Though Taryn has been through some tough times in her life, she keeps a pretty positive attitude. She’s resilient and practical. She’s an optimistic realist. Her head does not stay in the clouds, but she likes to visit them more often than not. She is friendly and enjoys being around good people. While Taryn tries to stay on the positive, she does have her less positive traits. She can get anxious when she falls too much into the realist side of her personality. She also has a hint of perfectionism that she dismisses when people call her out about it, but she knows it’s completely true. She has a tendency to overthink as well. She’s stubborn which sometimes works in her favor but can also stress her out. She does not handle stress well. Her most frequent coping mechanism is to chain smoke and think about the situation continuously. She is very loyal to her friends, but if a person was to cross or betray her, she would cut them off immediately and pretend that they never existed.
Taryn was born to model and part-time actress, Lila Ramsey and accountant, Eric Ramsey on a sunny day in May in the Golden State better known as California. The two thought they were ready for children, but quickly found out that having a baby and raising it wasn’t all it was portrayed to be. They loved their daughter, but Lila did not like how much her body changed and how hard it was to get model ready again. Eric didn’t like to see his wife upset so he did not push to give Taryn siblings. They were more than content with having one and continuing their lives together.
Taryn’s life was pretty normal until she turned six. That’s when her body held more weight than it had when she was younger. She was never sure why it happened, but it did. She also grew taller than all the other children in her class. It made her stand out, but not in a way that she liked. They teased her a bit which horrified her mother. She wanted Taryn to be liked…loved even as she was. She put her on diets and dressed her in designer labels. Unfortunately, she taught her daughter that if others weren’t happy with you, then something was wrong with you. It was Taryn’s paternal grandmother, Ruth who changed Taryn’s perspective. Ruth was built like her and always had been. She showed Taryn as long as you love yourself, it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. Ruth also put the love of baking into Taryn’s life. They would bake together every other weekend when she visited her along with some of her cousins. While her cousins’ interest waned in the activity, Taryn fell more and more in love with it. She found it was something she was good at and it made her feel good to see the joy her sweet treats gave others.
While spending the weekend at her grandmother’s house, Taryn met Anastasia Qiao. As soon as they met, they clicked. Taryn found it so easy to be around her and Stasia never minded that she was bigger than her even though Taryn was younger than her. They quickly became best friends and their friendship has lasted throughout their adult years.
Tragedy struck Taryn for the first time in her life when her grandmother passed. Taryn was seventeen and in her senior year of high school. It absolutely devastated her because she really wanted her grandmother to see her graduate. Yet, through tragedy, Taryn was inspired. She knew she had a passion for baking and she wanted to honor her grandmother so she decided that she would open a bakery and use the recipes her grandmother taught her. Taryn wanted to open her bakery immediately after she graduated, but her parents insisted that she go to college. Image was still important to them. How would it look if their daughter didn’t go to college like the majority of her peers? Determined to still open her bakery, Taryn made an agreement with her parents. If she went to college and graduated, they would need to fully fund her bakery for its entire first year. They agreed. Taryn attended and graduated from Pepperdine University with her bachelor’s degree in business. As promised, her graduation gift was a storefront on a busy street not too far from her grandmother’s old house. After renovations, licensing, and a few dozen burned or failed baked goods, Taryn opened Ruth’s Bakery. The first year was hard, but she made it through breaking even on the business. The next year she made a profit and it only went up from there. It wasn’t the best bakery in the country, but it did well. She had regulars and even secured some corporate catering contracts for her baked goods.
