bachjones | Apartment building {Open}

Bach pressed the elevator button four times before he remembered that there was maintenance this week. Just like the previous week. He sighed and started going up the stairs. Hopefully Cinderella wasn't too angry. Hopefully he could sleep and forget about the abuse the bitch queen had heaped upon him.

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From:

alfiehaywood

Living on the ground floor of the apartment complex meant that Alfie hadn’t been particularly affected by the maintenance work being carried out; although his electricity had been slightly unreliable for the past couple of days. It had however caused a big problem to Mrs Gordon a few floors up. For someone of her age, the stairs had long ago become a problem that was only compensated by a pretty reliable elevator. When it had first stopped working he’d helped her down the multiple flights of stairs so she could get to her doctor’s appointment. But seeing how out of breath and tired it’d left her, he’d offered to buy her groceries and deliver them today. Rather than getting her to trek down all the steps. She’d been ever so grateful and insisted on sending him with a few slices of sponge cake. And who was Alfie to turn down homemade sweets.

As he made his way toward the staircase, he noticed a man ascending, “Hey,” he greeted cheerfully. Neatly wrapped slices of sponge in his grasp.

From:

bachjones

Bach was using the wall to work his way up. He shouldn't have picked the highest floor.

"Hi. You."

From:

alfiehaywood

Noting the wall being used as a support, Alfie quirked an eyebrow, “Are you ok there? Need a hand?”

From:

bachjones

Bach knew the guy's name, pretty sure he knew the guy's name. It was a cutesie name, that much he remembered.
"Hey." He stood up straight and clung to his guitar. "Which level are you going?"

From:

alfiehaywood

"I'm off back down to ground level. Just was helping Mrs Gordon with her shopping what with the lift being down," he responded, pointing his thumb towards the door behind him. Most people in the building knew her, but it wasn't a guarantee that everyone knew everyone. "It's Bach right? I probably bothered you when I first moved in."

From:

bachjones

He licked his lips. Why couldn't he remember the guy's name?

"Weren't you at the brunch thing last weekend? You help Mrs Gordon?"

That's awfully sweet. If I wouldn't be so tired, I'd make a dubious remark about older women being the only women where it's safe to be around. "Want to help out another neighbor? I've fifty dollars."

From:

alfiehaywood

With a quick smile, Alfie nodded, "Yeah, chance to meet more people in the town. Plus delicious pastries are always a bonus." He merely smiled in reponse to the second question, he didn't want to go into a ramble about how much she reminded him of his Grandmother.

Alfie's ears definitely perked up when money was mentionned. What could he say, college graduates needed all that they could get their hands on, he had enough debts to pay back. But it was always best to be safe than sorry, so he questioned, "What would you want me to do?"

From:

bachjones

"Pastries? I will have to remember that. What do you for her?"

He sagged against the wall. In his drugs and alcohol years he would have been able to keep himself upright, but he wasn't used to anything any more. "Well." Bach smiled. "If you could help me to the top floor and push me inside after I opened the door ..that would be amazing."

From:

alfiehaywood

"Just bits and bobs really. Basic DIY, give her a lift to places here and there. Most things she's better at than me, but with this maintenance it's a bit of a hassle. Feel a bit bad I'm hogging the ground floor, but then it's a smaller apartment because of the garden."

For a second Alfie paused, wondering if he'd actually heard that correctly. He blinked before replying, "Man, for 50 bucks I'll carry you up if you like. Whatever's ebst for you."

From:

bachjones

"Oh. Yeah, I'm not so good with money. And exhausted, so I just kind of - want to get in my bed. Make sure my cat's okay. How did you end up with Mrs.?"

Bach looked at him. "And that's sweet of you, but I don't know if you won't break underneath me. Just get on my right and walk me up, okay?"

From:

alfiehaywood

"Money management is definitely a skill that requires some solid practice before you can the complete hang of it. And I fixed a lightbulb for her when I was introducing myself to all the people that were in."

"Sounds fine with me," Alfie moved to Bach's right hand side. He probably could carry the man up a floor or two. Heaven knows he did enough lifting of luggage at work and or logs at home, but dropping a person would be worse than a bag of clothes. "Do you want me to take your guitar?"

From:

bachjones

"Man, you're nice." And cute, but still in a boyish way. Bach had always preferred age appropriate or older. Plus.. no way he could get it up now. "Not enough nice ki- men in the world right now. Except for Gr- Fuck. Grant had been so right about Lara.

"Don't touch my guitar. She's been through things. But I really appreciate it. This. What was your name again?"

From:

alfiehaywood

“Why thank you, although you can definitely blame my Mom for that.” He was tempted to ask Bach what had happened to him, as he assumed getting up stairs wasn’t typically a problem for the other man. But that seemed a little rude or digging for information and he didn’t want to be either of those things. “Believe me, people are a lot nicer than they seem. Just sometimes need a chance to show it.” The slip of Bach nearly calling him kid did make him smile a little, the old baby face again. Whilst 23 years old wasn’t in any sense old, for most people they at least looked old enough to buy alcohol without having their ID scrutinised.

Alfie nodded at the guitar comment – his younger brother was the same about his lucky baseball bat. “Honestly, not a problem. Hopefully maintenance will get it together soon with the elevator. Don’t imagine it’s much fun getting up and down all the stairs. And it’s Alfie. Haywood. I’m in Apartment 2.”

A half-breed musician in Siren Cove

Apartment building {Open}

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