the stance of the sea

“And that is why I like you so much.” Jamie quipped amiably. Aside from the fact that Shay, was, well, inarguably nice, of course. All of the Owens seemed to have that same trait shared amongst them, while the Fitzpatrick’s just seemed to be having a steel liver. “… Colors, Shay. Pretty, pretty colors. And sugar. The sugar is just…” Jamie then mimicked a chef’s kiss for emphasis. “Of course I’m a foodie grammer, I help run a deli. I have an obligation to share my creations with the world. They’re one of a kind.” Jamie adored social media, the platform it gave them to express themselves exactly the way they were was what made them happiest, and in the midst of reentering their own life, they had found some comfort in the platforms. “Play your cards right and you might even get a feature.” They added with a wink.

          “Aww, tell me more about all the ways you like me.” Given their banter she was curious what they’d say, if they’d actually continue to play along now that they were somewhat put on the spot. Not in any serious way, the playful back and forth just tickled at her.”I’m honestly not the biggest fan of sugar so I guess that’s my main issue with sprinkles. They look... festive? But the ice cream is more than enough for me. Do you use syrups too?” All she could picture was a mountain of a sundae with all the fixings. “Ohh right, right...” With a grin tugging on one side of her mouth, Shay nodded, fully amused by Jamie being their own hype person. Which, was how it had to be, so it wasn’t a negative opinion. “I guess it’s just been too long since I’ve had one of those creations, I can’t seem to remember them being so one of a kind.” A jest and a nudge of her elbow into them. “Well, my sandwiches aren’t so out of this world, but they’re good. I wouldn’t say no to a The Jamie Fitzpatrick insta feature though...” Really, she’d love it. Shay always sent customers to the deli, too. “I could see the influenced just rolling in for the best coffee ever.”

         “Hate you?” Caine’s stare rewarded her figure with thorough appreciation, lingering over all the places his hands intended to find. With a half cocked grin notched along his lips he stepped forward and murmured, “That’s damn near unforgivable, woman.” A deep chuckle hummed against Shay’s mouth as she saw to his buttons and he took his fill of each and every kiss. “‘Specially when you tell me I could’a had you in some leather, too.” Not that he’d complain about the particular gown she choose to wear without it. Elaborate dresses, leather jackets, cut off jeans or pajama pants - she put a hitch in breath whenever she stepped into the room no matter what she wore. If anything, the rapt way he watched her move only served as proof. “I got two bosses,” Caine pointed out a second later, referencing both his legitimate and illegitimate lines of work. “Take your pick.” Another contented laugh breezed against her mouth before they parted so that he could nod in answer to her question. “I did, but only ‘cause of you.” For Shay he’d venture well beyond his usual crowd and comfort zone on a daily basis so long as it made her smile. By now it should’ve been perfectly clear he’d move mountains for the sake of her happiness. The prospect of returning the favor and peeling her out of her clothes at the end of the night didn’t hurt much, either. Torn between her face and the curve hugging fabric he nodded, entirely distracted, then flashed a devilish grin. “I wouldn’t say no to a midnight snack… especially since you seem open to a few adjustments first.” A finger skimmed north from the base of her spine, looped through a strap, and then slowly eased it over the slope of her shoulder. “'Cause you do look awfully overdressed right now, Miss Owens. What kinda boyfriend would I be if I didn’t lend a hand in fixin’ that?”

