"Life is about having a good time." - Norman Lear
You can probably find me at The Swinging Door runnin' the show and callin' the shots. What's better than the town drunk's son runnin' the best bar in town, huh?
@tupeloextras || [tw: alcohol, neglect, death of a parent, car accident, cheating]
Hunter’s dad died in a car accident when he was 3. His mom never really got over it and started drinking pretty heavily. Because Hunter was essentially a spitting image of his dad, his mom harbored a lot of resentment toward him and he spent most of his childhood attempting to stay out of her way.
Once he became a teenager, the drinking reached an even new high and Hunter spent most nights helping take care of his mom.
Hunter has an older sister who is his world. In addition to her, he’s really close with @austinxkirby who is like his little brother. @jordanxkirby is essentially his little sister as well.
He grew up not too far down the street from the Kirby’s and Austin’s mom would constantly invite Hunter and his sister over for dinner, etc. Austin’s mom is the one who taught him how to dance for his first school dance and helped him get ready. Basically, she’s the mom he always wanted.
He’s owned The Swinging Door for 4 years, worked there as a bartender when he graduated high school (2001) before he moved to Dallas.
Moved to Dallas in 2010 (age 27) with his girlfriend. They lived together for a while until he found her cheating on him with a guy from her job. He moved back to Madison 5 years ago.
He was pretty sure he and his girlfriend, Leah, were going to get married. He’d started looking at rings and was saving up some money for a while when they broke up.
Moved back to town and got his job back bartending at The Swinging Door, eventually moving up to manager. The owner wanted to retire 4 years ago so he bought the place. He’d kept saving money from when he was going to buy a ring and added to it, so he had the cash.
He’s a bisexual hoe so like if you want to throw your babes at him, just lmk
He’s got a crosseyed siamese named Butters who is 2 years old and he loves him. I don’t make the rules.
He’s going to flirt with your muse(s). Again, I don’t make the rules. I’m serious when I say this guy would hit on a lamp post if he thought he had a shot.
Oh btw if your muse works for him, there’s a chance that he’s hooked up with them or is currently hooking up with them, so let’s plot that out.
“I can’t turn down an offer like that. Though, would it better if I know your name first?” He questioned. It wouldn’t be the first he messed around, or slept with someone without ever knowing their name but that was when he had been passing through towns. The man figured this would be their last randevu. Skelly reached to pick up the drink after the bartender set it down, taking a sip as he didn’t take his eyes off the man. “Shall we?”
“Hunter,” he said with a smile, extending his hand out toward Skelly. “And you are?” When the drinks arrived, Hunter let Skelly grab his own before taking the second one and standing up. He gestured toward the office with a nod, letting Skelly know to follow him. Once they were at the door, Hunter unlocked it quickly and gestured for the man to lead them inside. “It’s not much, but this is where the magic happens,” he joked.
The amount of restraint it took her not to giggle as he tugged her away from the crowd was immeasurable. Following close behind to a part of the bar she hadn’t had the pleasure of visiting yet, Jo’s eyes kept wandering to Hunter’s profile and then back to their hands, still holding each other. If the sheer idea of him made her heart skip a couple of beats just then, it sure wanted to burst out of her chest right about now. Coming to a stop in front of the locked door where he had to let go of her, Jo immediately looked for a new little point of contact, urging her forward until she stood on her tiptoes as much as her heels would allow it, her chin gently poking his shoulder as she peered over Hunter’s shoulder to see the progress. Something about the way he fiddled with the keys until he found the right one reassured her that she wasn’t the only one who was wired.