At twenty-six, Taryn had a thriving business and a condo not too far from her bakery. She also got her dog, Meesha, a red heeler. She loved her as soon as she saw her in a box in the alley between her apartment building and the restaurant next to it. She couldn’t believe someone would just leave a little puppy there to fend for herself. She took her in immediately and they have been inseparable ever since. In this same year, Taryn met the love of her life, Simon Gardener. He was an up and coming photographer and had emailed her to see if he could take some pictures for her business. She was a huge supporter of other small businesses so she agreed. When he came into the bakery, he was nothing like Taryn expected. He had hair that stopped under his chin, some interesting choice tattoos, and he drove a motorcycle. He looked like someone out of a motorcycle club, but when he smiled at her, Taryn forgot her name. Once Simon had taken a bite of her double chocolate chip muffins and shared a conversation with her, he was enamored as well. It was after he completed his job for her that they went on their first date. It started at the neighborhood fair and ended at breakfast at IHOP the next morning. They had spent almost twenty-four hours together, but it felt like ten minutes to them.
Their relationship flourished as well as their businesses. Taryn helped Simon make a business plan and get a studio. Simon convinced Taryn that she needed to expand the bakery to a cafe. Taryn let him meet Meesha and Simon let her meet his Alaskan Malamute, Nanook. Just like Taryn and Simon, Meesha and Nanook got along, but in a much more platonic way. Mostly because Meesha bossed him around and Nanook didn’t mind it. They all moved in together and six months later, they found Phoenix at a rescue center and brought the red golden Vizsla home to complete their little family. Three years into their relationship, Simon took Taryn to the little island of Catalina for the weekend. After a helicopter ride, they had a lovely picnic overlooking a breathtaking view of the ocean when he got down on one knee and asked Taryn to marry him. She told him yes through tears and chuckles as he slid the unique flower ring on her finger. She was his precious rose as he always called her and her engagement ring reflected just that.
At thirty, Taryn would experience yet another tragedy. She was deep into wedding planning. Her mother was insisting on another diet for her to look her best in her wedding dress. The bakery cafe was doing so well that she was thinking of opening a second location. But in the blink of an eye, that all went away. Taryn still remembers the rainy night that she received the worst call of her life. Taryn had closed the bakery for the day and went to Simon’s studio. He had some editing and developing to do. They ate dinner and talked about the wedding. She told him about her mother’s newest diet suggestion and he rolled his eyes insisting that she was beautiful just as she was and nothing would change that thought for him. They shared some kisses before the rain started and Taryn suggested they go home. Simon declined insisting he needed to finish working on the pictures for his projects. Taryn knew he was just as stubborn and determined as she was so arguing with him was pretty pointless. He wouldn’t be open to listening until the projects were done. She made him promise to come home before she had to get up to open the bakery and he agreed. They shared one last kiss and she reminded him that they had a meeting at their wedding venue the next day to decide the food for the wedding. She made it to the door before turning and watching him for a few moments. She didn’t know it would be the last time she would see him alive. The dogs’ barking woke her up when her phone rang. She felt for Simon’s form in the bed, but felt nothing but sheets and a pillow. The number was unknown, but something told her to answer it. Her heart dropped as the nurse on the other end asked if she knew Simon and that she was listed as his next of kin. He had come into the hospital an hour ago after being hit by a drunk driver and thrown several feet from his motorcycle. The medical teams had tried everything possible, but he didn’t make it. Simon was gone and so were the plans and dreams that Taryn shared with him.
Devastation wasn’t even a good enough word to explain what Taryn experienced. She didn’t know life without Simon in it. She let the expansion go. She closed the bakery for a month. She cancelled all the wedding plans. She laid in bed barely eating or sleeping for months before Stasia convinced her to move to Merrock. Taryn was reluctant to leave at first. To leave all the places that were so special to her and Simon, but she found that being there was harder than not. She permanently closed her bakery cafe. She packed up everything for herself and the dogs and moved them all to the other side of the country and into Stasia’s place in Merrock. As hard as it was to move, Taryn saw the positive in it. She was with her best friend who took care of her and helped her get back on her feet. Within a year, Taryn had bought Cobblestone Cafe from the previous owners and started baking again. A year later, she was able to buy her own townhouse downtown not too far from Stasia’s place. Now, she’s settled in Merrock doing well running the Cobblestone Cafe and trying to live her life the best way she can.
