ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴘᴀɢᴇʀ

Elias wasn't having any of his brother antics tonight but he took it as a win that he agreed to one more hand. This was the most social he'd been all week and he wouldn't be going home so easily. These moments were what made Ezra sure he'd made the right decision leaving New York, this was where he was supposed to be, across the table from his little brother. "I do too, it'll be fiiiiine," he confirmed with a hand wave, clearing Elias' concern from the air. He started to deal out cards to each of them, looking up occasionally as his brother spoke. "A shame, I wanted to know if she was hot and single." A joke, kind of, he wouldn't be opposed to either. He hadn't been on a single date since his divorce and it showed. So far it'd been good, great even, but more has happened than he could've ever anticipated. "Dude, what's going on with this place? I mean, I love it so far, but is it always like this?" Weird occurrences have been popping up out of nowhere since his arrival, and Ezra was unsure what to think of it all.

Alma tilted her head at Ezra, "Who is your brother? If they've been living here a while I might know them." She shrugged, "I know a lot of people around here." In a way she was right, but not in a way that she believed, she knew a lot of names and face, but didn't really know many people. Not in a way that mattered, to her at least.

Ezra didn't mind the destination, already enjoying the walk with his plastic grocery bag swinging from his hand from the bounce in each step. A pretty girl didn't always get the same reaction, but this one did. Even if he didn't get farther than enjoying their conversation, he was happy to be given the opportunity. The time was not too long ago when he couldn't. It made life feel suffocating, especially when being stuck with someone he'd grown to not stand, the feeling mutual. This felt simple in comparison. "Ah, so you understand!" Word that she'd experienced his city caused the smile he had to expand to a toothy grin. "You've got to go back," he encouraged. "And if you need some recommendations or a tour guide, I'm your guy." With his free hand, Ezra used his thumb to point at his chest pridefully. He missed the place he called his home for twenty-six years, but didn't see himself going back for more than a visit until the tsunami he left behind settled.

"I know, it's not the same." Though not bad, Ezra enjoyed his time so far. "Nowhere is like New York." Anytime he traveled for work, he was abruptly reminded of that fact, but here it hadn't been such bad news. "I'd lived there my whole life, it was time to try something new, and with my little brother living here..." His words faded off as if the story told itself, leading up to now, where he walked beside her. "Just made sense." Or that was one way of putting it. At the question of his brother, Ezra perked up, wondering if she was familiar with the other Schwartz, and if so, what her opinions might be. "His name's Elias. Curly hair, glasses, works at the Cardinal Chronicle." A mediocre description of his brother, but if Alma knew him, she'd catch on, he was certain.

“Oh, you’re playing to win, are you?” She couldn’t help but smirk, her voice laced with a playful, teasing tone. “That’s so cute.” It wasn’t not a compliment, but it was clear in her condescending tone that she was more teasing him than she was complimenting him. “I am the expert,” she nodded her head, puffing up her chest as if she was so very proud of herself. “I literally do this for a living, you know,” she boasted. It was all too true, that Jenny did a whole lot more playing than she did working; she was lucky, that she had been able to get away with it to the extent that she had so far.

"Why even play if not to win, am I right?" Ezra held up his hands in innocence, as if this was obvious information, while also holding back the fact that he was less than a pro. Not that he cared. The goal was to spend time with a pretty girl; that's what he was interested in doing. "I mean, the odds were you'd probably be an expert at any of these." He motioned to the other games that surrounded them and sized them up after already making his choice. "This one is the most fun and I couldn't play it by myself, I had to take the risk, I guess." While Ezra wanted to ask more about her job, if she played games during her shift, or had ones she preferred playing over others. That would only make him seem too curious about something that he worried he didn't know enough about. "I'll face the consequences."

He gave an exhale followed by a shrug, understanding his fate might be written in the stars. "If anyone was going to kick my ass, I'm glad it's someone as pretty as you," Ezra accepted with a nod and placed the puck on the table to begin his beating. "Now that's impressive." Pinball was one he admired from a distance, loving to see the different machines, but never got far when it came to the game itself. "I'd be honored to watch a professional at work. I'm even worse at that than I am at air hockey," he said, finally caving to the truth instead of holding up a facade for the bit.

