give me the night

[cmxcgreggor]

“One minute they were crawling towards us the next you know they’re driving away.” The thought was bittersweet. A chapter had closed in her life, their lives, in which they were no longer the people their children needed at all hours. Their lives no longer revolved in shaping them to be strong independent people. Now they were to sit back and watch, to see what would become of their hard work. “You’re not old Charlie, you’re just seasoned. Salt and pepper,” she reaches over to lightly tug a hair of his that had lightened with age. “Mr Sheffield here.” The Nanny reference long outdated but still felt fitting. “

“When was the last time you got to see Grace?” She is lucky in all that happened through the divorce that ultimately, she had the girls to herself. It spoiled her to raise them without having to share with her ex-husband. Unfair to them all that he was not the partner and parent he should have been, but in the end, it was the best-case outcome in a bad situation. The only time John showed up was when he wanted money, and after he started asking the girls for it, she cut the ties she’d let linger for their sake. Her children would not be his crutch. “Perfect, you can sync up your midlife crisis with him,” she once again teases her company. If she keeps this up, he might not want to take her on as a client, but it was so easy to fall into a lightness around Charlie. Once she got over her typical nerves of being seen by the man. She had a feeling her saw her in ways others might not even look. It’s something she didn’t know how to unpack.

Kim’s face lit up as he agreed, quite pleased that Charlie would join her in a manner that didn’t include her showing off her problems. She guides him into her main living space which first is the living room at the front of the house and followed by the kitchen dining at the back. “How do you take it again?” Now much more comfortable in her space she gathers two mugs for them. “I do miss this. We need to do a night with Lara and Blaze. Get the cards out again. That’s always fun.” Her poker face was rather rusty, but she’s sure she could pick it up with a little practice.

-

Charlie laughed when she compared him to Mr. Sheffield. He’d only seen the show a couple times but enough to know that the greying hair was where the similarities stopped, as he was probably  the kind of person someone like Mr. Sheffield would never even allow into his house. Too rough around the edges, most likely.

When the topic of conversation switched to Grace, he lifted his shoulders in a thoughtful shrug. “A few times a year, mostly around the holidays. She seems happy in New York, honestly, I’m not sure if she’ll ever leave,” he explained. Of course he wanted his kids to be their own people and live their adult lives however they pleased, but there would always be a part of him that wished they lived right next door. He’d gone from living with them and seeing them every day as children, to seeing them only once in a while after he moved states. It was his decision, made out of necessity, so he couldn’t blame anyone else. His ex was a great mom, and he knew his kids were in safe hands with her. He was also lucky that their relationship ended well and he knew it, especially when talking to someone like Kim, who hadn’t been fortunate in that way at all. 

“Milk and sugar, not too sweet,” he said as they arrived at the kitchen. Charlie was the kind of person who could drink coffee at any time of day, and frequently drank a cup or two when he got home from a late night at Valentine’s. “Yeah, we should. I’d love to beat Blaze at blackjack.” He chuckled and leaned back against the counter. "You know, it really seems like I never spend time casually with anyone unless it’s at work. I have more customers than friends,” he teased, then, looking back at Lara, folded his arms casually over his chest. “What about you, though? I see you hangin’ out with Lara, but do you get any time for yourself these days? You seeing anyone?”

[thcrin]

[cmxcgreggor]

@larasmills​

[cmxcgreggor]

 There was no lie in his remark. And it was a consoling thought, yet she wondered into which category of complicated did running away from a narco boss husband fit? “Grace and.. Des, right? You know, we left New York at the same time.. can you believe it’s already been ten years?” It was hard in the beginning to get adjusted to the nature she ran away to yet it became a fulfillment of a dream she had as a young girl. Still, the other part of her was restless. “How often do they visit, your kids?” But her question was followed by a question of his own. “Not really, but I can never say no to a good burger, though,” the blonde smiled as she stood up, “that’s a bad business, Charlie. You should make me drink here all night,” but burgers were far better idea, she had to give it to him.

-

“Yeah, that’s them. His name is Desmond but he looks like he’s gonna kill me whenever I call him that, so we just say Des,” Charlie said with a laugh. “Well, sometimes it feels like it’s been fifty years, and some days I wake up and think Brooklyn is gonna be outside the window. Guess I never really let it go.” There were a few things he missed about New York, but there were far too many ghosts and pieces of his past there for him to ever truly go back. Whenever he went there to visit his daughter, he felt antsy to leave, as if the wrong person would recognize him at the wrong time. 

