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[ediewelscr]

"Must be nice," Edie mused quietly. After her childhood and and utterly failed attempt at playing housewife in her later years 'sanctuary' and 'home' were two words she'd yet to associate together and likely never would.

In her experience, home was merely a place conversation and connection went to die.

Unless she lived alone. When she lived alone, nothing for company but her own thoughts, it was almost worse.

Hence her near desperate need to fill her free time with anything, literally anything, that kept her too busy to sit around, tally up her regrets, and reminisce.

The trials she only had herself to blame for were not of importance right now, though. Edie's eyes simmered with interest and warmth, woes at least for now forgotten, at that bit of information. "Really?" Now that she considered the woman beside her through a new lens it kind of made sense. She had a certain air about her that whispered of success.

"Anywhere I might've been?" | @lorelai-tseng

"Ah, I see. If you insist." Lorelai said with a smirk as she had no idea what exactly the woman was capable of or not. She certainly looked like a beautiful woman, but sometimes the most beautiful of women were the most broken. So there was no real way to know, especially since after the first question that had started this discussion had been one about perception.

She nodded as the woman gave more information about herself, then gave a small shrug of her shoulder at the explanation. "I find myself not having many dinner parties at my home either and I've been here for nearly a year and a half now. But then again, I tend to enjoy going out somewhere than spending time in my home. That's more of a sanctuary for me." She enjoyed her privacy in her house, only letting certain people cross that barrier and certainly less of them more than a handful of times.

Lorelai smiled at the question and gave a nod. "I don't do it often, but yes, I quite enjoy it. I love food quite a lot. In fact so much that I own a large amount of restaurants." She shared shamelessly as there was certainly no reason not to bring it up when food was being spoken about. @ediewelscr

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"You mean you don't look at someone tall, dark, and delicious across a room and wonder what they'd be into between the sheets?" Another smirk dangled off the edge of her mouth, leading up to a quiet chuckle and a teasingly whispered, "Must just be a me thing."

Edie was a notorious people watcher who never quite learned how to observe without assigning stories and preferences to the lives she imagined they lived. She'd blame the habit on her profession but, at thirty-five years old, she was beginning to think that little quirk was all her.

Another, louder, laugh rolled in her throat before the other woman could answer, though.

"Guilty as charged." And while she wasn't complaining about the basket she claimed it wasn't necessarily her top choice. "Honestly, I had my heart set on the day with the wolves, but I guess the universe realized it was either this or a half-assed attempt at Tinder and decided to intervene."

All jokes aside, she was maybe, probably, right.

Still laughing low under her breath, Edie plucked the whip from its pegs. Was she ever going to use it? Didn't matter. If nothing else it'd be a riot to leave it laying around and see the reaction on whoever's face if her 'luck in love' changed.

"Nice to meet you, Rachel." Unusual circumstances and all. "I'm Meredith, but everyone just calls me Edie." Attention swayed, she rooted around in her pocket until the coupon revealed itself. "Why don't you take this? Now that I know you were my competition, we can share in the spoils of my prize." | @rachelhargrove

Rachel laughed a bit at the way the other woman's face contorted in response to the mention of cherry. She watched the moment of hesitation and she gave a small shrug at her words. "I mean I don't know you and figure it's fair not to assume about what people do and don't do during sex." Though she was sidetracked letting out a soft gasp when the other brunette shared that she won the basket. "You won?! Jealous. I put my name up for it too. I had this whole bit going with my friend about what we were going to get if we won." She realized that probably made her sound a bit immature. "I mean hey if you don't know what to get, you could always pay it forward and give specific instructions to the cashiers about who they should dole the cash out to." Rachel teased as obviously it was for the woman to do whatever she wanted with it.

Her eyes went towards where she was nodding at and laughed a bit at her commentary. "I absolutely think you should try it. I think there is a height requirement in my head for how tall you must be to hold that title and the rule only is prescribed to me, of course." She laughed as she was sharing her own bit of honesty considering she had been given more information.