As they made their way to the counter though, Alma's mind started to wander a little bit, her arm wrapped around a man's, and they're going out to a cafe for a drink. This kind of felt like a date, something Alma has never been on, she's been out with people before, but never a date. Maybe she's just over thinking it, it is just hot chocolate afterall, nothing suggestive about that at all. "You're just in luck," Alma started, looking up at him, into his brown eyes, seeing the gentle wrinkles that lined them. She could tell that she was looking for little too long, and that made her realise that she didn't even finish her sentence, shaking her head, she continued hoping it wasn't that noticeable. "Umm... Well, I've lived here my whole life. There's Just Like Heaven and Lilla Bakstugan, but they're kind of cafe mixed with bakery, you know? There's also Ceramic Cup, and that's the spot for a hot chocolate I think, but it's further than the other two." She smiled, looking back into his eyes, just for a moment. Nothing wrong with that, surely. They're just eyes after all.

She seemed so genuine in a way he couldn’t define. It was refreshing to meet one of those people you can’t help but be so impressed by their softness. Maybe like the perfect winter sweater or a piece of cake fresh out of the oven. He made sure to be careful and not damage such a heart while fulfilling his desire to get to know her better. Not that he wasn't gentle with anything he handled, especially a woman, he was on his best behavior.

"Well, aren't I lucky?" Ezra replied with a toothy grin. Meant every word, too. He didn't take a pretty girl who seemed to have no idea how gorgeous as just anyone. They were near perfect to a guy like him. Right now, he was simply happy to be escorting her to hot chocolate after they checked out. At her gaze, he met it with a soft stare that was meant to admire, before he lost the chance. Alma had one of those beauties that seemed to be too effortless. She made it easy to get comfortable in her gaze. "Not a bad place to grow up, seems like a great area, or what I've seen of it. I grew up in New York, lived there my whole life until now, my little brother lives out here, so I can't take credit for finding this gem." Ezra wasn't usually this much of a talker. Sure, he could have a conversation, but this one seemed to flow a little easier than normal. Maybe they were the same kind of awkward, and in turn, it made him slightly more confident in his approach. With that, they'd gotten to the register where he gestured for her to go ahead of him to get her items.

Jenny laughed at Ezra's comment, absolutely clueless when it came to the history of his love life, but finding great amusement in the words nonetheless as she could absolutely relate - far more than she cared to admit. When it came to commitment, Jenny was as familiar with it as she was with the current president; sure, she knew his name, but she couldn't tell you a whole lot about him or the way that he ran the country. Both facts really said a lot about Jenny, actually.

Relationships weren’t his strong suit, which was odd, seeing a thought he’d been married for five years before this. In fact, it was the proof that he couldn’t do just that. Ezra didn’t want that life in the first place, or at least not yet, until it fell into his lap. Even though that turned out not to be the case and the life he never wanted had already begun. That couldn’t weigh him down too heavily, or he’d never get up; instead, he did what he did best: have fun.

She was cute enough that he would’ve settled for any answer if it got her to talk to him. He could do it, after all these years. All the better when she agreed. Ezra grinned, thinking he’d already gotten farther than any reasonable man should plan for. Not that he was ugly per se, but he considered himself just as good-looking as any other guy. For a guy like that to talk to a girl like her, he’d take whatever he could get. “Hey, I’m playing to win,” Ezra said with an effortless smile as they made their way towards their tournament. “But you are the expert around here.” He knew good and well he wasn’t that good. Maybe he’d want to whoop ass if his opponent had been his little brother but wouldn’t be surprised if she showed him up. Ezra only wanted a front row seat to watch if that was the case. “What’s your game around here? Don’t tell me it’s air hockey,” he laughed at the thought and could only hope that wasn’t the case.

Happy to ditch his own floral musings for a distraction he considered the options presented— daisies or hydrangeas. “Is her name Daisy by chance?” He posed the question after considering a few factors. “If not, I vote for the hydrangeas, unless you know her favourite colour. That way you can pick something in that hue.”

Ezra gave a shrug, unphased by the mention of the fight that might be brought forth by his actions. Not that it was true, knowing they were soulmates, and all he could do was make sure Elias treated her like she deserved. That hadn't been an issue, really, it was the older of the two who's track record was scuffed. All he'd ever done was fail, if they were keeping score, and that's exactly what had landed him in this town in the first place. "I'm thinking he's going to pop the question anytime now, so maybe I can help him speed up the process." Elias hadn't said anything about a proposal but Ezra's romanticizing got ahead of him. He knew it could only be a matter of time, the two practically inseparable as it is.

