#Order shearling slides

[cycat-carisi]

Lonesome Superhero Part 2

Pairing: Gator Tillman x f!reader (not romantic)

Summary: After you give Gator a piece of your mind and something to think about when it comes to his father, you find out the hard way that you've said the wrong things to the wrong family. But are the consequences what Gator intended?

Warnings: language, misogynistic themes from the show, this one is kinda dark and could be disturbing - reader is directly threatened, NOT a romance fic, the Tillmans are disturbed individuals...

Length: 700+

A/N: The part 2 no one asked for! (Part 1 here). This just sorta happened. After watching episode 3, we really got to see how fecked up Gator is thanks to his upbringing. I'd love for him to get a redemption arc of some kind and I guess that's the intention behind these (now AU) fics. I hope that you enjoy (:

Fic below the cut or on AO3 here

A street lamp's pale, yellow glow casts a gloomy shadow over the small parking lot of the retirement home. It's past 11 p.m., and your evening shift has finally let out.

Descending the building's front steps, you fish your car keys from your purse and begin to weave your way through the remaining cars in the lot. You're rounding the box of a pickup truck when a dark figure appears in front of you.

"Evening, little lady." His voice rings deep and low.

Fear paralyzes you. You attempt a step backwards but immediately stumble into the smooth metal of the truck. Trapped.

As the figure shifts closer, the street lamp streaks color across a man. A cowboy hat and shearling coat take form in front of you.

Your breath becomes erratic, much like your heartbeat, as realization strikes; the man's status only elevates your fear.

"I heard that you were talking to my son," the voice of Roy Tillman continues. "Putting ideas in his empty little head that I don't have his best interests at heart."

He takes a step forward, and that's when you notice the dim light illuminating yet another figure. It's Gator, and he's grinning spitefully in your direction.

Everything in your body is telling you to run, but your brain knows that these men could easily catch and overpower you. There's nothing left to do but stand your ground.

"My son is my own flesh and blood." The sheriff explains simply, moving another step closer. "Helps me keep this town in order. The last thing we need," he draws even nearer, "is womenfolk like you disrupting the natural order of things." You curl your fingers into your palm, your nails painfully dent your skin. "And we can't have you going around humiliating law enforcement either, my dear."

With those last words, Roy Tillman levels his face in front of you. His cold, hard eyes bore deep into yours. A silver glint catches in your periphery—a hunter's knife unsheathed from the strap on his belt.

Your lungs betray you, and you unleash a frightened gasp.

Gator takes a tentative step forward.

"Women outta know their place in this world, little lady," whispers Roy, bringing the knife up into your field of view. "But sometimes it takes a bit of teaching for your type to truly understand." Roy twists the knife again, showcasing its serrated edge.

You feel tears stinging your eyes, and your stomach is ready to vomit.

In the background, a silent Gator's gaze flicks erratically back and forth between his father and you.

The blade tip then slowly moves towards your throat, the senior Tillman outwardly captivated by how your pupils dilate in pure terror.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rings out. "Dad!" Gator slides up beside his father. "Dad," he says again, voice lowered—hesitant; scared, almost. "I, uh, I think she gets it." Gator's hazel eyes once again dart between your fear-stricken face and the focused features of his father.

The older man's brow furrows, yet his eyes still deadbolt you in place. "Gator, we talked about this. Women do not undermine our authority. We are the law. She needs to learn."

You can practically feel the cold radiating off the knife blade as it encroaches to within mere millimeters of your throat.

"Wait!" bursts Gator once more.

Gator's actions finally cause Roy's head to turn. A look of sheer anger is cast down upon his son. Gator shrinks under its weight.

"I think she gets it now," he says meekly.

Roy scrutinizes Gator for several long moments, though finally, the knife retreats.

A relieved sob erupts from your chest, and Roy turns back to you, flashing you a hardened warning.

Gator, on the other hand, appears torn and confused, like a trapped animal desperate to escape yet too loyal to his captor to attempt breaking free.

In mere seconds, Roy retreats into the darkness as silently as he arrived, leaving Gator standing before you.

Gator has never been phased by how his father ran the county. Never once has he batted an eye when people needed a little reminder of who was in charge. But tonight? Gator had thought his father would simply talk him up and convince you that he was important. Gator never expected—or wanted—what just happened to happen. Instead, it seemed as though his father's only purpose was to once again eliminate any doubt about his own authority. The knife was a step too far. Maybe, just maybe, you had been right about his father all along...

A silent apology resides in Gator's features as he flashes you one last glance before swiftly disappearing from the parking lot in the same direction as his father.

Thanks for reading! Feedback is loved ❤

| Series masterlist | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |

[bexxafex]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Celtic & Co. Sheepskin Venetian Slippers.

