I say," Ellie said and started to walk to the office, which is the back room of the garden level. Finally, Ellie got into the desk chair and opened her laptop. After reviewing her notes and what she wrote, she started again.
The articles were usually done by word count. The nice thing was she is efficient at writing. Not such a good thing as she is efficient at writing. She found her had to pad things out to make the word count.
Ellie reflected on the articles and found she often had little interest in what she wrote about. One book, a book about, life, cancer, boys, and coming of age, and people think you're a one-trick pony.
"Maybe, I should write to Penthouse Forum?" Ellie asked herself out loud.
"What?" Ainsley yelled from the living room.
"Nothing, just talking to myself," Ellie said.
"That's a sign of you being a nut job," Ainsley yelled back.
"Only if you answer yourself," Ellie said.
"Keep telling yourself that, Libby," Ainsley yelled back.
"Whatever," Ellie called back.
"Are you done yet?" Ainsley asked.
"Finishing up now!" Ellie said.
"Well as a penalty you have to look extra," Ainsley said, "Libby."
"Fine," Ellie said.
Ellie did one more look over the article. After a few more changes, she was happy with it and saved it. Leaving the office, Ellie investigated the living room. Ainsley was keeping herself busy, in a personal way.
Ellie shook her head and went upstairs. Of the floors that the bedrooms were on, Ellie chose to stay in the master bedroom, which was the back bedroom on the top floor. Looking around she went into her walk-in closet and looked through her clothes. Finally, she chose an outfit and brought it out to the bedroom. She finished picking out the stuff she needed and went into the master bathroom.
The water was hot, that was something Ellie took to after she moved to New York City. When she lived down south, she liked lukewarm water, which was from living in a large household, and warm water was a premium. The hot water took the last of the chill out of her and loosened her muscles. It was nice and relaxing, something she needed after all the work she did today. Once the shower was done, she wrapped herself in a large towel.
Looking in the mirror she studied her blue eyes. Of all her siblings only two inherited her Mom's green eyes, Keith, and Sassy. Her and her fraternal twin, she always made that distinction as they never looked alike, had their Dad's blue eyes.
Heading into the master bedroom she took a seat at her make-up table. She brushed out her light blonde hair, it had a loose curl in it, not the tight curl of her youth. It was now about bra strap in length, a long way since it was truly short. Next, she flattened her hair for a slightly different look. Normally she let her hair be natural. Finally, she started to apply some makeup, not that she wore a lot. She only wore just enough, and usually to enhance her eyes, which people always seemed to like.
"What's taking you so long?" Ainsley asked, from the bedroom door.
"It takes time to look damn good," Ellie said, "Plus, you requested extra."
"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" Ainsley said, she walked over to what Ellie hung up.
"A good band," Ellie said.
Ainsley looked at what Ellie picked out, "Is this what you're wearing, Libby?" she asked.
"Yeah," Ellie said.
"Good choice," Ainsley said and walked over to Ellie. Ellie stood up and looked at Ainsley as she went to get her stuff off the bed.
"Thanks," Ellie said.
"But you look hot now," Ainsley said, with a hungry look in her eyes.
"Don't you get enough?" Ellie asked.
"No," Ainsley said.
"Well I have to get dressed," Ellie said, "Where are we meeting everyone?"
"Got the place and the Uber is on the way," Ainsley said.
Ellie nodded, "Good, now go downstairs and let me get dressed," she said.
"If I must," Ainsley said.
"You must," Ellie said.
"Okay," Ainsley said and left the bedroom.
Ellie dropped her towel and started to dress. Luckily, she was ahead of her deadlines, so a night out won't cause any issues. She was twenty-nine, going to be thirty in July, so she was still young. She looked in a full-length mirror. Looking in the mirror she admired herself. On her left ribs was tattooed the first stanza of Dylan Thomas' Do not go gentle into that good night. It was in script font of Peyton's handwriting. The tercet was something Ellie held dear.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
After taking her time to get dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror again. Ellie admired how she looked and how she felt. Twelve years ago, her cancer went into remission, three years ago she celebrated ten years cancer-free. Four years ago, she celebrated turning twenty-five, and that was the high point of the year. She nodded and took out an old choker necklace she liked and wore it. She always had to wear purple.
After one last look in the full-length mirror, she sighed and went downstairs to wait with Ainsley.