"Another D, actually," he laughed at the thought. Dot certainly fit the name Daisy but it was funny to imagine. "Dorothy. So hydrangeas it is." The question of what her favorite might've been made him pause as he searched his brain for the answer. As far as he could remember that hadn't come up in conversation but Ezra couldn't trust his memory these days. "I think she likes purple... or maybe it was blue..."

Jenny winced, but it was a dramatic sort of expression, more theatrical than genuinely concerned, like she was pretending to take it all very seriously. "Okay, first of all, good call not turning it off," she said, gesturing toward him with the tip of a plastic velociraptor. "If you had, we’d have lost all the high scores, and believe me; nothing stirs up a riot faster in this place than someone wiping out a week’s worth of glory." She tilted her head, eyes gleaming just a little. "I’d have had to ban you for your own safety. Possibly put you in witness protection."

Her hand wandered beneath the counter, rifling lazily around as she spoke. "And I gotta be honest with you - I don’t actually know how to fix them." She shrugged, unapologetic. "I mean, I could go stare at it really hard, maybe press a button with a lot of confidence and pretend I’ve got a technical bone in my body, but odds are it’d just start smoking, and then we’d both be in trouble."

She finally surfaced with four tokens, sliding them across the counter one by one, her smile going sly. "But hey… I can make it up to you." Jenny leaned in just slightly, like she was letting him in on a secret. "Couple free tokens for your emotional distress," she said, voice dipped low in mock-sincerity, "and for being cute enough to confess instead of ghosting out the door."

Ezra gave a wipe to his brow, a close call from causing trouble he didn’t need, and a sucker for a good bit. “Glad my ability to not commit finally came in handy,” he joked feeling free that no one knew of his past or marital situation. The only person he had to be was Ezra and that made life feel better than it had in a long time. “I can’t go back in again, besides, I just got here.” His hands clasp together in a small pleasing gesture against his chest, giving the girl his best smolder but a laugh cracked through. Her confession breaking any act Ezra tried to put on to get a chuckle out of her had backfired. “That’s alright by me, I wasn’t doin’ all that good anyway,” he admitted with a shrug. “So maybe I am coming out ahead anyway.”

The tokens were cold in his palm, a cheap metal that would green if he rubbed it too long. Ezra thumbed them around in thought while staring at the wall of potential prizes, including her glitter yo-yo, and not being tempted one way or another. He had a better idea in mind. “How many of these would I need to get you to play a game of air hockey with me?" Maybe it was a long shot but he wasn't known to let that stop him. She was cute, he was alone in an arcade, and the worst she could say was no chance, either way, four coins richer.

Ezra liked her energy already. People took life too serious these days, he felt like there were nothing but possibilities for the first time in a long time. He was glad to meet someone who seemed to match that same whimsy. “I would be happy to take your marshmallows, m’lady,” the curly-haired boy said giving the theatrics of a head bow, hand pressing to his midsection as they walked. Her rambling only made the smile grow. Ezra found it adorable, actually. He was amused by it, impressed even, that she had any insecurity in his clear interest. “I couldn’t let that happen, you’ve got to take my arm. What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t offer you mind first?” Ezra insisted as his elbow shifted out to offer it to her during their first few steps towards the register. He knew a thing or two about making sure a girl was treated right, sometimes that just didn’t matter, it couldn’t make him love her. He tried to not think about that part of his life since his arrival and meeting new people, making new friends, that’s what he needed right now. “I’m new in town, any recommendations for where we should go? I’m hoping you’ve been here longer than I have.”

location: the ceramic cup time: late evening

the espresso machine had already been cleaned, the lights were dimmed and the café door hadn’t been opened for at least an hour. margot went through her closing routine like muscle memory, wiping down tables, rearranging chairs and restocking items no one would touch again until the next morning. the noise of the refrigerator filling the silence in the room.

the town had grown quiet as well. most shops were dark, rain threatened to fall and the streetlamp on the corner was flickering in a way that made her uneasy. though that could’ve just been the long day and the lack of sleep catching up with her.

she didn’t expect the door to open again.

so when it did, margot straightened from behind the counter, eyebrows raised, “we’re just about to close,” she said, her voice gentle but cautious.

still, she didn’t tell them to leave. not yet, anyway.

