foxxy

Word travelled fast in Pleasant Town. There was no denying that. It was something that Levi absolutely hated when he was younger and something that he still disliked as an adult. Everyone knew everyone else’s business. Who was sleeping with who and what arguments had happened. For Jesse–someone who was sleeping with no one and having arguments plenty with his brother–it was a nuisance. Still there was the rare occasion that gossip piqued his interest. He had been bringing wool and milk to the trading post when he’d overheard some woman talking under their breath.

It was an amazing thing, working. As a janitor, Jesse found it the same. If you were working you were practically invisible to people. People would talk about anything and what these women were talking about was a stripper. At first, Jesse had thought he was about to hear a conversation about how a woman was a hussy or something aggressively conservative about it as the town often was, but they were excited. A stripper night at the bar, they said. There was going to be a young man. Jesse had paused moving things to listen to their conversation.

Before he was ready to get up on stage, Levi wanted to assess his audience. Which one he’d drag up to give a lap dance on, how many middle-aged broads he would have to have staring at him. He noticed a familiar face in the bar, the one that was so conservative about sexuality. In a joke, he strutted over to him. It was a damn catwalk.

bella-trower:

Tati couldn’t help but shoot Jack a look as he went to get shot glasses.  Liquor would be so bad.  Still she calmed herself and played along sweetly with a smile however it faded at Levi’s comment.  “Oh, right.  I’m sure that’s the main concern we have tonight.“  Tia played it off, looking at the shot glasses being filled before smiling. 

“Go ahead and strip, no one minds the show if it’s you.“  She looked up at Levi and grinned wide, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Smiling faintly to Jack as he went to get the glasses, she was glad to see him getting into the spirit of things. Maybe with Levi here things could relax a bit. Taking a drink of the whiskey she’d already poured herself she cant help but calm settling into her spot on the couch. 

For a moment her eyes flickered between Jack and Tati but she took another sip and washed those thoughts away. Jack couldn’t stand Tati, atleast by the way he treated her. Though she would doubt if that would stop his wondering eye. Turning her attention back to the game. “How about we see how the night goes? There may be plenty of stripping to come, especially following liquor”

Jack was beginning to doubt how good of an idea it had been to invite his cousin after all, caught off guard by Levi’s comment regarding himself and Tia. He hadn’t told Levi anything about the affair with his wife’s best friend, almost worried that it would be a little too brutal for even Levi to stomach. 

“No offense but if Tati and Bella are ever stripping in the same room nobody is gonna be looking at Tia.” His response was directed towards his cousin, kind of a cruel thing to say but he doubted it was unexpected. He was pretty openly proud that his wife was a conventionally stunning beauty, though he rarely said as much to her or in front of her anymore. Tia was used to receiving abuse from him whenever Bella was around anyway and he figured he could make it up to her later. “I don’t particularly want to see you strip either. I think I’ve seen enough naked Levi for one lifetime.” 

Jack looked over at Bella as she spoke again, a look of surprise at how down she seemed. He wouldn’t have expected her to be the one that actually seemed to be considering Levi’s ridiculous suggestions. There was something about his cousin that got people to lighten up though, Jack had watched Levi instigate bar-wide shenanigans and drag bros out of closets they hadn’t even realized they were in.

“Awh, c’mon Jack. Tia’s a total babe,” Levi said, defending his friend. I don’t particularly want to see you strip either. Levi held a hand to his checked, pretending to be hurt by his cousin’s comments. 

bella-trower:

Tatiana didn’t comment further on the game, instead focusing on the dealt hand she got from Jack.  She hated feeling forced tension from herself.  She should just relax and have fun, should being the key word here.  In fact, she was so wound up that when the door closed shut behind Jack she jumped and dropped a couple of her cards in the process. 

Instead of grumbling, she snatched the cards up quickly and looked at the complaining cousin with a smile.  She had met him at Bella’s bachelorette party when he was the stripper, and had kept in touch with him ever since.  He some how eased the awkwardness slightly of just the three of them being in the room together.  However not enough to keep her from downing the rest of her drink.  “Bella and I decided on regular Uno, but you would be up for stripping at the drop of a hat.“  Tati teased Levi.

Bella’s fingers slipped over the cards. It wasn’t the most exciting of games but maybe it would atleast loosen them all up a bit. They weren’t far into when Levi stepped in and she couldn’t help but smile. Having your cousin in law be the stripper at your bachelorette part was one hell of a way to meet the family but as she got to know Levi she realized it suited him well. It was an endearing memory and a hell of a story. 

“I wouldn’t complain to switching it up a bit. Maybe even say, if someone drops one of those draw so and so cards on you you have to take a drink. As far as stripping us girls are at a little bit of a disadvantage you guys have far more clothes on then we do”

Jack was relieved that Levi had showed up, worried that his cousin might not show. After all, Jack was pretty sure that Levi had plenty more exciting things to be doing with his evening rather than sitting around the house playing Uno. Jack stayed quiet while the others discussed which rules to play by, surprised that it was Bella who was down for playing by at least some of Levi’s rules.

“I’ll get shot glasses.” He offered, standing and walking to the kitchen then. He returned a few moments later with four small glasses, lining them up on the coffee table and pouring a round so they would be ready.

Levi chuckled at Bella’s excuse to not wanting to strip. “C’mon, it’s not like I’m interested in seeing any of what you guys have. I saw plenty of it at my old job,” he said. “Only thing you have to worry about is Jack perving on Tia here.” He smirked, not realizing that the two were considered an item behind closed doors. 

bella-trower:

Tatiana grinned as she watched Jack pull out the little machine that spit out cards and adjusted herself on the couch she was on to be closer to the table.  “Original?“  She answered Bella but in a questioning tone to see if they were fine with that as well.  After all it was the three of them, not just her.  She stole a glance at Jack as he set up the game before looking down at her hands.

“Because I bought the fancy machine for you guys for Christmas.“  She answered him with a shrug, already expecting the berating to start as he started on the game.  It was like he was gearing up to start his game of how to hurt Tia for the night.

Bella’s eyes shifted back to Jack just in time to catch the looks he was sending her way but she didn’t respond merely took another sip of her drink before setting it down. Spotting his motion she settled next to him on the couch shifting until she was comfortable. “I like it. It makes things entertaining. The original is great but after a few games it’s fun to throw in the extra…atleast for me.” 

Her eyes shift to Tatiana watching her tense faintly, knowing she’s waiting for his taunts. He hadn’t started yet and she could only hope he’d save it for the night. “Well that’s alright, we can always deal him in when he comes in. Jack will you deal us out and get us started”

“Ah, right. I’d forgotten.” Jack admitted as Tatiana explained where they had gotten the game from. He wasn’t really much of a Christmas guy, hating all the fuss that people made over it. He didn’t offer any negative comment though, playing it safe and dealing out the game for them instead. He knew they were both waiting for him to say something about it, sensing the tension and not wanting to give them the satisfaction of being right. He just hoped that Levi would get there soon and save him from the hell that was playing Uno.

levitrower

Levi wasn’t really fond of the idea of going to a get-together like this, but he was going to put up with it. While he liked Bella, and he liked Tatiana, he knew Jack was just dragging him in as the token ‘gay friend’ for them to be distracted with.

He let himself in with the keys that Jack had given him, assessing the situation as fast as he could.