"Any time! She'd be offended I said 'my mom' and you jumped to 'old'...but she is in her fifties now." Chandler didn't think 53 was that old, but AARP seemed to disagree. "I used to watch some of it with her when I was in high school just so we could do something together. But yeah, I don't know how she does it. It's also so different from her personality at home - I've seen her go into doctor mode and it's totally a whiplash kind of feeling."
Vibrations was definitely something to do. "Yeah, tell me about it. The cafe and cooking are pretty much the only things I do. And video games. I'm not sure i have the patience to crochet, though. A friend did make me a scarf like three years ago, but it's the only one I own. So...I could be in the market for another one if you take up a new hobby. You know, if you're offering."
Taryn frowned softly. "Well, I put my foot in my mouth. What else is new?" she said with a small smile before looking out at the dogs. "Yeah, I hear that watching those kind of shows help turn your brain off when you're in high stress jobs. It's like a coping mechanism of sorts. Maybe it's the same for your mom." she shrugged softly.
"Hmmm, video games...I can't say that I've been good at them in the past, but maybe I should try again." she thought to herself. She didn't even know where to start with video games. "If I wanted to start getting into video games, where would I even start?" she chuckled softly. Crocheting was definitely looking like a real possibility now. "I could be offering. What color yarn should I get for your scarf? You crochet with yarn, right?"
"Much better than something cliche and overdone," he replied with a warm laugh, "and I'm pretty sure that all of the dogs in the world would agree." Or at the very least, the dogs that liked to visit her cafe, none the less.
"No, definitely not. It's not so bad in summer time when you don't have to deal about fallen leaves in the roads, but slick spots are slick spots," no matter what time of year it was, you were going to run into problems with that. "Suzuki's are good bikes, are we talking more of a classic, or a crotch rocket?" He paused, letting out a laugh, "which I realize sounds really lewd, I spend too much time in a garage, clearly, but I mean the kind that are basically built to fly?" Sometimes, when he got talking about cars and bikes, his mind went right to those late nights talking with his dad or Nathan, Hess or Chess as they finished up a project.
"Oh I'm definitely not cliche. I'm one of a kind. You didn't know that?" Taryn teased before laughing. "Damn straight they would. I was thinking I should put a dog's welcome sign in the window, but then I don't want to offend the cat lovers." she grinned.
Taryn nodded. "Oh yeah, of course. There are always different kinds of hazards with bikes. Still doesn't make me not miss the rides though." she shrugged softly. Riding on the back of Simon's bike made up a lot of the core memories of their relationship. She felt like if she got back on a bike, it would be a way of keeping him close to her. Taryn couldn't help but laugh at Josh's words. "You don't have to censor yourself with me. Simon's friends were bikers too and I heard all kinds of things when I was around them. His bikes were all built to fly so yeah, it would be a crotch rocket. He liked the speed." she smiled softly as her fingers found her engagement ring that hung around her neck.
ఇ Seungbin holds both hands up in surrender as he spies Taryn through the dispersing crowd. Most are deciding whether they want to stay on for the second fireworks display or head home, and he has decided he wants to stay a bit longer tonight. He was surprised to see her here, but maybe he shouldn't be? "I promise no burning questions tonight besides which flavor of sno*cone is your favorite, and are you staying for the show? I'm not in ownership of any glowsticks, so I do fear I'm a bit boring this go-round. If not, were you on the way to something else?" He holds a blueberry and a lemon sno*cone to offer if she wants one. If not, he plans on combining them into one and pretending like it's blueberry pie. Something, something, childhood whimsy.