Stepping out from behind the bar, he stood beside Dakota and gestured for her to follow him. “Look, I basically live here-- sometimes I need to switch it up,” he teased, and led her towards the door. “To answer your question, Grace visits a few times a year, and my son actually just moved here. He says it’s temporary but who knows. Is it just you here? No family in Colorado?”

[cmxcgreggor]

Charlie let out a breathy groan when Austen turned around, feeling himself react to the way she’d become so vocal. The hint of desperation in her tone raised the hair on his arms, as though the temperature in the small room had gone up a few degrees. He pushed her back just slightly so that she was leaned against the desk but still upright to face him, using one hand to support her at her hip while the other pulled at her waistband and then slipped beneath it. His fingers found their way between her thighs, and he caught her mouth in another kiss. “You want me to keep going?” he asked softly, pulling away only briefly before moving his mouth down her neck, towards her collarbone.

[cmxcgreggor]

Kim’s house felt like it had been frozen in time whilst the girls and her grew into entirely new people within it’s safe walls. She regrets not taking better care of it but as long as the walls stayed upright Kim focused on the more important things: like keeping them alive for starters. She knew becoming a parent you were responsible for your kids, of course, but practice and theory were too different things once you hit teenager years. Oh, the adventures they had been on just getting her girls to school on time. Let alone the trouble they would get into, the drama with boys and girls at school. All whilst Kim was growing a company that would provide for them all.

“Does it now?” She can’t help but laugh a little at her predicament. To her it doesn’t feel manageable, it feels like too many little problems she doesn’t have time for. Okay, maybe the stairs were a big problem “I’m sure I can come up with a list for more jobs downstairs.” Charlie was a saint to have offered to look at her problems let alone agreeing to do them himself. “You let me know the costs and when you can do it. We’ll line our schedules up.”

She leans into the doorway they linger in, her smile growing dreamlike as he talks about his children drawing a city skyline. “Oh, please tell me you kept it somehow. Photographed it at least.” Kim was a sucker for keepsakes of her children. She was a big softie when she reflected on all their little art pieces and awards over the years. It made her sad to know that part of her life was well behind her, though one day she would become a grandmother which was a life achievement she wasn’t quite ready for. “They’ve both left the nest. Rose has gone off to college,” she wants to add ‘finally’ but has been schooled not to hold her daughter to expectations she made without consulting the young woman. Many arguments were had, but naturally Rose found her own path that did indeed please Kim to know it ended with her getting a degree. “Jade is having her own adventures now,” she speaks of her oldest, a sad little smile gracing her lips. She missed her girls. “Sometimes I think this house is too big but then they’ll come home for the holidays, and I won’t have an ounce of room to myself.” She moves to lead him back downstairs, the stairs greeting them with groans and creeks halfway down. “And your two? What are they up to these days?” Kim turns to him once on level floor again. “Stay for a drink.” It’s not a question now, it’s an order, it’s the least she could do for him coming over. “Coffee at least.”

-

Charlie watched Kim as she laughed, sensing the underlying stress disguised beneath her humor, surely caused by the amount of work that needed to be done. It was a lot, sure, but Charlie was pretty confident in himself. Plus, the idea of getting to spend more time around her was hard to put down. It was no secret that Charlie held a certain affection for her-- and he’d even tried asking her out once, what felt like a lifetime ago, but things had been complicated. Between raising their kids and working on their respective businesses, it just never happened. A flame that burned out before it was ever lit. He’d accepted it, though, as it was all he really could do.

“College, huh? I can’t believe they’re all adults now. Feels like they were teenagers last week,” he said. He’d always promised himself he wouldn’t be the kind of father that clung onto his kids’ youth, but it really did feel like time was rushing past. “I guess we’re just gettin’ old. Or I am, at least.” He laughed gently and shrugged, taking a moment to consider her question. “They’re good, yeah. Grace still lives in New York, near her mom. She’s been setting up an art gallery. She’s doing great. Sometimes I can’t believe she’s my kid,” he explained. “And Des actually moved here a couple months ago. He’s been staying with me while he figures himself out, or whatever it is he said he was doing. I think he’s just hitting that quarter life crisis, but he’ll be alright.”

