#jckwhetstone

Nic turned her head down, her eyes locked on the paper in front of her. There were words, sure--but she couldn’t see them through the blurry tears that had been forming all afternoon. God, she hated funerals. Hated them with such a passion that even her rage felt small. It was not something she could conceptualize, though she knew her line of work required her to get used to it frequently. Clearing her throat, she finally looked up from the paper into familiar faces--not only because she knows them but that she shares the grief they felt too.  “I--I, I’m going to be entirely honest, I really hate talking at funerals. I don’t think I’m particularly good at it either, but sometimes you’ve got to do the things you dislike the most because someone is just that important. And that’s exactly what Jack Whetstone is: important. Not because he held some fancy title at some big corporation, not because he had a yacht or a boat or whatever the hell he called it--but because of you all sitting here right now. All of us. Jack was so good at making relationships and making people feel valued, loved--even when we were stubborn as all hell and probably did not really act very lovable at all. He was wicked funny--I cannot tell you how many laugh attacks I had because of something he said and he was sharp too. And of course, those are all things I’ll remember about him--but it will forever be the compassion and care he treated people that makes up his legacy. If you need more proof, look at those around you--you don’t show up to these things for any other reason but you wanted to celebrate the life of someone important, someone fantastic, someone who deserves the celebration--and Jack Whetstone deserves that and more.”

Heidi was fidgeting absently with her I.D. badge on the end of its retractable reel, zipping the badge back and forth by her hip as she wandered down the hallway. There was a slight bounce in her stride as she anticipated freedom at the conclusion of her shift for that evening.

The upbeat nature of her stride was matched by a smile when she saw Jack Whetstone headed in her direction, probably retreating to the comfort of his suite. “Good Evening Mr. Sex on the Beach,” she teased playfully, feeling just a little more comfortable about doing so after the meeting they’d had while on vacation. She’d also made a habit of taking notes about him and showing them off later, the way he took his drinks, kept his room, which snacks he picked over others, and how serious he got about competitive rodeo, which still managed to make Heidi chuckle.

“Settling in for the night to about to take off?” she asked curiously. Though she liked to think she’d learned a handful of things about the CEO, she wasn’t familiar with his routine nor the sorts of things he entertained himself when outside of the hotel. Was he a club guy? Did he order bottle service in VIP sections? Did he see movies? Live theatre? Maybe he sat on the shoreline of Lake Michigan and wrote poetry or studied ancient history. She wouldn’t have the slightest clue, she reasoned. Finding herself so often surprised by him had quickly taught her not to assume too much.

Lia looked over at Jack, her eyes meeting his as a slow smirk stretched across her face. “Oh yeah? You’re either quite sure I’m very good at bobbing for apples or you’re pretty positive I’m not.” Her hip bumped into his gently and she pulled her blonde hair into a rushed ponytail at the back of her neck. “Do I get a consolation prize if I try my hardest and don’t succeed? I have to know the terms and conditions, that’s very important.” Truthfully, it had been years since she’d done anything like this--but she felt like it had to be like riding a bike, right? She took a deep breathe and proceeded to bob for one apple--and somehow got one. “Ha!” She said as she completed her task and dried herself off (apple bobbing was messy business after all). “We can just put it on my tab, if you want. Not sure you really want to kiss me in this moment, maybe.” She laughed lightly undoing her ponytail. “Your turn!”

📖 for what my muse would write about yours in their diary.

circa 2005

Dear Diary, 

So I either did something incredibly stupid or incredibly brilliant and I have no idea which is which. So you know the county fair? Of course you know the county fair--why am I even asking you this, you’re a diary. Anyway, so Olivia invited me to go down with her and the boys tonight and I mean, I was already planning on going because Jack (my Jack, i mean, not that he’s mine but like...oh nevermind) and I talked about it, but I said yes to her because she’s been giving me a really funny look anytime I talk about Jack W.--it’s like she knows something that I don’t. Or she knows something that I do but haven’t told anyone. I don’t know how she does that. Well, sorry back on track. So I get down to the fair and everyone is like “let’s go on the tilt-a-whirl!” and I hate the tilt-a-whirl but it’s not like I’m gonna say that. So we wander over there but find the line is too long, so we debate whether we wanna wait for the line to die down or get in now. Then Jack L. suggests we all pay truth or dare while we wait, and I’m like anything to keep from riding that stupid ride. But here’s the weird thing--all night Derek and Jack L. and the rest of them were switching spots so that Jack W. and I were next to each other. I thought it was so weird. Anyway, we start to go around the circle, and every is picking truth. Which is confusing because they usually always pick dare. 

