my church.

@themarleycallahan

Marco sighed lightly as he made his way across the casino once more, sipping tirelessly at his drink as he eyed the tables. Maybe cards, he wondered, he could definitely play a couple of hands of black jack —- or he thought that he could, at least. As he approached, his free hand reaching for a couple of chips, he noticed a flash of blonde hair, one that seemed familiar to him. Slowing his pace down again, he took a moment or two to take her all in, wanting to make sure he was right before closing the gap between them. “I thought it was you…” he said coolly, stepping up beside Marley. They hadn’t known each other for long when they did, but it was definitely memorable.

Marley was quite good at cards, actually. Had a good poker face, or was good at making people believe she had a bad one. It could be said that a few poor suckers had been swindled out of a few (hundred) dollars in her time, but these days, Marley did her best to lead a more honest kind of life. Not to say that she didn’t still partake from time to time, if only to see the look on the faces of the men who’d underestimated her. Much like her last playmates had. With a grin and a small wave, she’d excused herself from the table, on her way to treat herself with a drink, when a presence next to her and the sound of a familiar voice had her looking up. Her surprise was only evident for a moment, wide eyes paired with a slowly widening smile. “Maybe I’ve just got that kind of face.” She teased, shoulders lifting in a shrug, before her eyes drifted from his and down his body. “Don’t think I ever saw you in a suit.” Unable to help herself, her fingers tugged at the front of his jacket. “What a shame.”

with @themarleycallahan

He was intoxicated, which was no surprise to anyone at this point, but he was having a good ass time, which was really all that mattered. Wearing his favorite suit, mingling with anything that moved, escaping to the bathroom every once in a while for a ‘pick-me-up’ — Salvatore Rizzo was in his prime at this point at the night. So much so, that even the sight of Marley at the bar wasn’t enough to bring him down (yet). “Why is it that everywhere I go, you just happen to show up?” he quirked a brow, waving over the bartender. “Nice dress.” Rizzo mumbled then, gaze averted.

Despite her dreams having involved fast paces and bright lights, Marley hadn’t been too fond of Vegas. Perhaps it was because it was too close to home, didn’t feel far enough from the small town life she’d tried so hard to shed, but her stay in the city had been among the shortest she’d remained anywhere. Yet, despite this, she hadn’t hesitated to slip on her best dress, throw up her hair and put on some makeup, put on a show with the rest of the city. It was all in good fun, and she was having it, though that could partly be due to the ever constant drink in her hand. She was waiting for another one at the bar when she heard his voice (not having to turn around to confirm it was, in fact, him, but doing so anyways, just to see his face). Hers didn’t harden at the sight, nor did her features soften. Her bare shoulders merely lifted in a small shrug. “Small world.” She supplied, never a believer in it being so, but it was hard to argue with the fact that she had run into him several times (far too many for his liking). Her eyes kept on him when he complimented her, even as he looked away, and only then did she allow a small smile to tug at her lips, slowly nodding her head. “I did always love you in a suit.” Her hand reached out to fix his collar, unable to help herself.

“I don’t know –I’d say I definitely got lucky.” A smirk appeared on Ophelia’s face and her hand gingerly went to rest on her still very flat stomach whilst her joke hung in the air. “–I’m sorry. I’m a lot funnier with alcohol… Which I can’t have.” The brunette swirled the ginger ale in her champagne flute around before taking a sip. “Kind of a lost opportunity, right? There’s an open bar and all I can have is soda. Or water. Or apple juice. –Anyways, you have a good time?”

Marley was glad that she saw it that way. Genuinely. Because if a pregnancy test were to turn up positive for her right then, it would be the end of the world. She couldn’t even imagine--had no desire to imagine--a world where she was with child. Smiling at the other’s joke, she was quick to shake her head. “I think you’re plenty funny. And the best part is that you get to ‘member bein’ so, too.” She pointed out with a nod towards the champagne flute, attempting to reassure the woman. “Mhm, I don’t know. I could go for a shirley tempe right ‘bout now.” Her shoulders lifted in a shrug, before her head nodded to answer the question. “Oh, just a blast. Can’t tell ya the last time I was in one of these.” Casino’s weren’t Marley’s first choice of entertainment, but she could enjoy herself nearly anywhere.