When she told him to stay for a drink, he paused. He hadn’t been expecting the invitation, initially thinking she was just going to walk him to the door and that would be it, more business than pleasure. “Okay, yeah, I would love a drink,” he said with a nod. “It’d be nice to catch up a little more, anyway. Feels like it’s been forever since we’ve really talked.”

[cmxcgreggor]

  A knowing nod sends a thicket of copper curls tumbling toward his forehead and Rhys chuckles as he caps the flask and tucks it back in his pocket, lifting his gaze to Charlie. “Well, I’d say it ain’t anything short of the best, but I think you and I both know my wallet can’t back up that kinda talk,” he quips as he lid is secured back on his coffee with a quiet snap, and he shifts the coffee into his free hand so he can tap a cigarette out of the soft, crumpled pack into the palm of the other. “Single malt from a distillery out in Denver,” Rhys offers by way of explanation as the pack is shoved away in favor of a lighter, “Stranahan’s. Not bad, not for the price, but I wouldn’t call it cheap either.” The smoke finds its way between his lips and he takes a second to light it as Charlie turns down his offer. And okay, yeah, Rhys can’t really blame him there. He’d probably end up sick of the shit, too, if he had to spend all his time working around it; difference is, Rhys doesn’t, and instead finds himself sidling up to the bar or a bottle at home after he’s long since clocked out for the night. “Fair enough. Suit yourself, but you should try it sometime. Apparently shit’s cut with straight Colorado snowmelt. Don’t know if it makes much of a difference in the end, but it was enough to pique my interest.”

          Tongue sucks at the back of his teeth as he considers Charlie’s question and Rhys heaves a sigh through a thin veil of smoke. “You could say that,” he concedes, tapping away the ash from the end of the smoke as he turns to better face the older man, only one shoulder pressed to the wall through the thick wool of a flannel. He’d spent the better portion of the night at Valentine’s, in fact, working up a tab at one corner of the bar while he tried to work through the tangled-up shit show that perpetually seemed to be his life. And the post office. The fucking post office. Instinctively, he goes to take a lengthy drink from his cup, wincing around a scalding swallow. “Good news is my vices’ll probably turn you a hefty profit this month.”

-

Charlie eyed the cigarette between Rhys’ fingers, briefly wishing he hadn’t given them up. There was a passing wistfulness for the burn of nicotine every time he watched someone take a drag, but quitting had been a struggle, and his daughter would probably never let him hear the end of it if he picked up the habit again. So he just put his hands in his pockets and nodded along to Rhys’ explanation of the single malt, cracking a grin. “Shit, that’s actually better than what I was thinkin’ you had in there,” he admitted with a chuckle. “Thought maybe you were dumping a flask of Boone Farm or Highlands into your coffee.” Not that he could really talk-- when he was a young man, he would frequently top his coffees off with something straight from the bottom shelf, no real flavor or value. While his taste was better now, he still held a fondness for the cheap stuff.

“I’d never refuse a customer,” he said, shrugging. “Actually, no, I would, probably not you, though.” He thought back to the previous night, recalling possibly seeing Rhys at some point near the bar, but Charlie had been so preoccupied with his own daily mundanity that he hadn’t spent much time out of the back office. Sometimes he had to actually act like the owner of Valentine’s, not just another bartender. “Between the coffee and the single malt, d’you ever eat? Or sleep?” His voice was casual but lilted with concern. He saw Rhys as a peer, but his protective paternal instinct got the best of him sometimes, a trait which drove his own son crazy. 

[cmxcgreggor]

Lara’s lips purse as Charlie stops her in her own tracks, her name coming from him keeping her from completely spiraling down hill. She listens to him speak with her gaze averted, heaving a sigh as she crosses her arms as he rationalizes the situation in a way that calms her down — however unfortunately, since Lara would much rather be up in arms. Even so, she’s grateful for it. “It just wasn’t supposed to go this way.” Lara’s spent so many years trying to make sure Jac had a good life, a different life than her own, and this just wasn’t how it was supposed to go. “I’ve spent twenty six years trying to keep her happy and safe, and now this happens. And I know she’s an adult and she can handle it on her own, but she’s still a kid to me. They’ll always be kids to me,” she admits, though she knows she has to let that mentality go sooner rather than later. 

