kevin hoffman

“I don’t know, maybe?” Her shoulders lifted in a shrug as she let out her own chuckle. “A friend of mine said you were hot not that long ago. Apparently, she used to have a big crush on you. And, I don’t know if you’re aware but you’re kind of a big deal around here. Sort of like, a local celebrity. You should use it to your advantage more. But, not so much that you get a big head.” Liv’s laughter was softer now, as it traveled to her eyes. There was a brief moment of silence, as Kevin considered how to answer Liv’s other question about Tessa. Part of her wondered if this topic was even comfortable to talk about. Or if discussing it was like breathing life into something you’d much rather not. But, he answered it ultimately, and so she supposed it couldn’t have been that uncomfortable. Or so, she sincerely hoped. Granted, his answer caused Olivia to grow increasingly silent. It hit home. More than she expected it to. Mainly because, the way he described it, she could relate. So the fact that Kevin was able to move on from something so profound, meant that maybe she could too. As he said ― time heals all wounds. How much time though, was the question. To which, she was almost positive he wouldn’t have an answer for. Since, she just assumed it was different for everybody. “It does sound lame. But only, because it’s not specific. Especially, when you’d rather just know when it’ll happen. Would probably save me a lot of headache too but, ya know…” She shrugged again, and then jokingly scowled at his remark. “Jerk. You’re not supposed to agree! You’re supposed to say ― Liv, you can do anything you put your mind to. It sounds hella corny but, if the shoe fits ――“ again, she was only joking and teasing him. And, she fully expected him to fire back with more fun-fueled banter.

“Which friend was this?” Kevin raised an eyebrow playfully before letting out a own chuckle; thankful that Liv’s own tone was more playful than serious, too. The whole Tessa being back in town situation had made a lot of people question what was going on between them or if anything was even still there between the two and, admittedly, it had been a hard adjustment for Kevin. He’d spent years knowing who he was now without her and finding happiness that didn’t include her. So he wasn’t too put out by Liv asking her own questions—especially since the two of them seemed to have maintained that bond that they shared all those years ago. “Me? A big head? C’mon, you know that’s just not my style, Liv.” Sure, he could joke around with the best of them and absolutely wouldn’t walk past a mirror without making sure his hair was doing that thing it did, but he was hardly bigheaded. “I do like the sound of local celebrity, though.” Sending a mischievous wink to his little cousin as they continued onwards, he had to wonder how history seemed to be repeating itself. Granted, his situation with Tessa was a lot better than the one she shared with this guy but Kevin wasn’t much younger than Olivia was now when he and his high school sweetheart ended things and he knew that his twenties involved a lot of ups but plenty of downs from the fallout of that. He just hoped Liv could bounce back from this heartbreak a lot quicker than he did with his own. “Trust me, Liv, if I had an exact time, I’d tell you in a heartbeat. Just remember that it will get better and you have people around you who love you and will always be there for you,” he nudged her gently with his elbow as they walked. “Me being one of them.” Letting out a loud, booming laugh as Liv bit back to his comment about fashion, he continued on with their back and forth. “Ah, I could say that but I should probably add that the shoe in question mightn’t be, you know, fabulous.”

It wasn’t exactly the time and place to be talking like this. Remy was simply looking for a fun night out and welp, now she was ruining it by sharing how she truly felt about everything going on. She hadn’t exactly talked about it with anyone. All people really knew was that she was interested in having a little fun but not the reason behind it. Now, however, Kevin was getting all that first hand and she felt a little bad considering they were just supposed to be enjoying themselves tonight. “Aw, Kev, I appreciate this, I do. I’m sorry you didn’t sign up to be my therapist for the evening, so I’m sorry. Though, I will say that… I don’t know if it’s me knowing myself because honestly, I don’t know who I am. At least, I don’t feel like I do. How is anyone supposed to know who they are? Because right now I feel like I’m just this complete failure in life. What do I have to say for myself, ya know? I live in the same shitty apartment that I grew up in. I do the same thing every day. I’ve never even let the state. I feel like I messed up along the way and now it might be too late.” And that was why she was pushing him to do something crazy tonight like parasailing. Because she felt obligated to. She felt like this was what people did. They went out, they got drunk and they made memories they’d carry with themselves forever. And well, Remy didn’t have too many memories like that. But wanted them. “A meme!? Oh god, is that your ultimate goal or something? Are you pulling a Snoop Dogg or something right now and waiting for the moment where someone turns you into a meme?!” Despite part of their conversation being so serious, Remy couldn’t help but laugh at that bit. However, knowing their luck together, they would be turned into a meme. “This is why we get along so well, you know that? You embrace my obsession with food that I’m going to regret eating later on. So thank you for not judging me for being a human vacuum for junk.” 