Ezra had gone back and forth on leaving New York, starting a life somewhere else where he didn't know anyone besides his brother. This might've been the first time in years that he didn't have anything to do besides wander around and figure out his new town. There were shops he never stepped foot in before, food he had yet to sample, but right now a hot cup of Joe was calling his name. Elias had told him about the place to go and when he saw the sign amidst the setting sun he considered it fate.

His eyes were already running over the menu when he entered, not even glancing over when given a warning about the time. "I'll be quick, don't wanna hold you up," he replied while still browsing his options. There was a stifled laugh that expelled from his chest upon the question about his day. "Yeah, kind of. I'm new around here, still getting the lay of the land. Don't have a car yet so figured I'd get in my steps." That was when Ezra's focused changed from the menu to the girl at the counter and found it hard to not blinking profusely upon hitting her face. She was beautiful, to say the least, and as a newly single man he took it upon himself to took hit shot. "You from around here? I could seriously use a tour guide, my brother's busy so I've been kinda left to my own devices."

Alma smiled at Ezra's offer to buy her a coffee, even if it wasn't quite the beverage she would want. "I don't drink coffee, but you could totally buy me a hot chocolate!" She smiled widely, not perceiving any type of advance from him, figuring it's just his way of making friends. "I'm actually free right now, well, after I pay for my groceries first I guess. If you want to, you know... get a drink. Now. Unless your busy of course, no pressure." Yep, she ruined it. She lightly shook her head, trying to get herself out of it, and held out her hand to him to shake, "My name is Alma, by the way."

Her smile was nice, he made note of that, wanting to keep making sure he continued to make her crack them. Not everyone enjoyed his antics but it was those who did that kept them going, Ezra seeing it as part of his charm. Elias was quite the opposite in the way they carried themselves which made his brother all the more loud in his existence as if to fill up extra space. The expectations of their parents fell heavily on his shoulders which happened to include being a conversationalist at family events. It was Ezra who pulled out all the stops; from jokes to being passed from relative to relative like an appetizer platter. "See? And I've got just the solution for you," he advertised the mess he made as if it was exactly what she was looking for. "When doesn't a tomato come in handy? Maybe you need to throw one at a heckler real quick or create salsa in a pinch, you just never know."

The request for hot chocolate caused a laugh to slip from his lips. In some ways, it sounded even better than a cup of joe, unsure of the last time he'd enjoyed one. "Only if you don't call me a copycat when I get the same thing because that's a great idea. Hopefully, they have extra marshmallows, those are my favorite." Altering the plan didn't phase him more than thinking about his new order. He could practically taste the fluffy white sugar clouds that he hadn't had in he didn't know how long. "Of course, I've just gotta grab these few things myself. May I accompany you to the register?" Manners had been drilled into his head since birth, even if he didn't always use them, he knew how when he needed to. "Ezra, nice to meet you, Alma. Thanks again for saving me back there," he said nodding to the tomatoes he'd now stepped away from to go towards the checkout.

To be frank, Jenny didn't do a whole lot of working at work. For the most part, she followed Jules around, and when he wasn't working a shift with her, she spent a lot of time watching people play or simply chatting to them, not being a true asset to the establishment in any way other than socially. Unfortunately, sometimes Jenny had to suck it up and man the counter; it wasn't the hardest job in the world, thankfully, but it was still not what she opted to do when she had the choice.

He could tell the question came as a surprise seeing as though she was already preoccupied with creating a dinosaur battlefield. Ezra wondered if he'd really messed up this time, being the idiot who messed up the game. His face melted awkwardly from a smile into a frown of acceptance. A nod followed in case he hadn't made it clear enough already. "Yeah, not even the good kind either," he exhaled heavily, not reacting to his own deadpan joke but hoping it got a reaction out of the cute girl behind the counter. "Should I just accept my fate and make the switch? It like went totally black and I like forreal didn't do anything, I promise. I mean, sure, I was doing kinda bad but it couldn't have been that bad." Ezra hadn't thought about that. Now that he had he wondered if it was even possible, having to give his head a shake to rid his brain of the idea. "I would've given 'er the ole turn it off and on again but I thought that was a little out of my jurisdiction. You can do that with those things, right?" He felt stupid, maybe it was the beers he'd had or the fact he didn't know much outside of his numbers but Ezra didn't want her thinking he was dumb. "Without like unplugging it, I mean," he corrected abruptly.

