The City Noob

It was Elora’s dream to someday be able to create something perfect like that. Sure, she was talented, and some people had even thrown around the word prodigy when she was younger, but she’d never considered herself on or even close to the level of any of the masters of classical or contemporary art. She had a tendency to second guess everything that she did. Each brush stroke or pass of her pencil was under heavy scrutiny from her. Elora wanted so badly to be able to create special, beautiful things. She wanted to prove to herself and to her family that she hadn’t made a mistake by going after her art and her creativity. There were still days when she wondered if she’d made the wrong choice. Maybe she should have become a brain surgeon or an astrophysicist. There was no doubt that Elora loved what she did and what she’d chosen to do with her life, but she wwas always so afraid that she wasn’t good enough. There was so much talent in the world. How could hers ever hope to measure up?

He looked at Elora with a skeptical expression as she promised not to laugh too much. "I'll believe that when I see it, Ms. Teacher." He nodded, watching her as she poured in the pasta. "This is where I'd make a mistake, I'm sure." He added, before taking a step back as well. It was much easier to watch people cook than to actually d it, he noted. As Elora hopped up onto the counter, Jake smiled softly. What a childish act, he thought. THough he could tell right away as she spoke, that it was more her just getting comfortable with him. 

"I'm not embarrassed, really, I just wish I knew how to cook." He shrugged, and made his way over to where she sat propped up on the counter. He leaned with his back against the counter and cupboards, looking up at her with crossed arms. "I want you to teach me so that I can cook for you, my mom, and of course my self." He smiled, and stretched his crossed arms out as he continued. " Plus, I can't survive off of street pretzels and subs forever, you know." He was joking, sure, but Jake had always wanted to learn to cook.

"I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather have as my first guests here." Elora said with a smile. And that was true. Sure, there were her work acquaintances. There was Rory, and there was Reina. There was Jesse, who she considered a good friend. She couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather have in her home though. Honestly, she couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather spend time with anywhere in general. All of the time she’d spent with Jake so far had been wonderful. There wasn’t a moment she’d spent with him that she regretted. Elora didn’t always click with people, so she hadn’t expected to find this one person in her new home who she clicked with so easily. It was like she didn’t even have to try with Jake. She could be whatever version of herself and not worry about him reacting badly or judging her. He was so easygoing, and that was what Elora needed. She was the kind of person who was always worried about stepping on someone else’s toes or doing something that would unintentionally hurt someone else because she never wanted to be a negative presence in someone’s life or do something that someone else would take poorly. She didn’t have to worry about that with Jake, and she couldn’t have been more thankful for that.

Her heart warmed a little when he began talking about how he’d tried to take a cooking class in order to do something for his mother. It was incredibly sweet. Elora had to admit that she was a little jealous of Jake’s relationship with his family. She hadn’t gotten on well with her family for what seemed like forever. It had been years since she’d had a proper conversation with either of her parents or either of her siblings. The twins had been young when Elora had decided to move to London to go to art school, and they’d essentially gone along with what their parents had said about it. Those darker thoughts were chased away by Jake’s story though, and she found herself chuckling a little as he went on. It was a cute story, and she was glad he was telling it to her. She wanted to learn more about Jake- as much as possible. She wanted to know everything about him. She wanted to know the good and the bad and the quirky little stories like the one he was recounting to her now. Elora loved learning about people in general. Learning about someone like Jake was just a bonus.

The young man was rather oblivious when it came to crushes and loving someone. He could tell when he did, and he did his best to let it be known; however, Jake rarely was able to 'pick up what girls were putting down.' He didn't think anything of Elora's words, other than the fact that he liked having someone care for him. He hadn't expected to befriend the whole city when he move here, but Jake had wanted to make at least one good friend. When he looked at Elora, or when he talked with her for the first time, Jake could tell that they were going to get along. He couldn't deny, though, that he had thought about being more than a friend to his British partner in crime. It wasn't until tonight when he felt her arms wrap around him did his heart make up it's mind. Once again, Jake found himself falling for a woman. Only this time, he was going to make sure that he didn't make any mistakes.

