* / perfectly imperfect !

beau's eyes stayed on her as she moved around the bar, still slipping into the rhythm of this place like she belonged to it more naturally than anybody else ever could. maybe she did. he remembered when this bar used to feel like an extension of her. late nights, tired smiles after closing, her laugh carrying over old country songs on the jukebox. now standing across from her felt strangely similar to visiting somewhere familiar after too many years away. same walls, different feeling. the corner of his mouth pulled slightly when she mentioned fighting off drunk men all night. "sounds about right," he murmured. "couple things in this town never really change. i'm real sorry you gotta deal with that." at her question, he let out a quiet breath through his nose. "i'm alright," he answered automatically before catching himself with a small shake of his head. "well… surviving, i guess. whole place still feels weirdly familiar. seeing you back behind this bar kinda makes it hard to remember there was ever a time i didn't end my nights here."

calista felt at ease whenever she was at work due to the fact that she was practically raised here back when her grandfather owned this bar, maybe that's one of the many reasons as to why she isn't having a full blown anxiety attack upon first seeing her ex again, but she wasn't entirely sure. still, she couldn't help but reminisce on the days when both her and beau used to end their nights here, even if it meant going home a bit later than usual. "it's okay, i've grown quite used to it by now." she admitted, a small laugh escaping her lips. "yeah, i see what you mean, there are times i feel the same way too especially whenever our song plays on the jukebox."

"everybody in here's too busy either bein' drunk, emotional, or worried about themselves to remember somebody else embarrassing themselves for more than like… ten minutes." he grinned. "except maybe if you fully eat shit off the stage, that one might stick around awhile." he laughed before nodding once toward the sign-up sheet again. "but honestly? yeah, i think you should." his shoulders lifted lightly. "you don't gotta be amazing, people just like watching somebody actually have fun with it. and if it goes bad?" another shrug. "you blame the tequila, disappear dramatically into the night, and wake up tomorrow with a funny story like everybody else here."

"i guess you do make a fair point there, half of these people probably aren't going to remember any of this in the morning." she chuckled. "what do you mean? like falling on my ass or something like that?" she asked, genuinely curious. "maybe i'll sing some billy joel after all then or elton john, i haven't decided yet."

"honey, i work around professional athletes for a living, i can spot somebody one minor inconvenience away from losin' their religion from a mile away. you're hidin' it better than most people would. this place is packed, nobody's dead, and only three glasses have shattered all night. feels like a successful event to me." a grin tugged lightly at her mouth as she straightened slightly. "c'mon, point me where you need me. i can carry trays, break up drunk arguments, and i got a real authoritative 'sweetheart, absolutely not' voice when necessary." her head tilted slightly. "though if somebody starts singin' nickelback twice in one night, i can't promise i won't throw them off the stage myself."

"that sounds like a rough job, i don't know if i can handle working around them every day myself." she teased, a small chuckle escaping her lips as a result. "um, that customer's been waiting for an hour for his coffee. can you start there?" she asked. "i really do appreciate all the help, darlin'."

WHO: Callum + Frankie ( @midniightscn ) WHERE: Bench Brew

"I was asking if you'd like to order anything?" Frankie reassured the other, looking up from her notepad. It felt like she had been here for a while, but it honestly might have only been a solid five or six minutes. "One black coffee, you got it! Anything else?"

beau froze at the sound of her voice. it hit him harder than it should've after all this time. for a second, the noise of the dugout blurred out completely and all he could think about was late nights in this same bar years ago, her feet kicked over his lap after closing while he talked baseball until two in the morning and she pretended not to listen. funny how somebody could still feel like home and heartbreak all at once. his eyes shifted toward the bar, landing on calista despite the way she kept facing the glasses instead of him, like maybe if she didn't look at him directly, this would somehow feel easier. it didn't. "pretty sure once was enough," he said quietly. his beer rested loose in his hand as his gaze drifted over her before he looked back toward the stage. "though i guess if the town's gonna emotionally spiral anywhere, might as well be your bar." he finally looked at her again, and that ache he never really talked about, the one that always seemed to show up around her whether he wanted it to or not, returned. "you surviving tonight, cal?"

calista tried her best to keep her composure, but it was always hard whenever she was around beau. even though she was the one who broke it off, there was always a part of her that still loved him even though she knew she would always be second to the game in his eyes. "i guess you could say this place has always been like a second home to most of the townsfolks here," she admitted with a chuckle. "maybe that's why they aren't afraid to be their authentic selves tonight." she added, a small smile appearing on her lips. she was glad that even before she was born, most of the townfolk considered her family as some of their own as well. maybe that's why the little league fundraiser had always been one of her favorites, especially considering that some of these kids didn't have a family themselves or at least, not one that could be financially responsible for them. as someone that sat beside beau at the bar called her over to take their order, she was then forced to come face to face with him again, as she tried her best not to get too emotional. "well, i've had to fight off about a dozen drunk guys off my back tonight, but i don't know i suppose it could be worse. what about you, beau?"

"hey, hey," he said quickly, holding his hands up a little like he was backing off the interrogation. "i'm not exposing you or nothing. half the people getting up there tonight can't sing either," he added with a quiet laugh. "they just got enough tequila in 'em to stop caring. but if you were thinking about it…" he shrugged lightly. "i kinda meant it. commit or don't do it at all. confidence sells the performance way more than talent does tonight."

"my bad, i tend to get a little too in my head sometimes." she admitted, biting her nails. "i suppose that's what happens when you mix alcohol and a really good song." she agreed, chuckling a bit. "you really think i should? i don't know, i'd hate to embarrass myself up there so bad that i have nightmares about it the next morning."

"well, bless your heart," she said gently, southern warmth replacing most of the teasing in her voice. "i was askin' your professional opinion on whether confidence is attractive or if some folks just need to be legally separated from microphones. but honestly? i think you've got bigger problems tonight than philosophical karaoke debates. you need me to grab a tray or threaten somebody for you, sugar? because you look about five minutes away from personally throwin' someone off this stage."

"what can i say? my mama taught me well." she admitted, a small chuckle escaping her lips as a result. "oh, i'm so sorry! um, i suppose it truly depends on how many drinks they have in them? some of these people aren't actually as confident as they may seem, it's just the amount of liquid courage they have in their system." she replied before then chuckling a bit. "do i really seem that stressed? well, i'll be damned, and here i thought i was hiding it pretty darn well." she admitted before then nodding. "i suppose a few sets of extra hands can't hurt, especially with how packed we are tonight because of the fundraiser."

"well, you allowing free labor for the night? i can man the bar while you get up there and have some fun. it'll suck if you miss out on this when it sounds like you want to get up there.'"

"i guess some more help might not be so bad around here, could use the extra muscle. although i don't know if i'd be ready to go up there after the last performance, they were way better than me at singing honestly."

"i feel like a grandpa." eli said, chuckling along with her before nodding. "four would be perfect. you joining me or are you still on the clock?"

"can't say that i'm surprised." calista teased. "i'm still on the clock, sadly, until these kids learn how to handle alcohol by themselves. maybe some other time though."

"c'mon, just the one that's off the top of your head. i promise i won't judge too harshly."

"this might be a bit too niche, but i really like the bitch is back by elton john.. what about you?"