milliecohen

[milliecohen]

"What a bunch of nerds," she lamented with a shake of her head. "In that case, I guess I can manage to whip something else up. I hope you don't mind having actual jack-o-lanterns. Rotting pumpkins, fire hazards, and all. Maybe you should think about investing in one of those giant skeletons." She was doing all she could to earn at least three drinks instead of the allotted two. "Now all you have to do is figure out a costume, and you better choose wisely. Got any ideas? Preferably something that you didn't buy last minute from Spirit Halloween."

"Y'know, I dig that idea. But the leaguers might take issue with it. Start saying the paint is messing with the traction or density of the equipment. They take their shit seriously. As they should, it's a serious sport. Other than that, we got the music figured out. Monster mash. Thriller," he counted each off with a finger, "Set those on a loop and we’re good. Maybe throw in the Ghostbusters theme every fifteen minutes so it doesn’t feel too repetitive. I’d say that’s worth at least two drinks on the house.”

[milliecohen]

It must be hard to stand out. Well, no shit. That's why she was stuck in her hometown and not where she actually belonged. But she knew he didn't mean it like that, so she let it slide. She hadn't expected him to be impressed or interested, especially since he was allegedly an architect. She was used to eye rolls and subtle judgment about her career choice.

The bar was relatively empty, so she took it upon herself to choose a place for them to sit right up at the bar. "Yeah, well, it's not that terrible if you're capable of boundaries. I think I'd annoy pretty much every person in my life if I just whipped out my phone to capture the moment instead of actually engaging. Some people can make it work and be successful, but it obviously also helps to be hot and have money."

Millie wasn't about to put him under a microscope. This was only meant to be a few drinks and some small talk. A way to make up for the awkward way she had completely disregarded him, but it had probably been in his best interest anyway. Was there any person who actually used dating apps solely for dating and forming a genuine relationship? I mean, from her first impression alone, Alex seemed like he might, but she had just been looking for a temporary escape.

Fortunately for her, she was quick to fill the few beats of silence in an effort to avoid making things any more uncomfortable than they already were. "So, you're an architect. That sounds fancy. Are we talking like Frank Lloyd Wright or just basic buildings?"

“I’m glad to hear you think I’m not a creep,” he replied with a laugh, a bit too eager to brush off the tension. As the elevator inched upward, Alex leaned against the wall and pretended to casually adjust his collar. She was quick and witty, and he couldn’t help but admire how easily she tossed those clever jabs his way. It made sense now why she had ghosted him, there was no way a guy like Alex could her attention.

“That sounds fun,” he replied, genuinely intrigued despite his lack of fashion knowledge. “Yeah, so many influencers out there, it must be hard to stand out,” he said, shaking his head. He remembered the time he had lunch with Dara and David when a few of their influencer friends visited. It was a bizarre experience, to say the least.

“I don’t know how those influencers do it. It's actually impressive because I could never share that much personal information on social media,” he continued, his voice laced with a mix of admiration and disbelief. “I mean, there’s something about posting every detail of your life that feels... I don’t know, like an open diary to the world."

The elevator dinged, and Alex stepped aside, gesturing for Millie to exit first. The rooftop bar was surprisingly empty, with only a few people engaged in quiet conversations. “Looks like we lucked out,” he turned to Millie with a grin, hoping this drink would lead to something more than awkward small talk.

[milliecohen]

"I don't know if you could afford my services," she playfully quipped. "But tell you what, throw in some free drinks and I'm your girl. Just as long as I get creative control, obviously. What do you think about painting the bowling balls to look jack-o-lanterns and the pins to look like candy corn?" Millie was only partially joking, seeing how much she could actually press her luck. "I'd also suggest a Halloween playlist, but I don't know anything other than the Monster Mash. So, you're on your own for that one."

"Gotcha. The shoes? Gone," Felipe made a slicing motion across his neck. "We'll worry about damaged floors later."

He leaned against the counter, arms crossed in front of him. All solid ideas she was coming up with. Executing them though? How many fake cobwebs would it take anyway? "Are you available for hire? On the decoration front at least. I'm not ready to commit to the legal troubles just yet."

[milliecohen]

Millie had spent most of her life in Asbury Park, and she could easily count the amount of times she had walked into Groovy Graveyard on one hand. It just wasn't her scene. But she needed a present for her brother, and this was exactly his kind of place. She had flipped through the records in the hopes of finding something — anything, really — but considering she had no idea what she was looking for, it was a lost cause. The only names that stuck out to her were the ones that were already known to just about every other person on the planet.

