Constance Reader walks into the Black Hole and looks around the place people watching. With a saunter, she approaches the bar itself, smiling at a couple ... well he's talking and she is texting. Close enough. She looks behind the bar, past the bartender at what's behind him.
Jack Douglas had been putting glasses on the shelf but finished and approached the female patron "Hi. What can I get for ya?"
Constance Reader puts her elbow on her knee and surveys him carefully. "What am I in the mood for?" she seems to ask him although of course, he could not POSSIBLY know. Then she meet his eyes. "Jack."
Jack Douglas gives her a little grin and blushes "Why thank you....although I suspect you mean Jack Daniels." He does he the courtesy of explaining "I'm Jack. Jack Douglas."
Constance Reader laughs. "Really?" she leans forward, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "Can I have a Jack Daniels with a Jack Douglas chaser?" she grins which shaves ten years off of her.
Jack Douglas blushes again and lets out a short chuckle "Uh well....we'll see how it all goes....." He jokes. He grabs a glass and holds it up as he walks to the hard liquor "Ice or neat?"
Constance Reader watches him turn and go .. and she didn't miss that blush either. "Neat. Please." she order. "I'm too old to let anything get watered down." she tells him.
Jack Douglas pours and sets it in front of her. He does get flirted with now and then but he's never really been a magnet for it in the sense that they mean anything by it but friendliness. "You don't look that old to me...mind you I'm no spring chicken myself. Where ya from?"
Constance Reader smiles at him. She adores flirting .. be it for gain or for fun. "I am from Tsawwassen." she tells him. "Thank you for asking BEFORE I got any alcohol in my system." she grins. "And I am 55 years old ...or young .. depending on who you talk to. And you are....." she looks him up and down again. "Forty-five ... or so." she guesses, pulling the drink close.
Jack Douglas snickers "Cause you can't say it drunk? That could be a drinking game....let's go with young. And I'm older than you young lady. But only by two years. May I ask your name, since we've gotten past the age business?"
Constance Reader laughs. "Exactly, but to be fair its impossible to say sober also." she giggles a little. "Are you REALLY?" she seems to look at him a bit more closely. "That must be Nation blood in you, then." she declares and places her hand on her chest. "I am Constance Reader." she tells him. "You can call me Constance, or Connie. Your choice.":
Jack Douglas nods "Yeah keeps us young I guess...Semiahmoo." He laughs "What do you prefer? Connie or Constance?"
Constance Reader smiles at him and nods. 'As long a nothing happens to you." she whisper. "I prefer Connie." she shakes herself a little bit. Then she looks around. "I haven't been here in a LONG time." she sighs softly.
Jack Douglas looks a little confused and follows her glancing around "This bar...or this town?"
CONSTANCE READER looks at him. "Well .. both really. I was here last weekend or so." she chuckles. "My late husband came here a lot. Docking ...if a storm was coming or he was just too tired to sail home." she lifts her Jack and takes a respectable swallow.
Constance Reader looks at him. "Well .. both really. I was here last weekend or so." she chuckles. "My late husband came here a lot. Docking ...if a storm was coming or he was just too tired to sail home." she lifts her Jack and takes a respectable swallow.
Jack Douglas rolls it around in his head, late husband, docking, Reader and then his eyebrows go up "Zach Reader?" He licks his lips and fusses at some minuscule spec on the till drawer absently and then meets her eyes "Am I right?"
Constance Reader look at him, her eyes slightly wider. "Zack. Yes. He as my husband." she looks at him blinking. "Did you know him?" its hard to say if she wants him to have or not.
Jack Douglas sighs "Yeah, he was a good guy. Came in here when he docked. I was sad to read his name in 08.....I'm sorry. My daughter lost her finance in that one.....We lost her mother in the one before....." He pours another Jack to toast with her and sees Tallulah walk in "Tally....hey..." He calls out with a small but slightly sad smile before walking back to Connie and holding up his glass.
Tallulah Beal smiles at a few people as she comes in and then Jack "Hi..." He walks away before she can say more so she follows him and then sits down by Connie "Oh hi...you too...Connie..." She senses some seriousness to the aura around them and breaks off, becoming quiet.
