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At his offer Elena raised an eyebrow, it certainly wasn’t a bad offer. Plus it probably was as close to tropical as she was going to get. Well at least until she was able to leave the office and go on vacation without worrying that all of her work would be ruined. “I wouldn’t be against some tropical drinks.” She informed him. “You’re right it is better than nothing, which I’m willing to take.” Tucking her hair behind her ear, she crossed her arms over her chest. At his words she stood there stone faced, she kept her weight on her heels. “You know what it’s probably for the best I won’t hold it against you at all.” Waving her hand to let him know that he didn’t need to try and save face. “Did you at least miss the festival to do something fun?”

“Just no matter how much I say otherwise, don’t let me make it for you.  I always think I can mix drinks and then I end up blacked out in a bush.  I’m a bit of a heavy pour.” He said with a shrug.  It was why other than serving beer and wine, he had been banned from the bar.  “And hey, if you take the food to go and go sit on the beach, I’m sure you could fool yourself into thinking you’re someplace tropical?” he offered.  It was a poor excuse, and in reality, having just visited a Caribbean island he knew that the beaches of Maywood were nothing like those of a tropical paradise she was looking for.  But you had to work with what you got.  “Oof, probably for the best, huh?  What happened?  Did the stage collapse?  Someone set something on fire?”  He questioned, interested in her seemingly sour attitude about the event.  “But, yeah, I was down in Puerto Rico visiting my family.  So definitely worth missing it, but doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck that I missed it.”

special delivery for → @matty-perez​

“Welcome back!” Alex sang happily as she walked into the kitchen of the bar. “I have to say I never thought I would be so happy to see one person in my life, but I am.” She’d spent too long trying to sub in as cook while Matty was away only to fail miserably, repeatedly. “Now I never have to touch another plate in this place.” She was more thankful for that than he would ever realize. “Also I just want to let you know that we didn’t lose any customers from my horrible cooking because thank god it was Founder’s Week and well they were very drunk.” She commented with a laugh. “Also I know you missed it, but…” She trailed off, before pulling the the crown she’d hid from behind her back. “I stole this, but let’s be fair it does belong to you.” Putting the crown in front of him on the table as she smiled. “You know you just weren’t here to wear it so.” She continued on. “Figured you could at least wear it for the day or the week even. Then it’s like you missed nothing and were here for Founder’s Week.” She told him with a shrug before hopping up on the counter behind her. “So how was visiting your family?” She asked curiously. 

He was wondering when he was going to see her face, and was quite honestly surprised it had taken the two so long to catch up since he had returned. “Now, i’m unsure if you’re just saying you’re happy to see me because you hate cooking or because you really missed me.” he pointed out.  “But i’m going to take it as a compliment either way.”  A shrug was given with a smile as he turned back to the stove, checking the char on a burger, before turning back to Alex.  “But you’re lucky you didn’t.  If you drove out any of my regulars that allow me to experiment on them we would have had words.”  The idea of Matty having words with anyone, let alone Alex was laughable.  “I’m sorry you did what?”  His eyes were wide as she presented him with the crown.  To be honest he had been a bit upset he had missed the events of the week, and and a part of him so wished to redeem himself from his younger self’s loss of Mr. Maywood.  Would he have won if he was around?  No one would know now, but the fact that Alex thought the title was rightfully his enough to actually still the crown had him laughing.  He took it gingerly in his hand before situating it atop his head, preening.  “And how does it look?”  he questioned, striking what he thought was a beauty pageant pose.

“Good somedays, bad others.  Overall interesting, let’s just leave it at that.”  He was sure he’d spill his guts about it later, but as he realized he almost burnt the burger while thinking of the past couple weeks with his family, he knew work wasn’t the time to think of that particular messy situation.

At Siren’s Song

She’d lost the crown, Mayor for a Day, then the Dance A Thon all in won week. Usually she could handle losing one of them, but to lose all three had been a major blow to her ego. Especially after she’d worked so hard to plan it for the town. All she had to show for it now was some pictures to put in her resume and a blank spot in her her closet where the tiara was support to go.  “After this past week I need a six month vacation to anywhere tropical.” Elena commented aimlessly and she ran a hand through her dark hair as she stood in line at the coffee shop. Shifting her weight from one heel to another as she leaned back against the wall and turned her attention to the person behind her. “Did you at least have fun during Founder’s Week?” She asked, she hoped that at least someone had a better time than she did.