Taryn had always loved watching fireworks. They were so bright and sparkly and they made her feel happy inside. She had been in the middle of the crowd enjoying them until the end. Everyone else was moving on to other places in the carnival, but she was going to stay for the second show. She turned, sticking her hands in the pocket of her jeans before seeing Seungbin. His hands were in the air as if in surrender to her and she slightly rolled her eyes before smiling. "I don't think I would have any interesting answers for you anyway if you asked me." she shrugged.
She hummed at his questions. "I'm more of a cherry sno*cone lover myself, but I will settle for blueberry and yes, I will be staying for the second show of fireworks. I've always loved them." she replied taking the blueberry sno*cone out of his hand. "Did you enjoy the show?" she asked gesturing to the sky where the fireworks just were before taking a spoonful of flavored ice and putting it in her mouth.
Chess let out a small "yay" for a mission accomplished then waited for Taryn to join her. "Oh, absolutely. The weather's great, good company, and everyone seems to be in a positive mood," she replied, her own positivity radiating off of her. "Or at least, that's how my day's been anyway. Have you been finding the moments to enjoy things too?"
Taryn smiled at Chess' enthusiasm. She really enjoyed it. "It's been a good day, hasn't it?" she agreed looking around at everyone as they walked. The townspeople really seemed to have big smiles on their faces and the town felt happy and lighter. This event was a really great thing for town morale. "I've mainly been behind the booth serving everyone, but I always enjoy talking to everybody in town and building those great relationships. It makes my job all the more worthwhile." she said genuinely. Taryn was very much a people person so being able to talk to others and learn their stories was always something she enjoyed. "What about you? What have you gotten into around here?"
"My mom watches all of those - or at least she used to. I think she liked to just not think at all after work. Which....I'd probably feel the same way if I was an emergency room doctor, too." Chandler grimaced. Pause for Paws was about the limit of how much he wanted to be responsible for. "It's not the most exciting highlight of a week, but it's something to do besides work and going home."
"Thanks for making me feel old, Chan." she chuckled softly before taking a sip from her water bottle. "I definitely can see the appeal. Sometimes, you just want to turn your brain off from the day. I'm sure that's definitely how she felt dealing with emergencies every day. I'm so grateful to the people who that is their calling because I could never do it. Holding someone's life if you hands sounds terrifying." she sighed softly.
She shrugged and nodded. "I suppose it is something to do, right? I feel like I need a hobby of some sort that's not baking or the cafe or thinking about baking or the cafe. Maybe I should take up crocheting or something. I could make you a scarf for the winter." she grinned over to him teasing.
"I'm not a big fan of citrus, but melons? I think that would be interesting. Aside from the freshness, I like their sweetness. Definitely a flavour that I would want to try," JJ agreed with a nod of his head, grinning when she informed him that she would be bringing it back. He could not help the laugh that escaped his lips when she reminded him how he cleared her out of those for more than a few mornings. "I'm almost certain that I had one for breakfast and one for lunch whenever I was working a shift at the hospital." And sometimes, he would even stop by on his day off to pick up a muffin to go. "But how could I not, through? They're very delicious and very filling. The right kind of carbs to keep you going when you're on your feet for twelve hours at a time."
"Definitely a win-win," he agreed, returning her smile. "Yeah, I've been doing this thing where I practice what I preach. I can't tell my patients to eat their vegetables and get lots of exercise if I don't do the same. Plus, I'm only ordering the bran muffin today because you haven't brought back the cornbread muffins yet," he pointed out, chuckling softly. "I was hoping for some solo time, but I wouldn't mind some company." JJ accepted the plate from her and glanced around the cafe. "If you're not too busy."
"Alright, well you can be my taste tester for the melon flavored treats I have in mind." Taryn said with a grin. "You think you had only two a day? I'd venture a bit closer to three muffins a day, but maybe I'm being biased." she chuckled. "I'm glad I'm on the right side of a doctor's diet honestly. I may need you to sign off on them so I can put a little note in the display that they are healthy and doctor approved." Taryn always made her sweets with fresh ingredients and she tried to have them be as clean as possible. She knew that healthy and happy customers would come back and give her more business.