"I'm Rachel, by the way." She felt like maybe they'd skipped a few steps here, but it was a little hard not to when you find yourself talking to a stranger in a sex shop. @ediewelscr

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Edie hummed some soft sound of agreement in lieu of an actual answer. Even if she tried she wasn't sure she'd be able to get an intelligible sentence out. Being a writer didn't make her any more equipped to sum up or make sense of the position she'd found herself in.

That they'd found themselves in, together yet apart.

Her lips wrapped around her teeth, rubbing against each other, while she flicked through pieces of popcorn in the small bucket on her lap. Eventually, she murmured, "I guess it's more like I know the ending but not how to get there. And whatever I come up with doesn't lead to the ending I want."

But was she speaking about the next book she'd tirelessly tried and failed to write, or was she talking about her life?

Maybe both.

Either way, Edie scoffed a near silent laugh at his deduction. Then she shook her head. "No. I wouldn't exactly say I've been enjoying it."

A litany of emotions went to war in her head while she sat there staring blankly through the windshield, but above all else, worse than all else, was the guilt. She felt like shit for lying to Max about her 'endeavors' since moving to Colorado. Wasn't sure why she even implied it other than the fact that hearing about his situationship sent pangs of agony and envy through her chest.

Edie missed Portland. She missed being stupid in thinking that there was any other alternative to the reckless game they played. At least when she was stupid she was happy.

Now she knew better, knew the way she'd kept herself stuck between a dead marriage and Max wasn't sustainable, but it fucking hurt.

These days what didn't?

Her eyes darted over to where he sat, the attempt at a smile slung across her lips. "You should know by now that I never learned how to share well. You'll have to say pretty, pretty please."

But, with another soundless laugh that was more huff of air than anything with substance, she canted her stash in his direction for the taking.

She didn't want to discuss any love life of his that didn't include her in it (she wasn't that much of a masochist), but after a few more seconds of wavering indecision she swallowed a sigh.

"Why can't you give her what she wants?" It was a gentle question, maybe even a rhetorical one at that. "You deserve to be happy, Max." Whatever that looked like, whoever it might be with. | @max-cortez

She wasn't the kind of woman that someone got over. A year and a half wasn't long enough to wash away the memories that stained every living part of him. Days had turned into weeks and weeks had turned into months, but even after all of that time between them, it did little to change how her mere presence made fire dance in his chest and chills prickle on his skin.

The spring's warmth was no match for Meredith Welser. Nothing was.

"Just feels like you have no goddamn clue where you're supposed to go next? Like no matter what choice you make, you're still going to hit a dead end?" A barely-there hum of amusement rolled off his tongue. He'd felt stuck on an endless track for a year and a half, every exit leading him back onto the same path in the end.

His leaving should have allowed her freedom, should have given her the room she'd needed and yet, it felt like his selfless move had caused more damage than good. "I don't know what I'm talking about. You're the writer," he added, a lighter tone coating his voice as he allowed himself to look her way for a few short moments.

Long enough to see the sun kissing her skin and illuminating her hazel hues.

Too long.

A nervous laugh rumbled from the pit of his stomach. She knew the deal. She'd heard it once before, but she was living proof that rules were meant to be broken. "Didn't work out so well for us, huh?" Two years. They'd spent two years lying to one another and to everyone else around them.

Two years. He'd walked away from two years of getting to know the woman at his side. Marriage be damned, what they'd shared, it mattered. Even if his walking away had said otherwise.

Jaw clenched tight, a bitter laugh choked down. She was single now, marriage free and if she wanted, the world was hers for the taking. "Enjoying that single life," he exhaled smoothly, surprised that the words hadn't gotten tangled in his throat.

Nervous waves crashed into him and his heart pounded wildly. "I can't give her what she wants. She deserved to know that." Rachel was good. Too good, really. In another world, she would have mended every broken piece of him.

In this one? He wasn't sure that was possible.

"You think you could share those or do I have to ask nicely?"

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"If squeezing in last minute customers and sticking around way past closing time is what you consider routine you deserve a god damn raise." A corner of her mouth pitched higher. "I don't care how much you're already making."

In Edie's eyes, there was a massive difference between 'just doing his job' and going out of his way to make sure she could get home safe.

