"Table for Elland?" Stephen's voice came out of the intercom. Sadie giggled and agreed. "Take the lift to the 8th floor, turn right along the corridor and I'm on the left." he instructed as he buzzed her in to his apartment building.
Upstairs, Sadie knocked the door of number 83. She heard Stephen saying a long hello before he'd even turned the door handle, he opened the door, made a panicked sound and then shut it again. Sadie stepped back. Stephen cracked open the door. "You're OK with cats, aren't you?" he asked. Sadie hummed in agreement. "Ok, good!" he said, opening the door awkwardly to let her in. Sadie stepped inside and saw he was balancing on his right leg and using his left foot to keep a cat from escaping into the hallway. He shut the door and leaned down to kiss and hug her. "Hello! You look amazing. Sorry, he's a house cat with a Houdini complex!" he said, nodding towards the cat.
"Awww he's gorgeous!" Sadie smiled widely looking at the brown tabby cat sniffing her shoes and rubbing his face against her ankles. She crouched down. "Hello!" she said softly, reaching her hand out for him to sus out before he let her stroke his head.
"This is Bruce." Stephen introduced the cat.
"Hello Bruce! Nice to meet you. Oooh you're lovely!" she cooed. She stood up and looked at Stephen properly for the first time that evening. "Aww you've got your whites on!" she said excitedly with a fond smile.
Stephen smiled and nodded proudly. "I thought I'd put on the chef whites for old time's sake." he said, delighted at her reaction.
"Let me hang up your coat and I'll give you 'la tour'." he said, emphasising the last 2 words in a French accent then stopping suddenly. "I just remembered you speak French." he laughed, and his face flushed with embarrassment. "Was that right?" he asked, leaning down to her slightly as he laughed.
"Don't you know some French still from school or from your cheffing days?" she asked. Stephen made a face as he continued laughing. Sadie laughed with him as she took off her coat. "It means "tower"..." she said hesitantly with a smile. "But I knew what you meant." she patted his shoulder.
"You're too kind!" Stephen nodded and his face returned to a less puce-coloured flush as he took her coat and hung it up in the cupboard. She followed him down the corridor which led into the bedroom. She stepped in to see a brown leather upholstered double bed, neatly made with a grey and white cotton duvet cover set, a cream and brown wooden wardrobe, and matching nightstands on either side of the bed. It smelled like sleep and his cologne. "This is where I have insomnia." he said, gesturing round the room. Sadie sighed a laugh. "Ensuite." he indicated into the left with his arm. "As a matter of interest...which side do you sleep on?" he asked, indicating towards the bed.
She looked at him and frowned. "Is that a deal breaker?" she asked with a laugh. He shook his head. "Well, if I'm staying at someone's I think it's only fair to sleep on whichever side they don't...which side do you sleep on?" she asked.
"Left," he said, pointing. "but willing to negotiate." he smirked.
"Middle." she smirked, noticing his body relax in a quiet laugh.
"Oh it's like that is it?!" he said playfully. She giggled as she turned to face him and stroked her left hand up his chest to his shoulder. She hummed in agreement. He looked down at her, slid his hands round her hips and copied her hum as she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly just as the cat rubbed against their legs. "The same as sharing with Bruce then." he chuckled as he broke their embrace.
"Sharing?!" Sadie teased, with a mock confused expression. Stephen let his head fall back and he sighed before looking back at Sadie who playfully stuck out her tongue and he gently smacked her ass.
Stephen tilted his head towards the bedroom door then turned to walk out of the bedroom and back down the corridor. "Spare room...ehh, oh wait! YOUR room!" he joked. Sadie scoffed and nudged his back with her hand. Stephen chuckled and reached his hands back to her quickly but continued. "Main bathroom's there." he pointed to 2 doors on the left as she followed him. "This is where I make all the coffee that gives me the insomnia." he said, stepping in to the kitchen where the aroma of spices emanated into the apartment and pots and pans were bubbling on the stove. "Annnd this is where I drink the coffee that gives me the insomnia!" he said, leading her into the living room.
The kitchen had a breakfast bar that straddled the living room. The living room was furnished in typical bachelor style: two small, square, black, leather sofas, a large, black, leather recliner, a small wooden coffee table, and a massive TV unit.
"Then out here," he said, opening the glass door and leading her on to the balcony where there was a small metal table and 2 chairs, and a large, garden loveseat. "is a view of... well, as you can see... the river, the motorway, the madatory, purpose-built green space!" he laughed to himself. "Sometimes it's even nice enough to sit out here!" he said exaggeratedly.
Sadie smiled. "It's lovely. I love it." she said sincerely as they stepped back indoors and Stephen closed the balcony door. "Thanks for 'la tour', your apartment is lovely." she smiled. Stephen sighed a laugh and nodded. "Is this the trophy cabinet?" she asked, noticing a small shelf behind the sofa with medals, a shield and a few framed photos.
"Indeed it is." Stephen replied, heading back into the kitchen.
Sadie looked at the photos of Stephen with his running club friends, Stephen mid-race and an arty one from Stephen's run in the city marathon. "I like this one!" Sadie said enthusiastically.
Stephen looked over. "That was a fluke, a journo took it and 'cos I had my running club on my number they tracked me down. That was my leg of the relay last year." he explained.
"Ppppfffftttt never mind your leg of the relay! Legs on YOU, Willis!" Sadie teased, fanning herself with her hand. "You can wear a pair of running shorts, boy!" she nodded and her mouth puckered.
"Is this what it feels like to be objectified?" Stephen asked with a nervous laugh. "Cos I get now why it would make you feel uncomfortable!" he said.
Sadie winced. "I guess that's what it came across as...ehhh I think you look great and it's a cool photo." she raised her eyebrows.
Stephen nodded. "Sure. Thanks! So when do you need to test your blood sugar?" he asked.
Sadie looked surprised. "Oh!...about 15 minutes before I eat ideally is when I should bolus. I mean take my insulin." she explained. Stephen nodded and tipped his head indicating for her to take a seat at the breakfast bar. He approached it from inside the kitchen and took out his phone.
"Keep me right if any of it looks wrong." he said, sliding his phone towards her and watching her puzzled face turn to shock when she realised he had made a note in his phone of the carb content, weighed and measured, of the meal he was cooking for them. She looked up at him and he couldn't tell from her expression. "No?" he asked as she shook her head and stared at him. He went to lift his phone but she stopped him.
"No, leave it. I mean, yes it's right." she said in disbelief.
He raised his eyebrows. "Yeah? cos you don't seem sure!" he said with a quiet laugh.
She nodded. "It is right. I'm just a little bit..." she stopped and swallowed hard before sighing a shy laugh. "It might not seem like a big deal but this means a lot to me." Stephen watched her and waited for her to contine. "I'm not being dramatic when I say that no one else in my life has ever tried to understand or learn this before never mind work out the carb content of what they're cooking for me."
"Really?" Stephen asked, his head jerking back in surprise. "Oh...K. Well, I was interested and thought I'd do a bit of reading up." he said with a slight shrug.