            Perhaps there was something vain in the way she enjoyed Caine’s appreciation of her. While he looked at her just as lascivious in her pajamas as he did of her in a figure hugging gown that had a low cut front and a fairly non-existent back, there was naturally a little something extra in his gaze and within his grip when Shay adorned herself in something sexy. With her hips resting against his frame and her fingers working the buttons of his dress shirt, “I’m sure I could find ways to make you forgive me.” The tease was accompanied with a confident simper and a gleam in her earthy eyes. “How about...” Shay began, pausing when her fingers reached the end of the line. A moment later she pulled the shirt up and free from it’s tucked position in his dress pants. “...you call in sick to both and then that means I get you for even longer.” The logic seemed solid to her and the greedy nature that came with wanting her boyfriend’s time and attention. While she knew it wasn’t fair to demand too much, sometimes she really couldn’t help herself. She knew she needed to though, because Caine had proven time and time again that he’d not only come through for her but that he’d put up with just about anything if she asked. It was entirely mutual, there wasn’t a thing she wouldn’t do for the man she loved and shared a home with. In part, it was why she was patient with his ties and obligations to the family that was the MC. Shay pushed the material off his shoulders and down his tattooed arms, unbuttoning the cuffs seconds before tossing the shirt aside and taking a moment to marvel at his half naked presence. “What kind of snack are you in the mood for?” Even she wasn’t sure if that question was remotely serious or one that needed a verbal answer. Soon their lips were attached and conveying their affections and wants, soon Caine was taking down a shoulder of her dress. Shay’s teeth gently bit into his bottom lip as her fingers ventured to his belt buckle, releasing then freeing the button underneath and soon letting down the zipper. “Hopefully you’re the kind of boyfriend that’ll do a lot more than lend a hand. You’ve got a mouth and teeth too.” Then, his pants were pushed down his hips. One of them liked to take their time and the other, Miss Shay Owens, was a little impatient. “Thanks for another amazing night,” she gushed before stealing his lips once more. “Time to make it better.”

@wilmingtonstarters​

     Nora felt like the world around her was crashing and all she could do was stand there watching everything crash, after what felt like ages she finally stopped to catch a breath and could feel her legs shaky from the run affect her immediately as she plopped down on the bench. “I think I might have pulled something but then again, I feel like my lungs are ready to collapse.” She commented to the other as she wiped her forehead. 

          Every now and then Shay attempted the whole getting back in shape thing. Growing up she had been an athlete, a soccer star in high school and university, and since graduating and starting her business it all slipped from her. The excuse these days was that her feet were too tired for running, yet there she was parked on a bench drinking some Gatorade after only being able to run so far. “Ugh,” she half groaned, half sighed, “I know exactly how you feel. My legs are literally saying ‘no more’.” It felt dramatic but it was true. “I take you’ve been out of it as long as I have...”

BESPOKE COFFEE & DRY GOODS - OPEN @wilmingtonstarters​

Nadia sat at the table, her eyes resting on the piece of paper in front of her. Basically, the woman spent her whole life working for Dryden Co and now she was looking at starting over at the age of thirty-three. It was surreal, there were a few retail jobs in there but she didn’t know how she could go from office work to something like that. She exhaled as she glanced over her shoulder, noticing someone heading in her direction. “Hey –” she made a face slightly at herself. “Would you mind lookin’ this over and seeing if there is something I need to change?”

          Lifting her chin and pulling her earthy eyes off the screen of her phone, reading a text from a friend, Shay smiled immediately and nodded her head. “Hey, no, I wouldn’t mind at all.” She redirected herself from the empty table she had been making a beeline for and planted herself across from Nadia. Coffee momentarily set aside, Shay began looking over the pages in her hand. “Actually, I think this looks solid as it is. A bit more professional than the resumès I’m used to seeing, but I think this is good. Are you doing a mass send of this or do you have a specific company or employer in mind?” If so, then Shay’s only suggestion would be for her to tailor the resumè as closely to the needs of whom she was applying to.

Aly’s head cocked to one side as she listened to her companion, the thoughts and ideas of others were always the things she found the most useful in terms of inspiration. Sure, there was inspiration everywhere, but being able to talk out loud with someone, the natural bouncing of ideas off one another proved to be more helpful and igniting a fire within Aly, and push her towards writing more than a couple of words at a time. “I like it, gives room to move throughout the rest of the novel. Start too dark, and your scale to as dark as can be is small - but start light, and that scale widens, leaving more variety and more of a journey throughout the discourse.” She smiled, scribbling the name of the book the other mentioned to look into at a later date. “I’ve not read it, but with that kind of review you’ve got my interest, so I’ll make sure I check it out.” She chuckled slightly, before continuing. “I’ve not written fiction before, really. I mean, at college for class, but I’ve not had fiction published, so this is a complete fresh slate for me.” Aly explained, before shaking her head quickly. “I am talking a lot about myself, please tell me to shut up? Oh god, I didn’t even- I’m Aly. Aly with little manners, it seems. I should at least ask - what do you do?” 

