Mr. Write [COMPLETED]

Chapter 35 - "I can walk you home."

The bar's occupants had doubled in size by the time Elliot and Beck had finished their meal and were waiting for the arrival of Cece and Milo. The music was completely drowned out by conversations and loud shouts of laughter. Groups of patrons dressed in matching t-shirts wandered from table to bar and back, with hands full of drinks. A small stage off to the left of the bar was setup and a chalk board with rough lines for a score board was hanging from the back wall.

Elliot sat observing the surrounding crowd, mindlessly eating a fry when the door opened and Cece walked in. She glanced around. When she spotted Elliot and Beck, she made for them. Halfway to them she was stopped by a guy, smiling with the cockiness of a couple drinks in him.

"Hey," he said, his grin lopsided and his version of charming.

Cece smiled back at him with such a brilliant smile, the guy felt surprised by it.

"Thanks so much, but I already have pet insurance," she said, cheerly.

The guy frowned in confusion, his mouth opening and closing. Cece took his temporary lapse in speech to finish her course to Elliot and Beck.

"You don't have a pet," Elliot said. "Though I've thought of marking Tristan as a pet on our tax forms."

"I've thought about that too, but I don't think the IRS would allow it."

Elliot nodded, then started.

"Hey! You're out of your room without the aid of Milo or a group of firefighters," she said. "I'm impressed."

Cece settled onto one of the stools.

"Oh, I asked them if they wanted to join but they decided to be clichés and go save a kitten from a tree."

"What losers," Elliot scoffed, "kittens know how to fly. Everyone knows this. A waste of time if you ask me."

"That's what I told them, but they went anyways. Laughs on them. Is Milo here?"

"No, but he probably wants to make a grand entrance or something."

"Probably."

Cece snatched a fry and ate it while she looked over the bar. Once done with her scan of the crowd, she looked back at Elliot.

"It looks like a good crowd. The usuals, with a new group I haven't seen before," she said.

"It should mix things up a bit," Elliot said.

Beck leaned on the table.

"You know all the people who come here?" he asked.

"Sure," Elliot said, "we've been doing it long enough. We have to know who is good for their IOUs and who isn't."

Beck raised his eyebrows.

"The betting goes further then just you guys?"

Elliot's response was stalled when the door opened and Milo stepped inside. Cece twisted in her chair and met his gaze. A lazy smile slid onto his face as he made his way over.

"Hi," he said, looking down at Cece, the word drawn out.

She shook her head.

"Nope, say hi like a normal person," she said. "I'm not melting in front of all these people."

Milo laughed and kissed her forehead, one arm wrapping around her waist.

"Good to see you in the land of the living," he said. "How did writing go?"

Cece shrugged.

"Fine," she said.

Milo pulled a chair up next to hers as they fell into conversation. Elliot looked away, scowling.