Constance Reader nods and sighs. "Two...." she whispers and turns to Tallulah. She tries to smile. "Hi." he tells her, but her voice crack a little bit. "Jack here was just ...." she swallows hard and kills the drink. "Could I have another please. Jack. Please." she asks, her voice slightly more shaky.
Tallulah Beal sighs heavily and then pats Connie on the arm "Oh I'm sorry.....there's a cruelty to this place. It's beautiful and terrible...."
Jack Douglas just nods and passes Connie his untouched drink and then goes to pour Two more glasses and hands one to Tallulah "Quake." is all he needs to say in explanation in this town with a kind look at Connie.
Constance Reader takes the drink. "Thanks." she takes another gulp and sighs. "Yes. Zack was 08. Off the coast. The boat was found but ... no crew, no nothing. They all fell overboard in those waves..." she sighs. "How can I be surprised I'd come here and meet someone that knew Zack." she forces a laugh, between a sob, a laugh and sudden hysteria.
Jack Douglas leans on the bar and takes a sip after her, in solidarity "I remember. And you're not likely to meet someone in this town who hasn't been through it in some way too....but it still fuckin sucks...."
Tallulah Beal sips too but keeps a hand on Connie "I remember that boat too....my god. Small world....."
Constance Reader sighs deeply. "Yes. Four men lost. The boat washed up ..." she shakes her head. "I don't come here much. Actually I was taking some of my own therapeutic advice coming here." she sighs. "It IS a mall world, but that's a good thing sometimes. I get to meet people who know what its like .. or know people who know what it's like." she looks at them both. "Nothing for you to bury, either?" she asks softly.
Jack Douglas shakes his head and swallows "Nope." He looks like he might have more in his head but doesn't say more. He looks at Tallulah.
Tallulah Beal looks between them "My experiences are more removed than both of yours, not a spouse, but friends, a cousin, my daughter's half brother....too many people leaving broken hearts behind I've tried to help cope....."
Constance Reader closes her eyes after Jack speaks. "I run a widows group." she tells them. "To help cope." she sighs. "Friends count too, you know." she offers. "I'm ... glad to know both of you." she smiles. "and so sorry for your loss. I ... tried to come and deal with things when they found the boat. But ... I wound up in the car with my son while my daughter went to find out if there was a body." she sighs again.
Jack Douglas nods "It can be hard on the kids, especially when they're young. My girls were teens but it was still horrible. I don't even know how we did it...it was a blur...."
Tallulah Beal rubs Connie's back and then leans back "You've taken your pain and used it to help people. That's amazing. I can't even imagine. I know for the folk left behind here...we try to take care of them...it doesn't make it go away but the town does support those left behind as best we can."
Constance Reader nods. "My kids were in their 20's at the time, but my son is autistic. He ... oddly helped me remain calm. It was all very logical for him. My daughter, however, had the people skills to deal with the police. But I gave her a break for the memorial." she smiles at Tallulah. "Well ... Zack had cancer. So I spent years preparing for his death. Then the treatments worked and the tumor shrank and there was light at the end of the tunnel. And then." she blows out a breath.
Jack Douglas has an audible intake of breath at the end of her story and winces and then mutters "Shit..." before tipping back his drink.
Tallulah Beal looks pained "Oh Connie....that's unbelievably unfair..."
Constance Reader scoffs. "Tell me about it." she takes a sip of her Jack. "I was so ... angry in a way. Make me mourn a living man ... make him better ... then ... sink him?" she blows out a breath. "I was raised Jewish, and spent a long time angry at that God."
Jack Douglas just looks at Connie knowingly "I can imagine that.....no matter the spirits in question...."
Tallulah Beal sips now and the replies after her swallow "That is more than one person should ever bear...."
Connie sighs deeply again. "I suppose." she mutters. "Making a contest out of it never helps." she motions to Jack. "Lose a wife, or lose a husband. Lose a fiance or a boyfriend?" she shrugs. "I always feel envious of anyone that had a body to bury. I spent every second of every day between that quake and seeing the boat's carcass thinking they'd fallen overboard but they would be alright. And then another year waiting for the call saying a body had washed up and I could bury my man." she kills the second drink. "If the cancer had taken him, I would have had a body." and she scoffs. "To cremate and scatter at sea." she fingers the edge of her empty glass. "And around five years I realized that Zack died at sea .. where he was happiest."