The turn of the lock was a sound of triumph that announced a whirlwind up ahead. Being pulled through the door, she watched his keys disappear somewhere on the floor as she pointed in their general direction, a mix of amusement and disbelief in her tone. “You’ll regret that as soon as you’ll need them again.” Still, she showed no signs of disobedience when he kept guiding her into the room. And when his hands found her waist to lift her onto his desk, only a little gasp gave away her surprise. “Oh, is that so? For a while, huh? Is that a promise?” She said, the grin on her face now permanent as she wiggled forward on the furniture, practically colliding with his chest as she let her one hand trace his arm, slowly moving to his shoulder while the other held him in place by the fabric of his costume. Reaching its destiny, Jo’s thumb traced one side of his jaw before her index finger lifted up his chin, a satisfied little hum of appreciation tickling her throat. “So, I don’t think I made myself clear earlier when I said you look good - .” Leaning forward, there was a high chance she was breathing in the same air as he was. “- Cause you look spectacular, Mr. Dixon. I’d say even better up close. I’d rate you - ” Brushing her lips ever so gently against the corner of his mouth, not even once did she look away. “ - maybe a seven?” And then she left a kiss on his cheek, as delicate as it could get. “Hmmm - no. An eight.” Another butterfly soft kiss, only this time on his neck. “Nine?” She lingered for a moment before pulling back enough to meet his gaze. “Or shall we go for a ten?”
This woman would, in fact, be the death of Hunter Dixon. He’d barely been able to survive the way she touched him while he unlocked the door had him thinking that maybe, just maybe, she had wanted him this entire time. When Joanna shifted forward on his desk, Hunter’s tongue slipped out and over his lips, his eyes falling to her own. The way she put her hands on him was a clear sign that Joanna Cailan knew what she was doing, and Hunter was glad he hadn’t been wrong about that. “Oh?” An eyebrow shifted upward and Hunter’s mouth twitched upward into a grin. The hair on his arms felt like they were standing up, screaming for her body to get more and more contact. He wasn’t going to even hide the moan that slipped from his parted lips as his eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of her lips on his neck. Painfully slow, teasingly dragging this out to play her cards right, Hunter knew Jo was doing this all on purpose and he loved it. He let one hand fall down to the space between their bodies, what little bit remained, and his knuckles grazed the inside of Jo’s thigh before slipping further underneath her skirt. “I have a feeling I can earn that ten.” Licking his lips as he kept his eyes on hers, Hunter lowered himself to his knees and lifted one of her legs over his shoulder, pressing a kiss to the inside of the other thigh.
Jo didn’t know what to expect but all bets were off. In her head, she already settled for the fact that she was more trouble than he had bargained for when they first started their little back-and-forth. She never expected to get this involved but now solely the idea of having to let it go made her stomach churn. Every time he had disappeared from her sight the past few days, he took some part of her rational thinking with him. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would replay that distant look she had faced after breaking up their kiss. But it came back to haunt her every evening while the world grew quiet, making her stare at the ceiling of her bedroom, thinking how she managed to mess it up so bad. However, all those troubled thoughts seemed to be worth it the second she found the warmth of his hand on her knee, squeezing it ever so gently but for her, it felt like the force of a thousand horses was trying to knock the air out of her lungs while his reassurance was the air she was so desperate for. The moment he leaned in closer, her hand twitched, instinctively wanting to wrap around him to pull him closer but instead, she let his breath tickle her ear. Mixed with his words, a little shiver traveled through her body, making her eyes flutter shut for a second before she found his gaze again, sealing her fate for the night. There was no way in hell she would slip out of this one. “Alright. I can manage that.” If she hadn’t been so caught up in him, she would’ve been embarrassed by how breathless she sounded. But instead, she looked down where his hand was caressing her skin and wrapped her own around it, making him stop the movement. “I want a do-over.” Looking back up, she squeezing his hand and slid off the stool, her heels clicking once as they hit the floor as she now stood in front of him, not letting go of his hand. “And this time I want to do it right.” A smirk slowly crept onto her features as she gently tugged him forward, trying to get him to move, not sure where the hell she wanted to go but she sure as hell needed to get him alone. “Just call this the flow and go with it.”
The look in her eyes changed almost instantly, and Hunter knew that wherever the conversation was headed a moment ago was out the window, and that this was where the night was going now. It wasn’t his usual transition, though, not one that dismissed the serious moment but instead came leaping to life from the very moment itself. Hunter’s heart began to race almost instantly, and if he wasn’t completely convinced at her feelings, her words solidified it for him. “A do-over,” he said, pressing his lips together to fight back the urge to give her a completely stupid grin. “I can make that happen.” He followed her lead, standing up and using his free hand to grab both of their beer bottles by the neck before he pulled her toward his office.