Not wanting to be accused of thoughtlessness, she approached the only worker she could find for some advice, but he seemed a bit distracted. She was all too familiar with sticking her nose where it didn't belong, so naturally, she leaned over the counter to glance at the sketchbook. "What are you drawing? Hope it's good because it'll be pretty permanent with that sharpie."

Who: Open Where: Groovy Graveyard When: Friday Afternoon

There was lull in traffic for the store for which Benji was terribly thankful. It wasn't that he disliked his job; quite the opposite, really. He got paid for listening to music all day. It was a pretty sweet gig, as far as he could tell. Sure, he had to talk to people occasionally, but it was mostly talking about music or movies or something so it wasn't as bad as it could be. The thing was, though he liked his job and tolerated talking to the customers, the job was much better when there weren't customers to tolerate talking to.

He changed the record that had been playing over the sound system and perched on his stool behind the counter. Sketchbook flipped open, he began absently doodling with a sharpie.

[milliecohen]

"No, of course not," Millie tried to dismiss her worries, unconvincingly, with a wave of her hand. "I mean, it's kinda hard to say that getting blackout drunk and waking up on the front lawn of a house you don't even recognize is the right way of doing it, you know? On the bright side, you've never had to deal with a hangover, and your liver is probably still doing what it's supposed to. I can even teach you some tricks, on the house." She leaned closer, as if she was about to share some trade secret. "For starters, it's always best to find the drunkest person in the place and tell them it's your first time drinking. That's how I once got someone to buy me drinks for an entire night. Just don't try to think about the ethics of it. Save that for the next day when you're sober."

She flagged down the bartender by obnoxiously raising her finger. "But baby steps," she agreed. "Next time, you should opt for a wine tasting instead. Best way to get drunk and feel classy at the same time."

Sadly, Chi fell under the “Would rather croak then break the rules” group back then, so the realization didn't kick until college. Even then, she just assumed it was because she needed time to adjust—which she's now learning is haunting her at 26 years old. Bummer. “Damn. Am I not…doing alcohol right? Is there an incorrect way to get into that?”

At the agreement to the shot, she grinned. “Yessss!” She drawed out. “Pinky promise, though. Judging is out the window. I'll probably plug my nose myself too, to be honest. One step at a time.”

[milliecohen]

"For decorations or in general? Because I have plenty of ideas of ways you could make this place better, starting with getting rid of those ugly ass bowling shoes." She was only half-joking, really, but when given the opportunity to share her opinion, Millie wasn't going to hold back. "You could actually do some cute event on Halloween, like midnight bowling or something, to get money from all the people who are too old to be trick-or-treating. Some blacklight, a fog machine, put some of those fake spiderwebs on literally every surface. Maybe some fun themed drinks because who doesn't love to get drunk and try to bowl? You might risk an injury lawsuit, but it'd be so worth it."

"Milky ways o nada."

Felipe didn't have the biggest sweet tooth except when it came to chocolate. And even then it had to be milky ways. That aside, she had a point. Perhaps the lanes could use with a little jazzing up. "Hey, we deck the halls around here good enough. Halloween though..." he gave a half-hearted shrug. He'd always been the type of person who stopped by spirit halloween and grabbed a random mask the day before. "I'll take any suggestions at this point. Got any?"

[milliecohen]

"This old thing? I thought about going all out, but I couldn't resist being a little sacrilegious, you know? I mean, the guy rose from the dead, so that's a zombie by definition. But I went with a more feminized version because I can't pull off a beard. Yours is good, too. What's going on with your forehead? Get screwed to death?"

Who: Open Where: Outside anywhere What: During the Zombie Walk

cj's zombie lewk "Hey! Ten. That's a motherfucking ten out of ten get up. It's an eleven! Danced for your life. All the judges turned their chair. You're goin' to LA...don't let anyone tell you otherwise, aight. Alright. Alright, alright, alright."

[milliecohen]

"What can I say? The only thing basic about me is my taste in music. I mean, brat summer was great until Lena Dunham decided to write an article about it. That pretty much killed the vibe. Not like I'm obsessed with it or anything. It's just something to listen to if I'm stuck in my car. A podcast would just put me to sleep," she clarified. "But if you ever need someone to teach you that HOTTOGO dance, I'm your girl."

"Wow, you are so Top 40 Radio," Sam said, teasing a little. "So what are you into? Brat summer? The Espresso girl?" His coworker wouldn't shut up about brat summer. He was just about over it.