Still, she can’t help the smile of her own threateningly pulling at the corners of her mouth when Charlie mentions his son — a kid who she’s sure has given him more headaches than she could count on all her fingers and toes. If he can get through that, Lara knows she can get through this with Jac. “He’s a special breed.” It’s the kindest way she can say Des is certainly the more eccentric child of Charlie’s kids, but she hopes he knows she means it endearingly. This isn’t the end of the world, he’s right about that — even if it feels like it is. “If I recall correctly, you’ve mentioned before that you weren’t the most responsible person in the world,” she teases, though it’s followed by a sigh. “But Grace is a great kid, so I suppose it did turn out alright for you. I just wish Jac didn’t have to do this alone.”

-

It just wasn’t supposed to go this way. Charlie replayed those words in his head, all too familiar within his own life. Sure, it was possible to accept the things that happened, graciously or not, but it didn’t mean it was ever easy or painless. He’d spent years ruthlessly pushing back against change and disruption, and it was only now in his older age that he’d finally stopped. Mostly. So it was easy to understand why the news of Jac’s pregnancy, however manageable, was puling Lara to such a sudden halt.

“Well, I was an idiot when I was in my twenties,” he said. If he had a dollar for every hairbrained decision he’d made in his youth, he’d probably be living on a private island by now. “Jac is miles ahead of where I was, even at the same age. I have faith in her.” He truly had no idea how he’d raised his kids when he was so young, but he also knew he had the privilege of having a partner through it. Even though that relationship ended, he and his ex were able to agree on almost everything surrounding their children. It was the one thing in his life that worked out in his favor.

Charlie reached out and gave Lara’s arm a gentle nudge. “She’s not really alone, though,” he offered, casually picking up step again. Of course it was different from having a partner, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t have a support system in other ways. “And whatever you guys need, I’m on it. Just say the word.”

[cmxcgreggor]

Charlie​:

Charlie let out a breathy chuckle when Austen left him to lock the door. They were obviously on the same brainwave with that one-- the bar was still open, after all, and it wasn’t unusual for employees to enter the office or for a random, drunk customer to mistake it for the restroom. Now at least there wouldn’t be any interruptions. 

When she slipped out of her shirt, he smirked, impressed by the boldness of the move. It seemed like her guard was down, but her assurance that she trusted him is what really caught him by surprise. There was a lot she didn’t know about him; things that might make her see him differently, but it was impossible to give it any real thought when he was preoccupied with the image of her in front of him. He assumed she wasn’t necessarily stripping down in his office with him because she thought he was a good person.

He met Austen on the other side of the desk and reached up to undo the top two buttons of his own shirt. “Whatever happens, huh?” he mused, circling around behind her and pressing a kiss to her neck. His hands were on her body, moving up bare skin to follow the curve of her breasts as he pulled her back against him.

[cmxcgreggor]

Imani smiled as he spoke, hearing the cue for the last thirty seconds of her song. Carefully she lowered her chest to the stage, keeping her hips up high with a wiggle as she grabbed some of the money that had been left on the stage for her. Sitting back on her heels she looked at him as she tucked the bills into her g-string. “I like green too.” She teased. Normally she would just take the stairs to exit the stage. “Incoming.” She said as she swung her legs over the edge of the stage, putting the toe of her shoe on the chair he was sitting in, right between his legs. Carefully, she stood up on the seat and looked down at him. Bending at the hips, she clutched his shoulders to let herself down to the ground, gracefully. “Now.. Sierra is on after me… you want to stay here? Or are you ready to go to the VIP room to redeem that freebie?” Her hand smoothly traced lines up his arm and over his bicep. 

-

Charlie raised his brow at the sight of Imani coming towards him with an effortless swing of her legs. Clearly, she knew exactly what she was doing, and her charm was working wonders on him. He had to resist the urge to reach out for her hips when she stood on the chair, knowing touching the dancers wasn’t exactly smiled upon-- which is why he was eager to accept her invitation. Of course, he would’ve been happy to be a spectator and just watch her perform, but the idea of having some privacy was entirely more appealing. “I’m sure Sierra is great, but she’s not why I’m here,” he said, leaning forward. “Lead the way.”

