Conversations at the Saloon Part 2 🍕🍺
(Part 1 here. Farmer and Shane talk after a rough interaction the day before. The dummies are bad at feelings and even worse at realizing what's brewing between them lol my farmer's last name is Miller and "my" Shane's last name is Cooper because I think it's funny, and so do they.)
"I'm doomed..." Clint sighed, almost certainly looking as crestfallen as she felt.
"Yeah...me, too..." She said softly, pushing off the table to get up from her seat. "Welp. This has been fun, but I'm gonna order my own food and head out. Good luck, Clint."
She didn't wait for a response, walking up to the bar(away from Shane) and plopping herself down on a stool. Waiting for Emily or Gus to notice her and looking anywhere but where Shane was sitting.
"Hey, Kitty Kat~" Emily chirped, bubbly as always. "What can I get you?"
"Hey, Em. Just a Joja Cola and something warm to eat. To go, please." Tapping her fingers anxiously on the wooden surface of the bar as she spoke. Not wanting to be here any longer than she had to be.
"Aww, c'mon. Stay awhile!" Emily pleaded, making puppy dog eyes and jutting her lip out in a mock pout. "I wanna hear what's going on on your farm! Or in the mines! I saw you talking to Clint earlier, so I assume it was mining related."
"Y-yeah. Yeah, I guess he could tell I'd been spelunking 'cause he was trying to sell me on a few upgrades for my stuff." She chuckled in what she hoped was a natural sounding way, giving a little shrug and resting her elbows on the counter. She'd rather eat raw bug meat than tell Emily that Clint had asked for dating advice. "Nothing exciting today, unfortunately. Just a lot of dirt and rocks. And exhaustion. I'm so tired, Em. I'm not used to this kind of manual labor. Buh."
She put her head down on the bar and exhaled dramatically, hearing a giggle from Emily...and possibly a snort from Shane. Or Gus. She couldn't tell with her head down, but some silly part of her hoped it was Shane. Why? Why did she want that? Maybe she was concussed..
"You're from the city, right?" Emily asked, setting a cola on the counter with a soft chuckle when she sat up straight again. "What made you want to give farming a try if it's so outside your wheelhouse?"
"Got tired of my old job. Needed fresh air and a fresh start, y'know?" She replied with a practiced nonchalance, feeling Shane's eyes on her practically boring a hole into the side of her head even from a distance. Because that was very much not the reason she had told him when they talked two nights ago. She pretended not to notice and took a sip of her cola, grateful for the cold drink on her dry throat. "And no better time to start over than Spring, right?"
"Exactly! Spring is the season of rebirth and renewal, the beginning of a cycle. Oooh, I love the idea of your new life growing right beside all the little saplings waking up from a long winter's sleep." Emily clapped her hands in joy, practically bouncing in place at the thought of it. "What were you doing before this?"
"Data entry clerk for Joja Co." She grimaced and took a swing of her soda like that would wash the bitter taste of her old job out of her mouth.
"So you were a desk monkey?" Shane's voice suddenly piped up, startling her. He had somehow sat a lot closer without her realizing and was actively listening to the conversation. He was also clearly intoxicated the way his words slurred. "Sittin' in a cramped little cubicle all day and starin' at a screen til you go cross-eyed?"
"Basically." She shrugged, glancing at him to gauge his mood. He seemed relaxed, most likely due to the alcohol, and he had been the one go approach her, so maybe this would be okay. "Doing five other people's work for no extra pay, next to no free time, getting micromanaged to hell and back by dickheads who make way more money doing fuck all. Getting written up for yawning one too many times when I 'could have been working'. You know, typical stuff."
"Yoba, if that doesn't sound familiar." He grumbled, polishing off his beer and setting the heavy glass down. "They must grow Joja managers in a lab and ship 'em out to all their branches."
She snorted softly and felt herself smile, taking another swig of her own drink. "Needless to say, I did not, uh, Thrive™ during my time at Joja. Heh."
"Seeing the JojaMart must have been quite a shock, then, if you were trying to escape the corporation. " Emily said, refilling Shane's glass without looking like it was second nature. Startling when a little timer went off in her apron. "Oop. I'll be right back, Clint's food should be ready by now. Don't tell any fun stories without me~." Practically dancing away and leaving her alone with Shane. Who was still staring at her intently.
"...You avoidin' me?" He asked after a moment, his voice softer than before. Almost sounding hurt. "Said 'hi' to Clint and Em, but not me."
"Isn't that what you wanted?" Bitterness seeping into her own tone, hands gripping her drink a little tighter.
"When has that stopped you before? You seem pretty persistent in bein' friends regardless of what I say."
"I don't like being yelled at, Shane..." she admitted quietly, shrinking into herself a little. "And what was it you said? You'd give me a pot of gold to leave you alone? Felt a little more serious than just being 'too busy' to talk."