           “Yes, I love that.” Resting her elbow on the table, Shay couldn’t resist leaning forward with absolute interest. She was a conversationalist, loved speaking with people and getting to know them. This, however, held a different air to it. There was some excitement in the process and brainstorming of creation. “Plus, you can switch and contrast. You know? Play around with the moods a little, like when things start going dark you can ease back and tease the readers with something lighter. Then maybe dive into the depths of the abyss.” The grin on her face only wiped away when she brought her coffee to her lips and wet her throat as it began to dry out from all the talking. “Only read the first three books,” came Shay’s warning. “The author died before the remainder of his books were finished so the publisher has a writer that’s stepped in and it’s just not the same. It’s a wonderfully intricate story though.” Setting her cup down after another sip of the soothing drink, she nodded along as the writer across from her explained a little. Her interest was piqued a little more. “What have you written and had published before? What was your original genre?” Perhaps she might have assumed a little more beyond the information that was given, though in her defense, something in this woman told Shay that writing was innate. “Oh, no... honestly, I love hearing about it all. I own Stella Caffè, the Italian style coffee house downtown, so I’m very much into this back and forth. I’m friends with pretty much any patron, especially my regulars. I’m Shay though. It’s nice to meet you Aly, I’m so excited for your book and am trying to refrain from asking you too many questions about it.”

     “Even more of a blessing, right? I don’t have to worry about the crowds or trying to walk home in the dark because you know I’m not dealing with parking.” India laughed thinking of the night before and the years before when she would go out to view the fireworks. They were always fun, to be amongst everybody and friends, but these days it was different. The winemaker enjoyed a little more alone time than she had years before. “Did you and Caine go down for the show?” As soon as her friend’s confession came though she realized she’d asked too soon. It was too late to retract though but she knew that Shay had gone and done something for the fireworks. “I’d not make fun of you!” Some laughter came about then and she shook her head that her friend would think so and pushed her plate back. She couldn’t eat anymore. “Yeah they can be a bit loud. Still not as bad as a canon but very loud.” A brow rose at Shay’s question and the winemaker let out a sigh before answering. “I never said I went out with some guy. I said Landon and I went out for a late-night walk on the beach a few nights ago. There’s a difference, ok?” Not that she really wanted there to be one. 

          “You really do live in the perfect place to watch the fireworks. How was it last night? I can just see you sitting here on the patio with a glass of wine and some goodies to snack on.” When it came to holidays, Independence Day was one of Shay’s favorites. More for the gatherings and the food than what it was celebrating over all. Thankfully the firework shows didn’t really bother Anne Bonney, she still turned up the tv and closed the windows to minimize the sounds from startling her precious bengal cat. “Alright, don’t make fun of me,” Shay began, grinning and pulling her hoodie up around her face, “but the fireworks kind of freak me out if we’re too close. The loud bang just rattles me every time.” So she watched, especially as the show displayed over the water, just from a bit of a distance. “Anyway,” food already somewhat set aside, “what’s been up lately. You told me you went out with some guy... I’ve got to hear about it.” It was about time, honestly. India was someone that deserved the world in Shay’s eyes.

There was something about other people’s input that seemed to inspire and motivate Aly in a way that just didn’t happen when she was writing alone. Bouncing ideas off of someone made all the difference, opened her eyes to flaws she hadn’t thought of initially - the other person didn’t always need to respond, just speaking out loud to another being did the trick. “Please, go ahead.” She moved her notebook to one side and pulled her laptop closer to her as not to intrude on the space, listening intently to what the other had to say. “I think you’re right. I’m pretty sure this book is gonna get… really dark, so do I want to start dark and get darker, or stick with the beach and give myself more of a scale to work with through the peaks and troughs. You know?” She paused, hoping she’d not rambled too much. She had a tendency to word vomit when it came to the novel, but she was truly appreciative of anybody willing to offer help.