"If you're really opposed I won't push it," she announced while settling in opposite Boyd, "but just so you know it wasn't a totally selfless offer." Her smile effortlessly morphed into a smirk. "Pretty sure I cut someone off for the last parking space in the free lot and now I need to top up my karma points. Otherwise I might walk out to slashed tires and have to inconvenience you twice." | @boyd-connors

Boyd looked up from his book (The Parenting Journey: Raising Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children by Karen Putz) as he heard someone address him. With the words 'I wanna be annoyed' the very first out of her mouth, he assumed for a moment he was about to get yelled at — an experience that was not nearly as unfamiliar as he would've liked. But as her face broke out in a grin, he realized he was in the clear, and without the panic coursing through his veins, he placed her quickly as the customer the other night who he'd squeezed in last minute. Meredith, if he remembered correctly from her paperwork...

"Hey," he said, with a friendly smile, bookmarking his page and setting his book aside. "Please, feel free to join. The free meal's not necessary, though. I was just doing my job." Just doing my job — was there ever a more cliched phrase? But stubborn pride never allowed him to take handouts whenever possible, so he'd use it just this once.

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"A little bit of everything, to be honest." A paperback script for A Streetcar Named Desire was tucked beneath a nonfiction tome on the Scottish Highlands. Classic poetry nestled between tales of espionage, like The Honourable Schoolboy, and contemporary fiction by Jardine Libaire.

Expelling a small huff at her hoard, Edie commented, "I tend to hop all over the place when I'm working—" or attempting to write, as was the case— "but the spicy romance novels are purely for me."

Her mouth took on an impish tilt— devouring trashy romances were a pleasure for which she felt zero guilt— but the expression vanished almost as soon as it formed.

Edie's mouth opened then promptly shut. "Congratulations?" She hedged uncertainly after a solid pause. She understood precisely what it was like to live in radio silence with a spouse - better than Ver might think - but this did not sound like the same thing.

"Unless we're not happy about this?" Were they not happy about this?

It didn't sound like they were happy about this, and it wasn't lost on her that she didn't actually know much (or anything) about Ver's life.

"Why, uh, why haven't you two spoken in the last week?" | @verdadurmaz

Smile widened even before the woman's compliment filled the air between them. "If we're talking about pretty. Look at you." She'd taken time with getting ready, if only because she still had an impression to make. Meeting under the rouse of a party was one thing, but a casual meet up for breakfast? Another challenge entirely.

"Sounds like you're borrowing enough books for the two of us? So, best friend, what is it that you're reading? Fear not, I'm parked out front, so if you need a ride back to your place, I'd be more than happy to spare you the workout."

If only she had more time to herself, she would have loved to pick up a book. If it meant getting lost in another world while forgetting about her own, maybe she'd have to make time after all.

Verda shot a nod of agreement in the other's direction, her cheeks flushing a barely-there red as she thought about the question and opted for honesty. "I ended up doing a thing. I married my ex-girlfriend and now we haven't talked in a week. What about you? Tell me something so I don't feel so crazy."

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She should've known she couldn't pull one over on Max. Still, Edie turned to him from her seat with a wide, innocent and unblinking stare. Around the next palmful of indulgent treat she insisted, "Surely I don't know what you're talking about."

And, for once, the lie that spilled over her lips made her stomach tense with the promise of laughter rather than roil with guilt.

The cadence of her throaty, snack muffled chuckles competed for dominance over the audio coming in through the car speakers, but it was only a moment before her mirth petered off to a quiet sigh.

"Honestly, I've been stuck for awhile now." A year and a half, to be exact. "I thought I knew what direction I was headed but I was wrong and now it's just..." Her shoulders slid against the seat in a tiny, listless shrug. And when it came to his suggestion of help she remained just as silent as that unfinished thought.

He'd already inspired her plenty— just not in any ways she'd ever publicly use. Or, for that matter, confess to.

Even if she wanted to she would've lost the chance.

At his confession some of the newest Milk Duds spilled from her fingers, forever lost to the shadow soaked floorboard of the car.

'I've been spending time with someone...'

She knew what that meant, and a flare of envy felt like a swift shot of battery acid in her veins.

Thus far she'd done a pretty decent job at pretending like something inside of her hadn't shattered with his departure. On nights like this she could almost imagine whatever it was wasn't still shattered to this day.

