&. 99 problems

barrett kozak. 40. psychiatrist.

[barrisms]

alechalkias​:

     The sound of his voice made Alec stiffen up, a plume of liquor following his sloppy statement merely a testament to the irony he manifested in such a state — A therapist? Please. Alec interrupted his friend about to take a shot and took one himself, this time off the table and into the glass he had grasped in a desperate hand. It was a good shot, perfect some would say, the alcohol splashing out and all over the chair he was on. “I’m sorry, what was that?” He called out, leaning on the table.

The one downfall to being a loud drunk with Barrett’s personality, he was a loud drunk. Enough said. Clearly, as the very person he spoke of had taken a sudden interest in having the psychiatrist repeat his statement. Professionalism disappeared with that last drink. Washed away to leave him stripped down to nothing more than whatever slipped from his lips and 90% of the time it wasn’t something worth repeating. Still, he managed to sit up slowly after the initial moment of being caught had worn off. Careful not to spill his drink, Barrett took one final sip of liquid courage before it was handed off to his. present company. It should be noted the individual who took Barrett’s drink held the same composure as if they were a ten-year-old about to be reprimanded by the teacher. “Yeah,” he breathed. There was no point in pretending the words hadn’t been spoken and the idea of apologizing was laughable at this point. “I said,” and just to get the full effect Barrett shifted the weight of his form in his seat. Just enough so he wouldn’t have to turn as much when he addressed the other. “I said what a fucking idiot.” 

[barrisms]

@sicnnakcrlsson​ — not a cheesy rom-com

location: Viewplex.  time: 9:45pm. 

It sounded gushy...cheesy and whatever other way could describe what honestly did sound like some ridiculous rom-com, but he’d seen her from across the theater lobby. Standing there in line with an elderly couple at the countering getting popcorn and a group of teenage boys who trailed not too far behind. Too bad this wasn’t some cheesy rom-com. While Barrett had ducked into the theater in an attempt to avoid someone he didn’t want to see, his plans of a quick exit fell to the wayside. The bar scene was getting old by now with the same situation that felt like a bad movie on repeat, one he’d gladly return to but evidently his Friday evening hadn’t been anything extraordinary to warrant another hangover in the morning he was too old for. So the moment he noticed she was free of any present company and no boyfriend was about to come around, Barrett made his way across the lobby. Unfortunately, being subtle and casual about anything he had intended to do with a purpose meant he was anything but. “Do you think the movie is gonna be any good?” His blue eyes ventured from one movie title to the next above each theater entrance. Honestly, none of the titles caught his attention nor seemed worth the money which he had yet to spend. “I think I picked the wrong one,” he noted with a defeatest sigh before his attention once again returned to her. Again, subtlety hadn’t been something he was blessed with, which made the glance over of the brunette from head to toe painfully obvious. “You look like you have good taste,” Barrett gave a nod towards a few of the posters framed on the wall. “What do you recommend?” 

[barrisms]

helenaknightt​:

“So, I had a customer come in today, and she wanted her boyfriend’s name tattooed over her heart.” She began, a roll of her eyes following the statement. “Okay, first off, live your life, girl, but honestly? Dumb.” Helena would never understand why anyone thought significant other tattoos were a good idea. In her book, they were an omen, and one that rarely failed. “Anyways, that wasn’t the best part. The best part was that her boyfriend accompanied her to this appointment, and — he accompanied me about a week ago.” She added, “When I recognized him, I thought, hm, Helena, be a good person. So, I tried – I was gonna talk this poor soul out of what would absolutely be a mistake. This was until she started to get nasty, and while, I could’ve turned her away. Gain a few points with the big man upstairs, I thought – oh, okay, sweetheart, lets play.” Helena was nothing if not petty, and this little incident was too good to pass up. “So, I tattooed the asshole’s name on her. Nice, bold, pretty, and on her way out, I let her know that he wasn’t very good in bed to warrant a place on your body, sweetheart. And shut the door on her.” That was absolutely wrong of her, but damn, did it feel so right. “So, if I wasn’t going to hell before, I definitely am now. First class, baby.” She stated, with a simple shrug of her shoulders. “On another note, how was your day?” @elisabethstarters​