It didn’t take much for him to catch her drift, but telling him to go with this flow was the exact kind of challenge Hunter Dixon craved. Wordlessly leading her to the door of his office, he only dropped her hand when he had to dig in his pockets for the keys, using his lips to select the right one and then unlocking the door. As soon as the door was opened, he tossed the keys inside onto the floor, not caring at all where they went so long as they weren’t in his way anymore. He didn’t grab Joanna’s hand, instead slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her with him through the door. In the time it took him to set the beer bottles down on the filing cabinet on his way in, he managed to get all of three steps inside the door, tugging Jo along the rest of the way before he reached his desk. “I don’t know why I brought the beer, you’re not goin’ to be able to get to it for a while,” he said. Hunter shifted, hands on Jo’s waist as he lifted her up and sat her on his desk.
“yeah, you’re right. you know i love you.” lottie didn’t mind being honest with her brother. sometimes, especially during the break in her relationship with cash, he felt like the only person she could really turn to. she knew he had his own stuff going on but she still turned to him when she needed a shoulder to lean on. “i’m sure he will. i’m excited to see him pick up some kind of hobby. i’ll be sure to tell you when his games are so that you can be there with me cheering him on in the stands.” she replied, a smile on her face as she got excited just thinking about the possibility. “yeah, yeah. i should know that but i was just hopin’ ya changed your mind.”
Hunter adored his sister, and he would do anything for her at the drop of a hat. “Yeah, I know,” he replied, winking at her. “Good. I love that little rascal, y’know?” He didn’t even try to hide his laugh as he let it ripple through his chest, shaking his head. “Charlotte Dixon, you’re way too smart for that nonsense. You’ve known me since the day you were born, and we both know I’m stubborn as hell. Me not settlin’ down isn’t goin’ to go changin’ with the seasons. I happen to like my single life quite a bit.”
The smile showed up on her face before she even knew it happened. Funny how the word family set such clear boundaries and at the same time was so versatile in its meaning, expanding right alongside the heart. Jo had experienced it firsthand, not the way he had but there was a certain art to picking the people who deserve to be at the top of your list - or accepting those who’d put you there. “I guess I just see all the fine lines connecting and separating it. Accepting the crap we’ve gotta accept and yet still wonder what would’ve been if you’d ended up being the lucky one.” Jo knew their situations weren’t alike, not even slightly. She grew up with a silver spoon and countless open doors. She had a choice, he didn’t. “Suppose you’re perspective is a little bit more healthy than mine.” She mused, her smile still intact as the realization hit her that Hunter had the mental bearings of solid iron. “There’s nothing wrong with an odd bunch. I’m just glad to hear you had each other.” Her eyes traveled between him and their hands, now more intertwined than before and yet still cautious. Still, his fingertips seemed to prickle her skin in the most exciting way possible.
“Speaking of stories, I - I owe an explanation.” She said, clearing her through but it didn’t help the nervous undertone of her words. There was no right start to this. Unlike him, she was a coward, unable to talk about her damaged parts without feeling like a failure, like she was giving him every reason to withdraw. “About the other night - .” She trailed off, studying him for a few seconds in fear he’d get agitated, as he had every right to. But then she just pushed on, knowing damn well that the moment presented itself on a silver platter and she’d curse herself all over again if she didn’t seize it. “ - I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.” Her bottom lip got caught between her lips as she chewed on it, shaking her head in frustration. “No, that’s a lie - I got scared.” Inhaling once, her voice got lower but her words sped up, rushing out of her mouth as if she tried to get it over with. “A few years back, I lost all control over my life.” Truth be told, she didn’t know how much he knew about her previous career or what ended it. Chances are Bree even told him some of the details the press didn’t know but Jo decided not to dwell on it. “And I’ve been trying to keep it together since. Control my surroundings, control the narrative. It’s why I’ve moved here. Somewhere new where I could be in charge of my life. And I got really good at it. And then you made me want to lose it.” A little humorless chuckle vibrated through her throat. “Who am I kidding? I lost it and I enjoyed it and it freaked me out. But it was unfair to you and I’m sorry.” Somewhere between her sentences, her leg started to anxiously bounce. “What I’m trying to say is, if you regret it or you want to move on from it, I won’t make it awkward for you. I messed up, it’s my own fault. But I hated coming in here and not talking to you. I don’t want to do that again.”
