stick around until you hear that music play again

Before long, Caterina had arrived at the cafe and glanced around. She didn’t quite see Xavier yet, but there wasn’t much of a line at the moment. A voice at the counter popped up asking what she would like. “Oh, I’m waiting for a friend to tell me their order,” she responded, to which they nodded.

Caterina Singh: I just arrived, would you like me to place an order for you? Caterina Singh: Or are you pretty close?

Caterina Singh: Ugh, yes please spare me those details. I doubt I could stomach them

Caterina Singh: Oh, of course. I have very little preference. I just know I need the coffee.

Caterina Singh: I’m not sure if you’re the type to be exceptionally kind or not, but I’ll accept it.

Caterina Singh: See you in 15!

Xavier Bennett: Probably for the best

Xavier Bennett: Well I don’t think you’ll regret this choice then

          She grinned. Personally, she tried to be optimistic as often as possible. And when she couldn’t be, then she just ignored the situation. Probably wasn’t the best way to handle situations, but sometimes that was easier. Although she wasn’t always optimistic, she did try to always see two sides to a story. “Exactly. I’m in the field of communications, but really I’m in the field of making sure people hear what they need to. Miscommunication happens far too often. It’s so sad.” Madi laughed. “I sound like I’m a hundred years old and gonna start blaming cell phones for it all.” The warlock probably wouldn’t write stories about random citizens, but she knew better than to think that someone was just a random citizen. “Oh, I doubt you’re as boring as you think. Everyone has a story.” 

“There’s a lot of miscommunication in communications. Is it bad if I say I’m not surprised and then laugh?” Xavier asked, looking over at her with a raised brow. “People hear what they want to hear, not what’s actually being said.” He couldn’t help but laugh at her joke, he was sure that he sounded the same on occasion. “I mean you might sound old, but it’s the truth and I’m not going to fault you for saying it.” He shrugged, she was right that he wasn’t as boring as he projected himself to be, but he didn’t like dwelling on that, he liked his boring image of his boring life. “I’m a bartender who spends his nights off watching romcoms with his cats and drinking wine. There’s nothing exciting there.” He shook his head, before turning and pointing at the reporter. “Now you, I bet you’ve got exciting stories.”

The unbidden pride that still plagued her reared it’s ugly head when the bartender spoke up; it was something she knew wasn’t an attractive trait in a whitelighter. Her chest puffed up when she glanced at the new face, brow furrowed and clearly frustrated. 

“Man, fuck you,” the man spat out, bringing her attention back. It wasn’t entirely clear if he was directing the crude language at Jenny or the bartender. Either way, he knew he was outnumbered and left, flipping not one, but two birds at them as he did. It made Jenny tsk in disgust. Classy.  

The prideful expression on Jenny’s face melted into a slightly more sheepish one as something inside her loosened. All he did was what she would have done herself, if she’d seen an aggressive man towering over someone. “I didn’t think staff had to get involved. I figured he’d just go to the bathroom to clean up.” Jenny leaned against the bar, cupping her glass of water and head tilted towards him, but didn’t sit. “I could have handled it, if it escalated,” she felt the need to tell him with a curt nod. “It’s not my first time handling a jerk, but I’m sure it’s not yours either. Perks of the job?”

Xavier couldn’t help but snort as the man stormed off. Honestly, that was less of a scene than he was expecting from the man. He’d had worse insults thrown at him, and he was sure there would be more rude gestures made his way before the night was over, there always was on busy nights.

Xavier, who had been following the man’s progress out of the bar, turned his attention back to the woman. “I’m sure that you could have handled it, but the boss man doesn’t like fighting. If you’d gotten into it with him then you would have both been ejected.” He understood how important it was to fight your own battles, and how it stung when people thought that you couldn’t take care of yourself. But part of his duties were to deal with assholes like that guy. He gave a chuckle as he answered the question. “Oh yeah, he’s hardly the worst that’s come through here. Not the first, not the last. You new around these parts, I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”

Between the crowd and trying to keep a hold of his ability from going off on instinct, it took all his concentration to try and breathe calmly while facing the man behind him in line. Spencer held the notion that his hold on his ability was stronger, but then situations like these happened. He has always been grateful that this was the ability he had. There were moments when he wondered how much their abilities are connected to themselves or just something random. His family tree showed that their abilities followed a pattern. 