Jack swallows hard and then needs another sip, just looking at Connie. They had never found Isabella's body either. He gets called to the other end of the bar by one of his staff and awkwardly steps away, overwhelmed even though he does want to help this poor woman.
Tallulah watches him go and then rubs Connie's shoulder "Jack understands, aside from the cancer part. They never found Isabella's body either. I'm so sorry Connie. But I'm glad we met. If being here is hard, but you want to anyways, lean on me OK?"
Connie takes in a deep breath and watched Jack move away, expecting that she has probably ripped at least some of his own healing away. She reaches for her shoulder and takes Tallulah's hand. "Thank you, Tallulah." she sighs. "It IS painful ... but that's what healing is, right? Not that I will ever really heal. There's guilt and anger and." she shrugs. "I need to keep coming back here. Because I know I want to run and go hide someplace. If that makes sense."
Tallulah nods at all that "You do whatever your instinct tells you is right. Everyone heals their own way." She squeezes her hand "It's a kind place to work it out in however many doses you need."
Jack consults with his employee and gestures to some stock in a lower counter, resolving some issue and then comes back, a little sheepishly and steps to the section of bar Connie and Tallulah are seated at. He quietly gives them a little nod, not wanting to just barge right back in wherever the conversation has gone onto in his absence.
Connie nods. "Well, you'd think I'd be healed by now." she snorts. "It's been almost a decade now." she takes in a couple of deep and calming breaths, during which time Jack rejoins them. Pulling herself together a bit, she looks at him. "I'm sorry, Jack." she apologizes. "If I had known I was going to slash open scars for someone else, I never would have come here."
Tallulah sighs "Time is a funny thing..." She sits back as Jack is addressed and lets go of Connie's hand.
Jack shakes his head, smiling a bit sardonically "I still got my pile of shit to wade through. I'm OK as I'm ever gonna be. Do what you need to do Connie. I'm still glad to meet you and help if I can...." He slides his hand across the bar and reaches for one of hers to give a little squeeze. They had horrible sad weird common ground but it was common and oddly, bonding.
Connie sort of snorts at Tallulah's words and squeezes Jack's hand back. "I'm glad to meet you, too." she admits. "You're being around is help enough, even if it IS your job." she grins, some of the cheery Connie coming back to the fore. She pats his hand. "And I will keep coming back." she snorts and grins. "Well, I'll have to stay the night as it is ... Too much Jack."
Jack blushes a little and then chuckles at clears his throat "Too much Jack will do that to you..." He lets go slowly and backs up and then gets called away again "Scuse me.....duty calls."
Tallulah cranes her head at Jack as he goes and then looks at Connie with a little smile "I ask no questions about any extraneous guests.....just putting that out there......"
Connie laughs and foir her its like a release. Then she looks at Tallulah. "Extraneous guests?" she seems mildly confused. "Oh ... well ... "
Tallulah giggles "Bad timing perhaps on that comment. He just don't blush easily. And I've known Jack Douglas since kindergarten. Small towns."
Jack is testing a soda pump that seems to be acting up while his other barkeep explains what's been happening with it. He ducks under the counter and starts unhooking hoses.
Connie arches a brow. "Is that so?" she looks down the bar at him. "So SOME good came of this." she looks back at Tallulah. "I can only imagine how adorable he was in kindergarten." she smiles, the flirt in her beginning to rise again.
Tallulah laughs "He was a holy terror. You'd never know it now. He mellowed out as an adult. But he was a hyperactive little kid. Different time back then, they didn't label all the kids and medicate them but he probably would be in that category if he was a child in today's world. I think in his case, he didn't have a very stable home life unless he was staying at his Aunt Shirley's. His parents had some problems, drank hard, died young. So for awhile he had some problems. But he got it together. And he's the nicest guy. Gets dragged into the odd bar fight here...he won't hit back, just talks them down if he can. Gentle soul."