[cmxcgreggor]

 “Charlie..” the blonde smiled as she took a sip of her drink, not knowing whether she should praise the bar owner for not letting her go off the hook or perhaps roll her eyes at him. She opted out for neither.. only because it was Charlie in question. “It’s good, as always.. the drink,” she emphasized because he clearly wasn’t buying the eternal lie Dakota was so successfully selling to everyone else.. well, to most people. But it got to her - her marriage, her break-up with James, and after all, Conor’s return from prison.. the latter being the bittersweet cherry on the top of it all. “And sometimes you can’t leave them because the past is not just one’s present, but inevitably, the future.” And her words weren’t actually helping their conversation, were they? “Look, Charlie..” the blonde started, “I appreciate the concern, but..” but what? There was no point in not saying at least something, was there? However she didn’t know how to even start. “My life is complicated. I know it doesn’t seem that way, not with the way I live, but it is. And it keeps getting complicated.. and I miss New York. More than you can imagine,” it was no secret she was from the Big Apple, unlike the reason behind her departure.

-

Charlie sucked in a long breath and turned to look out the windows, noting that the sun had completely set, leaving the street outside cloaked in darkness. Eventually the streetlights would crackle to life, but it seemed like they hadn’t quite caught up yet. “Everyone’s lives are complicated,” he said once he looked back at her. There was sympathy in his voice, but he had learned a long time ago to stop thinking his own past issues were greater than anyone else’s. All it did was drag him deeper into his own sorrow. “I miss New York sometimes, too. Not all the time, but it does hit me. I raised my kids there, so that has somethin’ to do with it.”

“You hungry?” he asked. “There’s a burger stand a couple blocks away. Personally, I’ve never had a problem that a good cheeseburger can’t help.”

[cmxcgreggor]

There’s something about Charlie lingering in her entryway that brings an amused smile to Kim’s lips. She tries to hide it as she talks on the phone but there’s a rise on her cheeks that is hard to miss. He looked out of place, like a stray dog wondered in from the streets. He minds her of that old Disney movie, Lady & The Tramp, whatever breed the boy dog was.

Now off the phone she closes the door and looks around her house as he asks to be shown the problems. “Okay okay, but, you can’t judge me for how worn down this place has gotten,” she orders with a pleading look of hoping not to be judged. “Every time I thought I could fix something up a new thing would break, or life just happened. Two girls running the show,” she explains, a little embarrassed by how bad she’d let it get. “Anything you could do would help. Obviously, I’ll pay for it all, but it does save time having to find someone else.”

“Stairs are the first thing that needs fixing before I break my neck on them,” she gets right to it, walking past him to the start of the stairs. It’s a tad dramatic for her to say but it is the problem she’s worried about most. She gets halfway up before the creaking starts, clearly something wasn’t happy. “The runner has come loose here; it protests every time I’m on it. Maybe the nailing has come loose? I’m thinking of removing the carpet and obviously fixing whatever is making the noise.” She keeps climbing the stairs, passing a window that is clearly boarded up and looks to have been for some time. Kim doesn’t mention it, though she glances at it in passing. “The girl’s rooms,” the tour continues once they’d arrived upstairs. In the front room she begins to point out the problems “the wardrobe door in Rosie’s room came off when we were packing for college, I have no idea how to put it back. She also cut into her skirting board for some unknown reason, so there’s about this much missing,” she holds her thumb and pointer finger out several inches, shaking her head as she recalls that lovely discovery. “Kids, right?”

-

Charlie followed dutifully behind her into the house, curious to know what her home looked like without it seeming like he was snooping. Seeing how people lived was always interesting-- what things did they keep around? Were they tidy or a bit disheveled? Charlie belonged to the latter group himself. His place, a comfortable loft downtown a couple blocks away from the bar, was kept relatively clean except for the unavoidable clutter of old mail and paperwork that overlapped his table and countertops. 

As he surveyed the projects that Kim listed, he nodded along, actually surprised that there was so much work that needed to be done. On the outside, Charlie had always thought that Kim seemed to really have herself together, so he wasn’t expecting to see the kind of disrepair certain parts of her house had fallen into. “That runner is gonna be a real problem. One of these days it’s gonna trip you,” he advised once they were on the second floor. He was curious about the broken window but decided not to ask– something about the way she’d seemingly avoided it on purpose told him to leave it be. 