"A true example of a model doctor. Merrock is very lucky to have you." she smiled before rolling her eyes as he mentioned the corn muffins again. "Alright, just for you. I'll fast track the muffins. They'll be in the displays by next week. I promise." she grinned holding up her hand in promise. Her eyes scanned the cafe with him and nodded. "I'm pretty sure this is a good time. She signaled to one of her staff as they quickly came over and she took off her apron hanging it up on the hook behind the counter before going around and joining JJ at a table. "You've got me for at least an hour. That's when our second rush will come through." she explained, sitting down with a sigh. It did feel good to be off her feet for a little while. "So what else is going on in the life of Dr. JJ?"
ఇ "Check that out." A small stand (or maybe it's set up out of the trunk of someone's car) sells sparklers and small fireworks. Pan's intention? Clear. They flick their tongue against their lower lip, already planning on joining in with the fireworks about to be set off. "Best idea I've had tonight, right? They sell 'em in Fourth and leftover Pride colors too. I'd just be doing my part." Part of what? Now they have no plans to actually let it go bad but ... fireworks can be unpredictable. It's why they like them so much. (There are duds and small non-fire hazards being sold too, but those don't interest them.) And super cheap!
Taryn turned as Pan called for her attention and shook her head with a smile. Of course they would find the most dangerous, crazy stand in the entire carnival. They took off before she could catch up and she huffed next to him as he seemed to stare at awe at all of the selection. "Pan...I know this looks really shiny and fun, but this is definitely not legit. This car is being held up by cinderblocks, not wheels. Look, I'll let you take me on all of the crazy rides if we do not engage with this booth." she said, shifting her eyes to the owner before looking back at them. "Pinky promise." she said holding out her pinky to them.
Sam raised his eyebrows when he saw Taryn grinning, wondering what she had brought before letting out a grin himself. "No way. Thanks. I will definitely enjoy them," he said then let out a shrug. "We'll see. Trying to secure the days off so I can actually enjoy the trip is a challenge. And yeah, or at least that's what they told me. I would bet against it myself but it's Merrock in the summer. They might just stay long enough until the temperature starts dropping," he laughed. Even when they went to South Korea for a visit, his parents would try not to go in the winter unless it was absolutely necessary.
"That's the difference between you and me, and why I might just succeed in saying 'no'. I only have one pair of eyes and cute begging face looking back at me instead of three." Which was already bad enough. The amount times Cosmo gave him that look to get what he wanted before he even realized he was giving in was way too much, and the dog was only three years old. "No, I agree. The past few years, I finally resorted to just having a backpack whenever I have to travel, which most of the time it's either just to visit my sister or the relatives, so it kind worked out. Less stuff for me to unpack. Cosmo's stuff got unpacked way faster than my own, weird enough," he laughed again. Weird, but somehow it just wasn't too surprising. He then let out a chuckle as he gave a nod, could see the benefit of having that strategy. "I mean, who could say no to the smell of coffee and pastries, right?"
"Parenting olympics," he repeated in a low voice, for the sole reason of how both amusing and terifying it was if there was actually such a thing. "Not sure if that's the kind of olympic I want to witness," he then added with a chuckle. "Got it. I'm already used to being on stand by anyway," he grinned then rolled his eyes when she teased him about him working while she was on vacation before letting out a chuckle. "Hey. I don't just work. I also do...well...a bunch of other stuff," he laughed then shrugged. "I'm trying to get the second room ready for my parents. That's...not work."
Taryn smiled and nodded her welcome after he thanked her. "Something tells me you have plenty of time to take off and go on a trip, Sam. You know the firehouse and ambulance won't disappear if you're not there for a week, right?" she teased. She knew that getting a break for Sam was much harder than scheduling one for herself, but she also knew that he more than deserved it. "Hmmm, so they just always want to be in the warmth. I get that. The cold is only fun in the beginning." she nodded.