Despite wearing significantly comfortable heels, Iris has grown tired quicker than she had expected even though all she’d done was stand around watching card game after card game while she continued to get the same drink every time her glass emptied. But the drinking had come to a stop and she was now sticking to water for her own sake - and the headache she was getting from the lack of a solid meal in her system - as she was sat off somewhere looking around the room. Her dark brown eyes, however, kept lingering on the photo booth not so far away from where she was sitting since she’d always been quite the fan of them. So, as someone took a seat beside her, she smiled politely, “Have you tried the photo booth yet? I kind of want to see if it’s as fun as I remember them to be but normally I’ve used them with other people so I don’t quite know if the experience is the same when you’re alone. Which… sounds slightly pathetic now that I’ve said that aloud but oh well.” She finished with a simple shrug of the shoulders.

“Oh, darlin’, there ain’t nothin’ pathetic ‘bout you.” Marley was quick to assure with a bright smile and a shake of her head, settled in the seat next to the familiar woman. She had sat down for no other reason than to chat, but upon noticing where the other’s attention lied, Marley was quick to shift back to her feet, no hesitation in the hand she held out for the woman before her. Her head nodded towards the booth. “Well, come on, then. Let’s go try that baby out.”

Was it wrong of him to be here as if time had healed wounds? Or was it only wrong of him to just as easily slip into old routines without easing themselves into it first? Whichever it was, it amazed him how he could just sit there with Marley on the floor between his legs as he braided her hair. This was something called the ‘Waterfall Mermaid’ which he picked up on YouTube and had only ever tried it on Alex once. No words were exchanged between them since he started working through her locks, his tongue jutting out in concentration, either on the hair or on stopping himself from blurting out things that would just make this whole thing awkward. The sound of their food being delivered at the door was what broke his trance in between putting one section of hair over another, followed by a ‘wait!’ as he hurriedly tied off the ends, following Marley’s steps so as not to tug at her hair while she got up to answer the door. 

He began to make room on the coffee table and sat crossed leg on the carpet. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation when he saw the bag Marley brought to him. “Oh, it’s nothin’ like New York. It’s better.” He grinned, though the bittersweet double meaning was ever present. He helped arranging the containers on the table to leave as much space as possible, dragging the dumplings here, pushing the chicken there, the condiments in the middle right beside the noodles. “You’re welcome in advance, ‘cause you’re gonna be eatin’ there for the next three weeks after this, I’m sure,” he added, eyes flitting from the food towards Marley.

It was on the way back with the food that Marley caught her reflection in the hallway mirror. A grin lit up her features as she gave her hair a swish, poking her head around the wall to greet Asher with the smile. “Can you do my hair every day?” She teased, pressing a kiss to his cheek once she reached the living room, before getting to the task at hand that was the food. They’d ordered far too much for two people alone, as per usual. In New York, she’d be eating leftovers for days after, only for them to crave it just the next week and start the cycle all over again. Perhaps it was like they were trying to get back to where things were. Braids and Chinese food...but where they’d been in New York hadn’t been too great, if only judging by how they’d ended. They were trying to be better. Even if better meant distanced, emotionally. Marley refused to be driven away from a place by Asher once again...but to say that she hadn’t missed his company, when it was good company, would be a lie.

“Now, those are some fightin’ words, mister. You better be able to back ‘em up.” She pointed a pair of chopsticks at him, before handing a pair his way, and going to open her own. She didn’t know where to start. “Considerin’ this is three weeks worth of food, I’d say so.” Her eyebrows raised. “What do I go for first?”

He grabbed his Pepsi while waiting for Marley to decipher the text for him and nearly choked on it when she presented him with her conclusion. Wiping his nose with the back of his hand, he placed the soda can back on the table and brought the phone closer to his face. “What? Are you sure?” With deer-like eyes, he turned his attention to Marley. “Oh, this is not good. Not good at all.” He began tapping at his phone, head bent downwards as he mumbled, “I should tell Mac. He should know about this immediately.” 