Connie smiles, a bit sadly. "Yes. Now they have labels. For good or ill." she looks down at Jack again as he is explained to her. "Nice gentle man." she grins. "And attractive." she bites her lip. "What's wrong with you, Constance?" she berates herself. "You haven't been attracted to a man in your age group in ... years." she is talking to herself ... mostly.
3d
Jamie Anna Wright's profile photo
Jamie Anna Wright
Tallulah slowly sips and then looks curious "Well you can't go too old...or you know...they might not be able to....." She smirks "Perform."
Jack fumbles and unscrews the wrong thing and there's a veritable explosion of tonic water at the other end of the bar. The patrons all jump but then find it pretty hilarious. Jack smacks the machine and laughs and then takes a little bow as the fizzy liquid drips from his hair. He's soaked through but not at all upset. He re-affixes the hose but the machine needs more work than a quick fix. With a shrug he says "Guess I better go buy us some mix eh?" there's another roar of laughter and he shakes a bit and trods over to the till, near Connie and takes some 20s out to go to the store with a quip at the two women "When it rains...it pours..." He says amused.
Connie giggles. "A very valid point. I ..." she begins to answer when the machine drenches Jack from head to toe. She smirks at him. "Oh the things I can SAY ...." she tells him and then bites her lip. "I think you'd better." she grins. "I have half a mind to go ith you and protect you from other ... spraying things." she teases.
Jack pockets the cash and smirks back, blushing again "Well you never know what's between here and the gas station. But I'll try to be careful...." He looks sheepishly at Tallulah who's grinning at him way too encouragingly. With a little throat clear he takes off, with a bit more swagger in his walk after Connie's flirtations.
Tallulah looses it once he hits the far end of the bar "Oh dear lord, that's almost a strut, covered in soda no less. Where were you to give me lessons when i was single Connie? It all worked out last year but you're a pro."
Connie also loses it. "I'm sorry, hun." she gets herself under control. "I DO love to flirt and Jack ....." she grins. "Is VERY flirtable." she takes a deep breath. "I had thought that I would go back to your B&B and try and sleep. Now ... I think I may stay." she lifts up her hand. "I'm not PLANNING to get lucky, but ... I haven't had fun with a man my own age in YEARS. Not taking advantage. One thing I have learned over the years is have fun when and where it presents itself."
Tallulah smirks "No need to apologize and I think that is a good philosophy. May I ask a personal question.....do you usually like younger men? It's not a judgement...but I admire the bravery...for many reasons." She chuckles a little.
Connie smiles. "Well yes." she replies, then pauses. "Or rather, I usually have SEX with younger men. All very protected, of course." she sighs. "Well, I don't screw them for their titillating conversation, to be honest. They make me feel alive in a way my husband never did ... if you know what I mean." she grins. "I loved Zach, but finding out he wasn't Casanova annoyed me to no end. SO I ... rebelled. Went for younger men who were more educated than my husband was. But ... maybe I will take a chance at pleasure with a man in my own age group." she huffs a little. "My SON would certainly appreciate knowing I dated a man OLDER than him, fir a change." and she giggles.
Tallulah frowns "Zach wasn't open to....a little bit of...guidance? And I can't report much of anything on Jack. Although he did have to keep up with and keep Isabella happy and she was known for having a rather...high drive...shall we say." She shrugs a bit "I never did the whole marriage package deal with anyone. I got pregnant accidentally but Anna is the best thing that ever happened to me. Her father wasn't in her life again until she was 10. We weren't in love. It was just a fling and he was already having a baby with someone else it turned out....so I just stepped right out of that. I've dated but always on my own terms after all that, a little guarded maybe, but also NEVER celibate.....that would be depressing. And then unexpectedly I fell in love....awkwardly he has been my cousin's husband. But Jennifer was the first to give her blessing, and oddly...helpful advice..." She blushes a bit and laughs. "I could see how a son would stress over dating people that could be their peers but if you're happy and it's not his best friends then what can he really say?"