“Well, hey, swing by Lucky’s and I can always try to make you something tropical themed.  At the very least I’m sure whoever is working the bar could whip you up like a Mai Thai or something?” he offered with a shrug.  “I mean, it’s no tropical hiatus, but it’s better than nothing. -- Matty had been sad to hear that his trip down to visit his family, seeing them for the first time in about a year, would conflict with Founder’s Week, a time of year he always loved, but as much as he was. Maywood man through and through, he did love his family more.  Sorry Maywood.  “How mad would you be if I said I had to skip it?” he questioned, grimacing slightly, waiting for Elena’s wrath.  “But i’m sure it was great!” he finished in an attempt to save his ass.

Location: Downtown, Maywood When: Late morning Who: Available for everyone (preferable 4 max. otherwise I’m gonna go insane for now.) @maywoodstarters​

Cam had visited the paper earlier that day with the photos that she had made from the event. She had scanned through many photos and picked out the best of them. She pulled her bag on her shoulder a bit better before crossing the street. As she had crossed the street, she saw something falling on the floor. She quickened her pace so she could pick it up and handed it over to the owner. “I’m sorry to bother you, but you dropped something. Here you go!”

Running about, trying to find ingredients for some creation that popped into his head overnight last minute before he needed to show up for work was practically apart of Matty’s routine at this point.  So really he should’ve known to leave himself more time, but alas, hindsight was 20/20.  As a voice he assumed was directed towards him rang out, he sighed, unsurprised that in his rush he had dropped something, but as the object was held out to him his brows raised before he grimaced.  “Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s not mine, Cammy.”

“Deal.” she smiled. Sutton rose her brows. “Look all I ask is that you don’t give me anything you haven’t tried yourself and that I don’t get sick. Other than that, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”  She took a sip of her drink to wash down some of the taste before grabbing another bit of it and trying it again. She thought about his question as she eat it. “For me personally I could do with a little less but that wouldn’t stop be from eating them now. But salt is something you should be able to adjust on depending of the person.” If she remembered the creation, she would easier request it next time she came in.

Matty held a hand to his chest as if offended.  “A chef always tastes their creations.  I’m offended you’d think otherwise.  It’s just...My tastes don’t always match up with others...That’s all.”  It was that or he had put together two flavors that he had felt so surely would work and despite tasting it and realizing otherwise, convinced himself his tongue was just off, and had someone else taste it just in case.  He had yet to get a different reaction than one similar to his out of a taste tester in those situations.  So he should probably just start trusting his tongue more.  “--But thanks for your opinion, really.  It’s always helpful to get outside takes from people who have nothing to gain from lying to me.” 

Nancy continued nodding her head to the song, and somehow, when Matty started singing, he was in perfect sync with the music. She joined in, mumbling some of the words since she didn’t know them yet. When she got the hang of it, she got properly into it, and they were somehow giving an impromptu street performance. An elderly woman past them, tutting to herself. Nancy just rolled her eyes, and then burst out laughing, pressing her elbow into Matty’s rib cage.

“We’re so bad. Like, so bad,” she said. “Luckily, we’re by my apartment, so we can hide our heads in shame. We’ve disgraced the good streets of Maywood.” 

Nancy took off the headphones, and with a couple more steps they arrived at her building. Hopping up the couple of steps, she dug out her keys and held open the door for Matty. Her apartment was up a few flights of stairs, so she lead the way and then unlocked her actual flat.

“Make yourself at home,” Nancy said, closing the door behind them. “I’m gonna get us some beers.”

"Honestly I think Mrs. Williams there was just jealous she couldn’t join in without breaking a hip.” he answered, a bit breathless from the impromptu jam session, but was still smiling regardless.   While every town had it’s exceptions, he had always found Maywood to be a homey sort of place, actions such as theirs more likely to get a head shake but with a smile along with it rather than outright hostility.  

He had hung out with Nancy a handful of times, usually always impromptu, or in groups of people, so Matty didn’t think he had ever been to her apartment before and looked around curiously as she led him up the stairs and inside.  He could’ve also been doing a bit of recon.  He was forever grateful for letting Alex stay in the room above Lucky’s, but it was really starting to--as his father would’ve said--’cramp his style’, and having built up a fairly good savings, was looking into possibly renting a place.  

His eyes lazily followed her around as she went to fetch some beers and he took the place in.  “Hey--How much do you pay for this place anyways?” he called out, his eyes having suddenly lost track of her.  “--I mean, if you don’t mind me asking?”