She chuckled and nodded. "That is very fair. It's very hard to say no to three sets of puppy dog eyes." Taryn always found it hard to not give into puppy dog eyes so she was screwed from the start. "Yeah, see, I have way too many clothes for that. And shoes come to think of it. Only having a backpack is definitely something Si..." she started before shaking her head. "Maybe it's a man thing." she grinned softly before drinking from her water bottle. "Well, the dogs' stuff is always more important than our own. Maybe because they can't unpack things for themselves is the reason their stuff always gets unpacked first."
"Definitely not, but could be interesting. I probably would just watch it for the plot." she grinned softly. "Thank you, Sam." she said as she gave him a genuine smile. Her smile grew as he tried to prove to her that he didn't just work all the time, but it was proving difficult. "You haven't told me anything you've done for fun. I'm not sure you getting the second room ready would pass the fun vibe check. There has to be other things you do...right?"
"I'd hope so! I'm kind of cautiously optimistic about it all. But still- it's nice to see the turnout this had," Kennedy gave a bright smile despite. She knew it was a small step in the grand scheme of things at the beginning of the event's planning. But for now, she'd take it all in, the work the committee put in the past few months. "Truly, that would be so sweet of you, and I'd never pass up pastries from Cobblestone," she let out a small laugh, knowing her sweet tooth was insatiable. At Taryn's suggestion, Kennedy's eyes lit up. "I'd love to see whatever type of bouquet you make. And I can definitely see it fitting to have some bouquets for the cafe! The ambiance is already stellar, but just as a little something extra. And I'm sure my clients would love baked goods during their meetings, since I already try to sweeten the deal with them, it'd be fitting if they were yours."
"Yeah, I think being here and seeing everyone really doing their parts has made me more hopeful about things." Taryn replied with a smile. She was usually a pretty positive person, but she did worry about the cafe if a resort was built. "Consider it done." she nodded as they continued to walk. She smiled as Kennedy agreed to her deal. "Alright, I'll start making platters for you next week and if you could work on some spring/summer bouquets for the cafe that would be amazing!" Taryn was glad that they could help each other out. That's what small businesses did after all. "So has anything particularly caught your eye?"
"Only if you eat some of these cookies, too," she said, nudging her own plate forward so that Taryn knew that she could take anything that she wanted. Ashleigh as big on that community spirit as it was, but moving to Merrock, seeing how much the people in this small town cared for each other, it brought it out in her even more, she was happy to say. "It's really hard to decide what to eat, I feel like that's a big lesson I'm learning about all of the events that this town throws. Yeah, they're for a good cause, and that's great, but… holy food."
"Oh, I bet! You're a bit like me, being from Texas, you need that warm weather to make things feel a little bit like home," except for Ashleigh, the beach was new, and she was excited about the opportunity to check that out, see what fun she could get into, there. "I'm so glad, you know I'll be stopping in a lot to check out everything on the summer menu, I pretty much have to try everything at least once," because how else would you find out if you liked something? "A little! I feel like I don't get lost as much?"
"I don't mind if I do." Taryn grinned as she took a couple of cookies off of Ashleigh's plate. She took a bite of one and smiled. "Wow, this is...wow." she said with a full mouth before finishing chewing. They were really good cookies. She took a sip of water from her water bottle as she listened to Ashleigh speak about food choices. "Oh I know! That's the crazy thing about events here. There are always so many choices and just not enough time or stomach space to try everything. A travesty truly." she grinned. "Honestly, I settled on the barbeque because I flipped a coin between that truck and the pizza truck across from it. They had a great Margharita pizza that looked like perfection."
