An Unexpected Company [ Elise ]

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terima kasih banyak! Last week was extremely busy and hectic. She had to do some projects for extra credits that required her to stay in the campus for three consecutive days. And the day afterwards was the beginning of exam week, the most feared time of the year. Ada had studied far before it began, but exam questions had this wicked way to make her feel nervous despite all the studying she did. According to her notes, which she immediately checked after the student handed her answer sheet to the professor, Ada made a small mistake in her calculation. She pressed cos button on her calculator instead of sin button. That fatal mistake kept bugging her for the rest of the day. Ada had planned to rest in her dorm room, maybe sleeping or playing a game, but the other students decided to celebrate the end-of-exam by having a very loud party. Couldn't stand the noise, the young woman grabbed her messenger bag, shoved her textbook inside and headed out from the campus. Ada wasn't a girl who liked going out late. It's cold and seemed dangerous for her. However, there was a place she frequented often; she visited that place at least twice a week. Because of the exam week, Ada hadn't went there again after her last visit about two weeks ago. So she followed the familiar route to the nearest bus stop and took a bus. She left the bus in front of the Vortex Jazz Club. There were much more people inside than usual. Maybe because it was Friday night, or students from Imperial College decided to entertain themselves in the club and forget everything about the possibility of getting C's in their exams. Ada shivered at the thought. Even the waiter found it difficult to look for an unoccupied table. Eventually he found a table of two at the corner, which actually was the table Ada always sat in every time she was here. She thanked the waiter and ordered an orange juice before seating herself on that table. Glancing around, Ada realized that she was the only one wearing casual attire here. Others wore some fancy clothes, and had a company. She felt slightly out of place, as usual, however she simply shrugged it off. Nevertheless, it'd be nice to have some company here, she thought, taking her book out and began reading. Maybe asking Lucille to come with her would be a good idea, as long as she keep her mouth shut so Ada could listen to the music.

MADE BY MINNIE OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

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The Vortex Jazz club. As soon as she heard the location she wanted to go hide under a rock. Loud music, busy, it wasn't her scene. It was a work party though so she was obligated to go. Something about their 1 millionth account. Which was great, it was a huge milestone for the company, but she just wished they picked somewhere more high end and quiet.

Of course it was full of college kids too. Most of them were kids her age, making her feel a bit weird to be at a grown up work party with people her age hanging out with their friends. Elise was a little envious, seeing them have so much fun. She would like to come to the bar with friends but she didn't have any. Sometimes the ladies at work invited her out but they didn't feel like friends. No point in dwelling on it though. The last thing she wanted to was get depressed and start drinking heavily like Judy was doing right now.

Elise hung out in the corner of their reserved area, drinking a glass of the celebratory champagne. It was free, why would she waste money buying other drinks? Besides she had to work tomorrow, she didn't need to get hammered. The Montgomery account was proving quite a chore since the bride changed the venue every other day. Oh goodness, how she wanted to ring the neck of the shrill sounding banshee-

Out of nowhere Judy flung herself onto Elise's side, sobbing uncontrollably. Immediately she stiffen up, feeling like she wanted to run right then. Her movements looked robotic as she pat Judy's arm awkwardly, not sure what to do in this situation. Please, someone, anyone, help me, she quietly begged, wanting Judy off and gone. As if God suddenly heard her pleas, Judy got off announcing she was going to the bathroom and to stay put. Wasting no time, Elise got up and headed elsewhere in the bar to hide.

As she started to head to a dark corner she tripped over a bag on the ground. Luckily she didn't fall on her face and only hit the table somewhat, but she spilled her drink on the poor girl's table. Thank god she missed the girl's book. “Shit, I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you alright?”