“Ah, don’t be sorry—I live for these uplifting pep talks. You’re speaking to the guy who, at one point in his very embarassing adolescence, aspired to be Mayor. So, yeah, I got a whole bunch of these up my sleeve; you just gotta let me know what kinda crisis we’re dealing with and give me, like, five minutes and a mirror and I’ll be good to go.” His tone was playful but there was definitely some truth there—Kevin had wanted to be Mayor in his youth but more importantly he was always ready to give his friends a boost or a pep talk if they needed it (and sometimes when they really didn’t want it, too.) “Too late?” The blonde asked with genuine surprise in his tone. “Remy, you’re turning thirty not ninety-nine. You’re smart, beautiful and kind and you’re not a failure, alright? If you wanna change your life, it’s definitely not too late for you.” Kevin knew that she wasn’t trying to bring the mood down—in fact, if anything Remy was trying to steer away from this conversation to focus on their night of fun—but he didn’t want to move on from it until she began to feel somewhat better about her next birthday. You were always hardest on yourself but Kevin definitely didn’t want her to be too hard when she was awesome—and yes, he was a little biased but he knew it to be true. “Are you saying you don’t wanna become a meme? Just picture it, okay—you get into a hilarious back and forth on Twitter. The time has come to select a meme. You select one that’s not only relevant but...it’s you. I mean, c’mon!?” Letting out a laugh, thankful to hear the girl laughing too, Kevin watched as the bartender brought over their next round and handed one over to her before holding his own shot glass up in a toast. “I support you in all your decisions, Blake. Here’s to our wild night of being big, regretful, vacuums for junk.”

“A dog mixer,” Sean echoed, clearly amused by the prospect. Of course, the truth was, Olive was slowly making the rounds with his friends – and with their pups – but maybe there was something to be said for doing it all at once; one big meeting of canines, and humans. “You know, that ain’t a half-bad idea. Meetup at the dog park, maybe, everyone brings snacks.” That part, though, was a given – no way would that crowd get together without food. “Don’t worry, the second there’s an update, I’m callin’ you.” He’d do it, too – Kevin was one of his closest friends, and one of the people he knew he wanted to share news with – when he actually had news, that is. Still, he was glad that Kevin hadn’t pressed the point, because he didn’t want to lie outright, he just … thought the next person he shared with should be Micah herself. “Real interesting, okay, yeah, I’m gonna need updates on that one. Good kind of interesting, right?”

Perking up at the mention of treats for humans as well as dogs, Kevin gave a big nod of approval. “Honestly, I thought it sounded great when it was just a bunch of dogs making friends but you know I’m there if it involves snacks.” As Sean assured him that if there were any updates to be shared, he’d be quick to share them, Kevin gave his warmest smile. “I appreciate that, man, you know I like to be kept in the loop.” As the focus shifted back to his own relationship, he bit down on his lip from smiling too wide—he didn’t want to give away his nerves or excitement on the prospect of taking the next step with Sophia. After all, she had every right to say a big fat ‘no’ when he asked. “Good kind of interesting, definitely. I mean, or at least I think so? It kinda all depends on what answer she’s gonna give me...” Raising his eyebrows, he turned to look at Sean to see if he was catching his drift.