Hearing Max confirm he'd moved on in whatever capacity was all the reminder Edie needed, though, that sometimes, and especially in this case, tales of star-crossed and vow bound lovers didn't always see the main characters together in the end.

Sometimes, what-ifs, regrets, and unjustifiable jealousy were all that was left.

She shoved the remainder of candy and popcorn into her mouth. For some reason, the beloved combo tasted foul on her tongue and went down about as easily as razorblades.

One second turned into two. Two turned into four. Eventually she cleared her throat but not once did her eyes stray past the windshield. "Lemme guess— She wants a full fledged relationship, you just wanna keep it casual, no-strings attached?"

Even though her lips pressed tightly to a cheeky, off kilter smile, and even though she tacked on another laugh, when she teasingly murmured, "I've heard that before, too," even to her the joke fell a bit flat.

After all, no-strings is exactly how they started off and look how well that went according to plan.

"I'm not surprised, though. This place definitely doesn't suffer from lack of choice."

A reed thin breath inhaled through her nose. Even though it was undoubtedly petty, she tossed out, "I've hung out with a few people since coming to town, too, but, you know—" another fist of chocolate went down the hatch— "nothing serious."

That time the lie left her feeling nothing but numb. | @max-cortez

The kind of comfort he found in the woman's company was unmatched. She knew things about him that the devil himself couldn't accept, but the glimmer in her hazel hues never faded between untimed gazes. If she thought any less of him, he had yet to figure it out. "Right. I've heard that before."

A crooked smile pinched at the corner of his mouth, his tone smooth, every word like honey off his tongue. Despite the cool breeze that snuck in through the cracked windows, a warmth had settled over him in the driver's seat of the car that didn't even belong to him. Fingers tapped against the steering wheel quietly, his attention split between the flickering images on the large screen and the woman at his side.

Mouth parted and brows lifted as a low laugh came from the pit of his stomach. He'd heard that before too. "Well? Any idea what you're going to do? I could pitch a few ideas your way. I won't even ask for credit."

There was nothing like real life inspiration, right? Gaze shifted back to the screen before them, a breath hitched in his throat at the thought. What was their story? Two lovers meet again, one unbound from her commitment, the other stumbling through life avoiding it altogether.

Her voice was enough to force the breath into his lungs, the silent drumming against the steering wheel coming to a stop. He didn't have to look at her to notice the dip in her tone, the same dip that was often accompanied in a look he'd missed. "Well, if you really want to know," he trailed off, holding the screen's view a few seconds longer before he turned his attention towards her.

Despite expecting that smirk, it still caused something to jar in his chest. "I'm been focused on work. I've been spending time with someone, but I made it clear that I can't give her what she wants." Whether Edie knew that was because of her or not, he wasn't going to clarify.

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A huff of abrupt and unexpected laughter escaped through Edie's lips. "Even if I started to burn the entire kitchen down I'm fairly confident I could play it off as if I'd meant to embrace the flames."

If there was on lesson she could credit to her otherwise self-involved parents, it was how to appear as if everything was fine, even when it wasn't.

Especially when it wasn't.

In thirty-five years she'd only met a handful of people capable of dragging a reaction out of her unbidden, and of those few only one resided in Providence Peak.

So, unless Max suddenly decided to offer himself up as her sous chef, Edie was pretty sure she could get through the evening unruffled on all accounts.

Her ex-whatever's ability to coax stubborn truths out of her was neither here nor there, though. "I'm newer to town so I doubt I'll be hosting any dinner parties anytime soon, but even a meal for myself, you know?"