ARIZONA of BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Deleted]

terima kasih banyak! The place was too loud. Ada found it harder to stay focused on reading. Eventually she surrendered; leaving the book laid open and moved her gaze to the stage-- "Astaga!" she shouted and quickly pulled her book from the table. Her half-full orange juice had been knocked over, spilling cold yellow liquid on the table. Ada held her book high in the air; it was borrowed from library. She didn't have a chance to push her chair back. A low whine escaped her mouth as the juice dripping to her jeans. She had planned to wear this jeans for the upcoming weekend, but now the student had to wash it. A feminine voice drew her attention, mostly because she sounded apologetic. Her confused gaze landed on another girl, probably around her age. She shook her head. "It's okay, it's just the juice." From her peripheral vision, the Indonesian noticed that her bag had moved a little from her chair's side. It's very likely that the bag made her tripped. "I shouldn't have put this here," Ada leaned down and took her bag, placing it against the wall, away from people's path. The young woman smiled to the other, "Sorry about the bag. And I'm okay. You startled me, but I'm not injured or something." She glanced at the yellow puddle; that was something else. Money had been tight as usual, and with the drink spilled she had to settle on water for the rest of the night. Not that she would mind it, but being alone with a thick book and just a glass of water made her feeling slightly miserable. You're in a club, a voice on the back of her head said, you're supposed to have fun and be happy. If she had a company here, like everyone else, it certainly would lift her mood a bit. As if he had been called, a waiter showed up on the table. He cleaned the mess until the only smell coming from the table was a strong artificial flower scent. He handed Ada a wet napkin which she used to dab the juice stain on her pants. At least, if she felt too lazy to do the laundry tomorrow, it wouldn't attract ants. Ada carefully put the book back on the clean table. "How about you? Did you hurt yourself?" she asked.

MADE BY MINNIE OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

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Oh god, this was worse than having Judy cry on her. At least she knew what happening. Not only did she make a complete fool of herself but she probably ruined this girl's night as well. Wait, she didn't think she was drunk, did she? That's all she needed was this student thinking some drunk woman was stumbling around, being a nuisance to other club goers. “I'm so sorry. I tripped on the bag. I wasn't looking.” Which they already established. Good job Elise. Internally she groaned, running a hand through her hair from her nerves.

Oh no, she didn't get anything on the book, did she? Elise knew how much these things cost from her short time in night school. Regardless if it was borrowed from a library or bought at the bookstore, it was a hefty price to replace them. “I didn't get anything on your book, right? The last thing I'd want to do is ruin it.” She tried to help the busboy clean, but he was clearly more adept at this than she was. Feeling useless, Elise stood there nervously chewing on her bottom lip as he cleaned the table up and left.

Somehow she had to make this up to her. It was only right. “I'm not hurt but your drink is gone. Let me buy you a new one, I insist. If I wasn't being so clumsy you'd still be enjoying the one you had. What were you drinking, a screwdriver?” It looked like orange juice to her, but then again, she wanted to be sure. No point in screwing two things up in a ten minute span.

“I feel so awful about this, I really should have paid attention to where I was going. My coworker is really drunk and crying right now and I just had to escape. I'm no good at dealing with these things.” Elise had no idea why she was offering this piece of information to a perfect stranger or why she was continuing to apologize. There was this panic that was building and she was trying to do anything possible to fight it off.

ARIZONA of BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Deleted]

terima kasih banyak! Ada checked her book. No yellow stain on the opened pages, nor at the plastic covered covers. It was completely fine. "You don't have to worry," Ada told the girl, her smile growing wider. "My book is still readable." The girl seemed really panicked after seeing Ada's drink spilled all over the table. She started feeling bad for her; it was partially her fault for placing her bag down there. "Er, that is fine. And I was drinking orange juice, not screwdriver." She wasn't really enjoying the juice, however; it was too sour to her taste. To be honest, she didn't know what the screwdriver looked like, but perhaps it's similar to orange juice since she thought Ada was drinking it. "Sure you want to..." she blinked, confused. Take the offer or not? Taking it would mean that she was agreed that this was the girl's fault, but it also doubled as a gesture of kindness. On the other hand, refusing it would come as downright rude and she would know that Ada was really upset about it. After thinking it through, she decided to accept it. "You may buy me an orange juice." This was a free offer, and as a financially poor university student she shouldn't let this opportunity passed her. Looks like Ada wasn't the only one who had a bad time here tonight. "Ow, I'm sorry to hear that..." she didn't know if this information was true or not, but Ada started to pity the poor girl. "I would do the same if it happened to me. I'd be too shocked to think about any solution." she chuckled. The girl seemed young, maybe she's around her age. If she didn't tell her about her crying coworker, Ada would think she was one of the college students. Still, her clothes made her looking more professional. Suitable for going out at a club, but still holding an aura of professionalism on her. "Say..." Ada's foot gently pushed the chair across from her. "Do you want to join me here? You seem nice and actually I've been wanting a company to talk with. This place is not good for studying," she added, closing her book. "You can call me Ada, by the way."