“You’re tellin’ me.” In so many ways, Kevin and Remy were the same. They both stuck around Wilmington. Both led relative normal, average lives. Nothing too crazy seemed to happen and that’s what really got to her. Remy had too many people around her that got to see the world and experience life and she truly felt like she needed to do something about that. She was so stuck in her head that if she wasn’t experiencing the same damn thing as everyone else, then well, she wasn’t living. “I think that’s exactly why I’m dreading it so much. I don’t know what I want or who I am. I mean, I can barely even say that I’ve been in love or felt passionate about something like others have.” Sure, she had her work, but that wasn’t enough for her anymore. And now, despite their desire to have a great night, it was clear parts of the conversation was taking a turning point. “I mean if you say so. I’ll try and trust ya.” She then chuckled softly, though her features were telling a whole other narrative. “Oh god, with a title like that you’re bound to end up on like CNN or something. That’s breaking coverage right there. Plus, it would give people a good laugh which god knows we need that in the news world sometimes. But you also gotta promise you give me some time on the TV! I’m the one who came up with the idea after all.” With a proud look in her eyes, Remy shot Kevin another wide smile. “Neon ones? You mean the scooby snacks? Alright, we’ll take a few more and then hop to the next place, alright? Because we’re clearly the best pair for fake birthdays. Maybe we can even go to Chilis and get a free molten lava cake.” 

Kevin listened as Remy let him in on what was really going on in her mind when it came to turning thirty. He’d had an inkling but as the floodgates opened and the truth came out, he felt a strong urge to reach out and pull her in for a hug but knew that could just make everything worse and he didn’t want that. It was upsetting to think she was behind or lacking in any area when he never thought of her in that way—to him, she was just Remy: the same person he absolutely adored spending time with. “Remy, there’s no time limit on these things. I know society likes to shove a ‘normal’ down our throats but it’s not the case, alright? And as for the other stuff...” Kevin sighed out, gesturing to her and rolling his eyes. “You haven’t felt love or passion ‘cause you haven’t found someone whose even close to being worthy. Which means you’ve never settled for something or someone. Which, to me, sounds like you know yourself a lot better than most people.” Allowing his words to settle, the blonde’s mouth turned up into a warm smile and he sincerely hoped that his words would offer some sort of comfort because he had meant every single one of them. “Psh, please—if I make it onto CNN interviewing myself then you better believe I’m bringing you with me. Maybe we’d become, like...a meme!” Catching onto the girl’s smile and hearing her words, he gave a confident nod of his head and put all his trust in her. “Alright, deal. We end the night on molten lava cake—but first, more scooby snacks,” he paused, picking up the empty shot glass and catching the bartender’s attention. “Four more, kind sir.” 

‘A big news reporter’ didn’t mean as much in Wilmington as it did in cities the size of New York, but the pride with which Kevin said it left no room for doubt. He was happy with his career and it didn’t matter that their town might not have been as exciting as some other places in their country. It was more than most could say, Amy being first on that list, and there was a small pang of envy as she thought about how she would give anything to have her life path figured out like that. Instead, here she was, back to living with her parents, back to helping out at the marina, and back to not really knowing what to do with her life next. At least you could say she was consistent. “You know you have your job easy when you’ve got half the town’s gossip mill spreading the news all the time,” Amy teased with a chuckle. It wasn’t exactly the news Kevin reported on, she was aware, but sometimes it seemed to be the only news in town. Following his example and taking a sip of her own drink, she could feel her lips spread into a smile behind the paper straw trapped between her lips. “It’s why we all love you,” she said with a good-humored wink, setting her glass down and allowing her lips to spread into a full smile. “I have heard whispers about that and may have seen an instagram photo or two,” she admitted, recalling the beauty that was on his arm in said photos. “But I want to hear the deets straight from the source. What’s she like? How long have you two been dating?”

“Hey now, I still put the work in, don’t get it twisted. They just....help me.” Kevin’s tone was playful because yes, the gossip was churned out in this town fast and plentiful and definitely gave him that advantage when it came to chasing up leads. People were always willing to talk. Feeling warm inside as the brunette sent a wink his way, assuring him that he was appreciated even for the cheesy moments, Kevin was truly thankful to have his old friend back around. It was crazy to think they had so much to catch up on but it seemed that as life went on, time didn’t feel the same—days got away and turned into weeks, months, years and before he knew it he’d lost track of it all. Things got so busy and it wasn’t as if he sucked at keeping in touch, he just wasn’t the best with keeping track of time. Feeling a bright smile take over his face at the mention of his girlfriend, he glanced down bashfully and felt as though he was a teenager getting grilled on his relationship by an older family member. “She’s amazing, Amy. She’s smart, beautiful, she doesn’t take any shit from anyone—you’d like her.” Letting out a laugh at the last part, knowing they were two of the same and that was strong women, Kevin glanced up once more. “We’ve been together for, like, three years now, so...yeah, she’s a keeper.” Pointing over to her before folding his arms on top of the table once more, he sent a mischievous grin. “What about you, though? How’s your love life?”