[milliecohen]

The decoration — if it could even really be called such — was very blink-and-you'll-miss-it hidden. "I believe it. People take Halloween very seriously." Millie included, as it was her favorite holiday. She was the type to plan her costumes months in advance. "I even already bought a stash of Halloween candy as soon as I saw it hit the shelves. Not for trick-or-treaters yet or anything, just for me. But if you're nice, maybe I'll share," she teased with a grin. "And then, just wait. Because as soon as the clock strikes midnight, all those pumpkin jack-o-lanterns will turn into ethnically ambiguous nativity scenes."

who: open where: Asbury lanes, late evening

Felipe didn't hesitate to jump behind the bar if need be and tonight, with two call outs, there was a big need. Not that he minded, emergencies happen. Plus, he enjoyed talking it up with tourists and regulars alike. The busiest time of the night was over, which he did need help with but he promised Diana, who usually worked in the diner area, lunch would be on him next time.

Eventually, a lull in traffic offered a short break. Resting an elbow on the wooden surface, he leaned on the counter and spoke to the nearest patron sitting at the bar, “Can you believe someone criticized the fact that we haven’t decorated for Halloween around here yet?” He pointed a thumb toward the shelf displaying the alcohol selection behind him. Nestled between a Jim beam and Tito’s Vodka was a lone miniature pumpkin. “I mean, that’s gotta be enough, right?”

[milliecohen]

"Heard what?" she played along with a knowing smile. But she didn't press him any further, partially because she didn't want to make him too uncomfortable but mostly because she didn't want him to get the wrong idea. She had no intention of deeming this a date.

She actually wasn't even sure why she had invited him to get a drink. Maybe it was guilt or maybe desperation for some company besides her parents. Since being back in town, the dating pool was awfully shallow, and she had either lost touch with old friends or they had moved away. It didn't help that her only focus had been reviving her career and finally attaining her degree.

"Good to know," she noted with a smile. "For what it's worth, I didn't think you were being a creep or anything." With all that thick, awkward tension, it was feeling extra claustrophobic inside of the elevator. Millie maintained her distance, sticking to one side of the contained space and hoped they wouldn't come to a stop to pick up more people before reaching their destination.

"That's right," she said with a raised brow, impressed that he remembered. Their short conversation hadn't been anything memorable, at least by her standards. Now she was feeling guilty for ghosting him and forgetting his profession. "Mostly freelance stuff — fashion. I still do, I mean, but now it's like an oversaturation of Instagram influencers."

"Let's pretend like you haven't heard that," he admitted with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. Good thing she didn't tease him further because knowing Alex, the chance of him saying anything stupid and causing Millie to change her mind about getting drinks was extremely high.

Smiling still, he opened the door for Millie and followed her into the lobby, pressing his lips together nervously. He glanced around, desperately searching for a structural column to hide behind. What was he supposed to say? Something charming? Witty? Probably one of those — but thinking on the spot? Yeah, that’s never been his strong suit.

Once Millie broke the awkward silence, he let out a nervous snort, caught off guard by her bluntness, and his jaw almost dropped. He sure did not see that coming. He straightened up, clearing his throat as he tried to regain some composure. “Okay, so, to clarify,” he started, flashing a grin that barely hid his flustered state, “I’m actually an architect. I don't have some weird fetish or whatever you think that I have."

After what felt like an hour, the elevator finally arrived. Perfect timing, he thought. He stepped back to let Millie enter first, attempting to ease the awkward between them but it wasn't really working. The small space felt a bit too intimate, he tried to focus on the elevator buttons instead of how close they were standing.

“You were a writer, right?” he asked, his curiosity finally getting the best of him. “I remember you mentioning it.”

[milliecohen]

"It's a tragedy that everyone faces eventually, but I think most people realize it when they're in high school and drinking shitty beer in someone's basement." Millie took another sip of her drink. It was a force of habit since it was sitting right in front of her, and she wasn't exactly in a position to let her money go to complete waste. "Sure, might as well make the most of it," she answered with a shrug. "But if I plug my nose while taking the shot, you have to promise you won't judge me."

“I'm devastated. My picky heart just broke into multiple pieces and I don't think I'm getting it back.” Rather than keeping the drink in her hand, Uzochi had opted to put hers down as well. She's accepting defeat with this entire thing before her face twists for the 100th time after drinking. “Feeling a little too lazy at this rate to go on a hunt for a different place too, so tequila route it is. You mind doing a shot with me? Moral support kind of deal."