Elora thought for a moment and turned to look at Jake. “How about I dress like this whenever you come over here to visit me? I’m not so sure it’s a look that’s quite appropriate for work. Plus, I’m actually quite fond of my heels and my dresses.” She liked dressing up in pretty things and looking all girly. It was fun for her. Elora enjoyed embracing her femininity. There was a twist of her own on it. Lots of what she wore had a more bohemian inspiration and made her look like some angelic little artist in her pale pinks and blues and her flowing skirts. She’d never been one for dark colors. They just didn’t suit her or her gentle disposition. They were far too severe.

She laughed once and shrugged with a mischievous grin. “Maybe I am. What are you going to do about it?” Although Elora always kept an air of propriety about her when she was in most situations, she became far more playful in more intimate settings like these. It wasn’t easy for her to let that shine through when she was in certain circles or envionments. People who saw Elora one-on-one saw a side of her that was more relaxed but still just as sweet and kind. It was easier to be herself while she was with fewer people. She busied herself with grabbing another pan and a few ingredients from around the kitchen that she’d need. Once the pot was placed on the stove, Elora turned on the burner beneath it. “I don’t, no. I’d like to, but I haven’t had the chance to since I moved here. You and Pokoe are actually my first visitors.”

Jake shook off the conversation, knowing that it wasn't any of his business. He was glad that she would only dress like that for him, though, because then others wouldn't know just how pretty Elora could be. "I guess I'm selfish, huh?" Jake whispered to himself as he dealt with his task of putting water into the pot. He smiled down at the pot as Elora teased him. It was nice seeing all these new sides of her.

"Well I know I can speak for Pokoe when I say that we're honored to be your first guests." He chuckled, and gave a playful bow of gratitude. Jake stood beside her, and watched as she worked on preparing dinner. He wouldn't mind doing this again, he thought, as he watched Elora smile up at him. He nodded at her words, and went to say something himself, something that he had been meaning to ask her after the gala, but stopped when she left his side in search of her herbs. When she returned, Jake laughed with an embarrassed tone at her pressing for his story. He'd talk about it later, he decided. For now, he just wanted to spend time with her.

"Well I don't usually tell people about how horrible I am at cooking. Y'all make cooing seem so easy, even if you aren't cooks, yet I'm over here burning water." Jake chuckled, and ran a hand through his hair as he let out a sigh. "I tried to secretly take a cooking class in college, so that I could surprise Ma with a birthday dinner." He looked over at Elora's hands that were chopping the herbs. "I dd all of this chopping and dicing- you name it. What I didn't do well, though, was that when it came to making spaghetti I never could get past the cooking part." Jake put a palm against his face, and let out another sigh. His hand didn't leave it's place as he continued. "I got so caught up in making this dang tomato sauce, that I left the spaghetti- which was slightly overcooked- in the drainer ontop of the stove. Which" He peaked out from behind his hand, and looked over at Elora, "was still on from when I was using the pot." Jake didn't look at her as he pushed off the counter and walked over to the now boiling pot of water. "I burnt it, because I caused a small- notice I said small- fire." He shook his head, embarrassed at his story. "I haven't really cooked since, because I'm always messing something up when I do." 

There were very few things that Elora considered irreplacable. Most of the them were artistic masterpieces or pieces of literature. Those masterful things that other people had created were near and dear to Elora’s heart, and the idea of those things being destroyed really did upset her. From her favorite book, Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man, to her favorite piece of art, Bernini’s The Rape of Proserpina, she was incredibly protective of those things and wanted them to remain untainted and in existence. Sometimes people told her that she was too attached to pieces of art like that, but she couldn’t help it. Those were the things that touched her. She was one of those people who cried when seeing the lost Leonardo da Vinci painting and teared up when reading poems or novels. It was just how she’d always been.