“A future with Soph?” That should’ve gone without saying. But, Olivia just wanted to be sure that, Kevin saw all of these things with Sophia and not someone else. The last thing she’d ever want her cousin to do is settle down with someone, just because he felt he had to, it seemed comfortable, or because he’d be pacifying others by doing it. Not that Olivia thought he’d rush into something for the wrong reasons. It’s just that, they were humans. And sometimes they do things without fully weighing them out. Or because they think they have to and it’ll make someone in their life happy. Yet, no one ever asks themselves what would truly make them happy. Sometimes, people just forget that it’s okay to be selfish. This was a mentality Olivia was still battling with herself. At the same time, she was only twenty four – soon to be twenty five, and so she had plenty of time to figure out what she wanted. “You know,” at the topic of Tessa, it dawned on Olivia that she never really got his full side of the story. Least of all where their break up was concerned. Tessa confided in her about her feelings in regards to the matter when Olivia told Tessa about Romeo and sought out advice. But, Liv was always curious how he dealt with it. “Do you ever miss her?” She was only asking because, she wondered if she could relate. The two seemed pretty in love once upon a time, not unlike her and Romeo, and Olivia had always admired it. Tessa had even said to her that, you only know if you’re truly over someone when you stop wondering about the ‘what if’s’. And Olivia was interested to know if he ever stopped. It’s easier to not feel confused about a person, when that said person was out of sight and out of mind. That wasn’t the case for them now. “I only ask because, I’m not there yet. It’s been three years for me and I still miss him. Even when I know I shouldn’t. But, I guess it’s true what they say. You never really shake your first.” Olivia shrugged, and then smiled up at her cousin, grateful for the reassuring words. “That’s me. Sweet. Or so, I try to be. I’m also excellent at picking out ties now. Remind me to put that on my resume later. Should I ever pursue a career in fashion. Although, I wouldn’t hold my breath. I’m pretty basic.” 

Eyebrows knitting together as Liv had to check who he was planning a life with, Kevin let out a quiet chuckle and turned to his younger cousin in confusion. “Yeah, of course with Soph. Jeez, Liv, do you think I’ve got a following of women to take my pick from?” Kevin had to wonder if maybe any time spent with Tessa had her thinking a certain way about what was going on between the two of them. The truth was, the lines had been blurry since his high school sweetheart returned to town but that was simply down to the two of them trying to navigate their friendship for the first time since breaking up. Sure, they’d been friends before they dated but all communications halted once they broke up and so this was an entirely new situation for the two and it had been a long time since they’d been in each other’s lives. Nowadays he felt better about it—he and Tessa were friends and it was nice having the girl back in his life. The blonde’s smile faded as Olivia went on to ask him whether he ever missed the woman in question and, honestly, he hadn’t anticipated it. The answer didn’t come to him straight away; mainly because Liv hadn’t finished speaking and so he chose to listen. Kevin was well aware of the situation she was referring to and it still upset him to think of her hurting over this guy. “Honestly...at first, I missed her every single day. For years. It took me a really long time to feel okay about who I was without her.” Kevin admitted, giving a small shrug. “It sounds kinda lame but it’s just like the saying—time heals all wounds. One day it won’t feel as hard.” His words weren’t empty; he meant every single one of them and he had faith that his younger cousin would pull through this. “Ah, I wouldn’t say you’re basic but I don’t think your passion lies in fashion.”

40% chance of precipitation with scattered thunderstorms.

