🍯

“strong,” he replied without hesitation. his stance subconsciously mimicked the girl in front of him, palms resting on the bar top. they had been doing this back and forth nearly every saturday night for months. if he had a closing shift at fv, nine times out of ten he stopped in at yardhouse before making the drive back to pacific beach. nora was a damn good bartender, he couldn’t help having a soft spot for her. at her line of questions, jase simply shrugged, leaning back slightly in his stool. “new job’s alright,” he said, eyebrows raised just slightly. a faint stress line was no doubt etched in the space between his brows. “two jobs is just kicking my ass. also my new coworker used to bang my girlfriend, apparently, so that’s casual.” he continued nonchalantly, as casual as if he was commenting on the weather. his gaze shifted to a spot on the wall just to the right of the bartender’s face, not really wanting to see her reaction to that particular piece of information. an easy smile found its’ way back to his face as he attempted to shift the conversation. “what about you, nora? still the best bartender in san diego?”

miller: never been happier

miller: what you been up to? except missing me?

nora: srry for the late reply

nora: but your msg made me barf for like 5 hours straight

nora: anyways

nora: i've been successfully avoiding you, but looks like that streak ends today unfortunately

miller: nothing :)

miller: been a while since i bothered you that's all

nora: well congratulations

she watches intently as nora opens & distributes the wine, in dire need of a HEFTY drink & a long chat with one of her closest friends. luckily, the duo are always on the same wavelength & she claps as the brunette finishes off the bottle in a single glass each. ‘ i expect we’ll get through a few - need to turn this mood of mine right around, & you’re just the gal to help me do it, ’ she remarks, lifting her glass in a t o a s t to her companion. ‘ where do i even begin… ’ she murmurs, sifting through the various issues proving an annoyance to her. ‘ karina. where else do i begin but with karina - i feel like it’s TOO often that these rants are starting with her name. i told you that it’s gone from being passive aggressive to just out & out spiteful ? i’ve been doing it as much as her, but s t i l l. basically i had to… i had to tell her to back off of jamie, right, i mean part of me wanted to say it anyway to be honest but you can’t really go around doing that about an ex, no matter the circumstances. & what does she go & do ? fuckin’ TATTLE on me. run & tell him. things with us were always difficult anyway, i don’t need her meddling. ’ saskia finishes with a sigh, taking a long-awaited first sip of her drink & h u m m i n g as it slips down her throat. ‘ well that’s issue number one - your turn. ’

miller: sorry who is this lmao

miller: i have your contact name down as 'don't answer' so i have no clue

miller: 💋

nora: i hate u so much

miller: don't tell me you forgot

miller: if you did you're dead to me

miller: and make sure to do yourself a favor and block ME before i block you

nora: first of all, fuck off

nora: second of all, fuck off

upon the eruption of nora’s vocal chords, felix was torn between expressing the side of him that was fairly scared at her reprimand and stifling a fit of giggles that attempted to penetrate his lips, covered by a flat hand intended to express surprise. as her slight form began to bend over to clean up his mess, the brunet started, rushing to meet her as an innocent hand supported her back, his voice protesting. “no, nora, please! i’m sorry, look, i’m a big boy i can do this,” he pleaded, crouching down to come face to face with her, one arm still elevated in its unwise position. “hey, watch it! don’t cut yourself, okay? i would never forgive myself.” the male removed his grip on her spine so that he could grab a few leftover pieces, guilt and remorse now making their way through his veins. rising with her, he eagerly nodded, disposing of the shards he held and moving to grab a rag before lazily dragging it across the counter. at her comment, he smirked, cozy chestnut hues boring into nora as he quickly forgot his task, throwing the cloth over his shoulder while he attempted to lean against the bar in a sultry fashion. “well, you know, if your joints are so bad i can always give you a nice massage. in-n-out can wait a couple of minutes; plus, you have no idea what these hands can do,” felix purred, a quirk of his brow conveying the hints to which his voice alluded as he extended his hands, wriggling the fingers in her direction.