“Admittedly I ain’t too familiar with all this,” she waved a hand towards his phone, “but I’ve gotten my fair share of it in real life, baby. I’m almost positive.” She reached for his soda can and took a sip herself, managing to keep it down as opposed to him choking on it. “But relax, honey. You didn’t do nothin’ wrong. You don’t even gotta respond. Just block and move on.” She shrugged her shoulders, offering Jamie a reassuring smile. Her hand moved to cover his. “And Mac don’t even gotta know.”

Despite pretending that they’d rather be anywhere than those lavish press events and award shows with their mother, they honestly got a kick out of them. They’d continuously dipped their toes into the fame pool — not to her level, no, but enough for them to have a large instagram following and some magazine pictures at the very least. They thrived in the attention these events gave them, feeling more important in that setting than in most others, almost like they were actually worth the space they was taking up. The only other thing that made them feel that way was Marley, and perhaps that was why the words that left their mouth didn’t feel so incredibly alarming. Almost necessary, which was absolutely a first for the musician. “What — that ain’t enough for you, princess?” Rizzo teased, as she straddled them, disregarding the lack of reciprocation. Marley didn’t recoil in disgust, didn’t walk out or protest. So, basically, that was just like saying ‘I love you, too’. Right? Their hands moved up and underneath her shirt, fingers grazing the soft skin of her back as they deepened the kiss. After a moment, they sat up themself, hand guiding her legs around their waist as they held her, mouth moving to the crook of their neck as they fiddled with the hem of their shirt. “Marley…” they mused, the name tasted sweet as it fell from their lips.

Too much, if Marley were being honest. And normally, she was quite good at doing so. Her soft drawl and ever present smile typically made it easy--even the harshest truths could be told without much offense. Because she never did intend to offend. And she never did intend to break hearts, either. But right then, in the moment, she knew without a doubt that she would break theirs, and nothing she could say or do would soften that blow. What she could do, though, was pretend. Not forever, of course. But she wasn’t through with New York (or Rizzo) just yet. So she could sit there, straddling their waist, staring down at their beautiful face, shiver at the touch of their hands moving up her body. And if a small part of her was exactly right where she wanted to be...well, that had nothing to do with it. Instead of answering, Marley merely kept her lips pressed to theirs, circling her hips against theirs, sighing as their lips began to kiss down her neck. “Show me.” She murmured, gently nudging them back and away so she could discard of her shirt, topless in front of him. “Show me how much.” How much they loved her.

Mac let out a hearty laugh at her response, shaking his head slightly. “I’ll let you know if I see any motherless curly-haired blondes runnin’ around,” he retorted, knowing how ridiculous he probably sounded. At least she didn’t completely shut him down, however, fully aware that his question could have come off very differently considering that while he was more effeminate than the average man, it wasn’t always very noticeable. Grinning slightly as she leaned in, he all but held his breath as she examined him, smile growing wider when she mentioned his boyfriend by name. “Your sweet lil’ Jamie?” he repeated amusedly, nodding his head. “’Spose that would be me. I knew you looked familiar — I think we met at, uh, that Fourth of July party, right?” Mac quirked an eyebrow. “I was real tipsy that night, so you’ll have to forgive me for forgetting your name.”

“Oh, could you?” Marley teased, head tilted to the side, before shaking in amusement. He was funny, this one, and handsome, too. And familiar, she supposed. In the way it looked as if she was familiar to him. Once she threw her guess out there, his smile all but confirmed it, brightening Marley’s own as she leaned back. “I think I may love that boy more than life itself.” She informed him, shrugging her shoulders, as if to ask what he was going to do about it. Marley, however, was no real threat. She’d heard Jamie speak of him enough to know that his attention wouldn’t waiver, and getting a good look at him in person, Marley could see why. “Oh, honey, I was more than a lil’ tipsy, so no forgiveness needed.” She laughed, sticking a hand in the space between them. “Marley.”

He watches her intensely, though in a way that simulates amusement and nonchalance. Truth be told, he doesn’t much care if whatever this is just ends up being a shallow interaction. Logan’s good at those. He’d chose face value any day of the week over substance. “Considerin’ I teach all of ‘em,” he supplies, “the chances of that are very high.” He pauses for a baited second (purposefully). “I was supposed to have one tonight, but there’s somethin’ going on in town that’s drawn more attention.” Another grin slips across his lips, this one just a hint more dangerous. “It’d just be you and me.”