“It’s like it’s a whole new life almost, isn’t it? I know that’s so cheesy and cliche to think that we actually feel older or something, but I don’t know, turning thirty is just a whole new ballpark it feels like. Does that make sense?” The age thing was a huge reason Remy was turning into this new kind of person. Or well, trying to turn into someone new. She still wanted to keep the same morals and be a similar person to who she was now. But as she got older, she realized that her life didn’t have much to it, and she wanted to change that and add more experience under her belt. “Alright alright, I’ll let it slide. Since you are the only one here celebrating my birthday right now.” Even though it wasn’t really her birthday. But it was nice having a friend around who would say it was and go along with it. Especially if it turned the night into something fun. “Wait wait! If you got injured, would you interview yourself on camera? Would you be your own story?!” A fit of laughter then followed as she thought of it. Obviously, she knew it wouldn’t go that way, but she couldn’t help but imagine him interviewing himself and how hilarious that would be to her. As she then finished off the shot, she winced softly at the small taste of alcohol but soon switched gears and shot him a smile. “That wasn’t so bad! You should be more concerned with the sugar intake. That’s gonna give us a hangover. But at least then we know we had fun, right? Also, just putting it out there now, if we end up in some random place tonight, don’t blame the birthday girl.” Unlikely that they would. They were both adults and fairly responsible ones, but who knew what their night was going to turn into.

“It really is and you know, a lot of people say that your thirties are your glory years because by the time you turn thirty you know who you are as a person and what you want out of life—which sounds great on paper but if you’re not there yet it really works in turning your thirtieth birthday into a major depression session.” It wasn’t so much that it had been the case for him because by the time he was turning the big three-zero he was happy in his job and he had Sophia in his life—the last part was just pure luck, of course. “Just don’t listen to anyone spouting all that crap and put pressure on yourself. Trust me, Remy, you’re you and you’re gonna be fine.” Maybe on a significantly sober day he would have been able to articulate better advice or words of comfort but this was the best Kevin could manage at that point and he hoped his long ramble made some sort of sense to the blonde. “You see that? The only friend celebrating your fake birthday. Don’t ever forget it.” A laugh escaped past his lips and only grew at the girl’s next question. “Oh, I’d totally interview myself! Man, that would bring in serious views. Picture it: Man gets injured in freak parasailing accident, interviews self on local news.” The neon shot looked way worse than it actually tasted but he would milk it for whatever he could because...well, he was 32 and taking shots. “We always have fun, so I won’t blame you, birthday girl. I think we should take more neon ones and see where the night takes us. I’m all in ‘cause I know you’re gonna do the same for me on my fake birthday.”

                      She hadn’t been expecting this when she had walked through the door. Kevin could be a true romantic at heart, sure, but it was very rare that he pulled something like this at random. He usually had something up his sleeve and knowing that had Sophia’s mind immediately racing on the what ifs and what could bes. She loved surprises, but never handled them with grace. “Crazy isn’t even the word to use and that’s saying something.” Crazy, stressful, insane but all of which was shrugged off the moment she got home and could be welcomed back into a warm environment to unwind. And, well, now she was more or less distracted with what the hell he was up to dressed so nice and the rooms being lit up with candles. Sophia’s thin arch of her brow only peeked higher with curiosity, approaching her boyfriend and placing her hands on his chest to lightly crinkle the material beneath her fingers. “This old things look real good on you.” She murmured with a smirk then moved to kiss his dimpled chin, then bottom lip, then top lip, then his nose. “You’re pulling out all the moves tonight.” Sophia laughed then lightly grasped his chin. “Are you trying to get lucky or what?” 

“That doesn’t sound like a good kinda crazy.” The blonde winced, watching as Sophia closed to space between them and felt the nerves begin to swell up in his chest. Naturally his arms shifted to her waist as her hands rested against his chest and her lips found their way across his skin, causing his eyes to close over happily and his lips curve into a smile. Eyes meeting hers once more as Sophia demanded his attention, he felt the nerves level up and knew that she’d be able to sense it—his heart was racing. Kevin hadn’t planned out everything perfectly, he just knew that when he saw her he’d know what to say and as she stood before him it began to come together. 