At his words Elena raised an eyebrow, she looked at the plate of food that he put in front of her. It did look really good, it was right up her alley. “it looks amazing. I haven’t had anything like this in probably over a year.” She admitted. “I’ll gladly try it as long as you accept my brutal feedback.” She promised, she wasn’t one to lie. Especially when it came to food. “It’s nice for any months, but yes I know what you mean.” She told him before picking up her fork, she gesturing for him to put it down in front of her. “So where did you learn this recipe at?” She questioned. “Also if this is good are you hirable because I could always use a chef.” 

Putting the plate down in front of her, like always, Matty was suddenly nervous.  Usually an unflappable man was suddenly, well, flappable.  Matty’s confidence had carried him through many things, but he didn’t think he’d ever stop being nervous about showing his so called ‘creations’ to others.  Maybe because he had risked and lost so much to stay here to follow this dream of his, wherever it decided to take him.  He paused at her comment of not having had food like that in nearly a year and it took him a moment to put the pieces together.  He obviously knew who she was: the mayor’s daughter, and he suddenly had to remind himself that she hadn’t been in Maywood the entire time.  “Oh right, lots of fancy restaurants where you were last, right?”

“Hey, brutal is good.  In fact, it means I don’t have to do it myself. So please, take my job” he laughed good naturedly, truly meaning what he said.  She could be no harder on him than he was on himself.  “Uh, well, I’m gonna be honest I have no experience in cooking for parties and stuff, with everything coming out all at once, but I’m a fast learner.” His response was earnest, the reminder of days past from his parents to take any opportunity offered to him, ringing in his ears.

“You know I love doing that, Matty,” Cam let him know, a smile on her lips. He was a great friend and she liked their banter. She didn’t have to worry about anything when talking to him. “I promise you I will take a look at it soon,” she said as she placed her hand on her heart to show him that she was serious about it. She crossed her arms at the man in front of her. “A bonfire blow out? You know Alex and I turn thirty next month. I can talk to her to see if we can do a little beach party. I mean, it’s thirty after all. We should celebrate it properly, right?”

"Yeah I can tell by how good you are at it.” he shot back with a raised brow, before eventually breaking out in a grin.  It was impossible to take anything Matty said seriously, because he had the worst poker face.  “--Good, you gotta get your photography out there, show the everyone what the world looks like according to Cammy.”  he had to do it, at least one more time.  “Oof, yes!” the volume of his voice suddenly loud, truly excited about the idea.  “Yeah, get the whole crew together, maybe have an early night at Lucky’s?”  

“Hm, you make a good point. I’m a sucker for dimples,” Olivia grinned. She had vague memories of Matty tagging along with his father to patch a leak in their roof. Her father, with his bad leg, could never get up to the roof safely. It seemed Matty’s father was always there to help out in those situations, and sometimes, his son tagged along. Even then, his dimples were what stood out the most. He always looked genuinely happy to be with his parents, no matter what they were doing. 

She rested her chin in her hand as he stalled. She nodded slowly as he explained. “Tough critic?” Olivia asked, “I think if you get enough thumbs up you may have her outvoted.”

"Damn now would be a great time to ask for a favor or something using said dimples but I’m shit outta ideas--Any suggestions?” he joked.  His smile and overall looks had gotten him out of lot of trouble, but into even more.  But most of all he just liked to think that people could tell when a smile was genuine, which his almost always was, and responded to that.  And from his memory of limited interactions with Olivia, he thought he had least always gotten a smile back.  A surprising amount of people treated Matty and his family as the help when they arrived to fix whatever needed fixing or start a new project, rather than people with skills the patron obviously did not possess, but Olivia had always seemed nice enough.

Although, Matty had to admit to himself, he had been young and hormonal and wasn’t exactly paying attention to if Olivia or her family had been nice, and had been much focused on just seeing if he could grab the attention of the older girl.  He was always a slut for attention, that was true.

“Nah.” he responded at her questioning of Alex.  “ Alex is actually really supportive, It’s me who’s the tough critic, I always end up scrubbing something before it even gets to her.”  And if he was being honest, despite Olivia’s positive remarks on the food, he’d probably end up finding something wrong with it as well.

“---But enough about me, you’ve been back for what, like a bit?  What’re you doing these days?”