He rolled his shoulders, trying to shake the stiffness from his body. ‘Try to relax, he doesn’t seem to have noticed. It’s easier to control if you just relax.’ Spencer half-shrugged and glanced behind him to make sure the other person wasn’t getting too close to him and seeing the line move, taking a step backwards. “I just don’t do well in crowds,” he replied turning back to him with a tight-lipped smile, ‘understatement’. “Ah, my mind has been pretty distracted, I didn’t even notice the pain.” Which was basically true, ‘best keep it as close to the truth as possible,’ he thought. “I didn’t step on you I hope,” he added with a frown glancing downwards as if expecting to see a shoe imprint.

Xavier was getting some seriously stressed out vibes from the guy. He felt a little bad for messing with him. But not bad enough to stop. He was freaking out himself, and if he could get some answers that would be great. He briefly thought that maybe the guy was a ghost. But no, he had never seen a ghost before, and he was pretty sure that you couldn’t read ghosts minds. You know. Because they were dead.

Xavier tried his best to stifle his snort when the guy said that his mind was distracted. Yeah, I can tell. “I’m not fond of crowds either. Too loud.” Not in the way that they were loud to most people, but he didn’t need to know that. “If you did it was nothing that I felt.” He raised a brow at the end, almost challengingly.

          “They can be,” she laughed. “Not all of them are.” She didn’t think that all people were bad, but there were some annoying ones. Especially ones that thought they were better than other people. “I mean, I wouldn’t blame him as much as his superiors. Maybe even the person I’m interviewing. If they weren’t expecting guests to show up, then he was just doing his job. I find that it’s less about people being the worst and more about people not being told all the information. Although lack of information doesn’t excuse asshole behavior, so I’m not giving him a pass.” She nodded. “Hopefully, not. And not to sound like a journalist fishing for a story, but how long have you lived here?” 

“That’s true.” Xavier said, nodding in agreement. Sometimes it was hard for him to be optimistic. He needed to try and have more faith in the world. Something was easier on some days than others. “I should remember that there’s usually someone above them giving them the orders in these situations, or forgetting to tell them information.” Those were people who probably shouldn’t have the job that they did. But the seemed to be an entirely different conversation. “Well, I don’t know why any journalist would want to write a story about me. But I’ve been here... lets see... eight or nine years now? Long enough to be part of the scenery and a familiar face, but not long enough that I know all the secrets. Still have moments I feel like an outsider. I take it that makes you new?”

“Hey, so this is kind of embarrassing, but I ended up with someone else’s bag?” He said to the bored looking clerk at the front desk, rubbing the back of his neck and focusing his gaze on the surface of the counter. “I didn’t want to dig around through the bag, but I thought that I could turn it in to you and you cold figure out who it belonged it? Maybe somebody has reported it missing? And I suppose I should follow this up with asking if anyone has turned in my bag?”

Maxine grimaced as Xavier spoke the all too relevant truth. “Well, I mean, you aren’t under oath like a therapist. I have definitely reported people before who told me disturbing things,” she admitted, not the least bit ashamed. Nor was she about kicking out creepy patrons. Maybe she had a reputation as a no-bullshit kind of owner, but she was proud of it. “God, sounds like the typical BS of a bachelor party. Honestly, I am so over those heteronormative parties. They always seem to fuel more drama,” before she could go off on a rant about how many lined up with drag show nights, her phone buzzed. “Oh, shit, I should probably get going. It was nice chatting with you.”

Caterina Singh: I have not, but more so pulling someone else’s phone out of a toilet is the really upsetting part

Caterina Singh: Well, I have a pretty terrible hangover. Would you like to meet for a coffee? My treat for you grabbing my phone and for anything embarrassing I may have done last night

Xavier Bennett: It’s not pleasant, but it’s a risk when you have a job that involves cleaning up after the public. I’ll spare you the stories of the other things that have been fished out of our toilets... 💩

Xavier Bennett: Only if it’s Brewed Awakenings. Not that the other coffee spots in town are bad, that’s just my regular.

Xavier Bennett: And possibly my favorite.

Xavier Bennett: Okay fine they’re my favorite but it doesn’t have to be there. You’re the one with the hangover, you should pick where your coffee is coming from.

Caterina Singh: You are a life saver!

Caterina Singh: Out of a toilet?!?! 🤢 How are people this way?

Caterina Singh: I mean, I guess you can do that, but phones just keep getting pricier with every model.

Caterina Singh: Oh that is such a relief! Are you working at the bar right now or did you just stop by to check?