“I, uh, I actually wanted to talk to you about something,” he nodded, letting his hands shift from her waist to her arms and then hands. “I owe you an apology. A big one, actually. See, I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with you from the second I laid my eyes on you and I think any smart man would have made it known that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you a lot sooner than I have.” Kevin nodded slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on hers. “Truth is, Soph, you’re magic and I’ve been waiting for you to realise you could do a whole lot better than some guy trying to keep up with you. I guess a lot of things lately have made you wonder where my head’s at but you’ve never once made me feel like you wanted out of this. You’ve just been your usual strong, brilliant self. So, I wanna let you know now and I wanna apologize for making you wait so long.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the little little black box that had been hidden away in his sock drawer for too long and got down on one knee; opening the box to reveal the ring. “Sophia Jane Patton, I love you. I always will. Will you marry me?”

“What?” Amy feigned a gasp, her eyes wide in mock display of shock. “They’re missing out on some wild fun. It’s their loss,” she said with a disapproving shake of her head. A good sense of humor was an absolute necessity for people in her life, and Amy was beyond pleased with the choices she’s made over the years. “Oh, right, right, it’s because of your job,” she was quick to agree, even if only to mess with him. They both knew it was because of the inquisitive nature of their hometown, especially among the people that knew each other for years, and there were plenty of them just between Kevin and Amy. Pursing her lips in thought as Kevin suggested a compromise, Amy mulled it over for a moment or two, just as the waiter brought over his order and she nodded her head in agreement. “I can do that. Two months should give me plenty of time to recover.” And in two months, the news of her return will have become so stale, her presence so common that there was no way anyone was ever going to remember to ask about where she had been and what she’d been up to. It worked like a charm. “Oh, yeah?” She wondered as she leaned in and rested her chin on the palm of her hand, taking in the way that sunlight made his hair more golden, his features more chiseled than before, and his eyes gleamed with exactly the emotion he named: happiness. “I’m beyond happy to hear that, even if it is the cheesiest reply I might have ever heard. What’s got you so happy?”

“That’s what I keep telling ‘em!” Despite the fact that maybe on paper the two of them shouldn’t have really matched up on things like humor, Kevin had always been able to count on Amy to give him a good laugh and vice verse. It was nice to see that still stood. “That’s exactly right, I’m a big news reporter, I keep the people in the know.” Of course, by ‘big’ he really meant ‘local’ but honestly he wouldn’t change it. Kevin had always known that this was the place he belonged and the place he would never want to leave, even if life had offered him opportunities elsewhere. Knowing that Amy would jump on this opportunity to not have to painstakingly walk him through every detail of her life he hadn’t been present for recently, Kevin felt his smile grow wider as she finally agreed to circling back to this subject in a couple months time. “Perfect, we have ourselves a deal then.” Pausing as the waiter brought over an ice cold water, he thanked him and turned his attention back to the girl, taking a sip as she spoke. “You know me, never stray too far from cheesy,” he laughed, setting the glass down. “Well, I’ve got a lot of good stuff going on here. Plus, you know, I’m one of those unbearable people in love, so.” 

THE COPPER PENNY - @wilmingtonstarters​

Jenny sat on a stool, listening to the loud chatter around her. Most nights, she come have a few drinks with some friends but tonight her ass was currently planted on a stool with no one in sight. Her mind had been on the secret that Tessa had told her at prom, something that had been hard for her to keep to herself since she knew Kevin felt the same way… but it wasn’t like she had a love live that was worth talking about. She turned her head when she heard a voice next to her, her eyes flickering from the person to the empty stool. “Please, sit… Go for it.”

“Fancy seeing you here.” The words chimed out of him before Jenny even spared a glance his way. Honestly, he hadn’t expected to run into her this evening—especially not at this establishment all alone. As his best friend offered up the empty stool beside her, he did as was told and waved down the bartender. “A beer and another one of whatever she’s having.” Plastering on a warm smile, he scooted around on the stool and turned his body to face the brunette, taking in her appearance. “How are we doing, buddy?”