Ok, so then it was my turn and I thought that you can’t have a truth or dare game without a dare, so I better pick dare. Which, in hindsight, is so not like me! I never pick dares. I think Jack W. was surprised too because he gave me a look but I stuck firm. Well, I didn’t expect them to give me that dare. Diary, do you know what they dared me to do? They DARED ME TO KISS JACK W. I KNOW! I WAS SO SURPRISED but it wasn’t like I was mad about it--you and I both know it’s not like I hadn’t...thought about it before. I just didn’t think they’d dare me to do it. And I sure as heck didn’t think I’d do it so breezily either. But like, here’s the thing--here’s the either super stupid or super brilliant thing I did. I kissed him for way longer than a the 30 seconds they said I had to.

I just...I couldn’t help myself. It was like there was this explosion of fireworks both inside my chest and outside and I just...it was better than I imagined it would be. Which sounds so weird and dorky and I know, I’m definitely blushing thinking about it. But like...it was amazing. And y’know, even if it was stupid and he tells me he doesn’t want to be my friend tomorrow after what I did tonight, I still don’t think I’d regret it. It was...if that’s what the movies talk about as kissing, then dang more people should do that. 

Anyway, I need to go to bed before Momma finds out I’m still up--but I just wanted to let you know. Eeeek! I can’t believe I did that!!!! Talk more tomorrow.

🖤- For something they secretly wish they could do with your muse

Lia really needed to slow down. she did, really did. and yet.. “Ooh, is that a pina colada?” she asked, smiling kindly at the person handing out drinks. he takes it off the tray and hands it to her. “thank you!” lia said excitedly, taking her first long sip. “i just love pina coladas. really any alcohol.” this had to have been her sixth--maybe seventh--drink and she had no plans of stopping anytime soon. lia drunk was a rare sight (though this trip could have proved otherwise) but almost inevitably when she did get drunk, she became the most affectionate person on the face of the planet. not physically--at least, not that she knew of--but the woman could go on for days about how she loved someone if given the chance. which, precisely is what someone did. “You want me to talk about,” she paused, for another sip--she was one a roll--and then returned. “Jack?” This time, a different kind kind of pause took place and the air around her changed. Her eyes lit up in a way that few rarely got to see and her smile widened, becoming more relaxed and genuine. “Jack Whetstone, huh. Well, what do you wanna know?” Magnolia had gotten decided more of an accent when she talked about South Carolina and her past--which, of course included the man in question. “He’s been my best friend since Lord knows how long--since we were toddlers, I’m sure. I don’t think there’s a good memory I have of my childhood that doesn’t some how involve Jack.” her laugh is quiet, but its full of life and she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “Jack’s one of the best people I know. He’s got a heart of gold, he really does. And he’s just so funny--like really, he makes me laugh all the time. Especially when we were kids.” Her eyes find their way to the floor for a moment, a slight cloud passing over the usually bubbly woman’s face. “When things got rough back at home, sometimes I’d sneak out the back door and hang out at our favorite spot, the big cottonwood by the river. there was a swing on it and i used to sit on it for hours, just to avoid whatever new argument my parents were having with me. And, inevitably, whether he knew it or not, Jack would always arrive at the right time. We didn’t have to talk about that stuff, we had all sorts of other things to talk about. But for a moment--sometimes longer than a moment--he’d give me a ticket to somewhere I’d rarely gotten to go: home.” she takes a long sip and looks back over. “So I guess--Jack is like home. No, not like home--he is home. He’s what I think I about when I think about going back. He’s like comfort wrapped into one entire human and whatever uneasiness i’m feeling just..disappears, or becomes more manageable around him. He’s really special, like really special, and I don’t know how I of all people got lucky enough to keep him in my life. Not when everyone else just up and left.” She smiled softly, biting her lip. “I mean, also, clearly he’s hot. But that’s stating the obvious and that’s not what I care the most about anyway. There is no denying that fact, though. Drunk women tell no lies.”

