Trust is Earned

I → Polly Maddox Thirty-Two || Waitress “People die of broken hearts. They have heart attacks. And it’s the heart that hurts most when things go wrong and fall apart.”

[polly-maddox]

pompcm‌:

“This party is fucking boring,” Eloise said loudly before bringing her drink to her lips. At least at all the other parties there were strippers. Or drama. This one was…tame. Even with that stupid fight that had gone on earlier. She couldn’t stand it. Maybe after a little bathroom break, but of course someone stopped her before she could properly disappear to take a hit. “What do you want? A dance? A picture? A fucking line? Is it that important?”

Polly stopped and blinked at the woman before her. That wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. “No, you just seemed... like you were going to run into someone. I was a bit worried is all. I didn’t mean to alarm you. But I don’t need any of those things.” Her eyebrows creased and she frowned slightly. “You seem troubled.”

[polly-maddox]

Love is in the air! Valentine’s Day ‘20

Polly Maddox - The Lady and the Tramp

[polly-maddox]

barreledhawthorne‌:

Nathan shrugged. He might not know anything about her, but she didn’t know anything about him, except he was Doug’s nephew, so he figured it was about even. It wasn’t like either of them cared to know the other, clearly. Continuing his smoke, nearly finished now and already wanting another, Nathan popped his knuckles. “I ran out of options, too,” he stated simply. Not like she had, but…shit, he didn’t do much even before he noticed he barely had enough energy to be anything but done.

The quiet air between them wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it certainly wasn’t as tense as it had been moments before. She let out a small breath she hadn’t quite realized she was holding. Even though she had disliked him quite a bit, her anger had faded considerably. While she still didn’t feel like she could say he definitely didn’t do it, she doubted it more as time went by. “Do you want food or something?”

[polly-maddox]

barreledhawthorne‌:

Well, at least they were even now that their bluffs were called, and that made Nathan just a little bit less bothered about being near her. “I dunno if you’ve got room to talk about doing whatever I want, you’ve probably done plenty of that,” he countered lazily. After all, the place was called Sin City, it wasn’t like anyone who came near it was some kind of saint. And then, of course, he had to deal with her throwing her stones anyway. “You want a reason? I was bored, I felt like shit, wanted to take a walk, ended up here.” He could’ve gone into detail, but she hadn’t earned that.

Polly huffed. “You don’t know anything about me. I rarely do things for myself. Most of them end up back firing on me anyway. I came to Sin City because I was out of options.” It was true, but she wasn’t sure why she had decided to share that fact with the kid in front of her. But maybe it was this frustration of someone thinking that they knew her when they knew nothing about her. “But why did you stop here? Why would you want to be here?”

[polly-maddox]

barreledhawthorne‌:

Nathan rolled his eyes in return. “I shouldn’t? Better arrest me, I’ve been inside plenty.” He was sure that if she had her way, he shouldn’t be anywhere, so he wasn’t about to take this as something to be aware of. “Polly. If you can leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone. I’m not gonna do shit to Doug. I’m literally just sitting here, I’m doing fuck all.” After all, that’s part of why he was here. It’s why he always came around here. He could mostly ignore the assholes since he could be…sort of near Doug.

Polly huffed but she wasn’t a cop and she wasn’t about to bring the cops to their door steps either. “Trust me I know. There’s a difference between being allowed to and just doing whatever the fuck you want to. Which is what you do. Though I don’t know why you’d want to be in there anyway.” She leaned against the wall and just tried to relax and not let her anger flare up too much. She didn’t exactly trust Nathan but she also didn’t think he was stupid enough to try something while she was around. Though she was a bit surprised when he said her name, she hadn’t expected him to remember it. “I don’t care about being left alone. I care about my friends. Why choose to come and sit out here. Surely you have a reason.”

[polly-maddox]

lumineuxeva‌:

Eva shook her head. “No, no this isn’t about me. I’m more worried about you.”She frowned. “You’re out of it, out of your comfort zone. I just want to know what’s bugging you. Is it Doug?” She felt weird talking about Doug because in a sense Doug was part of her problems too, but Polly cared enough about him for Eva to ask. “It’s okay if it is…”

Polly stopped and sighed. “You know I don’t like you worrying over me.” She knew that she should worry more about herself, but it was hard for her. “I know. You’re right, I haven’t been myself. It feels like it’s been months. Time just kind of blurs together I guess.” She bit her lip. It was hard to talk about this, especially knowing that Eva was hurting too. But she trusted her. “Kind of? I mean, through no fault of his own really. At least this time. I- I just keep having nightmares. Of everything. Eva there was so much blood.” When her drink arrived she took another long sip from it, trying to stop herself from crying.

