the reeling!

"Did I say anything?" Leah queried as she spotted her employee. "I, on the other hand, was planning just that." A gentle laugh escaped her as she spoke. Everyone knew how much she hated evenings out. She'd been there for a coupe of birthday drinks, but had been desperate to go home again within fifteen minutes.

"i know, but people always seem to assume when it comes to me" he says with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "now that's not fair, if i've got to stay, so should. you're my boss after all" alex was always thinking of ways to get out of situations, that's just how he was but he was ACTUALLY enjoying tonight, that was new.

"Right? I've been so busy doing other things, I just haven't gone out in ages." They don't bother to sit down, sipping at the tea that was just made, more than sure that it would be abandoned on the countertop to get cold sooner rather than later. "You're more than welcome to borrow anything in my closet if you wanted to change before we went out - otherwise I say we should grab some cash and head out!"

"ugh, same here. work has been a killer lately, plus i've not had anyone fun to go out with" they reply, taking a sip from their own mug of tea, they'd need this before they go out. "well i kinda came in my casual comfy clothes, so if you've got anything you think would work - i'm all for it" her stomach was swirling with nerves and excitement, this felt like the old days.

"i feel like i'm too fancy to be in a place like this." daphne is mumbling against her glass, brows furrowed as she looked at the whiskey inside of it. to be fair, she felt like most places were too fancy for her. "they teach mixology classes here, don't they? i feel like that'd be fun."

"oh, i know what you mean!" jas replies, "i've felt that before too, like i'm an imposter". they take a sip from their own glass, a cool-looking cocktail, she liked it here, "i bet it would be! we could take a class, and see what it's like?"

"s'it just me, or are people extra dumb today?" as crimson fell to lean next to reese, she flashed her coworker a quick smile. she was one of the only people crimson could tolerate at any given time, and that made her a little extra clingy. "a woman just asked me if we have water here. sat right at the bar and ordered a goddamn water."

reese smiles back at crimson, "it's not you, people are just dumb" she'd been working at the badger and boar for awhile now, she was used to it. she has to stifle a laugh, reese doesn't want to make a scene, "ohmygod! those people are the worst, they just don't get it do they? did you tell her no? i would've done, just to see her face".

"Maybe someone wanted to have a tropical luau room but then realized that idea is stupid," Stella laughed as she placed the lamp back down. "Though having themed rooms sounds kind of fun."

milo laughs with stella, "i could only see that working in the bathroom, but you're right, yeah, it's a rubbish theme" he agrees. "hm. i don't think it's for me, depends on the theme" he had quite minimalist tastes.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a role model but I do have some great characteristics.” commented alexander with a chuckle. the graphic artist carrying a playful air of haught as he spoke highly of himself. quite a difference from his usual dose of self depreciation. but oliver didn’t have to know that, did he? “see, what did I tell you? soulmates, you and I are.”

THE END.

"The thought did cross my mind," he teased, but shook his head. "I just went with a classic supreme pizza; I figured that way we can just pick off anything we don't really want but have a variety. Come set the table and tell me about your day."

emmy scrunches up her nose as she hears him speak, "oh no! please tell me it was just a thought". she stands up, "that makes sense, sounds great. how long is it gonna take to get here?" emmy was hungry, "sure, it wasn't a very exciting one, i just had work".

"This is why I endorse those backpack leash things," Satine retorted, wrinkling her nose. "You should be allowed to install automatic plexiglass barriers the minute kids walk in."

a small laugh fell past his lips, "yeah, i agree. they should be handing them out to parents for free". even though he was still pretty young, alex was unsure if he even wanted kids, "good idea, i'll float it with my boss. the books always come first right? they can go to a toy shop or something, if they wanna touch everything"

instinctively, divya clasps a hand over her face. inspired by pari's determination and can do spirit while holding the smallest drops of trepidation simultaneously. the older of the pair feeling more like an elder sister in the moment. now understanding what it was like for her own. “depends on how chaotic that list is but it wouldn't hurt to comb through it and see what you're really up to.”

in the note section on her phone, pari kept a list of things she'd like to do, some of them were quite outlandish but some of them were achievable, like learning to skate. "you're more than welcome to take a look" she smiles at the other, "reckon i could rope you into sky diving?" pari teases.

despite the smile that reese shot beckett, her final comment made him roll his eyes, hands shoving himself up to a sitting position. "you know you can have a drink without it immediately getting you drunk, right? it's called a casual drink, and sobriety has nothing to do with it." he was clearly annoyed, his tone rather harsh. "i'm not some fucking pansy who needs to be fixed. being sober and enjoying your company have nothing to do with each other."

reese sighs, realising how her comment sounded, she should've thought before she spoke, "i'm sorry, that was shitty of me" she pauses, "i sounded like your fucking mum". she probably should've been a bit more tactful with her words, rather than just going straight in, like a bull in china shop, "but i don't fancy it tonight, i think i'm still hanging from a couple of nights a go" she replies, with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"this is my third visit to this place in two weeks," poe grumbled, though there was still a smile on her face. whether it was in distress or in good humor was yet to be determined. "at this rate, i should just buy a new car. probably be a lot cheaper."

arden comes out of the back, as poe speaks, "yeah, you seem to be having the worst luck" she'd actually just finished looking at poe's car. she wipes down her greasy hands onto her overalls, "to be honest with you, it's going to be expensive, either way, but i'm happy to help you figure things out"

"C'mon, I promise it won't be that bad." Lacey beamed at their company. "I'm starting to actually get to work on people instead of just oranges and pig ears now - and besides, if you come let me practice giving a real tattoo, it's only like a fraction of the cost! The only downside is that you have to pick from a flash sheet."

ren has to think for a moment, "alright, fuck it. i'm in" she agrees, it'd be a nice memory. "that's exciting, how many people have you actually tattooed now?" she had a few small tattoos, dotted around her body, nothing very obvious. "okay, that's not a big deal, i'm sure it'll have some cute designs" she replies, "we can always change them slightly, right?".

"Ooh!" Holly's eyes immediately lit up and a bright smile crossed their features. "Let me at 'em," they chuckled. "I'm all about autumn flowers now it's September. It just has to be done. Totally my aesthetic."

sydney smiles, "let me just go to the back and grab them" she was glad that she wasn't the only one excited for autumn flowers. "same here, i can't wait to get place decked out in autumnal plants" sydney had so many ideas for decorations floating around her brain, it was a good distraction.

“that’s really not necessary,” ivy muttered, shooting her drink one last look before she focused her attention on astrid. “i just like to whine about things, you know me. but this just goes to show that you can fuck an iced coffee up if you work hard enough.” she was smiling now, trying to make a joke of an unfortunate situation. “please tell me yours is at least half decent.”

"well if you change your mind --- i'm here" astrid could do a really good impression of a karen, she'd had to use it once or twice. "yeah, i know" she laughs, "they must've been super fuckin' distracted". she takes a sip from her own drink, "mine's fine, we can share if you want? wanna grab another straw".

aubrey didn’t have to ask twice; copeland was already rolling her yoga mat up, a keen smile on her features. “coffee is definitely more my speed,” she teased, doing her best to sneak towards the door. “we can try this again another day.”

aubrey stands, rolling up her mat too, not caring that the yoga teacher was now definitely giving them both dirty looks, "mine too" she agrees. she nods, "yeah, we can" knowing full well she'd never try yoga again, "do you wanna go to the grind?".