Before Barrett even had the chance to tell the brunette woman his question had been intended for the person he was on a call with via an earpiece, she was well into her story. Just enough to have captured Barrett’s attention. So he stopped himself from interrupting just to hear the conclusion of what happened to the woman with the name. of an unfaithful man now permanently inked on her skin. This was why he didn’t have tattoos, too permanent. “Yeah, hold on Jack,” Barrett finally acknowledged the individual on the other end of the call, yet he didn’t look away from the woman; more or less the reason he ended up in this situation in the first place. “I wanna know the guy’s name.” Now it went without question that Barrett was speaking to. the tattoo artist. “Was it obnoxious? Like Dick? Pretentious?” Evidently, the psychiatrist was more invested than he had intended to be but that really was only because, “Honey, if you're gonna take up my time telling me this whole story you can’t leave out details.” And this had been the most interesting thing to happen to him all day, which is why he elected to ignore her own question regarding his day. 

[barrisms]

adriannasotc​:

Adrianna stood over him and slowly envisioned how she would kill him. Then she went ahead and thought about how she would dispose of his body without anyone noticing. The ocean was always a good option. Maybe he got drunk and stumbled in. It had some potential but someone had probably heard him screaming at her front door. She could always plead self-defense. Perhaps start a fight before she pushed him down the stairs. Her head shook then as she looked over at him and then at the television. Sure, she could see some of the resemblance. The woman on her knees had dark hair but she definitely didn’t have the same body shape. “You’re an idiot,” the brunette hissed as she tried to fight him with for the remove control. “I’m sure you’ve seen it before. Surfing the net this late at night and you’re bound to find someone on their knees. Give me the fucking remove, Barrett.” Dark hues rolled as she shook her head and stepped back, allowing an irritated groan to slip past her lips. “Fuck. You.” She hissed at him as she went into her own kitchen and pulled out a beer. If she couldn’t beat him, she may as well fucking join him.

“No that’s not it,” he countered, the remote being moved in every direction to avoid Adrianna’s death grip. But all the movement had come to a stop when she had departed from Barrett’s side which left him to sit there on the floor, back against the couch with the same pensive expression as he stared at the screen. “Angel Star,” Barrett shouted from the other room after he had fallen silent, clearly not for long. “That’d be your pon star name. Adrianna?” His blue eyes feverishly surveyed the room he sat in, alone which was something he came to realize despite the need to yell out the less than creative name he’d come up with in his intoxicated state. “Adrianna?” He called. “Hey, you wanna come back out here?” As if his plea hadn’t been reason enough to stay away, “you’re missing the best part...I think.”  A statement that left Barrett’s gaze to wander from the screen with a sudden thought to find Adrianna, wherever she went if she didn’t answer one more time to, “Adrianna?”

[barrisms]

vanessawxii​:

                  “It’s fairly common for summer to have a shower or two.. and considering how the weather has been the past several weeks, I’m looking forward to the rainfall tomorrow. If there’s one thing I cannot stand, it’s excessive heat.” Not only does her curls begin to flourish once the sun beams attack her straightened hair, the humidity makes her skin get a slight itch; nothing too far from hives. “It’s Friday night       I think I’ve had enough turmoil to deal with this evening. All I intend on doing is relaxing underneath my air conditioner on the coolest temperature while drinking sauvignon blanc,” the brunette expressed, visibly attempting to hide her agitation. “If that doesn’t sound like a blast, then I don’t know what is. In the meanwhile, is there anything I can lend assistance to before I head off?”               @elisabethstarters​

At this point, the woman would have had a better chance with talking to a wall than Barrett who had completely ignored everything she had said up until the question she proposed. He’d heard the odd one or two words of course: shower, heat...something about Friday night which more or less explained Barrett’s vague response. “Great,” he deadpanned. Blue eyes finally came to meet the gaze of the woman as his hands fell to the top of the desk between the pair. If he hadn’t needed something from her the snide comment of doing your job would have slipped his lips, but Barrett refrained, for once. “You’re done talking honey?” Well, maybe not entirely. “Justin Hill. You can tell me if he’s around.” But as if he wouldn’t trust the woman’s response, Barrett’s gaze overlooked the surrounding area for any sign of the lawyer. “You guys work together don’t you?”