“Well, everything seems manageable.” He casually folded his arms across his chest. The money didn’t concern him much, nor did the time or labor. They’d be fine without him at Valentine’s for a couple weekends, and the simple(maybe glaring) truth was that he was happy to do the work for her. He’d probably do just about anything she asked of him. 

“Kids, right,” he agreed quickly, snapping himself away from the thought. “Des and Grace used to draw on the floor under their beds when they were alone. They had a whole cityscape goin’ on under there.” He chuckled. “How are the girls doing, anyway? Been a while since I’ve asked about ‘em.”

[cmxcgreggor]

The punch clocking Charlie gave Sage a bit of a shock, her hand moving to her mouth to cover it. Other patrons gasped, the bar going quiet apart from the music, and everyone watched as Charlie scared the rowdy ones off into the street. Assholes, Sage thought in unison with Charlie. She let out a sigh, hands going to her hips. Conversation picked up and resumed around them, although the atmosphere had shifted into something a little more… docile. 

“Hm? Me? I’m fine.” Sage almost laughed. Charlie was the one who got punched, and he was worried about her? “You’re the one who took a fist to the face. Are you alright?” Sage leaned to his ‘injured’ side to take a look at it, but the lights of the bar weren’t exactly the brightest. 

“I can’t really see much but…” She glanced to the side, taking in the upturned table and the broken glass catching the dim lights. “…We’re probably gonna have to turn the lights up to clean that.” Sage looked at him, smiling. “I’ll grab a brush. And a mop.”

-

When Sage echoed his own question back to him, Charlie furrowed his brow as if he’d forgotten the hit he’d taken. “Ah, right, shit,” he said, lifting a hand to the spot he’d been decked. It was tender, but he’d felt worse. “I’ll live. It was a drunk punch, anyway. Last time someone really got me they broke my nose-- that was not a good night.” A soft chuckle, then a sigh when he surveyed the resulting mess left behind by the scuffle. 

“You’ll learn to master the art of cleaning up in the dark, trust me. Plus most of the people in here have probably seen worse.” He gestured for her to follow and made his way towards the back to retrieve a broom. “Hell of a way to start a new job, huh?”

[cmxcgreggor]

WHO: open

WHERE: downtown, late morning

        Shoulders are pressed to the rough brick exterior of the coffee shop as Rhys makes an exit only to pause a few steps beyond the door and lean back against the wall. A coffee cup and a half-empty soft pack of Marlboro Reds are clutched in one hand as the other pops the lid off the cup and balances it between his lips so he can reach for the flask tucked in his back pocket. It’s a whole series of gestures and movements and Rhys digs the heel of a boot into the sidewalk to hold his balance as he shuffles for a second before retrieving the palm-sized, silver container. Lid still caught in his teeth, he unscrews the cap and pours a modest splash of amber liquid into the coffee, otherwise black save for a generous pour of sugar — not enough to feel any sort of buzz from the liquor, just enough to offer a little extra warmth on a brisk Colorado morning and relax a little of the tension that’s settled in his neck and shoulders from another poor night’s sleep. He can feel a pair of eyes on him as he goes to screw the cap back on and bright, cerulean gaze flickers up from his drink with an inquisitive squint. His head cocks into a curious lean as he mumbles around flimsy plastic. “What? Irish coffee in the morning never hurt nobody. It’s late enough, anyway. Almost noon.” He sniffs, pulls the lid from his mouth to lick his lips and nods toward the other’s cup. “You want a little too or something?”

-

It had been a long morning in the McGreggor household. Charlie slept in, not an unusual occurrence, woken up only by the sound of his cat knocking something over in the kitchen, which had landed on the floor with a smash. So he’d spent the first moments of the day sweeping up  shattered glass, then purposefully avoiding voicemails he knew were related to work. It was supposed to be his day off, but when did he really ever get one?

So he was out for coffee, walking somewhat lazily in the brisk air with his hands tucked in his jacket pockets when he spotted Rhys propped up against the wall. “You know my judgment only depends on what you’re pourin’ in that cup. Hopefully something good,” he said with a chuckle, then put a hand up in a no-thanks gesture. “Appreciate the offer, but I’ll pass. I spend so much time pouring liquor that I actually prefer a regular coffee. You have a long night or what?”