                       It had been one long day. In between disgruntled clients, contracts being flawed beyond her expertise, her feet aching in those heels… Sophia had been ready to cross that threshold and crawl onto the couch to erase that entire day from her books. Having arrived home nearly an hour later than what she usually would, Sophia hummed out and immediately announced her arrival as soon as she was jiggling the door handle open. “I know, I know, I forgot to call. I swear it was just like time got away from me and it’s lunch time then suddenly we closed an hour ago…” Sophia rambled when entertaining the apartment and walking into the living room, leaning down to pull her shoes off along the way. “You’re dressed snazzy.” She said, ticking an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side. “It’s not our anniversary…” 

Eyes darting up as soon as he heard the door creak open, Kevin’s hands ripped away from his pockets immediately as though he was caught red-handed and quickly tried to look as nonchalant as possible, even though he was about to make perhaps the biggest move of his life. Getting to his feet—regrettably, as it was totally throwing off the whole nonchalant vibe. Though, the various candles lit probably didn’t help much either—Kevin watched as Sophia got rid of the heels and tried to leave the workday behind her before instantly catching onto the fact that something was a little out of the ordinary. “Sounds like you had a pretty crazy day,” he grinned, trying not to let his nerves and excitement get the best of him as he leaned in to steal a quick kiss. “Ah, this old thing? It’s nothing.” The blonde waved her down, gesturing to his chest. “And you’re right, it’s not our anniversary but I have ordered us Thai food.”

“Uh-huh,” Amy hummed pointedly, shaking her head at him as she took her seat once again. There was no way in hell he was lying to her, he was not that guy, but she would not miss the opportunity to tease him. Focusing her attention back on him as the heaviest of sighs parted his lips, her eyebrows rose curiously, only to disappear when she threw her head back in laughter. “Oh, I’ve missed your sense of humor, Kev,” she said as she faced him again, a big grin perched atop her lips. As much as he could frustrate her at times, he always could make her laugh, too. It probably had everything to do with that cheeky charm of his coupled with that baby face, all these years later. As he placed his order with the waiter, Amy took a sip of her smoothie, and nearly choked on it as he kept cracking jokes. “I mean, how’d you know? About all of that? It’s like you’ve read my mind.” And, whether her tone implied she was joking or not, Amy was actually serious. She had given that story of where she’s been and what she’s done so many times in the past few weeks that she’d grown tired of it, even when it spoke of one of her greatest achievements in years. “‘Cause, really, I’ve been to South America, I volunteered as a medic, it was life-changing and incredible, and I’m tired of talking about it. But I honestly just want to hear all that’s been going on with you and this fountain of youth you’ve found and won’t let the rest of us know where it is.”

“I’ve missed you, buddy. Nobody else laughs at my dorky sense of humor.” It wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, he wasn’t often the most eloquent or even intending to be funny most of the time but Kevin had always known that for some wild reason he could always land a joke with Amy Taylor. “I’m a reporter, Amy, I know the inquisitive nature of people better than anyone.” It wasn’t that far of a stretch—someone comes back to town, especially this town, and the questions are never-ending. Maybe it was a con to Wilmington; it was easy to see that it could feel overbearing to a lot of people but Kevin liked to believe that there was just a general interest there. People wanted to know what was going on with their own. “South American visits and volunteering as a medic is way too good of a story not to hear, so how about this: I’m gonna circle back to this in about...two months? I imagine by then people will have stopped asking you about it so you’ll actually want to tell me.” Chuckling, he ran a hand through his hair and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “I think, and this is me getting cheesy on you here, that the fountain of youth is just being happy. You can’t beat a happy life, Amy, and I really can’t complain.”

Adulting. She knew that word all too well. That’s all she had been doing since she was young and she hated it. Or well, she did now at least. “God, I know. When did we get so old? I mean, I turn thirty soon. Thirty. Which yeah, I get it, you’re already there, yada-yada. But I feel like we blinked and boom…here we are. Still in Wilmington still working…it never ends I guess. Wish we could be more like Tessa and just jet off and see the world.” Something she was starting to regret she hadn’t done. Not that she had to means to do so, but maybe she’d find a way to get by or something. Who knew. Maybe if she were more open to it before, life would be different. “Ouch, K-Hoff, that’s all you keep me around for?!” She then dramatically gasped and placed a single hand over her chest to add more dramatics to it. “You know, one of these days I’m gonna stop stitchin’ people up and y’all are gonna really regret it. And let’s just say this right now, my offer to help us if we got into some freak parasailing accident? Off the table!” She was only joking though and just by the tone of her voice, it was obviously so. As one drink then came out, Remy’s smile grew and she quickly lifted it up to cheers Kevin. “I mean, you may be crazy hungover from all the sugar but if you’re nice for the rest of the night I’ll let you have an IV bag from the hospital. We’ll have a spa day or something like that to nurse ourselves back to life tomorrow. That is if we even survive the night.” And with that, she took the shot, tapped it onto the bar top before finally bringing it to her lips, and downing in one gulp. 