[barrisms]

malakaicardel​:

“Okay, kid, you’re clear.” Malakai stated as he took the duffel bag off his shoulder and gently sat it upon the floor. Unzipping the bag, a young boy would scurry out of the bag. Niko stood, and smiled up at Kai, in which he would return, only for him to look up and find that they now had the attention of someone else. “I’d just like to clarify that he got into that bag himself. And it’s a long story, but I did not kidnap a kid.” He’d find himself immediately firing off, Niko turning to the other person and nodding in agreement, before turning back to Kai and asking about ice cream. Soon after, he’d make his way pass the other individual, nonchalantly, while Malakai gave them a shrug, “Kids.” He laughed, slightly nervous, “Please don’t call the cops. He’s my neighbors kid. And apparently he thought this was a better escape then being seen by the girl he likes.” He gave pause, as an entirely different thought came to mind. “If you found out that I carried your kid around in a duffel bag, you’d probably never let me babysit again, huh?” @elisabethstarters​

There really shouldn’t have been a whole lot of things that surprised Barrett anymore. Given his line of work, he had heard just about everything, but when his gaze caught sight of a child who had just crawled out of a duffle bag, well he couldn't do anything but stare. Naturally of course given the odd nature of the whole thing, he didn’t divert his attention. Not until the man with the bag began explaining himself. Though that simply caused Barrett's brow to furrow. The idea of Kidnapping hadn’t been the first thought, but it certainly was one now. Still, Barrett simply gave a nod in acknowledgment that followed with the type of forced smile that had no positive intention behind it. A slight raise of his brow and Barrett had finally turned his line of sight to anything but the man and child, for now. 

The black inked pen in his grasp tapped against his notepad in an unintentional rhythmic pattern which is something Barrett had only come to acknowledge he was doing when the man once again beckoned his attention with one simple word, kids. “Kids,” he repeated and just before the plea. Seated in silence for a moment, Barrett set the pen and notebook down on the table in front of him, his body leaned to the left slightly in the direction of the other. “A little advice, the less you say the better. Otherwise, you sound pretty guilty of doing exactly what you keep telling me you aren’t.” He paused. “And no.” There was that fabricated grin again. “I’d have your ass in jail.” Another pause. “Or a scathing yelp review that seems more mainstream.” 

[barrisms]

alechalkias​:

SATURDAY, JUNE 6th, 2020. ALIBI, Port Elisabeth.

     “I’d rather not hear about it,” Alec groaned as he took a shot on the table, hitting the white ball and watching it smack into nothing but the edge. “Fuck—” The man stood up and moaned, stepping back from the table to let the next person take their go. “The McIvy’s have always been a disgusting family and all of them, aside from Alexander, are insufferable.” He paused, taking a swig from his beer. “Or were, in some cases.” The bias he had become accustomed to with was from loyalty to Hannah, an ironic thought given his actions a couple of years ago, but his own experience of her family had never been positive. “The old man was crazy, probably did it to himself.”

Because he’d know all about that, Barrett thought to himself once he had overheard the male state a few controversial comments. Not that Barrett really knew the individual but a few choice words to express their hatred for each other over a parking spot really did seal the deal for a friendship that’d never be. His blue eyes parted from that evening's company across from the psychiatrist and over to the clearly distraught male. Most people would have just ignored him, up and left, or spent the remainder of the evening on the other side of the room, but not Barrett. Drink in hand, he swirled what little of the golden liquid remained in his glass and proceeded to lend an ear to whatever else he had to say that could entertain the less than sober psychiatrist. This also meant his present company continued speaking to a man who only seemed to make any expression reacting to what he heard from those around the pool table. “He’s a fucking idiot.” Barrett stifled a laugh that followed his verbally articulated opinion.