She could have figured as much, but the information had her chuckling, head slowly nodding. “Right, right...” She liked it, this game they were playing. Marley really did need her truck looked at, and knew that distracting him would only prolong that happening, but she couldn’t say she wasn’t enjoying herself. And maybe she’d be getting something out of it. Her eyebrows rose at the offer, but a grin was quick to spread along her lips, interest piqued. “Oh, is that so?” Head tilted to the side, she pretended to think about it, though her answer was practically written on her face. “Just you and me, huh?” She nodded. “I’ve always been better at...one on one learnin’, anyways.”

At the sound of a bedroom door opening, a grin graced her lips, giving the eggs another good stir. “Somebody had quite the night--” She teased, turning around to get a good look at him--and nearly dropped her spatula in surprise. “Rizzo?” It was testament to her surprise that his nickname was the one that left her lips, leaving behind her typical shtick of referring to him solely by his legal name. Her instinct was to ask him what he was doing there, but from his appearance, added to what she’d heard last night, it was quite clear. What a small world. Acutely aware of her own minimal clothing, Marley opted for the casual route, tongue in cheek as she slowly turned back towards her eggs. “...there’s coffee in the pot. Take it that you know where the mugs are.”

A knock on the door had her attention shifting, a grin tugging at her lips as she leaned back to meet Asher’s gaze. “Food’s here.” Nowhere near a cook, she had opted to order in, and taking her wine with her, removed herself from the floor to pad barefoot over to the front door, greeting the delivery driver with a big grin and an equally big tip. With thanks, the food was exchanged for the money, and Marley returned over to where the two had taken up camp, waving the bag in victory.

“Now I know it ain’t gonna be like New York, but I’m takin’ your word for it on how good this Chinese food’s supposed to be.” Marley teased, placing the bag on the table to begin to unpack, knelt before the coffee table.

          “Hey you! Not to be that person badgering unsuspecting people with flyers – but you should really take this one.” A bright smile lit up her features as she held out one of the pamphlets she was holding, attempting not to let the awkwardness of the moment get to her. Admittedly, she was someone who herself was guilty of dodging anyone looking like they might be trying to flag her down for a signature or a coupon. But in this case, Gemma had decided that the cause was more important than her pride. Even though she felt like she was making a fool of herself by trying to convince strangers to come to one of the aquarium’s monthly events, if she could convince a few extra people to attend – it would be worth it. “There’s a beach cleanup happening, and I have it on good authority that it’s the hottest place to be on a Saturday morning. If you’re interested, I can tell you all about it, we host one every month at a different beach and it’s a really fun way to meet new people and help the environment in the process!” Her words came out slightly too fast, cramming them into the short window of time she knew she might have before the person decided to leave her in the dust.

Marley couldn’t help but laugh. That was a way to get somebody’s attention if she’d ever heard one. There was no hesitation in her reach for the flyer extended her way, eyes scanning over the information as the woman began to explain it. While most were annoyed by the pestering of canvassers or sales people, Marley hardly minded, always curious as to what they could be selling, or protesting, or promoting. She didn’t see the point in being rude, or dismissive, and could tell that the woman was expecting her to be both. “The hottest place you say, hm?” She teased, grinning up at the woman. While she wasn’t particularly invested in the beach’s cleanliness, she could tell she was nervous, and wanted to ease that. “Well, then, you’ve just gotta tell me more.”

“Can you tell me what this message means?” he asked the other person after minutes of debating whether or not he should say anything and how. Eventually, the cryptic text bothered him enough to ask for some assistance, turning his phone around so he could show them what was on the screen.

“DTF?” Marley read allowed, eyebrows furrowed at the letters on the screen for just a moment, until her face softened, hand coming to cover her lips as a small laugh passed through them. “Sweet Jamie, I believe this lovely gentleman here is askin’ if you’re...well, down to fuck.”