Curious, she cut her another glance. "Do you like to cook?" | @lorelai-tseng

Lorelai knew she was right, but it was good that the woman knew that she should admit this early rather than try to argue what she said not being true. She was just also very much aware that people were wrapped up in their own questions of what exactly others thought of them. Although it did seem like the woman was a bit more adamant on the fact that it wasn't that she cared all that much. "Ah, I see. Well considering I've done the same thing plenty of times. I just would think of it has independency unless you looked a nervous wreck the whole time." The last part was just a simple jest, considering trying something new even with fear showed a certain type of bravery that Lorelai admired. It'd been how she met some of her friends that she quite enjoyed. She let out a small laugh at the comment about not being a Michelin star chef, having employed plenty of them and finding herself quite enamored with one that was not in her employment. "Yes well it's sometimes nice to take them just to know how to make a good meal or to do something to fill the boredom, like you said. I think you should be fine. I don't believe they'll be expecting perfection." @ediewelscr

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"This very one," Edie confirmed with the slash of a wide grin. Despite the cheeky glint in her eyes she wasn't joking, either. "What can I say? I'm a creature of habit."

Not to mention someone who collected little rituals like people used to collect Pokémon cards.

Every Thursday she somehow found her way back in this bar, in these seats, staring down the blank screen of her laptop or the pages of a book like she could spark inspiration through sheer will alone. It hadn't happened yet (not even a little bit) but she kept with it on the off chance that next week, or the week after, it would.

Tonight, though, she'd put aside tradition in lieu of time spent with company beyond the stubbornly elusive thoughts in her head.

"I think I've spent my life more in trouble than out of it." Her mouth twisted to something more along of smirk then. "I'd probably better off if I was an aging author from the sixties, only suffering from the aftermath of absinthe for awhile."

But, time travel and body transplants better suited to sci-fi novels than a weekday night, she racked her brain for a few suggestions. "If you like champagne I'd go for a French 75. Or you could go for a Clover Club or The Last Word."

Pausing, she amended, "Unless you don't like gin. In that case absolutely ignore all three." | @laincylees

Thick pages of stock in white offset, and the dim ink upon it that were strung in a plentitude of sentences and words were not a befitting companion for the night as she herded the paperback forward in favour of the Tennessee Fizz ─ a cocktail that was as beguiling and trenchant as it's namesake's written word. Not her usual drink, especially since she embarked on a mission of bravery and try it with the egg white, but still made the room spin, only coming to a grinding halt when her attention was captured by another, Lainey's regard jolting upward to meet a routine gaze; it was not uncommon to see the other out and about, for she had inferred they resided in the same part of downtown, a flickered sighting on the corner of an active street or in the window of a coffee shoppe, but the confines of the university library that housed extensive knowledge was their only common setting thus far.

"This exact table? It's comfy, but I think I prefer the chairs at Holy Spirits." Laine joked, her head tilting forward to signal assent as she ran her fingers through raven locks. "And a book isn't doing it for you either? We must really be in trouble." Hitching one leg over the other, the rim of her cup hid her face as she peered at the writer, sometimes people just needed other people, someone to talk back. "If this is your second or third favourite spot, you must tell me what is good here for my next drink, anything with no egg whites, please. I am not an aged author from the sixties, smoking a cigar, and curing a hungover from absinthe."

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A wrinkle marred the delicate bridge of Edie's nose, there and gone again in an instant. "They should really think about offering free samples of these things." Her next chuckle fell softly from her lips while she slotted the box of cherry flavored panties back onto the shelf with an unspoken 'no thank you'.

Her fingertips hesitated in front of the strawberry, seeming uncertain whether to claim a box at all. "You'd think I'd be a pro at this by now," she was no stranger to a toy shop and not afraid to admit it, "but I won this basket that came with a coupon and for the life of me I can decide what to buy."

Her eyes trailed over to a hanging display tacked to the wall and then, with a playful waggle of dark brows, she used her chin to gesture toward a black leather whip. "Although I guess if I ever wanted the chance to channel my inner dominatrix it'd be now." | @rachelhargrove

Rachel had unfortunately not won the raffle like she'd been hoping for, mostly for the jokes that she'd been making about it. But, it didn't mean she was in need of a few things, which was definitely would have surprised her a year prior after having just recently been broken up with. She had sworn off intimacy and love and yet now she had thankfully thrown that mentality away in place of good sex and good company.

Her eyes were scanning over some of the new accessories, when the woman nearest her asked for her opinion. A little laugh left her lips unintentionally. "Well are you asking for myself or for a partner? Strawberry probably is the safe bet. A lot of cherry flavored products have a medicinal quality to them." She offered to the beautiful, long-legged woman as her smile grew a bit seeing her expression. @ediewelscr

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A noise of confirmation hummed on Edie's lips, but, before she could garner any unwarranted sympathy from the other woman, she assured her, "But only trouble of my own making."