[milliecohen]

"It's more convenient when the drinks are cheap and you're a lightweight. My bank account is grateful." If it really came down to it, Millie would have tried to turn on the charm and get some sucker to pay for her drinks instead, but she wasn't pressing her luck. "Good question. It's probably gotta fit the vibe. I think we'd clear the whole bar out if we tried to play anything like Taylor Swift. So, what are we thinking? Maybe something a little more... retro? Nineties grunge or eighties hair band?"

"The shitter the drink the more shitfaced you get," Lavender agreed with a shrug of her shoulders. "They might? The real question is: what do you request that they will actually play?"

[milliecohen]

"Yeah, count me in," she answered with a shrug. "If anything, I can just get drunk since I don't think I'd know any of their songs. Like, if it hasn't been announced by Ryan Seacrest on the radio, the chances that I've listened to it are pretty slim to none."

"Most of the tickets at the Stone Pony go for that much...50 bucks tops...unless you buy VIP meet and greet or something." He didn't think these guys were selling meet and greets though, and if they were, he didn't particularly care for it. "So that's a yes?"

[milliecohen]

"Sorry, I got nothing, but my advice is to do a couple of shots beforehand. Just throw back some tequila and after awhile you won't even be able to taste how shitty your drink is." Millie took a sip of her own mediocre drink before setting it back down. "You know, maybe you just have a refined palate. You might have better luck at a place that doesn't serve bottom shelf liquor."

who — anyone!

where — sandoval dollar

Somewhat leaning over to the nearest person, it took Uzochi maybe two seconds before she started doing her usual: talking. “Dude, sorry to be a bother, but do you have any reccs? If I keep drinking shit like this—” She then pointed at the glass in her hand, which looked like it was barely touched. She's definitely apologizing to her wallet later for all of the wasting. “—I'm going to regret trying to do adult things.”

[milliecohen]

From the sudden bout of uncomfortable silence between them, she thought Alex was about to reject her offer. It seemed to be that way after he brushed her off, saying she didn't owe him. And it would have been a nice touch to turn the tables on her and make her feel the sting of rejection, just as she was sure he must have felt when she stopped responding.

"First...?" Millie repeated as she eyed him suspiciously, almost encouraging him to finish his sentence. "Okay then, let's get a drink." She willingly took the lead and walked into the lobby of the hotel, making her way to the elevator. That uncomfortable silence followed them, and she thought about breaking it to tell him that it wasn't anything personal. Instead, she pressed the button to summon the elevator and turned to him.

"So, what kind of work reasons would cause you be all horny for the hotel?" Direct and a little crude. It wasn't like this experience could get any more awkward anyway.

"Good to know," he nodded, pursing his lips together into a thin line. Alex let out a half-chuckle, half-sigh, and rubbed the back of his neck like that would somehow stop him from sounding like a total idiot. "No, you definitely don’t owe me anything," he said, waving his hand like that was even close to being convincing. But internally, he was in a panic mode. Wait. Was this... a date? Did she just ask him out? His brain was short-circuiting. Yeah, no. No, no, this was just a drink. People grab drinks all the time, right?

Except... it was kind of date-y to go to a rooftop bar. Well. Shit.

Still, there was no way he was letting her pay. The idea of Millie picking up the tab on what might or might not be a date? Nah. What kind of guy let a girl pay on a first... whatever this was.

"A drink sounds great," Alex finally said after a long pause. You would think, with all that time he took, he'd come up with something better. "Although, I won't let you pay on the first," he cut himself, shaking his head slowly. "Nevermind. Yeah, a drink sounds perfect., he said, motioning toward the doors.

This was going well. Perfectly fine. He was DEFINITELY NOT spiraling at all.

[milliecohen]

Millie took a sip from her drink and winced as the liquor burned her throat. It was cheap but effective. "Shitty music to go with their shitty drinks, I guess. I swear they've already played this song twice already. Do you think they take requests?"

who: open to everyone

when: any time, but preferably evening

where: sandoval dollar

Lavender scrunched her nose as she listened to the latest track that played over the speakers. Without checking who she was speaking with, she spun around and mentioned, "God the music here really sucks sometimes."

[milliecohen]

"Seriously? That seems pretty cheap. Are you sure these guys are even still relevant enough to be on tour?" She did her best to hide the noticeable hint of a grimace. "I really wish I could say I have something better to do, but tragically, I don't."

"It was 40 bucks actually, but it's whatever." Sam knew he could've tried selling it at the doors night of, but he was really fucking lazy. And it wasn't even a fully sold out show. "You interested?"