Connie giggles. "No, he wasn't. But I had only had two teen age boys as lovers before HIM so ... I thought a 'high drive' was being behind the wheel after smoking pot." she rolls her eyes. "Sounds like you got it right. And my son." she shrugs. "He's autistic, so tension is just part of it for him ... my daughter is wonderful and open and it was HER who suggested I needed to start dating again .. or rather it was 'God, Mom you need someone to make you cum before you dry up', or something like that." she snorts a laugh. "Not many mothers can say their daughter ever expressed concern over how many orgasms she had." she smirks. "Or bought her the very first vibrator."
Tallulah really cracks up now "Maybe I should introduce her to my Anna. She could use a friend like that....oh what am i saying...she HAS friends like that. I don't know how she ended up so SHY on all of that but she's able to cope. She was conceived in a meadow at the Mission Folk Fest, you'd think all that free love hippie energy would just coarse through her. She got about 50% of it maybe. The move here maybe made her reserved. This town, the judgement when we moved back and people found out her father had gotten two women pregnant in the same year. The fact that the other one still to this day calls me a slut every chance she gets...yeah I guess that might have affected how my girl sees herself.......before you dry up?" She snorts "Cheeky."
Connie laughs. "Oh, I have sisters into the hippy thing. Small world .. that I got out of before I married Zack." and she can't help but laugh. "Oh you should have seen me trying to use it the first time." she waves her hand. "Of course, as open as I am of mouth, no WAY was I asking my DAUGHTER for instructions. I figured it out ... and almost swore off of men entirely." she giggles. "And than I met a nice young man ... and he showed me such a wonderful time. He wasn't great shakes at conversation, but once the kissing and licking started, I didn't care." she looks pensive. "You know I haven't tried any of that with a man my own age ...."
Tallulah giggles "I have one myself. They're great. And in my experience, most men will, if they know it will make you happy, but some of them have to be asked. I have a very wonderful attentive man, our age, so I know it can happen unprompted too. He's an interesting one. I dare not say too much because the walls have ears in this town, and he's the police chief...." She laughs and then says "I bet Jack is attentive. He just seems the type."
As if on cue Jack saunters back in with two double bags containing 2 liter pop bottles. He passes them to the female bartender, Molly, over the bar as he walks by and then goes around to help clear fridge space for them with a quick flash of a smile at Connie and Tallulah, but mostly Connie.
Connie giggles. "Oh .. a man in authority." she teases and pretends to lick her mouth. "We'll have to stay up one night and compare notes." she grins. "I .... think I may see if I can find out. I mean I have THREE vibes now .. one of them no larger than a lipstick. But the real deal is still the real deal." she smiles back at Jack when he returns. "Yes. Maybe I will stick around tonight ...." she almost purrs.
Tallulah giggles "This I have to watch....I mean not all of it of course, depending. Nick is meeting me here. You'll know him because the whole bar goes quiet when he walks in." She laughs "It's pretty amusing to watch."
Jack stands up from loading the fridge and gets pulled into a conversation with some regulars but looks back every so often at Connie like he'd rather be at her end of the bar. The two guys in baseball caps rambling on about a hockey game seem completely oblivious and Jack is clearly a bit too polite and nods along meekly.
Connie giggles. "Sure. With luck you won't watch me crash and burn like the Hindenburg." she grins. "Well ... I guess it's his stunning presence?" she looks over towards Jack with a welcoming smile, even though she completely understands his need to work.
Nick Callahan's entrance into the crowded bar is unmistakably obvious and as Tallulah promised, it goes quiet as the patrons take notice. He just grins about it, striding in tall and relaxed with his close cut white hair and short white beard. Nick is off duty in jeans, boots and a black leather jacket. He greets Jack and the two shake hands as he passes and immediately after Jack passes him Rocket Fuel beer in a bottle, his usual. As soon as Jack is seen acknowledging the police chief socially, the bar activity returns to normal. Nick nods to a few other people as he makes his way to Tallulah and her friend. His eyes clearly light up a bit when they meet hers and he gives the friend a little grin as he passes to unabashedly scoop his lady love into his arms and greet her with a tender lingering kiss.
Tallulah melts into Nick and kisses him back eagerly and then when they break apart she says "Have you met my friend Connie?"
Nick chuckles and turns around, his arm still around Tallulah but the other hand reaching out to shake "Hello friend Connie. I'm Nick. Good to meetcha."
