“Elaine!”
No answer.
Rob knocked harder.
She pulled open the door, “What?”
“Can I look at your fridge?”
She blinked. “... Why?”
“You said it was on the fritz.”
“... Oh, yeah, no. It’s all good now.”
“But all your stuff is still in my fridge.”
“Y- Yeah. I was going to get it eventually.”
Rob stepped past her, and into the dark apartment.
“H-Hey!”
As Rob walked down the dim hallway, the faint smell of cigarettes licked at his senses; he spotted a few butts in an ashtray. After a second, he noticed how cold it was.
Elaine ran past him, and swept a few beer cans into the bin. Her bright red face contrasted the dark bags under her eyes.
There was a pause, then she made an act of spotting the fridge.
“Oh, it’s turned off again,” she said, “bloody thing.”
Rob moved up to the fridge, and looked it up and down. “It must be a power supply issue.”
“Rob, you don’t have to-”
“No, it’s fine.” He leant down, and tried to pull the fridge out from the wall. After a few attempts, he looked back. “... Can you help?”
Elaine didn’t move. She just looked absentmindedly at him, arms crossed.
“Do you want your fridge fixed or not?”
Elaine looked away, opened her mouth, then shut it again. “... No.”
“What?”
“I don’t want you to.”
“Why not?”
“I jus- You’ll kill yourself on some electrical outlet or something. Just stop.”
“I’m not going to pull it apart or anything, I’m just looking.”
“I can do that myself.”
“You’re not by yourself Elaine. I’m here.”
“Because you barged in.”
“I’m trying to help.”
“Just fuck off Robert!” She paused, then looked away. “I didn’t ask for your help.”
Rob looked at her, then back at the fridge. “Fine.”
He got up and pushed the fridge back, walking off with a huff.
“At least turn a light on, it’s bloody dark in here,” he said, hitting the kitchen light switch.
Nothing happened.
Rob looked up at the light, and flicked the switch on and off again. No response.
He looked to Elaine. Her face was bright red again.
Rob walked up to her coffee table, and grabbed the remote to the air con. None of the buttons did anything.
“... There’s nothing wrong with your fridge, is there?”
Elaine’s lip trembled, she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find any words. She looked to Rob like she was about to cry.
Rob walked up to her, and sat on a kitchen stool next to her. “What’s going on?” he asked softly.
She said nothing for almost a minute, just staring at the floor in front of her.
Rob waited.
“I… I was drunk,” she said eventually. “Or- or high. Or probably both, and I did something really, really stupid. And my boss…”
Elaine risked a glance in Rob’s direction. “... I lost my job.”
Rob stared at the patch of floor with her.
“Do you want to stay at my place for a bit?” He asked after a while.
“... It’s warm… And bright.”
Elaine did something between a laugh and a sob. “You’re an arsehole.”
“I know,” he said. He got up, then held out his hand, “come on.”
Elaine blushed, then reluctantly took his hand.