[polly-maddox]

douglasmayor‌:

His brow furrowed a bit. Doug hated to see her upset like that. He swallowed a lump in his throat. “I’m, um… sorry to hear that,” he said, tentatively patting her forearm. “I don’t know if there’s, erm, if I can help or if I’m–” he cut himself off, clearing his throat, taking a long sip from his bottle. He was probably only making things worse, wasn’t he? Dammit, he hated that. Doug was doing everything he could to ignore the fact that he probably wasn’t alright either, and he wasn’t even trying to be. And here she was, being honest about it with him. Something she didn’t have to do. Fuck. “Well, I’m… Trying to be alright is all we can really do, yeah?”

At his touch she looked up to him and tried to give him a smile. Especially one she thought he deserved. He was a good guy. Sure he had his flaws but everyone did. She hated that she couldn’t be stronger in this moment. That all she wanted to do was curl up against him and pretend like everything was alright. “It’s not your fault.” Well not directly anyway. He didn’t ask to be shot or for her to find him, dying. “I’m sure you could tell I’ve been trying to be scarce. I thought it would keep the nightmares away. But nothing has worked so far.” She sighed, her smile faltering. “Yeah. Yeah it is. It sucks. I just don’t want to bother my friends with my problems. They have so much on their hands already.” Polly caved and leaned against Doug, resting her head on his shoulder.

[polly-maddox]

barreledhawthorne‌:

Oh, great, it was the bitch. Nathan rolled his eyes and kept working on finishing his cigarette, but slower now. He wasn’t about to make anything easier on her, that was for sure. “Fuck off. I’m sitting,” he replied, hard edge to his voice already because, well…goddammit in general. “You wanna narc on me, go ahead, I’m sure they’d love to know how much cocaine is in there.” Did he want to? No, he knew it would be bad for his Uncle’s business. Did that matter, when spite was on the line? Also no.

“Does it look like I care what you’re doing? You’re lurking in the back alley of a club you aren’t allowed inside of. You shouldn’t be here.” Polly crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Everything in her told her to just turn around and go back inside. To ignore his existence completely. But she was too tired to let him effect her in that way. It would probably annoy him more if she stayed. So she did. “You know, you’re not making yourself look any better. You want me to believe you care but would do something like that to someone you care about. I don’t approve of the things that happen inside but they will happen anyway.”

[polly-maddox]

lumineuxeva‌:

Evangeline sighed, smiling at her friend despite the heaviness in her chest. She was really worried about Polly, but she was also emotionally drained. It was hard to be both. “I figured I should try to deal with things like a normal person and drink my break-up away at least once.”

Polly wasn’t sure which one did it, the sigh or the words that seemed to follow it. But it felt like someone splashing water on her face. Her friend was hurting. Even in her state, she could tell. And here she was feeling sorry for herself. “What? Oh no, Eva.” She frowned and moved to wrap her arms around the younger woman. “I’m here for you. Go ahead. Tell me all about it.”

[polly-maddox]

barreledhawthorne‌:

Did the smart part of Nathan know that he shouldn’t be near Sin City looking for trouble? Yes. Did he care? Absolutely fucking not. He hadn’t slept in…well, he didn’t know how long, he was bored, and he was more frustrated about stupid shit than he should’ve been. So he posted himself near the back door, smoked, zoned out, and sort of hoped…anything would happen.

“No, I’m not moving,” he deadpanned to whoever he felt looking at him. He didn’t know who they were or where they’d come from. Didn’t matter.

Polly was tired. She could barely keep her eyes open and trying to avoid the pressing questions of her friends was getting harder and harder. So as soon as she took her break she made her way to the back door. There shouldn’t have been anyone there. It should have been a quiet break. Instead she opened the door and saw Nathan on the other side. Great. Exactly who she didn’t want to see. Instead she rolled her eyes and opened the bottle of water she brought with her. “You’re loitering. Which is illegal. And so is smoking. At least for you.”

[polly-maddox]

douglasmayor‌:

Doug shrugged a shoulder. “I do know that, but I wanted to,” he said, still grinning a bit. He nodded in response to her thanks. He didn’t really know where to go from there. He hated that things felt awkward at times with Polly. He didn’t want them to be. She meant the world to him in more ways than one. “So how’ve you been?” he asked, taking a sip of his own drink. “You doin’ alright?”

His smile always made her heart do somersaults. Even now, as she was trying to erase the flashes that her mind was so kind enough to bring up. “Well thank you again.” She looked down at the little bit of beer left in her bottle and quickly finished it. “I- uh. I’ve been...” She tried to get her mouth to say the words I’m fine or I’m good. Anything that wasn’t the truth. But all she could do was stop and sigh. She shouldn’t lie to him, couldn’t lie to him. Avoiding him? Yes. She could do that. But flat out lying. Polly didn’t have it in her. “Ah, no. No, I’m not alright. But I’m trying to be.”