He grimaced and looked into his beer, tracing the rim of it with his finger.
"Didn't...didn't mean that. Not at you specifically anyway. M'just an asshole and you got the brunt of a bad mood. Wasn't personal, I swear."
She gave a small hum in response, wanting to believe him but still not entirely convinced he wasn't just messing with her.
"...Were you tellin' me the truth before? About why you came here? Or was the story you told Emily the right one and you were jus' humorin' me?" He leaned closer to her, his voice dropping even lower like they were sharing secrets. His face so serious and disappointed by the idea that she had lied to him it pulled at her heartstrings.
"Everything I said at the lake was the truth, I promise. I just...didn't think Emily would understand. Not like you do.." Again, she allowed herself a vulnerable moment with him. Hoping this wasn't some ploy to later throw her anxieties back in her face.
His expression brightened and now he looked relieved, seemingly satisfied with that answer.
"Your secret's safe with me. Us Joja wage slaves gotta stick together, huh?" He very gently punched her shoulder and winked, taking a drink from his beer with a smile. Still sitting very close to her despite having the whole Saloon to occupy if he wanted space. But she wasn't exactly leaning away either.
"Look at you two getting along~" Emily's cheerful voice cut through whatever the moment between them was, and she found herself sitting up straighter like a teacher had just caught her dozing off. Hands folded neatly in front of her and all. Only now remembering how hungry she was when the blue haired barmaid placed a personal pizza on the counter in front of her. "Thank Yoba. I don't I could bear another night of Shane worrying about hurting your feelings, Kitty Kat."
Shane spluttered and choked on his drink, looking between the women with wide eyed mortification. Practically trying to disappear in his hoodie when they laughed. And, if she didn't know any better, she'd swear he was blushing. But that could just be from the booze.
"That's not--I was not...I didn't.." He floundered a moment before huffing and putting his head down on the bar with a pout. "Buh."
"Cute." She thought with a sudden fondness, followed by confusion for the sentiment. Man, she really must have hit her head hard in the mines.
"I told you he was a big ol' teddy bear." Emily stage whispered behind her hand, giggling when Shane grumbled in protest at the accusation but didn't lift his head. "Enjoy your food, hun. Let me know if you need anything else, 'kay?"
"You're a lifesaver, Em." She chuckled around a bite of pizza, table manners the furthest thing from her mind right now. Practically inhaling half of it before glancing over at Shane, who still had his head on the counter facing away from her. She looked towards the remainder of her pizza, then back at Shane, then to the pizza again before sliding it towards him.
"Hey. Cooper. Peace offering." Tapping his shoulder to get his attention with an amused smirk. Even more amused when he immediately popped up, turning to look at her with wide eyes.
"Oh. Really? You're sharin'?" He blinked, looking a mix of surprised and grateful. More so when she gave an affirmative hum and nod. "That's...you don't have to...uh, thanks."
She chuckled softly, finding him fumbling over his words endearing somehow. Maybe because he acted like she had given him something truly precious when all she had done was share a pizza with him. Sure, it was his favorite, but still. It was kind of sweet he was taken aback by a small gesture.
"Well you sent me one in the mail. Now we're even." She waved a dismissive hand, putting enough gold on the counter to pay for her meal and getting up to leave. "I gotta go before it gets too late. See you around, right?"
As she turned to go, he suddenly reached out and caught her wrist, his large hand easily encircling it and catching her by surprise. Her head whipped around to look at him in question, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. His face flushed again and lower lip jutting out in a bit of a pout.
"I wanted...I wanted to..." He shut his eyes and sighed heavily, grimacing. "I wanted to ask how the chickens are doing.."
She blinked, not expecting that to be what he wanted with how he was acting.
"Oh. Um, they're fine. Still alive, if that's what you were wondering. Um...you can come by and see them some time, if you want?"
He perked up again, finally meeting her gaze. "Really? I'd like that. Y'know, to make sure you're taking care of 'em and that they're happy."
She rolled her eyes and smiled, shaking her head. "Right, right. Gotta make sure I'm not a total fuck up right?"
"Right." He smirked with a chuckle, thankfully recognizing she was joking around.
"Hey, Shane?"
"Hm?"
"Gonna need my arm back, bud."
He glanced down and realized he was still holding her wrist, immediately releasing her and looking away again, embarrassed. Wrapping his hands around his mug of beer and staring deeply into it like he held the secrets of the universe.
"G'night, Miller." He mumbled, trying to disappear into his hoodie again.
"Night, Cooper. Enjoy the pizza." She gave him a pat on the arm before finally, finally heading home for the night. She had stayed much later than she intended to, which meant less time she'd be able to (hopefully) sleep before dragging herself out of bed at the ass crack of dawn for another round of farm work.
But she was walking out of the Saloon with more of a pep in her step than when she walked in. Belly full of food and heart full of hope, however foolishly, that Shane didn't actually hate her guts.