When it came to her failure as a wife (and her former status of adulteress) she knew she had herself and herself alone to blame.

"I always set out with the best intentions, but..." The way she trailed off, typing up her unfinished thought with a shrug, said enough.

"For what it's worth, I don't think there's a right or a wrong answer to the question." It wasn't that deep or anything that sounded like a deal breaker. "But it's nice to get a glimpse inside of someone's head, you know? Especially if you're trying to find someone to spend your time with long term."

She toyed with the napkin in front of her for a moment before musing with a crooked smile, "Personally I think I'd pick jail. At least it might come with some fun stories." | @amaraobi

"Is it so bad because I would pick the coma, personally." A hand flattered against her chest as she dropped her shoulders. "I've thought about it so I could provide my own input. The sleep is a necessity for me, I'm not made for prison, and the other important thing for me was food which I think would be better in a coma because at least you don't have to taste it."

"Oh, you're having trouble as well, huh?" Amara didn't want to assume and then flinched at how she made it sound. "Sorry, it wasn't meant to come out that way." For all she knew, she could have been having trouble because she recently lost her partner or was getting divorced. /@ediewelscr

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"It doesn't help that, supposedly, different flowers have different meanings, either. With my luck, I'd end up picking something that promises doom and destruction to all who dare take a sniff."

An impish gleam flashed in her eyes, accompanied by the soft trill of laughter. Weeks ago she might've gone out of her way to purchase just that. Now, she was genuinely trying to play nice with her soon to be step mom. Mostly.

Focusing back on the task at hand Edie raked fingers through her messy dark waves. "I haven't thought of an official title for it yet—" was she even supposed to?— "but it's Gatsby themed." Her eyes flicked back to the other woman. "Does that make a difference?"

Wryly, she admitted, "Formal party planning isn't exactly my forte." | @dilanxbarak

Dilan was a regular at Misty Day's Flowers with wedding planning. Typically she did not come by herself but considering she was just looking for flowers for her own apartment, she didn't have any company tagging along. Her eyes were scanning along the flower arrangements and she was having trouble deciding which one she would want when a woman's voice sounded nearby. "Of course," she smiled at the woman, turning around to look at which arrangements she was looking at. "They do tend to look the same if you look long enough," she laughed softly, "is there any bridal shower theme?" @ediewelscr

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❝ at lucky joe's with @verdadurmaz —

“Jesus. I almost forgot how stupidly pretty you are.” She stopped behind the vacant chair at what was apparently their table, a leather satchel hanging heavy on her arm and a crooked grin breaking over her lips. Ver looked fantastic, even if it was barely noon and they were just meeting for breakfast. 

All teasing aside (no matter how true it might’ve been), she draped her bag over her seat and then plopped down herself with a sigh. “As my involuntary new best friend, remind me not to borrow an entire stack of books from the library when I’m taking in the town on foot.”

Screw bagels and subpar coffee. They should’ve gone for massages instead. 

While her fingers rubbed out a kink in her shoulder Edie settled in, still all smiles for Ver’s benefit. “I’m glad we could finally get together, though. What’ve you been up to since the party? Fill me in.”

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❝ at condom sense with @rachelhargrove —

Having already given the shop a quick tour she passed by a particular display for the second time, fingers skimming over several options of edible panties. Did she need something so partner-centric added to her arsenal? No. But she did have a 20% off coupon burning a hole in her pocket after winning a basket at the extravaganza.

These days the newest craze was manifestation and the power of positive thinking, anyway, right? Maybe the first step toward ending a monumental dry spell was pretending she wasn't in one in the first place.

And while most people probably tended to keep to themselves in a shop like Condom Sense, too embarrassed to be seen or judged for their purchases, Edie had no qualms about polling the room. "Are you team cherry or strawberry?" Her eyes flicked over to the nearest customer, an off kilter smile hinting at her lips.