“I’m not even gonna respond to that with the typical oh, thirty is so young! I wish I was thirty statement because honestly, I definitely felt whatever you’re going through as I was turning thirty.” Kevin added, knowing how bored he got of hearing it repeated as he approached the big three-zero. Eyes lowering as Remy mentioned his high school sweetheart, he tried not to think about his initial feelings of when Tessa actually fled the nest and began her journey around the world—starting in New York City when college came around. He hadn’t been able to understand why she wanted to leave the haven they had around them but as he got older it definitely made sense. “I didn’t say all, I said it was a reason, that’s all.” Kevin held his hands up innocently, knowing she was playing up the dramatics so he would keep up. “God damn it and here I was all geared up for what I was gonna say in my post-parasailing incident interview!” Without missing a beat, he clinked his shot glass to the girl’s and winced slightly as Remy spoke on the outcome of their impromptu night together and although he could always get on board with a spa day, the IV bag part was a little unsettling. “God spare us.” Tapping the glass to the bar, he followed her lead and knocked it back before presenting her with an excited yet terrified smile.

Incredibly excited. 

“Your sister is a very smart girl then. Plus, when it comes from family, you know it’s true. It’s easier for a family to tell you, you suck. And if she didn’t, then boom, look, hotshot Bruce Almighty. I’m right and the case is closed.” To go with her words, Remy held a single hand up to prevent him from trying to argue against her. She’d gladly be his cheerleader. They were friends and it came with the territory. “That’s what I’ve been saying, but guess you’re too busy for little ‘ol me.” She teased, shoving him softly with her own shoulder as she crinkled her nose. As then carried on with the birthday joke, she couldn’t help but laugh. Both hands covering her face out of embarrassment—but, she was trying to have fun here. It was her mid-year resolution. Break out of her comfort zone and be a different person. Or well, a more outgoing, funloving person. She wanted to experience life and well, this was a great place to start. “Danger is my middle name, Hoffman, come on! Live a little, right? And luckily, I’m a great nurse, so if we get hurt, I’ll be there to fix us right up. Win-win.” Not exactly, but she was rolling with it and kept her smile plastered across her face as the pair sat down. “No!” She then interrupted him. “Can we do pineapple upside-down shots?!” Her question was more geared toward the bartender, but she was hoping Kevin would be okay with it. “And then maybe a scooby snack shot?” 

Opening his mouth to argue against her he was immediately silenced by the almighty hand that Remy held up in the air to stop any protests or counter arguments—and so it was settled: hot shot Bruce Almighty was simply the truth and nobody could say otherwise. “I’m never too busy for you, okay? I’m just...adulting. Sometimes. I’m getting old now, Remy. My energy ain’t what it used to be.” It wasn’t a total lie—Kevin was no longer at that stage in his life where he enjoyed being out in the club all night. Life was more settled now. He still had a social aspect to it, of course, but a lot of his weekends were now taken up by just one girl in particular. The fact that Remy was mortified with him announcing their birthday lie to nobody in particular didn’t come as a surprise but she rolled with it and soon enough they were rolling all the way to the bar. “I don’t want you to think that your nurse credentials are a huge reason for me keeping you around but...they’re a reason.” Nodding playfully, he let out a low chuckle before the attention turned immediately onto what the hell where they about to drink. Remy asked the questions herself but in all honesty, Kevin was asking the exact same thing. Something upside down and a scooby snack? He was frightened, yet intrigued. “You heard the birthday girl.” As the guy gave them somewhat of an unimpressed look and got to fixing their particular order, Kevin looked to the scooby snack shot in fear. “Will I ever recover from this?”