Complex (Work In Progress)

Complex Building

(Work in Progress)

 

            “A graphic designer’s work is never finished”; at least that was what Eliza was thinking as she rubbed her clouded eyes before shutting off the computer. She had been up all night finishing a project that wasn’t due until Monday. She had been so worried about not getting it all done that she had spent her entire Friday night and the wee hours of Saturday morning completing it. Vanessa, her roommate, and best friend would definitely yell at her for doing that, but she will also be grateful that evening when they would be able to go out and enjoy themselves. For once Eliza will be able to have a night out without her work hanging over her head all night. Eliza crept quietly into their kitchen nook to get a glass of cold water stretching on her way there.

She was a photographer, and poet by choice, a graphic designer by trade. With photography she was able to utilize her talent and knowledge into her work, keeping her interested at least in her endless projects. Vanessa on the other hand was a designer as well, but strictly fashion, and modeling. She had been lucky when they came to town with gigs, and photo shoots, while Eliza moved strictly because of the job offer, to be one of the named designers at her firm. She was a talented artist, and excellent photographer. She had done most of Vanessa’s head shoots, including the ones that got Vanessa her modeling contract. They worked well together, Vanessa designed clothes, and Eliza made them look marketable through her photos.

            Their cats Venus and Aires came out of Vanessa’s room where they had been sleeping to purr, and rub Eliza’s ankles. She chuckled at them, finished her water than bent to scoop them up. They had patiently waited all night for her to join them in bed. She wandered past Vanessa’s bedroom into her “sanctuary” as she loved to call her room. The shades were already drawn, and her big bed beckoned to her. The cats purred with excitement and relaxation as she placed them at the foot of the bed. They wandered about getting comfortable waiting for her to get under the covers. As soon as her head hit the pillow Eliza was out cold, and only an act of god would wake her sooner than necessary.

Vanessa woke up a couple hours after Eliza had gone to bed. She got up, and wandered out into the living room, and kitchen. She looked over at Eliza’s work desk, and saw her recent project sitting finished on the desk. Vanessa clucked her tongue, and shook her head, she knew Eliza would stay up she didn’t know she would stay up all night finishing it. After she started the coffee pot, and made a bathroom trip she snuck into Eliza’s room to get her laundry. She knew Eliza would sleep all morning, and most likely into the early afternoon, Eliza was a sleeper, she relished staying in bed, and wouldn’t leave it until she was ready. Vanessa knew Eliza had earned it so she would do her the favor of cleaning the laundry this week. After gathering up all the random laundry from the apartment Vanessa put on her work-out clothes, and headed to the basement of their complex building.

The landlord and building manager had set up a make shift laundry room for the tenets. It was cheaper than dragging one’s clothes off to some dingy laundry mat. They had to pay 50 cents for a wash and 75 cents for a dryer. They had access to it all night, and rarely did anyone go down in the early morning hours of the weekend. Vanessa was an early riser, and tended to do the laundry early in the morning so she never had a problem. She grabbed her sketch book, detergent, and quarters on the way out. She sauntered over to the elevator, and waited patiently for it to arrive on their floor. They lived on the third floor of the complex building, it wasn’t that bad, and a unique set of characters filled the building. The landlord tended to rent it out to artists of all mediums; musicians played and hung out on the roof, while artists tended to paint on their balconies and inside their extra rooms.

            Vanessa like a few others had a chair in the shed on the roof with her name on it for when she felt like hanging out, and sketching up on the roof. She liked listening to the random conversations around her, and meeting the different personalities the made up her building. She also took notes on the many different styles each artist had especially the musicians.

When Vanessa arrived in the laundry room she found her friend Kris and his roommate Chan. Kris was an aspiring singer, and musician who also had a sweet spot for Eliza. Chan on the other hand was a cross dressing drama queen; at least that was how he described himself. Vanessa liked talking to them. She was always encouraging Kris to ask Eliza out, but he was unsure, and Eliza was always so busy with work. They rarely saw each other, let alone had time to go out. Kris and Chan were doing their laundry as well that morning. The guys had been best friends growing up together, and naturally became roommates. Chan was a dancer; ballet and jazz. He had a contract with the cities ballet company, and always brought Vanessa and Eliza to the shows. She smiled, “Good morning Kris! Good morning Chan!” They greeted her with a morning and helped her carry the laundry over to the machines. After getting everything set up they settled in for some juicy gossip.

