#alesolcno

character — @alesolcno

For the longest of times, the baker had absolutely no clue as to what she was supposed to do in life. Her attempt at university had left her bitter and unsure of herself. Baton Rouge had been a game of staying afloat. She'd taken odd job after odd job until landing herself in another bakery. It was much different than that of which she'd grown up in, but she learned up until another bitter end rolled around and she was left running once more. OnlyFans had never been something she'd meant to last, but when the money came through, she hadn't been able to resist. Bills were paid and it gave her the chance to think on what she wanted. The food truck had been an impulse buy to say the least, but every moment after had been a path forged with confidence. A path that Alejandra had been privy to years ago. A path that the woman had been supportive of and one that now felt full circle as she stood near the counter in the bakery storefront she'd always wondered about. Excitement danced in the pit of her stomach, doubling at the greeting of the door bell at the front. While the sign read closed, she'd given the invite personally and waited with a bated breath for the other to agree. "It's a step up from the truck. I thought I'd give you a tour of the place. Are you hungry? I've got leftovers from the day."

character — @alesolcno

Takeout and coffee, coffee and takeout. The agent had barely left his apartment in a week's time, only opening the door to accept the food he'd ordered, or to step out on occasion to make an appearance with Mack. Favor after favor, he'd called those he trusted most to dig until there was nothing left. Phone logs, geolocation records, text exchanges, social media posts... they'd combed through every single piece of Mariana Solano's existence within Providence Peak and yet, he hadn't actually looked at a single word of it. Instead, he'd gathered everything into an unmarked file. Jaw clenched tight as he thought of the woman on the other end of it all. His lungs constricted and his lips burned with the memory of New Years. The buzzing of his phone pulled him from the memory, but the name illuminated on the screen had him swallowing down a thickness that had coated his throat. She was there. "Thanks for coming. You hungry? They have good fries and milkshakes." As much as he wanted to ask, wanted to know why she'd melted into him and faded away in an instant, he didn't dare utter a word of it. What mattered now was what did or didn't rest within the file. "I haven't looked through any of this yet. I thought... I thought it was something we could do together." It was her sister and his work, but only she would know what it was that they were looking for. "We can get out of here if you want. I just needed to see four walls that weren't my apartment for a little."

character — @alesolcno

As he sat alone on his couch, a bottle of untouched whiskey before him, he knew that there were options. He could drink on his own and fall asleep on the makeshift bed he'd made there, could go out and drink the night away, or he could send a single message to a woman that had taken his life by storm. Before he'd made it through the option list, he'd already pulled her name up on his phone and shot off a quick text. Does that offer to be there still stand? He waited with a baited breath, heart thundering at his temples until his phone dinged and alerted him to a new text. It was her location, causing excitement to flood his chest. Khalil had traded out his tailored suits for joggers and a thin hoodie that hugged his chiseled arms and did little to combat the breeze. He followed every direction on his phone screen until the only thing standing between them was her door. He choked down a breath and stepped forward, knuckles rapping against the wood a few times for solid measure. The sound of padding steps on the other side caused his heart to flutter with desire. When the door swung open, he lifted his hand, the bottle of whiskey on full display. "I come bearing gifts." His eyes dropped shamelessly down her frame before trailing upwards, only pausing on her mouth before meeting her gaze. Boldly, the agent stepped forward, two fingers brushing against the bottom of her chin as he dipped lower, mouth capturing hers in a brief, but heated kiss that left his head spinning. "Mind if I come in now?"

character — @alesolcno

The heaviness that had settled on his chest hadn't eased with time, but had only doubled with the pressure of the holidays and all the merry cheer that seemed to surround him. The holiday market had been a last resorts move, his fridge being bare and his stomach turning with hunger for the first time in days. The smell of freshly cooked meats and brewed beer filled his head, causing a warmth to settle into his bones, despite the cold bite of the breeze that swept over him every so often. "Funny seeing you here. Ale, right?" A soft grin played onto his mouth, the attempt at a lame joke turned greeting rolling off his tongue too smoothly for a man who had a war raging within him. "I might not be able to pull strings for free coffee and sweets, but I do happen to have a card that swipes nicely if you wanted some company." For all he knew, she was there with someone, or in the midst of a search for her sister, but the agent stood in wait, that same boyish grin painted on his lips as he waited for some kind of response. "Unless you're here with someone already?"

character — @alesolcno

Christmas wasn't something the woman tended to, but her spirits had doubled in pace as more familiar faces continued to surround her. Excitement and pride had washed over her as she followed a small group of females into the yoga studio owned by a woman she considered more family than friend. It was that very reason she beamed a bright smile, her recently purchased yoga mat tucked beneath her arm with every step. The baker followed the welcome signs with a bated breath, wishful to speak with the owner before the course started, but one sweep of the room left her nearly forgetting her own name. A gentle bump from another yoga goer left her taking a few steps closer, nostalgia landing her in the spot near the other. "Mind if I set up here?" She'd have to remember to catch Hana after, given that the woman didn't work her way around with that devilish smirk on her mouth that she always seemed to wear so well. "Looks like it'll be a full house and I'd rather not make a fool out of myself next to a stranger."

character — @alesolcno

As a man who'd ghosted too many people to count, he figured that karma had showed itself in the form of Mariana. She'd taken his world by adventurous storm and in the end, had only used him. At least, it was the very thing he'd convinced himself of after coming home to find a family heirloom missing, along with a few other items that had been laying around for her taking. Had that always been the plan? He'd wondered since the moment his fifth text had gone unanswered and after so much time in between... to finally get that? How could anyone pass that up? He'd given simple directions. Deja Brew, window seat, seven pm. He watched as the time illuminated on his car screen turned over to ten past seven. His white knuckle grip loosened on the steering wheel and with a deep inhale, he went for his door handle and ignored the pounding in his chest. The welcoming chime above his head did little to ease the tension flowing through his veins. One sweep around the space revealed only one solo woman sitting by the window, but the brunette sitting in wait wasn't the one he'd been expecting. "Excuse me, have you seen anyone else sitting by the window in the past ten minutes or so? I'm supposed to be meeting someone," he nervously explained, though a sinking feeling stirred in his stomach. Had she ghosted him again? Played a cruel game for the sake of seeing if he'd show?

If Phoebe had to pick a favorite meal, it would probably be lunch. Breakfast was fine, and dinner had its moments. But nothing beat lunch. It was probably how her and Alejandra became accidental, casual lunch buddies. Just her rambling on about how much she loved lunch everytime they bumped into each other. "I don't come here that often," She admitted as they sat down, "Not that's it bad or anything, it's great, I just seem to go more toward The Burger Joint if I'm in this part of town. Or like, lately, I just sit with Asli, but felt like stretching my legs today. Well, metaphorically. How have you been anyway?"

It had been a pleasant surprise to have bumped into Alejandra again after last seeing her in California, and though CJ had been busy, he was determined to make plans with her. On a day where they finally were, he decided to meet her to get a smoothie, if only to give his body a breather from all the alcohol he'd been consuming in celebration of Todd's departure and Seb's arrival. "You know, sometimes I come here when I miss California," He revealed, perching on one of the available seats once they collected their smoothie orders. "Y'know, sometimes it's a real bummer my family decided to settle in a landlocked state. Like don't get me wrong, I love it here. Just wish Colorado had an ocean."