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She was far more likely to people watch than focus on herself and her own problems, but, "Maybe you're right," Edie conceded with a chuckle. Far be it from her to claim any sort of expertise on the subject. She could only speak for herself. And while the other woman's take on the situation made sense she really didn't care.

"I'd call it more curiosity than anything." Assumptions about her be damned, she'd go for it if she wanted to. "I'm not usually influenced by opinions, but I'm always interested in how other people's thoughts differ from my own."

Lithe shoulders shrugged it off, though, while she focused more on the latter questions. Good questions that she didn't have a great answer for.

"Boredom, mostly." The edge of her mouth inched north. "I'm no Michelin star chef, but I can already cook well enough not to starve. I just need something to fill my downtime, you know? It felt like as good an option as anything else they're offering."

It took a moment for Lorelai to realize that the woman was addressing her and not her phone. Looking up from her own seat where she was scrolling through her phone, getting some e-mails sent in between bites. "I think that the other people are going to be far more concerned as to how they are going to conceived to care about how you are perceiving yourself, if I'm being honest." She didn't think the general person spent more time thinking about others especially strangers than they thought about themselves. "From the clarification that you don't care, makes me believe that perhaps that's not truly the case." Lorelai offered unsure if that would rub the woman the wrong way for calling it as she said it. "What exactly are you going to the cook class for? What would the purpose be for you?" She asked not expecting her to actually respond to that considering it was the woman's personal business. Which if it were Lorelai she wouldn't be parading it around. @ediewelscr

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❝ at the star view drive-in with @max-cortez—

"It's been... going." Slim fingers rummaged deeper into the box of Milk Duds on her lap. A few pieces joined the palmful of buttered popcorn Edie already had waiting on standby. Shoving an overkill amount of the sinfully delicious salty/sweet combo into her mouth wasn't the same thing as stalling, right?

Okay. Maybe it was.

But indulging herself on snacks was a necessary tactic when she needed time to think of a better answer that wasn't also an outright lie. An answer that wasn't as pathetic as the truth— Work had all but ceased because, ever since that night on her bathroom floor, she'd done more staring at a blank screen than any actual writing.

If she was going to admit that, though, she might as well admit the only thing she had produced was journal after journal of melancholy prose in his honor.

Whatever they were doing, whatever this was, Max didn't need to know that.

So Edie's shoulders lifted and fell against the passenger seat, aiming for a nonchalance she didn't wholly feel. "You could say I'm taking a bit of a break while I figure out what this next novel wants to be."

In other words: she was weeks behind schedule and had missed so many deadlines it was a wonder she hadn't been dropped.

"What about you?" Her eyes slid away from the windshield and the giant screen beyond, zeroing in on how the movie made a play of light against his profile. "Have you just been focusing on gigs at the shop," the thought of his secret pieces danced a phantom smirk across her lips, "or have you been otherwise inspired lately, too?"

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 ❝ at the book bar with @laincylees —

"I see you've found my second favorite spot in the whole city."

Or was it the third? Edie hadn't exactly waged a war between the places she'd grown to frequent since moving to Providence Peak but, somewhere alongside Holy Spirits and the local library, The Book Bar was definitely high on the list.

Maybe mixing a glass of wine and a new novel wasn't the jolt of inspiration she initially hoped it would be, but after months of unsuccessful drafts she assumed the fault was probably more her own than anything.

"Mind if I snag a seat with you?" Her bag slid halfway down her shoulder, waiting for the greenlight to stake its claim on the back of the nearest chair. On a quite laugh, she added, "Tonight I could really do with something that isn't my own company."

[ediewelscr]

❝ at the burger joint with @boyd-connors —

Edie's eyes narrowed on what she'd deemed 'her table' at the terminally greasy joint, for a moment uncertain, but— yep. The guy currently occupying the booth and the one who'd squeezed her car in last minute, at the last hour no less, were one and the same.

"I wanna be annoyed that you've already claimed the back corner spot with the best view of the room, but," all things considered, "I guess I can let it slide."

A crooked grin popped onto her lips. Then she wagered whether the empty seat opposite him meant he was alone or just waiting on a friend. "Do you mind some company? I figure the least I can do is pay for your food and a milkshake considering you all but saved my ass the other night."