           Once settled across from the writer, Shay couldn’t resist a sip of her coffee and smiling as the other continued to muse. She appreciated the creative types, loved artists, and wished she possessed those talents. “There’s something really great in contrasts though. You know?” Maybe she was incredibly far off, not making any sense to a writer with a clear vision of the direction their story was going to take. Shay liked the idea of being able to talk it out, find out what the writer’s way of thinking could be. Though, it was something she knew to vary from one writer to the next. “Starting off at the beach with an ominous feeling could be a great setup for the darkness that would ensue. If you’ve read The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson, well, he opens with Lisbeth on an island and the book grows increasingly dark. It was a nice change of pace from the usual settings of that book series, and while I don’t know what you’ve written before I think stepping outside could be fun.”

As soon as she spoke, embarrassment filled her cheeks with a crimson hue. She hadn’t planned on saying it out loud and yet, here she was, completely taken back by her own words. And when she noticed Shay paying attention to her, she couldn’t help but feel incredibly guilty. “Oh god, wow, I should not have said that.” She chuckled, trying to make up for her comment. “It’s not like that small. More of me just being…judgmental. But it definitely isn’t something you’d want to, I don’t know? Brag about?” The woman then shook her head. “Is that horrible to say?” Then again, he had sent it to her without warning, so it wasn’t exactly a far fetched response. “Actually, I don’t even know him. That was his opening…”

DOWNTOWN → BESPOKE COFFEE & DRY GOODS           ft. @wilmingtonstarters​.

Alyssa stared at her laptop, as she had been doing for what felt like hours. She just couldn’t seem to get started on her novel. She’d been planning and preparing it for what felt like decades, but now the time had come to actually put pen to paper (figuratively, of course), and nothing seemed to be flowing out of her. Everything seemed boring, mundane, or too been there, done that for her liking. She’d barely written the setting and that alone had taken her two coffees and an almond croissant. “This is going to be a long day.” She whispered to herself, having set herself the task of trying to get at least five hundred words down before she went home. “Oh! Excuse me?” Aly asked, grabbing the attention of the first person walking past. “Be honest: is using bad weather in the opening scene of a book too overdone? And if so… is a beach in Hawaii too far the other way?” She was hoping putting her faith in the hands of a stranger might provide her with the inspiration she was so desperately seeking.

          Even though she was the proud owner of her own caffé that didn’t exactly stop Shay from supporting other local businesses, even another coffee shop such as Bespoke. As she was passing the table and someone spoke up to her, Shay immediately offered a friendly smile. “Uumm...” Her lips twisted left and right as she thought the question over. At one point in time she used to be an avid reader and if she couldn’t read she’d be listening to audio books. It had been months though since she really dug into anything and Shay suddenly felt the longing for a good read. “Do you mind if I sit?” A hand gestured to the seat across from her and gently took it out to settle herself into. She wasn’t remotely shy with strangers. “I’ve read and listened to quite a few dramatic setups that start with bad weather, so I might be more inclined to read about a beach in Hawaii and where you might go with that. That sounds a little more unique in comparison and it offers you other opportunities.” Resting her cup on the table, Shay couldn’t staunch her intrigue. “What kind of story are you writing?”

“You flatter me.” Jamie replied with a gushy tone of voice. “I am not overly fussy with my coffee order. Iced or hot, black is more than sufficient for me. I take it the same way my father did, so your argument is moot.” They replied, tongue sticking out briefly as they continued with the child-like banter. “Why not sprinkles? They like, make it look good. I care about the aesthetic too, you know. Wouldn’t waste my time posting something ugly to my food instagram.”