[lauraharricrs]

[barrisms]

frankielecn​:

“We’ll just have to see,” the brunette said with a shrug of her shoulder as she peered over the man. Quite honestly, she couldn’t get a read on him. Confident and attractive, yes. Probably an asshole because that patterned always seemed to be accurate. A man who got the women he wanted and felt like he could say anything he pleased. She’d allow it for now until she’d teach him the lesson every other girl should have. “You won’t be? A little confident, are you?” She snorted and watched him skeptically. Her face contorted into a grimace at the mention of whether she liked the model look. One look at her and anyone could tell that someone would have to pin her down in order to get into a dress. Frankie had always been a bit of a tom boy, but hot enough that she could pull it off. Plus, she had the grit to back it up. Those rare moments when she chose to amuse someone with the concept of wearing a dress and heels, she left most people with their mouths agape. Still, those times were far and few in between. “I’d think not by the look at you.” Frankie smirked as she looked him over. He looked okay. Not necessarily the type she would have gone for given that his shirt looked expensive and she’d destroy that within two seconds. Evidently, her first assumption was to think that they came from two very different worlds. 

“Honey? Maybe you should stop talking while you’re ahead.” With the man she’d cursed at and the fact that this one kept trying to be a little too confident, she could feel her patience wearing thin. It was at the last statement that she couldn’t help but snort. “Maybe this isn’t going to work out because somehow you’ve got it in your head that since you wear a cheap suit that you’re allowed to be some kind of jackass. Luckily for you, you’re not even worth wasting my drink on. But I’d advise that I have one mean hook and I’m pretty sure you’d look better with a broken nose. “ 

It was glee, just pure enjoyment he had to suppress from his expression. He was really getting to her, and he loved it. Every word that slipped past her lips seemed to leave her more on edge than the last and that look in her eyes? It had singlehandedly been the most satisfying thing for the psychiatrist all day. So of course Barrett had every intention of continuing that, to push Frankie as far as he could. It was too early to end it now, not when things were just getting good. The male took a pause, his bottom lip caught between his teeth that couldn’t suppress the smile that still pulled at the corners of his lips. “Wow,” he breathed. Barrett’s gaze lingered on the woman as he took a sip of his drink. Once the bottom of the glass had made contact with the bar counter he casually came to a very blunt response to her less than friendly promise. God, this woman really did have a lot of pent up aggression...or Barrett just had a way of bringing that out of people. The words that followed were a testament to that. That’s hot. You’re a sadist.” 

With his gaze momentarily averted, Barrett flagged down the bartender and motioned for another drink. It was supposed to be just one and done with this situation, but she was entertaining and the longer this lasted well the more time of hers he’d waste. “If that’s not part of your day job honey, I’m gonna be disappointed.” And yes, he did emphasize the pet name simply because it struck a chord. So of course it would become his favorite word of the night. “Are you the Canadian version of Miami Vice?” Guess number two. 

[barrisms]

adriannasotc​:

Adrianna was reminded exactly why she vowed to keep the damn door closed the next time she’d hear banging at 3 AM. It was always the guilt that got her. The belief that if she didn’tt usher him in, he’d either wake up the neighbourhood, end up in jail, or he’d call the police to indicate someone had broken into the home that didn’t even belong to him. It was always a task and an half to get the male to bed. Some nights were easier than most but evidently, tonight would be difficult. Her eyes rolled as she moved to the kitchen in order to get him a glass of water and some advil to put by his bedside table. When she returned, he’d settled by the front of the TV with his blanket and pillow. “You need to sleep,” she groaned then. It was only when she turned around to ask what he wanted that her lips parted as she took the contents of the screen. “What the fuck are you watching?” She gawked, jumping forward in an attempt to grab the remote from his hands. “Give me, we’re turning it off and you’re going to bed.” She felt like a mother trying to control her unruly child. “Barrett, give me the remote.”

For someone as intoxicated as Barrett was his reflexes hadn’t completely become impaired. Slow, sure but he did pull the remote back as he slowly maneuvered his frame back towards the couch. While he remained on the floor, the drunken male gestured to the television once again. “No.” Barrett made sure to keep the remote held closer to his person as he once again attempted to direct her attention to the screen. When was she gonna just look? “When were you gonna tell me?” Barrett’s gaze narrowed at the brunette on the screen then followed. with the same mannerisms directed towards his neighbor. “You’re a porn star.” The statement came matter-of-factly because all the evidence was clearly right in front of them, wasn’t it? “I think...I. think,” Barrett repeated with the slurred speech. “I think I’ve seen this one before.” The male tapped the end of the remote against his chin with some sort of pensive expression taking over what initially had been shock for the inaccurate discovery. The background noise clearly didn’t make this topic any more comfortable. “Adrianna Soto...how do you change that into a porn star name?” He leaned his back against the couch as Barrett repeated her name only to come to another conclusion. “What’s the name of your first street and the pet you grew up on.” No, that didn’t sound right.