“Did they mention you were gonna get your makeup done?” Amy asked, pumping the lever on the salon chair until it was the right height and then locking it in place. The counter in front of them was littered with different bottles and jars, but she only separated a couple of them out from the rest. “I saw the ad and got the gist of the whole ‘looking for real people, not models’ thing, but that’s about it. Have you met the artist yet? They just briefed me on their vision and I think it’s gonna turn out really well. Now, what made you sign up? The free pizza or the promise of Steve Aoki?”

Marley laughed, both at the question and the sudden change in height, before shaking her head. “No, no, definitely not, but I can’t say I mind a lil’ pamperin’.” She teased, pulling her hair back into a messy bun at the nape of her neck to clear her face for the woman. She couldn’t say she was too surprised by the opportunity. It wasn’t as if she was looking to break into a modeling career anytime soon, but having been approached at the diner about the campaign, she couldn’t say that her curiosity hadn’t been piqued. In a place like Santa Monica, so close to LA, it was rare to see ads and campaigns that weren’t photoshopped to all hell. Thinner thighs, skinnier arms, lightened skin...the furthest from real. How nice to be a part of something a little more genuine. “I have, actually. And I’m sure it’ll turn out great.” Marley offered her a smile in the mirror, laughing at the questioning. “As much as I love pizza...” Her head shook. She didn’t even know who Steve Aoki was. “They actually approached me while I was at work. Thought they were tryna pull a fast one over on me, but gave me their card and, well, here I am.”

“Depends on if he can herd sheep and talk to other animals. I’d use ‘Babe’. If not… Maybe Hamlet?” He wasn’t uncomfortable around her persé. If anything he enjoyed her company. He didn’t know a lot of people so far in Santa Monica that he liked to talk to, or could consider someone he could feel comfortable around. It was the situation that brought mere discomfort. He had a failed marriage behind him, his last relationship with Yennefer had been close to getting his second but due to their careers, they said goodbye and walked different paths. Sure he missed Yen, but he wouldn’t say that he missed their relationship. It had been a year already, he’d moved on a long time ago. When he kissed Marley, it had been a moment of instinct. Nothing he planned or had thought about doing. Afterwards, he would have said he’d do it again, but he feared that he might have overstepped his bounds. They barely even knew one another. And after he simply didn’t manage to reach her, he had a feeling that might have been it. Right now he wasn’t uncomfortable, merely just preparing for the fact she would show him the door for bailing on her. Luckily she was a more golden-hearted person. “I do my best, ma’am.” He smiled, letting the device slip from his fingers and allow her to fill in her information, one he quickly scanned once the phone was back in his own hand. “Good to know.” He uttered, maintaining eye contact for a moment before calling the number, disconnecting the line after two solid rings. “And now you’ve got mine.” The phone soon found it’s place in his jacket pocket so that he could direct all his attention to the blonde. “I kinda.. well I was hoping that perhaps you’d.. Like to do something? If you’re free?” 

Marley’s eyebrows furrowed, head shaking softly with a small laugh from her lips. “Do pigs herd sheep?” She thought there were dogs for that kind of thing, but admittedly, she wasn’t well versed in sheep herding. Either way, there were two name more name options on the table than there had been previously. “And here I was thinkin’ ‘bout namin’ ‘er Piggy.” She teased, tucking some hair behind her ear. Marley was nothing if not original. And he was nothing if not charming, in an almost shy way. Marley didn’t mind, but also hoped that he knew that she didn’t take any of it too seriously. Him kissing her out of nowhere, not calling her after...it’d been a fun night together on the pier, but she wasn’t expecting him to get down on his knee with a shiny diamond ring. A proper exchanging of numbers, on the other-hand, was a welcomed compromise, and she couldn’t help but smile when he checked over her digits, as if to make sure they were all there. She didn’t realize until her phone rang from her pocket what he was doing. “And now you know that I didn’t give you a fake number.” She teased, producing her device and showing the missed call notification to him, before pocketing it once more. Suddenly aware of someone in the aisle trying to get past them, Marley was quick to move, smiling at the thanks she received from the customer, before returning her gaze to Noah, only catching the tail end of his offer. “...right now?” She asked, eyebrows raising, slightly surprised.