[spndhsmony]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: New UGG Women's Oh Yeah Spots Slipper 1118165 Natural Real Lamb Fur Sz US 9.

[jaidakiss]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Brand New Birkenstock Shearling Slide Sandals Size 39 US Size 8 Navy Blue.

[hippolotamus]

Snippet Sunday

I was tagged by @treluna4 @alysiswriting and @stereopticons 😘 This is something that’s been twirling in my brain. No guarantees it’ll go beyond this but here goes…

“‘Lexis!” Twyla bolts up in bed, orienting herself to the room lit only by a patch of moonlight. She reaches to the other half of the bed, grasping at air, and it takes her a moment to realize — to remember — she’s alone because Alexis is away. This always happens the first night, but she still isn’t used to it, even after three years of marriage.

Twyla’s breathing evens out and her heart stops pounding against her ribcage long enough to recall specific details. Alexis is traveling for Interflix until Thursday and her flight arrives at Gate B at 9:37 pm. Thursday morning, just before she opens the cafe, Twyla will text Alexis in a final attempt to let her pick Alexis up at the airport rather than take a rideshare. Alexis will immediately text back ‘Thanks, babe. I’ll be fine 😘’. Twyla will shake her head and roll her eyes in faux exasperation. Love you, too.

The clock tells her it’s 4 am – too late to fall back asleep and too early to get up for the day. She throws back the covers, sitting up and sliding her feet into the shearling-lined slippers David and Patrick gave her last Christmas.

She walks downstairs to the kitchen for tea, the wood flooring creaking a little with each step. They’ve talked about replacing it with something more modern, but Alexis always relents to Twyla’s insistence that silencing the floor will make the house lose its personality. (And because Twyla won’t be able to tell where the active spirits are.)

The kettle whistles, softly at first, building to a crescendo and spitting out steam until Twyla turns off the burner. She pours the boiling water into her favorite sunflower mug, adds a sachet of lavender tea and flips the tea timer. Is Alexis awake? I hope she’s getting enough rest. Did she remember to pack her sleep mask? Is Seattle nice? Maybe we can tour the northwest next summer. Or would New England in the Fall be better?

A text notification pulls Twyla from her thoughts. She smiles when she sees it’s Alexis, and giggles when she opens the message.

Soooo many meetings today I can’t even see straight. Already can’t wait to get home.

Another message comes through almost immediately. Wait, why are you awake? You’re supposed to be sprawling across our bed for another 40 minutes.

Who’s to say I’m not sprawling? Twyla sends back. Actually I only wish I was. I woke up for no reason and couldn’t go back. Having some tea.

Twyla’s phone immediately rings with a FaceTime request.

“Hey, Lex,” she says softly. “Shouldn’t you be going to bed?”

“I’d much rather talk to you. How was your day, babe?”

Twyla tells her about George almost spilling a pot full of soup all over the kitchen. How Kelsey is really getting the hang of waitressing and only got six orders mixed up.

“Oh, Roland and Jocelyn came in saying something about David’s bathroom being too small and getting thrown out of the Apothecary.”

Alexis grimaces. “Ew, ew, ewww. There’s not enough mind bleach in the world for that. Ugh, poor David.”

“Don’t worry. I slipped an extra chocolate muffin in with his lunch order. Tell me about Seattle.”

“I wish I could,” Alexis pouts. “I went straight from the airport to my hotel, had just enough time to get changed before I had to meet with the head of marketing at the office. Then it was basically non-stop until I texted you.”

“Alexis—”

“I know, I know. But I did have a smoothie and got a big salad for dinner.”

“You can take care of yourself, I know that. I just… worry.”

“And I love you all the more for it.” Alexis kisses the tip of her finger and presses it to the screen.

Twyla gives her a soft smile in return. She’s not ready to let her go yet, but Twyla also knows Morning Alexis will be irritable and grumpy if Night Alexis doesn’t get enough rest. “You should sleep, Lex.”

“I don’t want to, but I should. Talk tomorrow?”

“You mean later today?” Twyla teases.

“Mmmm,” Alexis sticks out her tongue. “Yeah, that. Goodnight, babe. Or good morning?” She laughs, covering her face with her hands. “Ugh, I’m so tired. Have a good day. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Sweet dreams.”

[sad-goomy]

cold nights

Day 1 of Postwickshipping Week

Read on Ao3

When Gloria mentions she should probably head home, Hop is more than eager to offer to walk with her, if only to avoid any further teasing from Sonia. She seems to have a sixth sense for when the Champion is coming to visit the lab, despite Hop never telling her, and she’s having far too much fun waggling her eyebrows and making faces at her young assistant after correctly guessing his crush.