“    you know,    I went so long without eating any red meat.    I’m trying a new thing,    trying to trim some pounds without going disgustingly vegan.    ”    Kat tapped the counter as the thin pastries steamed from the plate.   She poked it with a fork,    peeling back some dough to see what he placed inside.    “    My ma always put in corn meal in her dough.    Then again,    always the feat of Colombian versus Puerto Rican.   I think I prefer yours over hers any day.    And ah,    is this pork and apple?    ”

A grin poked her cheeks as she flickered her dark eyes towards him.     She plucked up the pastry and took a bite.    The cinnamon and shredded pork warmed her tongue with a certain sweetness she couldn’t deny.    Her eyes rolled up dramatically,    a show she always gave for Matty.    She admired his passion.    He acted upon it rather than settling into dust as she had.    She placed her fork beside the table.    “    How long did you spend caramelizing the apple?    Is that nutmeg or piloncillo?    ”    Her grin widened.    “    Both?    ”

“No red meat?” he questioned incredulously before bringing the back of his hand to her forehead, as if to check if she was delirious from fever.  He imitated the number of Tías and abuelitas he had seen do similar things when young family members had tried to broach the topic of their new found vegetarian or vegan diets.  “Are you sure you’re Latina?” he teased, liking to be on the giving rather receiving end of that joke at least once.  Dropping the joke, he looked at her with impressed eyes as she dared to say she preferred his over her mother’s.  It was a huge, but dangerous compliment.  “Wow, you said that with so much confidence and without even looking over your shoulder to make sure she wasn’t in earshot.  Consider me impressed and grateful.  You’re a madwoman.”  

As she continued to question his cooking methods he couldn’t help but grin a bit, she definitely knew what she was talking about, and seemed fairly interesting in it.  “Pork, apple and a tiny little bit of pear just for a twist, and no piloncillo, I couldn’t get down to the place I get it in Portland. --- Have you ever considered cooking or something?” he prodded “You seem to know what you’re talking about.”

Long and storied history. Oliver couldn’t help but grin. “So what you’re saying is that, I should trust your creations because you’ve been a background character in my story for years?” Oliver reconsidered the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. “Sorry,” he apologized, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. Rude was not an image he was going for. 

Oliver pushed aside the plate he’d been using and nodded. “Okay, hit me with it.” He wasn’t sure what to expect but that was half the fun of this entire endeavor. “Honestly, I just tend to say it because you never know. Last thing I need is to explain to hospital staff that I was acting as a taste tester and forgot to mention that I have a pretty common allergy.” 

Whenever Oliver imagined his future demise, there was peanut butter involved. Smeared all over him like some sort of obscene ritual that resulted in his throat closing up and terror.  It was a recurring nightmare. “Honestly, I’m here for anything deep fried,” Oliver mumbled as he took a bite of the food and adjusted to the wash of flavors. “Definitely flavorful,” he commented. “I like it, but I like anything that’s crunchy. So I may not be the best judge. I have a very uncultured palate.”

“So, this something you do often? Try to come up with new dishes and peddle them to random people?”

“No worries man, as long as I’m the background character that’s vaguely in every episode so they still get paid, i’m fine.” he joked, before adding “You’re a background character in my story too, no worries.”  Matty liked to think that because he was such a friendly, outgoing guy, always willing to strike up a conversation with just about anyone, he was probably a background character in many stories, and he liked the idea of that.  As long as he wasn’t background in the lives of those who mattered to him he was fine with it.

“You know, until we found out my little sister was deathly allergic to bees I always thought like, you’d use an epi-pen then go on with your day.” he chuckled, knowing that was far from the truth.  “Like movies just show it almost like ‘stab yourself in the leg with this needle and then keep going’.”  

Matty’s rambling quieted as he watched wtih bated breath as Oliver tried the food, trying to read into any and all facial expressions he was making, trying to read his mind before he could finish eating.  ‘Yeah I figured a bar is a pretty decent place to serve fried food.  And, well, we got a lot of fried food in Puerto Rico, so there are a lot of possible combos like this.”  

“Well if you can think of anything you don’t like or would change, hit a dude up.” he commented.  Of course he was glad that Oliver liked it, but he almost never trusted a compliment on food unless it came with a ‘but’.  “But, uh yeah.  I do, if it’s slow?  I love working here and I love Alex but one day I do wanna go to culinary school or open up my own place, doing weird fusion stuff like this.  So I sic my creations on whatever willing victims walk in.”

“Oh come on Matty, how many times have I told you by now that it is Cam. Just Cam. And definitely not Cammy,” she protested to the nickname that he gave her. She despised her name. It was not without a reason that she told everyone to call her Cam. The only ones who still called her by her full name were her parents and she did not want to think about that. “At the moment nowhere. The new spot is indeed called Pomegranate but I haven’t been there yet. I probably should soon.” Some extra money would be nice next to the money that she made at Lucky’s. “How have you been lately, Matty?”