[barrisms]

noraandrcws‌:

LOCATION — BEAN & CO, PORT ELISABETH. MAY 2020 — with BARRETT KOZAK.

Feet tapped the floor impatiently and fingertips drummed on the counter as she waited for the barista to prepare her drink. Latte with almond milk seemed like something easy enough, right? But Hannah was taking forever on whatever she was doing, and it involved whipped cream. There weren’t other people in front of her on the line and she was pretty sure she was the next one to receive their orders and yet, she was pretty sure that Hannah had hers wrong, or was doing someone else’s. Nora had been on edge over the past few days, what with occupying herself beyond her routine work and busying herself even further with helping the SAR teams when she knew she wouldn’t be seen dead in one of those boats. She needed her caffeine more than ever and for some unknown reason, she was being denied it. It took another five minutes for Hannah to put two paper cups in front of her, one written with her name and the other one written with another name (one she knew pretty well) a small heart and a phone number. She didn’t want to judge, but with the town turned upside down, the barista was occupying herself with flirting, it was hard not to be judgey. She pointed Barrett’s place in line, and asked if she could deliver it to him. Nora swallowed every bad thing she wanted to say and nodded, pressing her lips together and doing as she was asked, she didn’t want to let Hannah’s work go to waste. “So— either you have a fan, or I didn’t know you were flirting poor baristas,” she said with a snark to her voice.

While Barrett couldn't say he was directly impacted by the events as some others had been, there still was an impact. Port Elisabeth, his home, had been turned upside down and given his job well he hadn’t been short of people with a sudden need to request help; and for good reason. However, all those extra hours also meant a lack of sleep on his end and like every single person who stood in the line with him, coffee seemed to be the only solution. A huff escaped past Barrett’s lips as he lowered his gaze to the phone that had been pulled from his pocket to occupy his time. Seventh....fifth...third...Barrett wasn’t a patient man. Even with all the thumb swiping he managed to do within the few minutes that passed he soon grew irritated enough to feign a crisis that would warrant him to cut the line. Luckily, Nora was there to save the day, someone Barrett didn’t think he’d be all that grateful to see in the first place. He would have made some sort of quip about how nice she was to buy him coffee but as his hand grasped the cup filled with his usual order and added whipped cream he never deemed as necessary Nora’s words caught the psychiatrist off guard. 

At first, his brow furrowed as Barrett’s gaze fell to the writing on the cup in an attempt to make sense of Nora’s comment. And God was it difficult to keep his ego from inflating after that. A smug smile began to pull at the corners of his lips as Barrett’s gaze rose to meet Nora’s own momentarily. “Don’t be jealous, Nora.” Barrett’s usual teasing comments towards the woman fell short as he proceeded to take notice of the woman behind the counter. “You’d be amazed what a little compliment gets you.” Though his gratitude seemed to be in short supply as he was back at the counter himself to tell Hannah to remake it without the whipped cream on top. He also hinted at the prospect of calling her but if he would depend on how shitty the rest of his day went and with Nora of all people as company? It seemed likely. “You should try it,” he suggested once he had his replacement and stood adjacent to the blonde. His comment followed with a subtle gesture to a tall lanky redhead male in his early twenties as if to pick out the individual for her. “You might never have to pay for coffee again.” 

[barrisms]

samnichcls‌:

LOCATION — TORTUE COVE BEACH, MYRTLE ROCK. MAY 2020 — with BARRETT KOZAK.

[ incoming text from  ➡ samantha ] are you busy today? i’m with bobbie at the beach and i was wondering if you would like to make me some company?  🥺🥺 [ incoming text from  ➡ samantha ]  brought cookies and blankets and the whole nine, she says she has shells she wants to show you.

