Freya sat in Cuppa Jo with her laptop open, looking at some things for the wedding. She sighed, taking a drink of her coffee. “Why did no one tell me that wedding planning was so hard?”

“I like to think it’s one of those ‘you won’t know until you experience it’ feelings,” Cleo replied. “I’ve seen a few of those bridal shows, I don’t think I could personally ever deal with that much stress, but there’s also that beauty of the ceremony and reception that seems to make it all worthwhile for everyone involved. Look at it that way, the ending result will be spectacular.”

She stared at the woman for a few moments before catching her words. “Huh?” She blinked out of her daze before looking down at the fingers still held firmly over the top of her coffee. “Oh! No, it’s okay! My fingers are okay, actually I didn’t get burnt at all.” She chuckled awkwardly, still embarrassed from bumping into the woman. “It uh…it didn’t spill at all really…and so my fingers are cool. All good.” She rambled slightly, sliding a hand through her hair to brush it away from her face.

She let out a small sigh of relief, knowing the younger woman wasn’t hurt, she knew coffee bought from outside always seemed to be ten times hotter than homemade coffee. “Okay good,” she chuckled. “Are you rushing somewhere? If not, I have some baby wipes in my bag to help clean up and I was headed for some coffee myself, I wouldn’t mind getting you another cup. I know how disappointing it can be to spill your drink,” Cleo offered.

It felt like one thing after another continued to creep into Geo’s like just to make it more and more difficult. He hadn’t felt this tense since, well, ever, and he knew he had to let off some steam before it ate him alive. What else do idiots in their late thirties do when they’re about to enter their midlife crisis? They drink. But, he felt a bit sad sitting at home with a bottle of whiskey and his remote flicking through channels full of nothing on the television, so he at the very least decided if he was going to be a sad sack, he could do it in the company other other sad sacks. As he walked into the bar he seated himself on a stool, gesturing to the bartender and ordering the exact same whiskey on the rocks he probably could have drunk at home. 

@cleo-valentine

Cleo had been sitting at the bar, reviewing a few drafts of some recent articles she had written up. She was definitely the type to overthink everything, she wanted her articles to be as close to perfect as possible. Of course, not everyone would always enjoy it but if she could get a majority of people to read it with just some keywords then that would be perfect. She tucked her dark hair behind her ear, looking up at the man who took a seat beside her. She watched as the bartender made his drink and closed the folder in her lap, “I’ll have what he’s having please.”

The workday was just about over at No Strings Attached. She knew it was probably weird to feel sad over a day of work of ending. The music shop (aside from her daughter) was her pride and joy. She had put so much hard work and love into every inch of it. She was slowly making her way through the newest batch of used vinyls, listening to it on one of the turntables to make sure there was no scratches or noise before she put out for sale. The bell chiming above the door alerted her to a new customer and she grinned, speaking in a soft Southern drawn. “Hey y’all! Welcome to No Strings Attached. Just a fair warning, we’re gonna close soon. Can I help you find something?”

Walking into the music shop, Cleo hadn’t even caught the time, she was so desperate to find a replacement for the record she had lost during the move. Her fingers quickly skimmed the edges of some before she heard the other woman speak, “Oh! My sincerest apologies I don’t even know where the time went. I’m looking for a record, Easy Living by Billie Holiday. It’s what I listen to while working and the movers must have misplaced my copy of it. I know I could just order it online and what not but it just doesn’t sound the same to me if that makes any kind of sense.”

Nellie felt like she was about to lose her mind. She’d been to bed late last night, and woken up far too early. It’d been the same schedule for the past week or,so. She’d been trying to finish off a gown she’d been working on for a while now, the intricate detailing almost driving her to the brink of madness. She had just picked up her fourth coffee of the day, intent on returning to her work space to get back to work when she collided with someone. She covered the top of her cup quickly so it wouldn’t spill on the other, tired eyes glancing up at them. “Oh jeez, I’m so sorry. I think my mind is drifting a bit today..” She gave a light smile. “I haven’t done you any damage, have I?”

Settling down in a new town was still something new for Cleo, she wasn’t used to sitting still in one place for too long, but discovering smaller designers was one of her big tasks for the year. She had been focused on listening to her messages through her Bluetooth earpiece when the collision happened. She quickly turned her messages off and focused her attention on the other woman. “No no, it’s fine, wouldn’t be the first time I had coffee stains to remove,” she joked. “Are you alright dear? I hope you didn’t burn your fingers trying to shield me.”

[  jaime murray, forty three, female, she/her ] ━ hey, I just saw [ cleo valentine ] walking down the streets of crownsville. they’ve lived in town for [ one month ], and you can catch them around town working as a [ fashion journalist ]. I hear they’re known to be [ honest & charming] and [ possessive & guarded ]. if asked, they would say their aesthetic would be [ red lipstick, coffee stained papers, fabric swatches ]

heyo! my name’s kiawe, i used to be in this rp a while back but life got a bit hectic. i’m glad to be back though with a new babe! if you’re interested in plotting or anything just let me know i’m always up for plotting, you can read more about her below!