"Fine, ruin all my fun, Cam.”  Despite being an older brother himself, to the Aldridge sisters at times he felt very much like he filled the role of annoying younger brother.  And it was one he enjoyed immensely.  Being a pest was pretty amusing.  “They had a opening slash showing the other week, I swung by but, well, let’s just say art galleries aren’t exactly my scene.” he chuckled.  Matty enjoyed photography and art enough, he liked looking at them for what they were, but he wasn’t the type to stand there and think of what they could mean, which many people had been doing and tried to rope him into conversations about, which left to him quickly leaving.  “Eh, you know.  Working, eating, sleeping.  Not much really.  I’m in need of like...I don’t know, a bonfire blow out on the beach or something soon to blow off some steam before I explode.”  

“That sounds surprisingly like something a covert assassin would say, but I trust you,” Olivia teased. Although Matty was a good handful of years younger than her, she remembered him. He had bits and pieces of his parents in his face. Much like them, his eyes were kind. She smiled as he explained the dish in detail. He was rambling, but it was endearing to see the enjoyment he got out of his job. Olivia lightly plucked a slider off the dish. “Pork shoulder sounds like the way to my heart,” she said before sinking her teeth in, she could taste the butter on the bun and the savory flavor of the meat. Covering her mouth, she nodded, “Well, no one can say you’re a liar. It’s good. What would you serve it as an appetizer or a dish?”

“I mean with this face how could you not?” he asked before flashing the smile that seemed to be permanently etched on his face.  He had resting friendly face, and he assumed it came from his mother always asking him to smile whenever she was in a bad mood to cheer her up.  That and the nearly 8 years of working in the service industry.  There was also the fact that when living in such a close knit place, walking down the street meant offering friendly platitudes and smiles to at least a handful of people, and despite Olivia having not fully being apart of the community for a bit, she still retained the privilege of Maywood native so Matty found it hard not to be laid back with her, regardless of how well they actually knew each other.  

‘Ehh-” he stalled, thinking “Not really sure, if I make them smaller and only serve one or two, then they could definitely be apps, but keep ‘em this size and maybe serve three then could be a main meal.  Of course, this is all up to the Boss Lady.  That is if she even likes them.”

“Well how often does one get to be a tester.” she joked. “Now where’s the fun in that.” she grinned when he mentioned she was getting something pretty easy. Sutton looked at the dish in front of her for a minute. Off first glance, it didn’t look bad. “So it’s a yay on the first part for me because as they say, you eat with your eyes first.” Sutton decided it was finally time to try it. After letting the taste linger a bit, she nodded. “Not bad. I would order this as an appetizer.”

"Well next time you come in on a slow day I’ll make sure to spice it up for you, give you some really weird combo, deal?”  he offered.  “Although be careful what you wish for, I’ve been known to make, as one person put, ‘ungodly creations’.”  It was true, sometimes Matty’s creative culinary mind would pair two flavors rarely thought of together, and it’d turn out incredible.  Other times only after spitting it out and washing his mouth out under the sink would Matty realize there was probably a reason he had never heard of those ingredients together.  “Great, okay appreciate that feedback.  Anything else?  Too salty?  Not salty enough?”  Matty was the type to drown things in salt so much so people worried for his health, so he always was worried of over seasoning it with the salt.

TIME: Early night LOCATION: Lucky’s STATUS: Open, @maywoodstarters​

Her brain kept telling her that the case was open and shut and yet, perhaps it was her paranoid mind, Ayla kept thinking there was something more to it. It was too easy. Or maybe, she just needed to get her eyes off of the case file and take a break. Which is what she set out to do that night, as she sat down at the bar at Lucky’s. 

“Long day, too?” Ayla commented to the person beside her, giving them a momentarily look before looking down at her bourbon glass again.

Many people chose to take their breaks in the back alley or on the docks, wanting to get away from the noise and customers for just a bit.  But not Matty.  Matty’s break was socializing with whoever he could find.  And if he had an early shift, Matty could usually be found still hanging out at Lucky’s once he had finished working in the kitchen.  He just wasn’t a person who decompressed by being alone, but rather being out and about with friends or really anone willing to have a conversation.

“Eh, not too bad--Or well, not as long as maybe yours?” he asked in response, head nodding down at her glass of bourbon.