Taryn chuckled and nodded. "Oh yes, it does feel a bit like home when it's warm here, but still, here has a different warm than Cali. It's more dense I feel, but I'll take it over the winter time. The snow can really be a lot here." Taryn had learned that several times over since she had moved to Merrock. It was great to watch, but it sucked when you had to shovel it or drive in it. "Please do! I need to know everyone's thoughts so I can gauge what are my best sellers and keep them on the menu throughout the year. They kind of change every year so I'm always interested in what people enjoy." She smiled as Ashleigh said she was getting more used to the town. "That's great! I know that's how I felt after six months. I liked finally knowing my way around and the places I liked. Do you have any favorite places so far?"
Xander nodded. "I always wanted to be a director when I was younger," he admitted. "I think it was a little... I don't know, head in the clouds of me." There was no think about it, there's no way he could have done something like that, he struggled to speak to people half of the time.
Taking the book back, a small smile crossed his features, and then he tucked it under his arm. "There's definitely a lot of interest in them, along with fantasy stuff in general, I suppose. I'm hoping that never changes," he said with a soft laugh. "Your mom was in Star Trek?" His brows lifted at that, mouth almost agape at this random piece of information. "That's amazing." A pause. "But yes, Romulans."
Taryn nodded and took a moment to think about what Xander had said. "I mean, but you could have an assistant to talk to people for you. I've seen some directors do that. However, I get how that can be uncomfortable." Taryn had been around a few directors as a child when her mom decided to bring her on set. Usually, when her costars asked about her daughter. Directors came in all different kinds.
"It seems to be a trend that's been holding on for several years so I think you and your comic will be more than okay." Taryn smiled. She watched his face change and nodded at his question. This did tend to happen when she spoke a little about her mom. "Right. Yes, she was that. I think it's one of the more common roles she's known for." she shrugged softly.
“Well, thank you. That’s a major compliment,” Oliver chuckled. “The kids in my class think it is funny for some reason,” he said, scratching his head slightly. “But preteens tend to think either everything is funny or everything is unfunny, so I’m taking it as a good thing!” he laughed softly. “Oh, that’s a good question… well? Both have their ups and downs. I’ve grown quite fond of teaching because talking to the kids and hearing them express themselves about different books always excites me. As does reading what they have to say,” he smiled.
Oliver nodded. He understood that feeling very well. Going home was a way to come back fresh. He enjoyed those small things in life too, and revisiting his favorite spots. “That’s good! I love that. Whenever I go home, I make sure to meet up with at least a couple of my close friends and we find ourselves in our old favorite places. Everyone has moved away so it’s lovely to revisit.” He chuckled. “Well, you lead a great team.”
Taryn smiled and nodded at his thank you. "Look, when I get a smile or a snicker from a preteen in the cafe, I feel like my day is made." she chuckled softly. "I completely understand what you're saying about then. Awww, that's so sweet. I can see that being a definite plus to teaching. I give you all the credit though because I couldn't do it." She liked interacting with the kids at the cafe, but she couldn't do it all the time.
"Do you go home often?" Taryn asked as she took a sip of her drink. She couldn't help but smile. "I really do. I'm very lucky to have the team that I have. How are you enjoying everything?"
Naomi did have a bad habit of snacking when time permitted. She had enjoyed being able to keep busy and stay hydrated. “One of my man’s duties for the day is to make sure the customers get the baked goods and not us.” She joked. Though, she was serious and appreciated the help. “Nachos? I can go for some nachos or even bbq.” Finger food was truly the best and quick to devour. “It’s been really great. Sold out of chocolate chip cookies already but still have plenty. What about over here?”
Taryn chuckled and shook her head. "I'm glad that he's fulfilling his duties then. I have to be honest. The nachos have been calling my name since I smelled the amazing melted cheese coming from the truck. I also saw them cutting fresh jalepenos when I walked by so I need them on my nachos asap." she grinned as she came around the booth and joined Naomi. Her eyebrows rose and she clapped for her friend. "Good job you! Please save me one of those delicious chocolate chip cookies!" She glanced back at her booth before looking back at Naomi. "It's going really well actually. The pastel donuts and fruity drinks has been a huge hit so I may have to add that to permanent menu."