Chan “Sweetie where is your ‘attached-at-the-hip BF’ this morning?” Vanessa laughed out loud, recently she had begun dating a fellow model she had met at one of her shots and found herself a constant companion in doing so. “He is on location for the next few days. He and a few others are doing a GQ photo shoot and won’t be around, god for at least a week. The guys were talking about staying an extra day or two to party. Who knows with Dylan though, he might fly back the very hour after his photo op is done.” The guys chuckled at that, “He wasn’t always this clingy, well at least when we weren’t dating he wasn’t. I am glad though I haven’t brought him around here.” Chan cocked his eyebrow, “WHY? You embarrassed by where you live?” Vanessa laughed again, and shook her head, “Absolutely not! I wouldn’t want Eliza getting annoyed with him; she has no patience for the male model type. He would definitely aggravate her.” Chan nodded as Kris cocked his head towards Vanessa, “Where is your roommate this morning, no help with the laundry this week?” Kris attempted to look as if he wasn’t waiting with bated breath for Eliza’s whereabouts.

Vanessa scrunched up her face, “No I didn’t wake her to help me with the laundry because she was up almost all night finishing a project for work.” Chan tisked and shock his head, “That girl needs a vacation and she needs to start living her life cause she will wake up one day and find herself old and ugly and the designer firm will fire her for someone younger and hipper and than what will she have a whole lotta nothing! I tell her every time I see her she needs to not work so hard, she practically runs her firm she’s a partner in business with them. She is fabulous she could have one of what three assistants help her and she does all the work herself!”

Vanessa was nodding her head but it was Kris who spoke up in her defense, “Yes but Eliza is a perfectionist and she works hard to please her customers. They hire her and her firm to produce a certain type of project and Eliza busts her butt to deliver exactly what they pay for, she is good at what she does and earns the praise and money she deserves. The field she’s in is hard we all know that I mean how long did it take you Chan to get your spot at the Company? Vanessa it was Eliza’s pristine shots that helped you get your contract, right?” Both of them nodded and Kris sat back, “Yes Kris we know that Eliza is the best she is good at what she does, but that girl needs to get laid to blow off some steam and she needs a damn vacation to remember why she is busting her a*s at that firm and pleasing all those customers and that is my final opinion on that!” Chan crossed his arms and legs in sign of resignation.

Kris and Vanessa both burst into perils of laughter as the door to the laundry room opened, and a half asleep cloudy eyed Eliza stumbled in, “I figured you were down here.” Vanessa jumped down from the washer she had been perched on to walk over to Eliza, “Good mid-morning roomie! Didn’t think you would rise from the dead so soon, especially since you were up all night working.” Eliza yawned, “I hadn’t intended too either, but the phone started to ring non-stop, and apparently I forget to turn off the ringer on the one in my room so unfortunately your boyfriend was able to rouse me from the dead.” Vanessa rolled her eyes and shocked, “Sorry, he is persistent. Did he say anything in particular, or was he “checking in”, you know to let me know where he was at all times?” Eliza yawned again, and crumbled down into a make shift sitting position on the floor across from Kris, “He said he would call back in an hour, I was barely coherent to remember what he said exactly.” She started yawning again, and rubbing her eyes. Eliza leaned her head back against the running machine which was slowly lulling her to sleep again; Vanessa and Chan were busy unloading a couple of washers into dryers.

Kris slid across the floor to Eliza’s side, who in the process of sliding over began yawning again, but she did manage to mumble a good morning to him. He chuckled, “You don’t have to stay here on the floor I can help you back up stairs so you can get some sleep”. Eliza shrugged and slid side ways to lean against his arm and shoulder. It seemed Chan and Vanessa had taken up space across the room and found the makings of the dryers there most fascinating. Kris knew how much they wanted him and Eliza to date and understood they were stalling to give them some time alone, he also knew he had no chance of getting a coherent answer or conversation from a half asleep Eliza. As much as he enjoyed the comfort of her leaning against his arm slightly snoring he knew it would be better for him in the long run to help her upstairs and back into bed. After a few more minutes of procrastination Kris got up, and helped Eliza to the elevator. Once there he made an excuse to walk her to her door, Eliza on the other hand invited him in and on her way to her sanctuary she told him now was the perfect time to join her there.

 

To be continued.