Hunter’s brows furrowed only slightly when she mentioned owing him an explanation. Truthfully, Hunter wasn’t sure he’d ever get one, and the idea of it being handed over right now made him a little more aware of how badly he’d wanted one. “Mmhmm,” he practically hummed, giving her a slow nod when she referenced the other night, the night they’d shared a dance and a kiss on the hardwood floor not so far away from where they were sitting now. He’d replayed that night in his head so many times from every possible angle, trying to understand where her head was in all of it, and now he would find out.
Seeing Jo like this, somewhere between nervous and authentic, it was nice. Hunter appreciated her authenticity, especially after he’d just opened up himself. It was terrifying to do, and now she was joining him in diving right in. He didn’t know anything about her, really, not nearly as much as he’d like to, but hearing her talk about losing control felt somehow reassuring and familiar. He wanted to speak, wanted to say something to let her know he was following, but instead he kept his eyes locked on her face and chewed on his bottom lip carefully. When she was done, Hunter glanced down at where her leg was bouncing nervously before doing the only thing he could possibly think of to help her feel calmer. As soon as his hand met her knee, Hunter gave it a reassuring squeeze and looked back up to Jo with a small smile. “Well, I understand why that might be a little terrifying. I mean, I don’t like losing control either. But Joey, I don’t regret kissing you and I’m not ready to move on without seein’ where it could go.” He ran his tongue over his lips quickly before leaning in even closer, letting his lips move toward her ear before he whispered softly, “I’ll let you take control any time you want, baby.” When he pulled back, he gave her leg another reassuring squeeze before his thumb started to move back and forth across her inner thigh. The party was starting to wind down around them, but for Hunter, it felt like his entire night was laid out before him. “You can talk to me anytime, Joey. Just don’t go disappearin’ on me anymore, alright? I don’t need to know all the details, you know me, I’m pretty go-with-the-flow. I just don’t want to think you’re mad at me if you’re not.”
Calling out DJ’s name in a soft moan was not too surprising for Hunter, honestly. He’d gotten to where he knew hooking up with DJ was going to be good, no matter where or how it happened. His head threatened to fall back at the feeling of his hand on Hunter’s dick but instead, Hunter forced himself to focus. He didn’t keep much on his desk because it usually just got in the way, so Hunter had no trouble pushing DJ onto his back before yanking the other’s jeans down. “Get those jeans off,” he commanded DJ before slipping off his own pair and moving to straddle him on the sturdy surface.
When Hunter turned towards him it gave Skelly a better chance to look the older man over, biting down on his lower lip as he liked what he was seeing. Hunter was far more than attractive, he couldn’t resist. The man was smirking now when hearing that he could possibly get his own special performance. “Oh, I will,” he cooed. Skelly quirked a brow, “You own this bar?” He looked around, lips pressing in a thin line. “Impressive.” As Hunter leaned closer, his eyes flickered down to the touch at his arm. Skelly could feel his skin burning beneath the touch as he looked back up at him. “There’s nothing wrong with being a little selfish. Plus, it’s Halloween. I think we all deserve a night of misbehaving,” he purred and stepped closer to him.
Hunter had heard enough to know that Skelly was definitely flirting back. It was reassuring to know that he was, it gave the man more confidence to make his moves without fear of crossing a line someone didn’t want crossed. As he shrugged off the compliment, Hunter thanked him quietly before raising a brow at his words. “Well, I have to say, I do like the sound of that. What do you say we see what kind of trouble we can get into in my office once we get our drinks?”