The texts were sent quickly so her eyes could return to dutifully watch her daughter. With everything that had been happening, Samantha had been feeling strange, to say the least. She had gone on SAR boats in the middle of the ocean too many times now, and every time someone gladly offered to stay with Bobbie, but Sam had begun to strangely cling to the girl too, in a way that she was pretty sure she was feeling. Her mood had been heavy, memories setting in from the times that had happened before, first with her father going missing in the water in that beach in Hawaii before his body was recovered, and then Clare— it was all hitting too close to home and if she was being completely honest with herself, she had been dealing poorly with all of that. Before going to the beach, she had gone to the grief group she frequented before in the community center, determined to keep Bobbie close, she took the little girl and watched as everyone fawned over her before sharing stories, she didn’t stay much longer after that part began, making the trip to the beach and letting her daughter connect with the water the same way she always had done since she was young. Bobbie had been the one to ask about Barrett, or Barry as the little girl so sweetly called him, Bobbie had a way of capturing all the people around her and Sam was happy for it, there was a whole community of people in Fremont who loved her because of it. Bringing her knees to her chest, she watched her daughter as she waited for a response, thinking that Barrett might be the one who would have the answers for her as he had once a few years ago.

Barrett had kept his gaze glued to his phone out of nothing more than an attempt to quell the lack of desire he had to be where he was, in a meeting. Of course, it lacked any professional behavior which is why the device was hidden amongst a notebook and papers that rested on his lap. The male leaned back in his seat as his colleague continued to go on and on about what he could only compare to the teacher’s voice in a Charlie Brown cartoon. Had it continued his eyes would have glossed over, but the unexpected text from Samantha managed to bring the psychiatrist back to the present. His gaze continuously shifted between the woman and his phone while fingertips quickly tapped against the screen. 

[ incoming text from  ➡ barrett ]  you’re my ticket out of here  [ incoming text from  ➡ barrett ]  send me your location

And she was. Within a matter of minutes, Barrett had been able to fabricate some emergency and talk his way right out the door and to his car. The drive to the beach was short, even more so given the time of day he had left, right in the middle of work hours. Parking on the other hand, that had been enough to earn a few curse words from Barrett before he finally took the initiative to just take the spot a woman in a stereotyped mom van had been patiently waiting for. He’d sleep at night. Still, the thought of making a purchase for a new car had crossed his mind. The island wasn’t that big and he was building up quite the track record for being a dick while driving. Luckily, not everyone had the misfortune of seeing Barrett’s default setting, and the little girl he spotted seated on the sand with Samanta was one of those few. 

So the Tin Man did have a heart and it grew three sizes when his long strides across the sand led him to stand a few feet away from Samantha and her daughter. “I came for the cookies, guess I can stay for you two.” She had been the reason he was able to get out of a no end insight meeting anyway. 

[lukekirby]

me

[barrisms]

@adriannasotc

[barrisms]

adriannasotc‌:

“Oh you’re sober, are you?” Adri snorted while her eyes peered over the male with a skeptical nod of her head. She let him in and hummed as she walked past him. He was the reason she kept a pile of blankets and pillows in her downstairs linen closet now. While she was thankful his sudden appearance on her doorstep wasn’t frequent, she still wondered if he did this on purpose. She wouldn’t blame him if he wanted some company. “I could have. Why would I climb through a window when I could come through the front door.” She told him, watching as he stumbled upon the couch. Placing the pillows and blankets on the coffee table in order to help take his shoes off, she pulled back at his sudden need to get up. “Woah, woah, you can’t move that quickly. I’d rather not be forced to repaint my apartment walls and sell my furniture because you can’t keep your liquor.” He’d never vomited before but she wasn’t going to hold her breath.

“I have some left over pizza. How about I get you those and you can start pulling the blanket and pillows on the couch.” That seemed like an easy enough job that he wouldn’t stumble around and hurt himself or her belongings. “Can you do that for me?”