[polly-maddox]

candi-sweet‌:

“Oh… well, if you’re a waitress of a club, then you might as well be a bartender too. I couldn’t do it, so hats off to you. I’ve been known to have.. a temper, attitude or whatever.” She admitted with a sheepish smile. The women seemed friendly enough, and maybe someone out of her crew could help her be more inviting. With her eyes going wide the first thing she thought of was Noah. Which confused her to why her own selfish thoughts came in, but she couldn’t in a million years imagine anything happening to him. “I… I am so sorry. That can’t be something you easily just forget huh..” 

“I’ve got one too, but probably a little bit better controlled.” She smiled and laughed. “I didn’t have a whole lot of options. Not many people are looking for a fashion degree. “ Her smiled turned a little bitter before disappearing from her face all together. “No, it’s not. It’s been months and I just can’t seem to shake it. I’ve been avoiding all of my friends. I can’t really sleep. I’m so glad he’s alive but they don’t know who did it or why.”

[polly-maddox]

mousemanmichael‌:

Mickey smiled and clinked his glass with Polly’s. “ I have a way for meeting cool people at random timing. And I do it without being creepy” he shrugged with a tinge of humor and a soft suppressed chuckle at his own bad jokes.. “ Ready for the New Year ? “

“You’re one of the few. Trust me. I’ve had loads of the other kind.” She took a long sip of her drink. “It’s a thing that happens when you’re a waitress a a club.” Polly shrugged at his question. She had been looking forward to the new year but now that it was here, she wasn’t sure she was very ready at all. “I’m ready to try to not think about last year.”

[polly-maddox]

lumineuxeva‌:

Evangeline normally wouldn’t really find herself in a place like this, but she had caught wind of an elegant beauty with a face that could make anyone open up to them being around and she knew exactly who it was before she actually found her. She had been seeking out Polly for a bit but it was harder than normal. So when she finally saw her she sighed in relief. “How many of those have you had already?”

At first Polly though she was only dreaming that she was hearing Eva’s voice but as she turned her head there she was. She tried to smile at the bright light now standing next to her. “Oh, uh four? Five? I haven’t really been keeping count.” She pulled her lip between her teeth. “Didn’t think I’d see you in here. What’s going on little star?”

[polly-maddox]

douglasmayor‌:

He’d just been sitting at the bar, not really paying attention to the people around him. Doug was trying really hard to stay good, to be as clean as he had been. But after being shot, it all just sort of started getting hard again. Started with smoking some pot to help the pain, and then he found himself doing some lines in the back room of the club. And he hated it. The closer it got to the new year, he tried to cut back again, but that just meant he was drinking more again. It was a cycle and he hated it. And he knew he’d had a lot to drink tonight, and was about to close his tab when he heard a familiar voice. Doug looked over to Polly and something echoed deep in his chest. “And put it on my tab,” he said to the bartender after her before casting a quick grin Polly’s way. 

What were the odds? Apparently in Polly’s case, very good. She would know that voice, even if years and years had gone by. It was the very one that she had been actively trying to avoid. When Doug had gotten hurt she hadn’t known what to do. It almost felt like her heart fell out of her chest and here she was trying to jam it back in, using alcohol to keep the nightmares of his fading voice away. So she had hoped that all of this keeping away would make it hurt less. But it didn’t. Of course it didn’t. She looked over at him and tried her best to smile, though she was sure it didn’t reach her eyes. They were too tired to play along with her. “You know you don’t have to do that Doug. But thank you.” There was that thump of her heart again, telling her that no matter what she did and no matter what he did, she’d always love the man who stood in front of her.

[polly-maddox]

candi-sweet‌:

Frowning a bit she sat a little lower in her seat. “I take it .. you’re a bartender then huh?” Candi shook her head. “I promise whatever you have to throw out on the table is something to actually be upset about. I have buckets of issues behind my drink that are petty and just a salt shaker of nothing. I can listen to some bullshit.” 

Polly smiled, “Close. I’m a waitress. Similar enough. Plus I work at clubs so I see it all.” She let her shoulders relax a little at the younger girls words. “Okay. Well a few months ago my boss, who- uh... happens to be my ex got shot in his own  club. He’s okay but I was the one who found him. Bleeding everywhere.”

[polly-maddox]

candi-sweet‌:

Candi nodded slowly. “Poor girl. I mean now I kinda feel bad I barked so loudly towards her. I”ll be sure to give her a big tip. She won’t feel like she needs that slim balls attention for it either.” She grumbled shaking her head. “Pleasure to meet you as well, though you don’t exactly seem like the happiest camper in the building tonight. What’s up?” 

Polly shrugged. “When you work a job like this you just slowly get used to it. Most people who yell aren’t as nice as you are. Especially in a dive like this.” She looked around and sighed. It just made her miss Devil’s and Sin City. At least she knew what to expect there. But Sin City had memories that she was trying to avoid attached to it. “I uh- It’s that obvious huh? Trust me, you don’t want to hear it. It’s a lot of bullshit.”