“yeah, i’ve noticed.” she teased back. lottie knew that neither of them hated each other and they never could. she was close with hunter and maybe they were two different people but that didn’t mean she didn’t lean on him. she did leaned on him quite a bit and she loved him. “i know. i’m so excited that he’s interested in a sport. i mean, i really just want him to find something he’d love.” she glanced down at her stomach once he brought the attention down to her growing stomach and smiled softly. she really was excited about having her second baby and that was mostly because it meant she was fixing things with cash and expanding the family she always wanted. she shook her head and lifted her hand to motion that she was zipping her lips. “it’s not important. let’s move on.” she laughed, not wanting to talk about the things she’d heard around town. “when are you going to settle down and give me a niece or nephew? i want to be a cool aunt.” she teased him.
“But you love me anyway,” Hunter pointed out before tapping Lottie’s nose playfully. No matter how old they got, he would always see her as his baby sister, and while he wasn’t ever one to dive into the world of being the typical overly-protective sibling, he definitely couldn’t help but act like a big brother from time to time. “I’m bettin’ he’ll be good at it. I’m shit at sports but I’ll be out there rootin’ for him every chance I get, okay?” Hunter raised an eyebrow at Lottie, looking her over carefully. “What kind of crazy idea is that, Charlie? I ain’t ever settlin’ down and you know it. You’re a cool mom, why would you want to go and be an aunt too. Besides, I don’t need to have kids, I’m barely able to handle myself around yours.”
Jordan felt her nose wrinkling more and more at the thought. “Heaven knows I’ll have to go on and get used to it if I ever want to see my best friend again.” That was going to be partly a downside of her best friend dating her brother. Even more so know that Hunter had put this image in her head. Jo wasn’t naive about the natures of life and relationships, she had her fair share, but when it came to her brother and best friend? She preferred to be blissfully aware and unaware all at the same time. They all knew what was happening but she didn’t want to acknowledge it or know all the nitty gritty details that went along with it. “You are not wrong about that,” she shook her head, laughing at the the thought once more. “The whole town is goin’ to want to wash their eyes out.”
Hunter shook his head, still laughing a little at Jordan’s words. “I mean, at least until they break up.” It was mostly a joke, one that held a twinge of truth in it. Hunter didn’t want to see Austin and Greer break up, he just knew that it was a possibility. After all, Greer was a mess and Austin had pined for her for so long that something was sure to let him down. They could only be so happy for so long, at least as far as Hunter knew from his own history. Relationships weren’t meant to last forever, and they were never something Hunter Dixon put much stock in. “How’s your mama doin’ anyway? I haven’t talked to her in a while, she hasn’t come bargin’ in down at the bar to see me or anything. Kind of feelin’ hurt, actually, she must finally be done with me,” he teased.
Her eyes landed on him with courtesy as he started talking, every word he said revealing a little bit more of the man that was Hunter. Fully aware that it wasn’t easy to be as honest as he was right then - she certainly couldn’t do it - Jo didn’t waver in giving him her full attention, her gaze never leaving him even as his own dropped to his drink. Her hands wrapped around the bottle he brought along, gently pushing it forward until her hand bumped into his. One might guess it was accidental if it weren’t for the fact that she let it rest there, not even making an attempt to remove their point of contact. If he was willing to reveal a piece of himself, she wasn’t going to let him believe it was a casual conversation. Or even worse, let him think she didn’t appreciate it as if it meant nothing. The empathy that spread through her quickly gave way to awe. This child who was deprived of a childhood became this wonderful man sitting across from her, taking his past experience and making something of it. “They say it takes a village - and you did it by yourself.” She offered him a small smile while fighting her own anger at the idea of a parent doing this to their own child. But not just any child. To him. There was this certain need to defend Hunter spreading through her and she really didn’t know what to do with it. It was misplaced at best and at worst, well, it meant she was in deep trouble. “And you did wonderfully. And that’s not just my opinion. Look at you now. But for what it’s worth, I am sorry. You shouldn’t have had to go through that. No one should.” She shifted a little bit in her seat and took another look at the ground, her smile becoming more rueful. “This whole thing has a bit of a different meaning now.”