[cmxcgreggor]

@charliemcgreggor​ Location: Kim’s house - north side

When Kim had been complaining to Lara about the house falling apart over a couple of drinks she hadn’t expected it to get picked up by the places owner, Charlie, as a point of interest. At first she thought his offer to look at things was him just being nice, he always was to her, but it seemed he was rather serious. In all honesty she had been putting off the renovations she needed to do for years; too many projects and not enough hands to juggle it. But now it was just her in the house it might be the best time to fix things, remove some of the history left behind with broken windows and creaking stairs.

Given she was expecting a guest Kim worked from home for the day, taking over her kitchen counter with her laptop and notebooks. She was returning a call to her designs team when she heard the door. “No no Dotty, we need those designs ready for approval by the end of the week or we wont get them out in time for the holidays,” she talks into the phone as she unlocks the door to find the one and only Charlie McGreggor at her doorstep. She steps aside holding up a finger and mouthing ‘one moment’ as she tries to wrap up her call. Her eyes follow him as she returns her attention back to her colleague, “why don’t you send me what you have ready so I can go over it whilst you finish up on the other pieces. We can problem solve when we get to the problem. Okay? Good? Okay I’m going into a meeting so just email me if you need anything.” Ending the call she pockets her phone. “Sorry about that, Charlie. Uh, welcome. Can I get you a drink? Coffee? Water?”

-

Charlie didn’t know what had come over him when he’d offered to take a trip out to Kim’s house to see what repairs needed to be done. It was an impulsive thing, brought on by a conversation he’d overheard between her and Lara a couple nights before at the bar, but he’d laid the offer on the table and she’d accepted. Maybe it was because he held a certain softness for her, but regardless of the reason, he’d arrived in the North Side right on time. From the outside her home was beautiful, and he realized he’d never actually seen it before. Not that he got out to that side of town much, anyway. 

He waited patiently for her to finish her phone call, feeling somewhat awkward to be standing there on her doorstep, but smiled at her anyway when she turned her attention to him. “Hey, no, I’m good, but thanks,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. Despite the fact that he knew enough about making repairs, it surprised him that she chose to have him over instead of hiring a professional. “I thought you could show me around, you know, sort of give me an idea of what you wanted done. Can’t guarantee I can do everything, but I’ll try.”

[cmxcgreggor]

Austen watched through hooded eyes as Charlie rounded the desk towards her. As he cupped her face, her eyes widened and waited as his lips descended onto her own. His kiss was tender yet determined, and Austen found herself kissing him back with just as much fervor. She let him part her lips and explore, reveling in the taste of whiskey on his breath.

Even though the idea of a hookup had been the furthest thing from her mind when Austen left the hospital earlier, she had initially been anxious to join Charlie in his office. After all, she had not so much as hugged a man since she’d lived here. Luckily her anxiety floated away as soon as their lips had touched, and her inner wanton jumped out almost immediately. As their kissing continued, Austen found herself with her back to his desk. Expertly, and without breaking the kiss, she maneuvered herself to sit atop, legs spread. She moaned when his teeth grazed her jaw and her hands drifted from Charlie’s shoulders down to his waist.

-

The way Austen moved onto the desk so effortlessly surprised Charlie, but then again, most of what she’d done that night had bit a little bit of a shock. He moved closer once she was seated, standing comfortably between her legs as his hands maintained their grip on her waist. Mouth working his way down her cheek and towards her neck, he grinned against her skin when he heard her reaction. He had no idea how experienced she was or if this was something she normally did, because even though they talked whenever she came in for a drink, their conversations certainly never got so... personal.

He slipped one hand under her shirt, fingers sliding up the soft skin of her waist, and the other hand moved to grip the bottom of her thigh so he could prop her leg up against his hip. As he returned his mouth to hers, he realized he never locked the door, but didn’t care enough to pull away.

[cmxcgreggor]

where: Diamond Club

with: Charlie @charliemcgreggor​

Imani didn’t exactly know when the mysterious bartender would be coming in. She performed like she would any other night, somewhat disappointed by the slow crowd. Tonight she had opted for neon green as her color. It seemed to almost glow in the lighting. Her g-string left hardly anything to the imagination, and her small bikini top matched with added rhinestones. There were a few stragglers sitting around, only for two of them to get pulled away from the stage by others offering lap dances. Holding onto the pole with the crook of one leg she flipped her head backwards, seeing him at first from an upside-down position. Smiling she smoothly flipped upright, slowly working her way down the pole. Crawling across the stage towards him she flashed him a smile. “You made it.” She said as she wiggled her fingers towards him, trying to get him to sit in front of her. “Such great timing. I don’t have that much longer in my shift.” She spoke as she rolled her hips in front of him. 

