𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖊𝖉𝖞

“Oh, it’s gotta be impossible not to. One kid alone would need a tote bag just for a trip to the park -- cuts, scrapes, sneezes, all’a that. I know I put my poor mom through hell as a kid because I never knew how to sit still.” He was more than comfortable with riffing and rambling; if all else failed, he always had an anecdote to fall back on. He hummed with his mouth closed for a second, gently jostling his head back and forth as if weighing his situation. “More pin on the map, I think. I was in Seattle for a while and didn’t wanna give up the water. You?” The answer felt only half true; it was a ‘pin on the map’ scenario, but he wasn’t the one who made the decision. “You gotta have a little hustle and bustle to even out the peace and quiet. At least I do. For a long time I either had too much chaos or too much quiet through work, so this is a nice change of pace.”

Declan felt close to uncomfortable watching her try to position her umbrella, only because it went against his nature to idly watch someone struggle. He didn’t want to impose or take her sense of accomplishment away, and she soon had her set-up nested to her liking. He listened to her, getting ready to quip that they lived on the same block before the umbrella was swept away; instinctively, he sank a hand into the sand for leverage as he bolted from a sitting position to running form in little to no time, chasing the umbrella down the beachline until he caught a grip of the stem, jogging back to the other leisurely and beginning to prop it back in the sand.

@covestarters​

When the other man’s voice cut out, Dec’s was quick to chime in. “--you took her to the sock hop? Bought her a root beer float for her troubles? Don’t tell me the coppers caught you neckin’ on Lover’s Lane, her pops is probably a sheriff.” He laughed, grinning massively as he shook Nick’s hand with vigor. “Nick Wade, nice to meet ya. Dec Palmer. You new in town or are you the one who throws these things together?”

“Worked with some guys who used satchels one time. Most efficient guys around so you might be onto somethin’ there. Always wondered what they kept in those things; just figured it was stuff for their kids, y'know?” When they reached their destination, Declan used a scoop to place some trail mix on the palm of his hand while saying, "Nice to meet you, too." He began sifting through the mixture, staring at his palm while he spoke." I'm thinking I like it so far. It was a last-minute decision but I've never lived so close to a beach before, so what's a guy to do when the option's available? And you?" He popped a mini pretzel into his mouth, chewing as he turned his attention back to Daisy.

Declan’s laughter was much more audible this time, a pure glint of amusement in his eyes. He hadn’t expected much from the evening, but encountering someone as vibrant as Daisy surely meant that his evening had hit an early peak. “You’re telling me. Smells like there’s shrimp around here somewhere and I’ve gotta see how many I can fit in my chest pocket.” As he followed behind her, he furrowed his eyebrows at the sound of her name, wondering why he’d almost known it without her needing to say so. “I was so impressed with your champagne mastery that I must’ve forgotten; I’m Declan. Pleasure to be your fellow snack connoisseur for the evening.”

A half-smile grew across Dec’s face, laughing a little to himself. “When you put it that way, you getting to keep your arms for another day and whatnot, I can’t really say no to muffins, can I? Making you force my hand after a long day at the office would be rude.”

“Yeah, they had extra bells and whistles to fine tune. At least, that’s what they told me. May’ve been trying to butter me up, who knows?” Declan nodded his head slowly, trying to piece together where the familiar street name was located in the neighborhood. He'd have to pay closer attention on his morning runs. "Nah, this is a solo venture. Moved here from Seattle and my family's in Idaho so I'm taking in the East Coast by myself for a little while. You from the area?" 

“Then it’s even wiser to split it. And here I thought you were the one doing me a favor.” He raised his glass a little in acknowledgement and appreciation, growing a sense of humor much faster than he thought he would at this shindig. “To be completely honest with you, I’m always gonna be a snack man when given the choice. My outfit isn’t all that pool-ready but that’s never really stopped me before,” he said, gentle, facetious laughter undercutting his tone.