“Mmmh, mhm.” Close enough to a yes, Barrett waited on the couch until Adrianna had left to retrieve the cold pizza which in sobriety he would have declined and said something to the tune of how shit that would make him feel in the morning. But he was hardly in any position to be making a note on his current state or the hangover that awaited him in the morning. Once Adrianna was no longer in his sight, Barrett slowly pulled himself to the edge of the couch. Now he could have done as Adrianna asked, made it easy on the woman but he didn’t. Barrett ignored her request to grab the pillow and blankets and found himself on the floor in front of the television. Remote in hand he began to flick through the various channels. The light from the television caused his eyes to squint until he had come to a stop on what he assumed at the time to be a film. There was a woman with dark hair and light eyes that nearly had Barrett mistake her for his neighbor. It wasn’t but still, the resemblance piqued his interest as he sat there hunched with his arm coming to rest against his knee. Far too close to the television for his eyesight, but that seemed to matter little when his main concern had suddenly become, “Adrianna.” Her name was called twice in haste. “Come here.” Oh, it was a film alright, but definitely not the sort that any really watched in the company of another, especially a neighbor. 

[barrisms]

nataliadelecn‌:

It wasn’t often that Natalia made an appearance at Bloomers, but when she did Barbara always managed to talk her into staying for a while, and she was in no position to deny her that company. She would always have a soft spot for the woman despite the bad taste that her son had left in her mouth.

And then there was that voice that was enough to shift her mood drastically. Her heartbeat demanded her attention as it picked up pace and felt heavier, a pit formed in her stomach, and she could see the goosebumps that now lined her arms. She stayed in place, her feet feeling as though they were cemented to the ground, but he still came into her line of vision. Nat had managed to avoid bumping into Barrett since their mess of a break up…at least until this moment. “Why am I here, or why am I talking to her?” Her tone was flat as she made a conscious attempt at seeming unbothered by his presence and his questioning. “Because I’m not a shitty person and I’m buying flowers for my mom. Why are you talking to me? I don’t think you’re supposed to be harassing the customers, Barrett.” 

There it was. Right there, the very nature of her words that confirmed what Barrett already knew to be true, she was still upset with him. Hated might have been a strong word but they were strong feelings and that stare with those dark brown eyes? Well it had been enough to get him to move instead of staying in place staring at her as he had been. “Both,” he quipped as he passed Natalia to set the food down on the counter for Barbara to reach. And just like that he was right back to face the woman with an expression that rendered anything but contentment on his features. "You don’t count as a customer.” Apparently she did because the moment those words left his lips his mother had stopped digging around in the bag and reached across the counter to slap her son on the arm. 

“I raised you better than that,” Barbara warned and offered up a contrasting welcoming smile to her favorite of Barrett’s former relationships. She’d never let him forget that either. Then came the observation that had Barrett begin to shift the weight of his foot from one to the other with his gaze falling to the floor. 

“Looks like there is enough for three,” his mother noted as she took the bag to the back. Was that an invitation?

Whatever it was the moment his mother had left the storefront Barrett became focused on Natalia. The brunette who stood before him with the same cold stare that was hard to forget even if it had been a year. “Don’t play this game with me, Natalia” he snapped in a hushed whisper. “You got your flowers so,” he gestured towards the door. “And stop talking to Barbara, what is this a weekly occurrence for you two?” He continued to keep the volume of his voice to a whisper. “What is there to even talk about, huh? No, you know what no just,” Barrett once again gestured to the door. “Answer the question on your way out.”

[barrisms]

frankielecn‌:

Her arms folded over her chest as she eyed the male casually. He kept her on her toes and she hadn’t exactly deciphered if she liked or hated that at the moment. However, when his answer to her question about money was answered, she decided that she did, in fact, hate it. Her shoulder rose and fell then, gaze narrowed. “Would it matter?” A personal trait of Frankie’s. She’d get to ask the question without any repercussion but she was sure to grill him on his reasons for his. A snort escaped and her head shook at his cocky attitude. God, she’d have fun putting him back in his place. 