MADE BY MINNIE OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

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Elise's eyes widened slightly when the girl offered for her to join her. It was nice of her to offer but was it really okay to leave her colleagues for awhile? Slowly she stepped back and craned her neck to look around the corner. Judy was now crying on someone else, and Anna was shamelessly hitting on Robert. Too bad Robert was 100%, without a doubt gay and sleeping with the guy that brought the packages up. Basically, it was turning into quite the shit show very quickly.

“Ja, I'll join you..” Elise answered slowly, giving the group one last weird look. Good god, she worked with these people. No wonder it was so easy for her to move up. “I'll go get us some drinks first.” Quickly she headed over to the bar, taking some cash out. Did the girl really want orange juice? She could pay for it after all. “Ahh get me an Amaretto sour and a Screwdriver please. Vodka in a shot glass though, thank you.” That way she could give her the option of having the alcohol if she wanted. If not, well, Elise would just drink it.

The bartender handed her change and drinks to her, and Elise made sure to tip him. She had worked in a bar for a few months, she knew what it was like. A bit awkwardly, she brought the drinks back over to the table and set them down. “Here, I got you a shot of vodka if you want to add it into the orange juice.” She explained, sipping her drink. “Oh goodness, I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? I'm Elise.” Should she shake hands with her? What was the protocol at a club? Ahh well, she held out her hand to her anyways. “I work for Davidson Decorating and Design. We're an event company, things like weddings. We're celebrating something or another. I'm not really sure, it might just be an excuse to go out drinking.” Elise laughed, feeling awkward again.

ARIZONA of BACK TO NEVERLAND

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terima kasih banyak! Ada observed the other girl. Maybe she was checking her coworker, the people she came to the club with? She tried to follow her gaze, but it seems she couldn't find which table she was looking at. That's not important, anyway. Ada shrugged as she put her book into her bag, freeing some space on the table for her new company. But instead of sitting, the girl offered to get their drinks first. Ada simply nodded politely, and when her back moved further away she just realized the girl hadn't given her name. A waiter approached and asked her if she had ordered something. "No," came her automatic response, "but my friend is getting our drinks." A friend, huh? she mused as the waiter left. Ada didn't mind if she became her friend. She could tell her more about living in London. "Thank you," Ada said to her when she returned with their drinks. Eyebrows furrowed, the student leaning closer to sniff the small glass that came with her orange juice. "Vodka?" the liquid was clear, like water. "I never thought vodka looked similar to water," she muttered, pushing the glass away from her to imply that she wouldn't drink it. The girl's name was Elise. "Wedding decoration? Wow. Sounds great." From her own experience attending weddings in the past, organizing a wedding is a tough job. The pressures came from the mother of the bride can be quite stressful. "Ah, I'm just a student. Currently studying theoretical physics in Imperial College. I come here often for studying. Weird, isn't it?" she chuckled. "College library is full of students, the smart ones mostly, and they are quite intimidating sometimes." Ada sipped her orange juice. "There's good music here and the food is delicious. I prefer studying with some background noise. Plus, I don't have to cook if I'm hungry," she added.

MADE BY MINNIE OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

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Elise sat herself down comfortably, after taking one last glance over at her work party. No one seemed to notice she was missing quite yet. She was a tiny, quiet girl and easily over looked when she wanted to be. Besides, she preferred the company of this stranger than she did with all her coworkers, many of whom disliked her. Wasn't her fault she worked harder and got all the promotions. Good work ethic was supposed to be rewarded.