Jack is pouring shots for the guys in the baseball caps and passing them over but darts another smile Connie's way while Nick and Tallulah are kissing. Someone says something to him after and he seems to be apologizing for not catching it. He nods vaguely as the patron repeats themselves. Molly, his bartender surveys her boss for a moment and then looks down the bar at Connie with momentary interest as if she's figured out his distraction.
Connie notices the second the volume goes down in the bar and looks from Jack to see Nick. She looks quite impressed with the kiss and when he speaks to her she smiles. "Good to meet you too ... oh I don't know what to call you. I'll go with Nick, if that's alright." she looks at Tallulah. "He's like Rabbi Levine. Walk into a bar and the whole place shuts down while people take inventory or themselves." she laughs and smiles.
Nick chuckles "Nick is just fine. I'm sadly no Rabbi, but I love latkas. Does that count for anything?" He grins and wiggles his brows.
Tallulah gives Nick a little playful shove "Cheeky. Connie's from Tsawwassen. She's been staying at the B&B."
Nick nods "That right?Tally's not drunk yet....she can still pronounce it." He jokes and then takes a sip of his beer.
Molly elbows into the conversation with the baseball capped men monopolizing Jack and then whispers something to him and shoves him in Connie's direction. He gives her an incredulous look and then blushes and walks forward "I'm sposed to check the change and stuff..." He mutters at the till and then looks up at Connie, Nick and Tallulah "How are you folks doing down here?"
Connie smiles at Nick. "It DOES count." she admits and then giggles at Tallulah. "But she can pronounce it SOBER, which is even MORE important. If it helps I plan to move soon. To a place with a more pronounceable name." she giggles and looks at Jack as he comes by with his new orders. She reaches immediately for Jacks hand, patting it once, then trice then setting hers on his. "Much better now." she smiles at him.
Jack lets his eyes drop to her hand on his and smiles bashfully. He lets his other hand bravely slide over hers and caress it "Good to hear...." The energy of the spark and possibility just hangs in the air between them and Jack just look at her for a long time.
Nick watches the show and then opens his mouth to speak and then closes it. He makes a series of eye darting gestures at the pair of them to Tallulah and she giggles and nods and then grabs Nick by the hand "Come dance with me..." She insists as a slow song starts and the DJ dims the lights.
"Yes Ma'am." Nick replies in eager compliance and then follows her to the dance floor and pulls her into his arms and sways with her.
Jack sees Tallulah and Nick move away from them in his peripheral vision and heard the music shift too "So...Molly kicked me off duty. Would you....do you dance?" He's suddenly fumbling like a schoolboy can can't meet Connie's eyes.
For a moment, Connie is lost in the gaze. Then she smiles. "I like Molly." she looks aver to her and waves with a big smile of thanks. "I DO dance. If you'd like to. Or we can sit in a corner and talk on happier subjects? Get to know each other a little bit more?" she smiles, almost shy ... almost.
Molly waves back and the one of the baseball mouth breathers tries to flag down Jack and she literally swats at him and points at his beer as if to say "You're served, now sit nice and shut up."
Jack looks over and laughs "Yeah she's pretty awesome. I'm good with either....so how about both...one slow song and then a chat in a corner of your choosing?" He lets go of her hand just long enough to come around to her side of the bar and talk it again, head jutting at the dance floor.
Nick and Tallulah are happily dancing and talking into each other's ears quietly as they rotate slowly in an embrace.
Connie smiles as she sees the swat. "That sounds like a great plan." she agrees and walks with him to the dance floor, moving closer than to on a first date but not quite as close as if they were long time lovers. She does relax a bit on the dance floor, clearly a fan of dancing.
Jack is surprisingly graceful as he pulls her to him but takes her cue on how close she wants to stand as they sway. He's tall and lanky with long arms so he easily leads but not in an aggressive way at all. his movements are gentle and he turns them ever so slightly and smiles down at her "Been a while since I did this so I'll try not to step on your toes." He jokes.
At a certain point in the turns Tallulah ends up facing Connie and beams at her seeing her dancing with Jack.