Xavier Bennett: You mean you haven’t dropped your phone in the toilet? Happens to the best of us, and the risk only increases when you’ve been bar-hopping.

Xavier Bennett: I totally agree, but hey, what do I know? I’m just a bartender.

Caterina Singh: Thank you, you are a life savior. It is an iPhone, it has a glittery rose gold case.

Caterina Singh: Oh, also there’s a popsocket on it too that has a flower on it.

Caterina Signh: I wholly believe several phones are left behind each night, but the fact that they go unclaimed? Do people not need their phones?

Xavier Bennett: Awesome! Give me a moment and I’ll check! 👍🏿

Xavier Bennett: You’d be surprised. The staff have even pulled a few out of toilets at the end of the night.

Xavier Bennett: I think they just get so drunk they forget where they left it and if the battery is dead then they can’t track it.

Xavier Bennett: I agree with you, I’d do everything to track mine down ASAP but I guess if you keep everything in the cloud and can afford to get another one. 🤷🏿‍♂️

“Oh are you, now?” Juliet teased, glancing towards him with a smile. “Well I couldn’t say no when we decided to make each other food and drinks for one another.” Juliet explained. “I’m usually the only one doing that for people.” She shrugged, not minding it at all. Although, she was excited to see what he’d make for the both of them. Not only that, but she couldn’t wait for him to try what she was making. 

“I guess that’s true.” Juliet said as she used her toes to pull her shoes off. She then stooped down and picked out some slippers, pushing her feet into them and then smiling. “I forgot how comfy these things can be.” She smirked as she moved back towards the kitchen. She set her bag on the counter. “So, Mr. Bartender and Cook, what’s on the menu for tonight?” 

“You’re already here, there’s no getting out it now. Or ever.” Xavier joked as he checked to make sure that the door was securely closed before they left the entryway and moved into the rest of the house. “Well it’s nice to switch it up for a change, then. I’m usually just making too much food for me to eat by myself.” He chuckled.

Xavier nodded in approval at her choice in slippers, bending down to straighten her shoes just so before following her into the kitchen. “The main dish is maple bacon grilled salmon. It’s my first time following this recipe, so hopefully it tastes good. Drinks depend on what you’re in the mood for, although I mostly only have wine around here.”

          “That’s true,” she frowned looking back at the guard. She didn’t understand why he didn’t just radio his boss. Communication truly was a dead art form, she realized. “I’m used to rude people in my profession. I once interviewed someone who basically yelled at me and shut down the interview when I asked a question about a rumor I’d heard. Apparently he didn’t care to comment on it. I’m still not sure how I was supposed to have known that. Anyway.” The warlock shrugged. “Oh, like twenty minutes.” 

“People are the worst.” Xavier agreed, wincing in sympathy as he heard her stories. It made him glad that he was a bartender and not a journalist. “He should have known that it might be a possible subject that you would bring up, no need to throw a temper tantrum because of it.” Twenty minutes? Well, he hoped she wouldn’t mind some company in that time. “Well, I should probably stick around until then. Just to make sure that that guard doesn’t give you any more issues.”

Juliet shifted the backpack as she knocked on the door. She, of course, was acting like the bag was heavier than what she could manage. She had to appear and act like a human, after all. “Hey! Thanks for inviting me over.” Juliet offered Xavier a smile as she walked into the house. Her eyes moved along the interior of his place and she whistled. “Nice place you have here.” 

She quickly halted before she took a step further into the house. “Oh right, sorry.” Juliet toed her shoes off and pushed them towards the door. “Slippers?” She asked, the smile creeping back on her lips. “You offer your guests slippers?” A giggle escaped her lips as she looked at the basket. “I have never heard of someone doing that before.” 

“Of course, I’m just happy that you decided that you wanted to spend more time with me.” Xavier said, watching as Juliet observed his home, checking once more that there weren’t any embarrassing messes that he forgot to clean up. There weren’t. But he had to check. “Thanks. It’s gotten a bit more chaotic since the hellions arrived. Not much to be done about it.” Xavier said, shrugging in a ‘what can you do’ kind of way.

Xavier felt his own grin growing watching Juliet’s reaction towards the slippers. “Well, it’s rude to tell them to take off their shoes and parade around in slippers but not offer them anything for their own cold feet.” Xavier said, gesturing down towards his own slipper clad feet and then pointing back at the basket. “They’re clean, don’t worry.”