Had the girl never drank before? Oh well, Elise wasn't about to waste money. “A lot of alcohol is clear like this.” She said, downing the shot quickly after. “Gin, vodka, rum. But it definitely doesn't taste like water, that's for sure. People used to say vodka is the Russian word for water, but it's just derived from the word vody, which means water.” Oh great, now it was trivia hour with Elise. Jeez she was bad with strangers.

“It's alright.” She answered. Elise liked her job, she really did, but the clients could be a nightmare sometimes. “It's nice to see your design in your head and on paper get fleshed out in real life. That's what I like the best.” If she could dream it and if it was within means Elise could make it happen. It was pretty exhilarating sometimes seeing her masterpiece come to life.

Goodness, this girl was an academic. Much better than Elise's community college education, that's for sure. “Theoretical physics huh?” Elise whistled in awe. “I wouldn't say you're not one of the smart ones. Not many people can wrap their heads around regular physics. Don't discredit yourself so easily.” This wasn't a busy club so she could see why this could make for a good study place. There was no excuse to take breaks to get food because all you had to do was raise your hand. “Are you a fan of jazz? I'm a bit of a classical fan myself, but jazz is nice too.”

ARIZONA of BACK TO NEVERLAND

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terima kasih banyak! She never noticed that some types of alcohol are as clear as water, like this vodka. "You know, that sounds vodka to the Russians is like water to us. Can't live without it," Ada added as Elise took her untouched shot. The other girl was young and rather small, like her, so the student really didn't think she can drink it at once. "Mhm, it's satisfying seeing your work displayed to so many people. Seeing people appreciating them is a designer's biggest reward; someone in art major told me that once. Although I believe it'll be sucks if no one want to buy his works." Ada glanced away, her smile slightly crooked. "I-it's not that great. There are other students in my year who are much smarter than me; they never get grades lower than A minus." On the other hand, Ada's grades were hanging between B's and occasional A minus. "Don't discredit yourself so easily," said Elise. "I didn't mean that. I..." Ada bit her lower lip. It was common in her society to not brag about her own skills. Her old habit of staying down to earth had been mistaken as having low confidence. "I mean, some people think Asians always get good grades. I certainly don't fit into that stereotype, but I try to keep my grades good." Not to mention that the smarter students weren't hesitate to intimidate everyone else by studying very diligently long before an exam started, making people think that it'd be difficult. She was really glad Elise switched their topic to something else. "Not really, but my grandparents used to invite bands to play jazz music in their... er, family gatherings." And parties with business partner too, but Ada didn't want to reveal more about her family to Elise. "I don't know much about classics; I'm more into pop myself, but jazz is good too. This club does have talented musicians." Her smile widened slightly as her gaze fell to the stage again. "Is this your first visit here? I never saw you around before."

MADE BY MINNIE OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Deleted]

Until this evening, Elise wasn't aware there was a jazz club here, or that there was one in any part of the city. When she thought of jazz she thought of decades back and thought those kind of clubs either died out or were just in New Orleans. Smoky rooms, everyone in flapper dresses. Didn't really seem like her scene. Especially since she hated cigar and cigarette smoke. This place was fairly clean and there wasn't any obnoxious guests except her coworkers at the moment, so the place seemed like a respectable music club to her.

“Yes, this is my first time here. I honestly didn't even know the place existed.” Elise admitted, taking a sip of her drink. Not that she got out much. She was somewhat married to her job and was very picky with who she socialized with outside of work. “I guess you come quite regularly, to notice right away that I haven't been here before.”

Elise was sharp, that was a given. She noticed the way the girl's smile got larger when she looked at the stage. So she didn't just come here to study. Unless she was studying men's butts. She herself looked over to see if there was someone there that might be eye catching to the young woman, but no one stood out. “Oh, do you have a favourite musician here?” Better to go that route than ask right out if she had a crush on someone that played here. Ada seemed a little shy and that wasn't really first encounter talk. That was more something you teased your girl friend about, like what she did with Lili the other week. No, definitely better to be cautious with a new person. Ada was nice, and she enjoyed her company. Elise didn't want to scare her away so quickly.

ARIZONA of BACK TO NEVERLAND