"I do, I don't know how Margot could stand that place," Elias said bringing up Ezra's ex-wife. She'd been in Ezra's life during that period and even though their marriage was over Elias couldn't just erase the woman's existence not that Elias was trying to actively bring the woman up it just slipped out and Elias was sure to move the conversation past the mention of his brother's ex as quickly as possible. "But yeah, Cardinal Hill's nice. This is a real pretty drive when the weather's nice," he explained. It was overcast that day which was typical for this time of year but once they got closer to the summer months the place really was a paradise. "She's doing good," Elias answered automatically even though that wasn't the full truth. The last couple of months had been hard on her with the events that transpired just a few months prior. That, paired with the sudden existence of another sister unbeknownst to her was a lot for anyone to handle. Still it wasn't Elias's place to discuss any of that with his brother and respected his partner's privacy. "She kinda just popped out of nowhere," Elias admitted. "Turns out Dorothy's dad had a kid before meeting her mom that he just sort of abandoned before he ran out on them too," he explained. He didn't know much about Dorothy's father as he'd been in his partner's life only briefly but he had very little respect for a man who up and left his family. "I don't think she's gonna be here long just stopping through," he went on. It was bad timing with Ezra coming into town but the inn was nice and he was sure he'd enjoy his alone time without him and Dorothy being underfoot the entire time.

Ezra gave a satisfied smile once their desination name was disclosed as it was one he'd soon be familar with. These would become the places he found his new go-to's and their accompanying order; it was all too exciting for him. After what felt like a suffocating few years, he was breathing freely again. Margot had been a good girlfriend, in fact she was a great one, but he never loved her like he should've. By the time he loved her they were already married and going down a path Ezra knew he wasn't destined for. Sometimes he wonders if it was even love at all or just what he'd been expected to do. Not that it mattered anymore, none of it did. These were going to be his years, not Margot's, not the baby that never existed, not their dad's, his. Ezra had college at least, that being what made him long for the days when life was simple and the stock market wasn't the axis of his orbit. These were going to be those days.

At the mention of the woman he'd came here to forget Ezra shifted uncomfortably, groaning when nothing felt right and turned to face his brother in the driver's seat. "She couldn't, all she did was nag me about it as if I could afford anything else," he explained as much of their disagreements had been kept quiet. Some stories were purposefully left unmentioned at family get togethers to not hint at the faults in his marriage. Now that he'd done the unthinkable, there wasn't any reason to pretend it had been a joyful union. "Dude what the fuck? Dot's the best, she doesn't deserve that shit." The shift to a girl he could actually stand was appreciated. Besides, they'd both rather be talking about Dorothy anyway. "What do you think of her? The sister." Since she was taking the room he originally assumed he'd be staying in, he figured it was only fair to ask what his brother's real opinion of his temporary roomate was without his girlfriend's influence. This had been the kind of conversations he was missing with his little brother. "Is she hot? Not that I'd go for one of her sister's but ya know, important stuff to take into account since she took my spot and all."

She looked around again, letting out a small laugh as she turned back to Ezra, "I don't think you will need that many tomatoes," she giggled, glad it wasn't her that made the pile collapse, or else she would be in a much more distressed mood.

He wasn't always this clumsy, but it would be a lie if he said this didn't happen often. In his youth, he never even tripped, or so it felt that way, now finding any curb and stumbling over it when trying to look sauve. Ezra liked to think it was because he got married and nearly settled down, and some of his charisma went with it. There might be no proof for that theory, but it made him feel at least a bit better about losing what he used to pride himself in. "Oh yeah, totally good," he breathed, using his energy to keep the bundle in his arms from collapsing. "My ego? Definitely a little bruised." Ezra's smile had settled into place by then, finally able to exhale now that her hands were assisting him in this disaster. He couldn't be too upset with his mishap when it gave him the chance to chat up a cute girl.

"Hey, you never know when a good tomato will come in handy," he continued to joke. "Emergency tomato situations happen more often than you'd think." In reality, he barely knew what to do with one of these besides slice it for a sandwich, which had been his initial plan for the red bulbs. Maybe with his newfound freedom, the man could develop a few skills in the kitchen, but Ezra didn't hold his breath. "Thanks for helping me wrangle them. Can I, uh, buy you a coffee or something to show my appreciation?" An eyebrow arched, glancing over at her between placing tomatoes back into their pyramid, hoping he could score more time with her.