Mossy hues flicked downwards to peer over the menu, only lifting when he beckoned her attention towards him. She was skeptical but finally nodded. It was fair and she’d be lying if she said that she didn’t like a little bit of a challenge. “What happens if you get them all wrong?” She questioned before rising her glass of water off the table and taking a sip. Before she’d even returned the drink to the table or swallowed it, his words put her in a coughing fit. Pressing her hand to her chest as she coughed due to the water having travelled down the wrong hole when she snorted, she shook her head at him. “I’m not going to hold that answer against you because you were probably told at some point that it would be flattering to tell a girl that. But I’m wearing ripped jeans, a t-shirt and combat boots. We both know I’m not a model.” She said as she leaned forward then. “Hell, maybe I should be insulted.”

“Only if you make it matter,” Barrett deadpanned. A response he’d gladly tell a patient which meant business and pleasure like always seemed to blend together so effortlessly, despite his attempts to otherwise, especially with this one. The woman in front of him, well this was just his way of wasting her time after that road rage incident. God, he was petty and ten minutes in here he was, still very much invested in whatever game he was playing at. What if he was wrong? “I won’t be.” Had he intended to see her again there might have been some contingency plan in place but now he was just left to sip at his own beverage and watch the woman overreact to his first guess. Some, clearly not her, but some might have even taken it as a compliment. “Only if you like the model look.” But yes, he had been told that and used that line all the time in middle school, it didn’t work. His blue eyes trailed over the woman’s attire as she made note of it. A stark contrast to his own business casual attire that really had been a variation of what he wore to work earlier that day: overpriced short sleeve black polo, black tailored pants, and overpriced name brained trainers. “Wow.” The quip followed up with the drink once in his grasp now placed on the counter. His leg bounced as his foot rocked back and forth on the leg of the barstool he occupied. “You know you’re right, I...I didn’t know there was a dress code.”

"Height and facial symmetry, honey. That’s what I was basing it off. You happen to have both, but those ripped jeans...” his eyes once again trailed down to her legs. “You’re right, a complete game-changer.” Even Barrett couldn’t hide the sarcasm that dripped from each word as it left his lips. But before he’d ruin the grande finale and go off on her too soon, the psychiatrist found himself once again with his drink in hand. “Would you have been less insulted with stripper, porn star, escort, or any other fantasy image job? Can’t say I know which one wears ripped jeans.”

[barrisms]

marilynkirkland‌:

A STREET IN PORT ELISABETH WITH @BARRETT KOZAK

Since news of the missing boat had hit Port Elisabeth the evening before, Marilyn’s phone had been blowing up. As an editor at the Island Herald, she was usually privy to the latest information, and something this newsworthy hadn’t struck the island in most of the time she’d actually worked there. Eager to get to work, Marilyn had already thrown on a little makeup and whatever she’d found in her closet. For the first time in a long time, she was actually going to be on time. The majority of her morning text messages had been urging her to get in, to get started on the layout so the latest news could be printed as soon as possible. Yet what the blonde hadn’t expected was for her car to breakdown halfway through rush hour. Smoke exuded from under the hood of her vehicle, with Marilyn on the phone anxiously trying to get some help from AAA. “Oh, come on… come on!” she huffed, as the dull waiting tone played on the other end of the line. “I need to get to fucking work.” Looks like she wouldn’t be on time, after all.

It was a rarity when Barrett missed his morning jog, something that could be chalked up to that obsessive need to exercise what would constitute healthy behavior at all times. But today? God, today he couldn’t help but wished he did miss it. Just this once. Of all the places Marilyn had to be and for her car to break down it was on his block. A little too close to his apartment for comfort. The heavy breaths and the overall sensation of collapsing on the street hadn’t kept up the stealthy disposition Barrett had hoped for, but it was excellent at bringing attention to the man who was asked by the nearest individual if he needed help. Way to kick a guy when he was down. Did he look that bad? And way to bring unwanted attention. The moment Barrett had been able to catch his breath had also been the moment he finally plucked up the courage to look in the direction of his former patient. He didn’t have a heart of gold, that was for sure, but he also didn’t need her to know where he lived. After a moment of the internal debate, Barrett grimaced slightly at his own actions to come. His lips pressed into a firm line and without much more to keep up the procreation, he ventured over to the car. “Marilyn.” He had foregone any pleasantries. Besides, how are you was something he generally got paid to ask. “Someone coming to help?” He gestured to the obvious issue with an index finger directed to the smoking vehicle. “And you wanna maybe get out of the car?”