“Fall in love?” Ana replied, placing her phone down on the table for the first time in the whole conversation. This was an...odd question, in her mind. Love was not something she thought a lot about in all honesty. Love was an...intense thing, and Ana had little to do with intensity. She was flighty and moved freely between things as she came and went. There was never a need for permanence in her life, she never worried about missing out anything because she never had.

Or--or was it more...well, perhaps there was something else that made Ana resistant to the idea of love. After all, sure her parents wanted her to stop being so impulsive and settle down--but no one actually thought she would. And it was easier to just follow that set path for her than try and do something different. Instead of letting their words push her to make something out of herself, why try? Changing people’s opinions was nearly impossible--social media showed her that everyday. So it was easier to settle into the life of a spoiled debutante that no one expected much from--after all, what did she really have to offer anyone? Shaking her head, the redhead looked over again and pressed her lips together tightly as she thought. 

“Well surely he’s hot so he’s definitely got that going for him. I mean, I suppose that’s what happens when you spend all day working outside. Have you seen his muscles? I--” Ana cuts herself off with a laugh and brushes her hair off her shoulder. “Ok, still my roommate, lets not make it weird Ana. So yeah, he’s attractive, but I mean, I don’t really know what it takes for me to fall in love with anyone--I’ve never been in love. Not entirely sure it exists. What those people feel, I don’t know if that’s love or just an intense feeling of infatuation. I mean, love is a big thing right? It’s supposed to make you do out of character things, its supposed to make your heart speed up when you look at them. I don’t...I mean, I guess if I’d fall in love with Beau--oh, that’s wild to say--if...well, if I guess he made me believe it actually exists. I think that’s not really answering your question, but I’m not sure.” Ana pauses as a very not safe for work thought passes through her mind and she chuckles softly, deciding to let that thought move by silently. Though, somewhere deep in the back of her mind, another nagging idea tugged at her, even if she wasn’t convinced she’d want to say it out loud.  I’d probably fall in love with anyone who saw something in me that no one else did--maybe that I was more than just a vapid socialite who had a penchant for spending money. Who say potential in what I could offer and didn’t write me off so quickly. But then again, that would require me to show people that, and that’s so unlikely--I’d rather be caught wearing Target brand clothing than have that happen. 

"Any other questions?” She hummed lightly, tapping her foot. 

“Involved how?” Nic replied, looking over her glass. “Like involved as in....friends? Or the other kind of involvement?” Carefully, she brought the drink to her lips as she thinks, an air of quietness falling over the woman. After a few moments, she set it down and let her shoulders drop. “This is complicated--I don’t think this is a fair question. Beau is...complicated to me.” Well, wasn’t that a understatement. The blonde let her finger circle the rim of the glass, chewing her lip as she continued to think. “I was convinced we’d get married, y’know that?” She said softly, to no one in particular, as if that answered any part of the question before her. “But I was...” Stubborn. An ass. A control freak. “I wasn’t fair to him--short sighted. I was very short sighted. I wanted something he didn’t and thought I knew what was best--which is such a fucking joke. Can’t tell you one time I knew what was best for someone else--or hell, even myself. I mean, don’t get me wrong--him leaving without saying anything? That shit wasn’t it--that shit hurt. But I suppose I need to stop acting as if I didn’t have anything to do with it.

“What must happen for Beau and I to get involved? I mean, aren’t we already? Well not in that way, but I think I’d be a damn idiot to think that now that he’s back he won’t be a part of my life in some way. Even if it pisses me off sometimes--and no, I’m not going to apologize for that because he was the one calling me a control freak when he got arrested.” He was also the one that held you while you cried over your brother at the farm--but you’re too stubborn to talk about that, huh Nic? “Beau is...complicated, like I said. But I--I don’t know, maybe one day--when he’s not being a complete jerk,” and I can get over myself enough to apologize for my own behavior. “We could be friends, y’know? Or something? I think it’d take a lot of work but it’s not like I hated hanging out with him when we were together--he was a pretty decent guy. We have a lot in common. I just--” She swallowed thickly and ran her fingers through her hair. “The other kind of involvement is...well, we’re different people now. Probably not...it’s probably not likely. We both made our choices, got to live with them. It’s better that way. He wants freedom--and I want...” freedom, but in a different way. “Stability. Roots. Firmly planted, blah blah blah. We don’t...we don’t fit anymore. Which is ok. I’m ok. It’s ok.” She repeated a few times and sighed. “Does that answer your question?” ( @beausparrow )