It was subtle, the way her hand moved closer to his, and Hunter knew it could’ve been a gesture meaning a dozen different things. In his head, he tried to convince himself it was simply one of support, but that didn’t mean his body listened. His hand moved a little before he used the back of his finger to trace a few lines against the back of Jo’s hand. Her words were meaningful, and Hunter knew she wasn’t one to say things she didn’t mean. After she finished, he nodded a couple times before smiling softly. “I’m not,” he said, “Sorry, I mean. I’m glad it happened the way it did. I mean, it shaped me, how can I be upset about that? I wasn’t really alone, either. I had my baby sister, and my best friend, Austin. His mom took me in like her own most days, and she was part of every milestone my own mom missed. My village just looks a little different on paper, that’s all.” He straightened his back slightly, shifting his hand so that he could slide his fingers into the nonexistent space between Jo’s hand and the countertop and draw circles on her palm.
He watched her carefully, hating every part of him that itched for more of her skin on his own at this kind of tender moment. Honestly, Hunter wasn’t known for turning off his sex drive, and if anything, he was slowly learning that being authentic and open with Joanna made him want her even more. Usually, this kind of conversation was the first sign that he wanted to run for the hills or derail everything with some kind of flirty dismissal of the mood. Instead, he found himself wanting to draw closer to Joanna, to wrap himself in a bubble with her, just like this for as long as he could. “Besides, we all have our story. Mine’s no worse than anyone else’s, it’s just mine.”
Whatever had possessed Hunter to text his nephew’s father, Hunter hated it. (Okay, it had been Lottie, and he could never hate Lottie, but still.) He found himself sitting down in a booth, tapping his fingers against the table as he eyed the menu, frustration and anger coursing through his body. He had to calm down at some point, right? Hunter looked up at the sound of the door opening and saw Cash, clearing his throat slightly to let the man know where to find him. Once the other was settled in to the seat opposite him, Hunter sat his menu down and licked his lips carefully. “So,” he started, already hating how much effort he had to put into this conversation and wishing he didn’t have to do this. “Charlie says you’re stickin’ around.”
Hunter laughed at DJ’s words, knowing that his employee was just as likely to tease as Hunter was. He responded by lifting DJ’s chin so he could kiss him as his own chest rested flush against DJ’s. Just feeling his body so close to the other’s sent the best kind of chill down Hunter’s spine, bringing the tightness in his jeans to a new level. He dropped his hand as he kissed DJ and pulled their bodies apart just enough to lower his hands to undo DJ’s jeans before sliding his hand underneath the denim and palming his dick, kissing him the entire time he worked.
At least he didn’t lie to get a blowjob, some men would do it, and he didn’t approve at all of that, “Sure, if you had lied to her, I would definitely tell on you, but since you were honest, and she still insisted anyway, I will think about your case.”
“I try to be a man of my word when I can. I mean, there’s no sense in lyin’ to people. I don’t get why some folks do that.” Sinking his teeth into his bottom lip, Hunter paused before leaning in slightly toward the man. “Well, if you need anything to convince you of my innocence, just say the word. I happen to be quite good at it.”
“That’s an interesting choice of costume,” Skelly cooed. “Are you going to give a little performance later because I would love to be front and center.” He tipped the bartender off, leaning forward as he gave his order before looking over at Hunter. “Can I buy you a drik?” He asked. “Oh, the only wingman I’m playin’ for is myself,” he cooed.
There was something incredibly attractive about the man’s confidence. Hunter was always turned on by it, and the fact that Skelly was attractive as hell didn’t hurt his chances, either. “Well, if you play your cards right, I might give you a special performance all to yourself,” Hunter replied, his voice instantly dropping lower as he turned to face Skelly full on. Hunter couldn’t help but smile as the man offered to buy him a drink, giving the bartender a quick nod to let them know he’d take his usual. “Seein’ as this is my bar and all, I feel like lettin’ you do that would be pretty selfish of me. While I can be known to be selfish, I think this one time, I ought to behave.” Leaning closer, Hunter let his fingertips brush against Skelly’s arm gently before he spoke again. “Unless you’re into that.”