          “You know I live to compliment you.” Some laughter bubbled up Shay’s throat and with the speed of a reflex her fingers struck out for their tongue to pinch it. “I never once said you were the one with the fussy coffee order, so... my point still stands. I said you’re like those people with your ice cream here.” Directing her attention away from Jamie, she held up two fingers toward the associate behind the counter with a smile curving her lips and pointing to the mint chocolate chip. “Why do sprinkles equate beauty? In my eyes it doesn’t make it more appealing.” Perhaps she was attempting to rile them up just a little. “Oh gosh, you’re a foodie grammer...” Now that brought about a roll of her eyes. Though, she had one for Stella Caffé and if she had a personal one it’d likely be full of food, Caine, and Anne Bonney.

OPEN STARTER: @wilmingtonstarters​​

LOCATION: Big Burger Diner 

“Wow, okay…is his dick even supposed to be in the picture?—I can’t find it.” Ideally, those words were meant for her head. Something she should’ve just kept to herself as she looked at the new message on the damn dating app. She wasn’t even sure why in God’s hell she even downloaded it in the first place when she knew something like this was going to happen—yet here she was. And in the midst of realizing what had fallen from her lips, Remy looked up with wide blue eyes and crimson cheeks that so clearly illustrated her embarrassment. “Oh god, I said that out loud, didn’t I?” 

WHERE: Some 24-hour grocery spot. Downtown.

WHEN: It’s 1 AM.

WHO: Open. @wilmingtonstarters​

The past fourteen months had been… Something else. There weren’t exactly comprehensive manuals on how to adjust to your new identity… It was a struggle, with Rich’s only solace coming from the fact that he really had nothing left to lose. Having to curve his chaos was hard enough, but that didn’t stop him from the occasional public break down– even despite his desire to remain ‘under the radar’. On this particular evening, down aisle nine of a local 24-hour grocery, Rich sat on the floor with a pint of ice cream. Never one to be under prepared, he’d even brought his own fucking spoon, and with his back flush against the frosty door he enjoyed the treat right then and there. Smack dab in the middle of the aisle. “You just gonna stand there starin’ or what?” He sounds dejected, and his bleary eyes remain hidden as he refused to make eye contact. It’s 1 o'clock in the morning, and there usually wasn’t anyone around to bother him. “Never seen a man eating Chunky Monkey before?”

          “Yeah, I might. I’m a little concerned that you seemed to have brought your own spoon for... whatever this is you’re doing.” As far as Shay had known the store didn’t sell silverware, at least nothing more than the plastic kind, and light shining from the metal piece in his hand was unmistakable. “I have, just not really right out of the carton unremoved from the freezer section where he’d just picked it up at.” It was the middle of the night so perhaps this was his method of sobering up from a night of going a little too hard. Although, he didn’t exactly strike her as intoxicated in any way. Just... sad, perhaps. “Is... everything alright?”

OPEN START: @wilmingtonstarters​ LOCATION: kilwin’s ice cream shop, downtown

“What do you mean I’m at my toppings limit? Get a bigger cup. I just got out of a coma, and if I want oreos, fig newtons and sprinkles on this bad boy then that’s what’s happening.” Lips smacking, Jamie would then offer a smug smile as the person behind the counter turned to grab a bigger cup. Hands thrust into the pockets of their jean jacket, they’d turn their torso to look at the person behind them in line. “Ice cream scoopers, am I right?” And then a roll of the eyes, as if Jamie’s opinion was somehow universal, instead just one from a ‘sandwich artist’ with a superiority complex.

          “You’re gluttonous.” If she hadn’t been so focused on the assortment of flavors she would’ve shaken her head at him. For the most part Shay was simple, she liked a scoop of whatever flavor was decided upon during the visit and rarely went for toppings. She preferred the ice cream pure. “No, you just sound like one of those fussy people with the overly complicated coffee order.” Something she knew a thing or two about. She’d spent so long behind the counter making coffee for her patrons that she believed she’d become a good judge of character based on that alone. “I can kind of get behind the cookies, but why sprinkles?”