Elora blushed slightly when Jake told her that she looked nice, and that blush only deepened when he commented about how she was going to have to stop becoming prettier. “You’re too kind, Jake. Thank you. I’ll try to do my best to stop.” She turned away and continued to move towards the kitchen, hoping that he wouldn’t notice the way she’d reacted to his words. Elora had never necessarily been unhappy with the way she looked. It hadn’t bothered her, but she’d never seen her looks as anything truly special. Hearing Jake say things like that to her made her heart flutter a little. It had been a long time since she’d reacted to someone that way, but he had a knack for it…and she was starting to like that.

She was adorable when she blushed. It made Jake feel accomplished in a way that work could never match. He wanted to compliment her more, to tell her everything on his mind, but Jake remembered how their friendship was still quite young. "You're welcome, I couldn't help but tell you." He smiled to himself as she walked away, knowing enough about girls to tell that what he said had made an impact. "I think you should dress like that more often. Though, thats just my input." He shrugged, and picked up Pokoe as he followed her.

"So I really will get to test my cooking skills tonight, then?" He laughed as she held out the pot and mentioned his strength. "Are you just saying that because I worked out today?" He gave her a joking skeptical look, before putting the puppy back on the floor. "You're the boss, though, so whatever you say." He smiled at her, and took the large pot from Elora's hands. He hummed to himself as he filled up the pot with water, taking several small glances over at Elora to watch her prepare the meal. She seemed homely. "Let's see if I can burn water, haha." Jake said to himself, as he made his way over to the stove with the now heavy pot. "Do you cook for people a lot?" He looked over his shoulder as she set the pot down. "This is an awfully gigantic pot you got here, Darlin." 

Because she was so wrapped up in the presence of the dog in her apartment, she barely even heard Jake enter the apartment. When he spoke Elora looked up though, and her smile widened visibly. She stood up and shook her head. “I’m well, thank you. And don’t be silly. It’s more than okay. I’m glad you’re here.” Making her way over to the front door, she closed it behind Jake before rising up on her toes and giving him a hug. It really did feel wonderful to have him there. Nobody save for her had been in the apartment yet. There wasn’t anyone she would have liked to have there more than Jake. She’d been close friends with Jesse before moving to New York, and she did care about him, but Jake was special. If Elora was being completely honest with herself, she’d admit that she liked him as more than a friend.

She rose up on her toes, her height still unable to match Jake's. He felt her arms wrap around him, and in that moment the security guard felt his face heat up. "Ah, yeah, I'm glad too." Jake managed to let out, as he returned the hug by wrapping his arms around her middle. He felt a comforting warmth, and a strange feeling within him. As Elora pulled back to look up at him, Jake wondered about said feeling. He returned her gaze, though his smile was slightly more forced, and let his hands fall from her sides; Jake noted how he didn't want to. Perhaps he had just missed sweet contact like that, since his mother would always hug him, but the feeling he felt wasn't close to what he felt with his mother. Jake wanted to hold Elora again, but before the young man could even lift his arms- she had moved on to something else. 

"I'm fine for now, thanks. I'll probably have some water later, or something." Jake turned to watch her walk away, and noticed quickly how she had also changed. A quiet chuckle left him as she busied herself with her house work. "You look nice, Elora." He followed her, as did Pokoe, into what looked to be the kitchen. "I like this look on you, you're going to have to stop becoming prettier, though." Jake laughed, and knelt down to pet Pokoe. He his his face, and the smile he had on. She looked pretty at work all dolled up in that makeup and clothes, sure, but Jake always like when girls wore comfortable clothing. He was a fan of casual, which was why the fashion industry always confused him. What was the saying...beauty over pain? Nope, he didn't like that idea at all. "I don' know if I'll be able to take it.." He whispered, kissing the top of Pokoe's head. 

"Ready to meet her, pal? She's the one I've been telling you about." Jake smiled down at the panting puppy in his arms, as he made his way up the steps to Elora's apartment. The party had been a fun time, sure, but Jake seemed to enjoy time with Elora more when it was just the two of them. He got to hear everything she had to say, and he even had her undivided attention. That was great with any person, but with that person being Elora- it was a gift.