Connie smiles. "Well I haven't done a slow dance in some time, so ditto from me." she giggles. "Or once our feet hurt enough we go sit and talk, then recover." she sees Tallulah and smiles back. "Now ... lets get the children out on the table." she beams. "I have two, both mean the world to me, of course. My son is high functioning autistic. Mathematical genius, almost no social skills, which would explain his many marriages. He was the tough one, but I still adore him. My daughter is a counselor .. working MOSTLY with autistic children and families. Probably because of coming from one herself." she shrugs. "Neither of them want children, so I shall never be a grandmother .. unless one of them adopts .. of I should say .. unless Ruth adopts."
Jack listens and then frowns a little "Hmmm....." He smiles "I have two daughters. The oldest is a cop names Tamela. Probably no kids there...but I won't rule it out. She's a lesbian so there's more involved in getting knocked up..." He laughs. "And my younger daughter Megan co owns a business on Alexandra. Before anyone else tells you, it's a sex shop, condoms and whatnot. and ironically, she's expecting. On purpose, the products work!" He laughs harder.
Connie nods. "Well, in this day and age anyone can get pregnant, even without benefit of a man." she winks at him. She smiles more brightly. "The Love Shack!" she beams at him. "She was VERY helpful in helping me get a small vibrator." she laughs lightly. "Well, I'm glad to know that. I won't be surprised if she vanishes. My best friend has a boyfriend in Alexandra. It's so pretty. On the short list of places I may move to, and soon." she looks up at him and moves a bit closer. "So you're about to become a grandfather, eh?" she smirks at him. "You move very well for a gramps." she teases.
Jack chokes a bit and turns completely red at the thought of Connie's purchase from Megan's shop "Yep...helpful gal..." He bites his lip looking at her for a moment and when she moves closer he finds himself instinctively pulling her tight to him and grinning "Ah why thank you..." One hand slides up her back and his thumb starts to make small circles between the backs of her shoulder blades "So you're thinking of moving to Alexandra? It's a good town...."
Connie giggles at the shade of red. "You should be proud of her. She is doing a service." she winks. Her smile widens as he pulls her close and enjoys his touch. "Thinking about it, yes. I still love the water .. so a coastal place ... which is an island all around. My son is an accountant ... and he is already working to sell my condo. He suggested I might want to buy a small piece of land and put a prefab house on it. My friend has the most ADORABLE prefab, so if I can find it, I will. It even has a space for a back yard. The problem is finding a plot of land to put it on." she grins. "Are you a house or an apartment kind of a guy?" she wonders.
Jack smirks, still rubbing her back and listens to her "Sounds like you're a lady with a plan. I live above my bar in a room. I don't need much, bed..coffee maker....TV, mostly I'm here or out anyway."
A short distance away Nick picks Tallulah up off the ground and spins her around and then kisses her deeply. The music changes back to a fast song and they seem oblivious. Eventually they stop and move off the dance floor as rowdier folk crowd in.
Jack looks around and steps back reluctantly "Aww...song's over..." He laments and looks at the corners "Lady's choice."
Connie smiles at him without shame, not answering until the rowdier music begins and he gives her ladies choice. "I would LOVE to have our talk where I can see your ...." she pauses, as if about to say bed, but continues with "Coffee maker." although her inference is clear.
Jacks' eyes go wide for a second and then he grins "A lady who knows what she wants...." He steps up to her and cups one side of her chin in his hand and leans his forehead against hers "It only makes twelve cups....but I have filters....." He replies with his own inference before opening his eyes "Now I can walk you past the whole bar and through the kitchen....or we can sneak out the side door by the stage and go around and up. Again, ladies choice..." His lips are inches from hers but he doesn't kiss her yet. His breath exhales warmly across her lips though and it could be a bit of a tease.
Connie grins and that grin only gets wider as he infers and offers her options. "This is a small town. Lets try the side door. Maybe they will not tease you unmercifully." she kisses his lips with a teasing lightening quickness and backs towards the stage and side door. She searches for Tallulah, but cannot see her through the crowd, but guesses her new friend might be at least as pleased as she is over Jack's early night.
Jack looks pleased with her choice and dives after her kiss a bit and then laughs as she gets the teas on him and follows her eagerly.
No comments:
Post a Comment