Rather than the Vibrations party, Nadine gravitated toward the Pride event in the park. It was much more her speed, able to pursue at her leisure, taking in the outfits and the different booths. She'd brought Seymour that day, the beagle sporting his own pride bandana over his collar as she stopped to eye the cotton candy in cones. The colorful candy called to her as she turned her head at the other with a smile. "I think I'm leaning toward the blueberry, grape, and strawberry one," she pointed to the one reminiscent of one of the pride flags. "Though pretty sure no matter what you choose, it'll be good."
Taryn craned her neck slightly to see the cotton candy the other woman was referring to and hummed. "That does look good." she nodded. "I think I'm going to get the one with all the colors mixed together. I like the colorful rainbow." she nodded before seeing her dog. "Oh my goodness! You have an adorable dog! I love their bandana! I just put rainbow collars on my three because they can't stand when I put decorations on them." she chuckled with a roll of her eyes. "Are they friendly and can I pet them?" she said as she bent down to get on the dog's level.
Joella had made the decision to walk in sky-high heels into Vibrations that night. She had been used to it because of work, but for a party... That was a decision. It also meant that she'd be a bit more clumsy when walking, and that pulled some attention onto her. Maybe it was the excitement of the evening. Or the steady flow of drinks. She was used to being in the spotlight, and she loved attention. So did it matter too much when most of the town had been drinking the night away?
And there she was, walking right into a table. "Hey, girl!" she called out, adjusting her outfit with one hand, drink in the other. "How's it going?" she asked, nodding and pointing at the empty stool next to Taryn. "Sorry about that, boo. I'll buy you another one! Anyway, cheers!" she giggled. "I'm good, you know, just working. Singing my heart out and trying not to trip over myself. How about you, what's new with you, girlfriend?"
"Hey..." Taryn said with a soft chuckle. "It's going pretty well. I avoided my drink being spilled on me so that's a plus." she grinned. She could tell that Joella was very much in fun mode and she was happy for her. "Oh...you don't have to. I still have to drive home so maybe this was the universe's way of telling me I didn't need anymore to drink." she said with a soft shrug. "I'm good. Just trying to get out more and be more present. I'm always working and I'm trying to change that. I figured this party was a good start." she smiled, taking a sip of her drink. "Wait, are you working right now? Like this party?"
Grinning when Taryn turned towards her, Ashleigh couldn't help a little excitement at seeing a familiar face. Everything in Merrock was still kind of new to her, even if she found herself getting around town a little more easily, getting lost left often... and making friends, too, which always warmed her heart. Taryn being one of them, of course. "I think I can forgive you for this grievous sin if you share with me," she laughed, dropping down on the blanket next to her, pointing towards the food. "What's good, watcha got? I've got some cookies with rainbow candies in them, I swear, they're like a drug."
At the question of how she had been, she brightened a bit, "pretty good, actually! I've been looking forward to the warm months since I moved here, and Spring Fling and Pride Weekend are proving me right for hoping that it would be a good time of year. How about you? How's the Cafe doing?"
"I'm always willing to share." Taryn smiled as she offered Ashleigh her plate of food. "I got barbeque chicken and fries right now and I will be getting some yummy cupcakes later." she told her pointing in the direction of a booth with rainbow cupcakes. Her eyebrows rose as Ashleigh mentioned the cookies she had. "Well, it looks like I'll be making a detour at that booth as well. You can never have too many sweets."
She hummed and nodded as the other woman said she was doing well. "I understand that. It's finally feeling like how it feel back home in Cali and I do love that. And I love all the things we can go do around town this time of year too." she nodded. "Everything's good! The Cobblestone is doing well. I just started the summer menu and it seems to be keeping the town happy. The dogs are good so that means I'm good too. How about you though? Have you gotten more used to living in Merrock?"
