It was a miserable day.
Summer seemed to have bypassed Paris completely that morning. The streets looked decidedly grey and rainsoaked, the water pooling and creating puddles on the roads. The cars were even using their headlights, despite it being only just after nine in the morning. The fat drops hit the window panes with force, slowly slipping and sliding and leaving a trail. It was chilly, too, she'd noticed.
Her long blonde hair was in a messy haphazard ponytail as she sat crossed legged at her small dining table which was usually on her dinky balcony but since it was lashing it down, she had the shutters open so she could look outside and that was about it. Dressed in one of Dorian's navy blue tee shirts, it looked too long and shapeless on her petite frame but it was warm and comfortable and warded off the chill.
Eloise was almost qualified as a vet. She'd sat her last exam yesterday afternoon and the finishing line was in sight. If everything went to plan, she'd have her qualifications in just over two months and then she'd be let loose into the world. It had been a long and tiring slog, peppered with bad times and worry but she was in the home straight.
Looking for a job was pretty tough. She'd been applying for a while now and had a handful of replies. Did she still want to work in Paris? There were a few jobs back home in Bordeaux, specialising in equine veterinary medicine. But Bordeaux was a sleepy town and the reason that she'd left was because she'd outgrown everything. She frowned as she flicked through the newspaper, chewing on her quill as she crossed through and drew circles around different vacancies. To make things worse, the lease on her apartment was due up around the same time. It was one massive headache.
She liked this apartment, certainly, but it wasn't really homely. There was something about it that Eloise couldn't really connect with. As a result, she'd been spending more time at Dorian's shared apartment but she hated London. She'd applied for jobs there, too, and they were the only ones that had given her genuine offers to join their practices.
She heaved a sigh as she flipped towards the rental section. Everything was so expensive and she was seriously considering getting a room mate. With someone to split the rent, she'd be able to afford a bigger place in a better neighbourhood. Her current apartment was titchy. With one bedroom, a stupidly small bathroom, terrible plumbin and low ceilings, Dorian occasionally bumped his head on the doorframes. While it was undeniably adorable, it wasn't really fair.
Her boyfriend also worked too hard. The clinical and harsh interior of her apartment was softened by his various belongings. An occasional tee shirt, his toothbrush in the bathroom, the faint scent of turpentine that always followed him and some photography books that she found rather interesting. There was nothing major but it was a sign that he was comfortable here which was wonderful but she wanted to move somewhere else.
Eloise was torn between inner city and leafy suburb. Flipping the page, she visibly winced at the price of both as she picked up her cup of tea and sipped at the hot liquid delicately. The dire weather outside seemed to match her mood. Heaving a sigh, she looked up to see Dorian wander out of the bedroom and she smiled broadly. "Morning," she said cheerily, holding out her cup of tea towards him to take. "Tea?" She asked lightly. She could make herself another cup later.
@Dorian Delerue 