-

When Charlie had first told Imani that he would come see her at the Diamond Club, he honestly hadn’t been sure if it was a promise he would make good on. It had been a long time since he’d gone to a strip club, having mostly stopped being a regular at them in his younger days, but he’d spent a couple nights thinking about her, so there he was. When he finally got in and caught a glimpse of her, looking incredible (and flexible) in bright colors, he couldn’t help but grin. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said, watching carefully as he took a seat and leaned back. “I like the green.”

[cmxcgreggor]

Lara slows to a stop alongside her friend, her subconscious in sync with his movement as her mind reels over the confession she’s just made. The word boyfriend coming from Charlie sticks out to her and she immediately heaves a sigh, a hand running over her face as she tries to make sense of it all. “I don’t even know. I don’t think so, she said she met someone but he isn’t…” Lara doesn’t even know where she’s going with that, not wanting to out her sister’s one night stand but clearly, it’s too late. She’s already told Charlie the brunt of the issue and even if she can practically feel the stress building up in her as she talks about it, it feels good to get this off of her chest — especially to someone who knows her and Jacqueline and the situation they’ve been in for so long, and she knows he must be thinking of what he’d do if it was Grace telling him she was pregnant. It’s hard not to think of the times when their biggest problem had been getting their respective children ready for prom or sports games or dealing any other high school drama, and now she’s telling Charlie that one of those kids is now having a kid of her own. It doesn’t feel real. 

“She told me a few days ago and I went a little ballistic on her, I think.” Well, as ballistic as someone like Lara can truly get. Her soft spoken nature hadn’t exactly allowed her to start yelling at her sister while stomping around in anger, but she clearly hadn’t been happy and she doesn’t think she really made Jac feel all that comfortable, either. A pang of guilt spreads through her and she knows she’s eventually going to need to talk to Jac and make sure her sister knows she’s going to support her no matter what, but right now she just needs time — and a venting session. “It’s alright, I mean— honestly, I’m just as surprised as you are. She’s only twenty six years old, for God’s sake.” Lara conveniently ignores the fact that she’d only been sixteen when her own mother had all but thrown the responsibility of caring for Jac on her, choosing to see that as a different situation entirely. “I really must have screwed her up, didn’t I? She’s always been such a good kid, she’s never done anything even remotely irresponsible like this. I never thought this would happen, so I never— fuck.” The curse word coming from her own lips is enough to shock even Lara, her eyes going wide immediately in the aftermath as she realizes she’s just rambled her most pressing fears to him. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to dump this on you.”

-

Lara’s hesitance to say yes to the boyfriend question made the answer clear enough. It was a surprise as Jac had never struck Charlie as the kind to have a fling in the first place, but it wasn’t like he knew every facet of the girl’s life. It was the same with his own daughter: Grace was a mature, level-headed young woman, but she was also twenty-seven now and could be doing god-knows-what away in New York. Charlie had always tried to give his kids the space they needed, but he hated not knowing what they were doing more often.

"Lara,” he said frankly at the implication that she’d somehow screwed up her sister. “You don’t have to apologize, but you have to know that’s so far from the truth. Jac’s a great girl-- you’re probably the reason that she isn’t screwed up. This is... it’s not a reflection of how you raised her. They’re our kids, yeah, but they’re also adults. They’re gonna fuck up sometimes.” He glanced to the side in thought, then back at her. “I mean, I’m not kidding when I say every time Des calls me I mentally prepare myself for the worst,” he said, a smile breaking through. Des had a reputation for regularly getting himself into messy situations, and sometimes Charlie worried his son was taking after him a little too much.

For a moment, he paused, taking in a breath as he considered the situation. He deeply valued his friendship with Lara and it was hard to see her so distraught, but he’d also never been that good with words. It helped that he could be honest with her. “Clearly this isn’t an ideal situation. But it’s not the end of the world,” he offered. “I was younger than Jac is now when Grace was born, and things turned out OK. You’ll get there.”