As he hangs up his lab coat, grabs his bag, and follows her out the door, Gloria turns to him, nose scrunched up in such a way that he immediately thinks of kissing it (though it admittedly doesn’t take much to get him thinking about kissing her). “Sonia’s been acting a bit funny.”

“Has she?” It comes out far too quick to be subtle, complete with a voice crack that has him wondering why he ever speaks at all, seriously, at this rate he should find a monastery and take a vow of silence just to avoid further embarrassment.

But she doesn’t say anything about it, doesn’t seem to notice as they reach the edge of Wedgehurst. Instead, she just looks up at him with this little lopsided smile and he does his very best to not think about kissing the upturned corner of her mouth.

Too late, he sighs to himself, forcing his eyes back on the road, grateful that it’s dark enough out to cover the worst of his blush. He doesn’t usually walk home this late; technically, his shift at the lab ended nearly an hour ago, but when Gloria texted him about visiting, he didn’t think twice about waiting for her and ordering takeout.

A breeze whistles in the air, and he can feel Gloria shiver as she walks next to him. With a quick glance at her out of the corner of his eye, he realizes that she’s without her usual jacket. She feels his stare, looking up at him before back down at the ground, unusually sheepish as she mumbles, “I was in a bit of a rush to get to the lab. Must’ve left my coat at the stadium.”

She was in a rush to see him. She wanted to see him so badly that she didn’t even think of the weather, couldn’t feel how cold it had gotten as she ran outside to catch the train.

Oh don’t make a big deal out of it, half his brain chastises him, ignoring the half that at the same time chants, Kiss her right now or you just might die.

He settles on instead shrugging off his jacket, not breaking his stride as he then drapes it over Gloria’s shoulders, the fabric swallowing her up. She pauses, blinking up at him with a question clear in her eyes. He answers it with a shrug, praying his voice is even and smooth rather than the erratic rhythm his heart has taken on at the sight of her in his clothes. “We can’t have the crown jewel of Galar catching cold.”

“Well when you put it like that...”

Her giggle is soft, warm enough that he doesn’t even notice the next night wind that blows past him. She slides her arms into the sleeves, her cheek nuzzling against the shearling at the collar, and he wills himself to not melt at the sight. Sometimes he forgets just how small she is, that while the rest of the region sees her as a Champion, she’ll always be the girl next door in his eyes.

They get to her door all too quickly. The fact that Route 1 is so short must be just to taunt him, to rob him of the sight of her wearing his jacket.

She turns, her keys in one hand as she gives him a final smile, and there’s something one part impish, two parts adoring in her eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course,” he says, without missing a beat, because the truth is that if she could, if she let him, he’d see her every hour on the hour (and maybe then some).

Then, quick as a flash and too smooth for it to have not been planned, she steps forward and up on her toes, pressing her lips to his warm cheek. When she steps back, a coy grin on her face, Hop is ninety percent sure that he’s gaping like a Magikarp struggling for air. He can’t form a single thought, can’t feel anything except a searing heat on his face that grows, spreading throughout his body until he’s feverish and aching.

Gloria opens her door, giving him one last look that he hopes against hope means that things aren’t unrequited, and whispers, “Thanks again for the jacket.”

He stands there in silence long after she’s closed the door, because he can’t dare to move for the fear that once he does, he’ll wake up from this dream. When his feet finally start working again, he walks home with a wide grin, absolutely invincible as he whistles to himself.

And sure, he wakes up the next morning with a sniffle, but it’s more than worth it when he also gets to wake up to a photo of her wearing his jacket and a text that reads ‘I wear it better ;)’.

Hop is inclined to agree.

[sacramentonewsjournal]

Goal Has So Many Ugg Dupes On Sale & They Begin at Simply $21

Scroll To See Extra Photographs If you buy an independently reviewed services or products via a hyperlink on our web site, STYLECASTER could obtain an affiliate fee. All of us ought to have known as it, provided that just about each different Y2K pattern got here again into type over the previous yr. However now that winter is forward, we are able to formally add Ugg boots to that resurrected record. However as of late, Uggs are a lot extra than simply the calf-cut boot we rocked with leggings in highschool. There are such a lot of completely different slide choices and silhouettes that make it straightforward to be cozy in any scenario. And now, Goal has the most effective collection of cozy boots and slippers which are so much like Uggs. The very best half? They’re all on sale! You’ll be able to choose up furry slides (my private favourite), calf-length shearling boots and even the low-cut Ugg-like type that Bella Hadid lately made waves in strolling round in New York Metropolis. Style girlies, rejoice. You don’t should shell out lots of of {dollars} for this look. In reality, many of those cozy slides are on sale, with kinds beginning at simply $21. You’ll want to snap them up in your dimension earlier than they promote out — and belief me, they are going to. Our mission at STYLECASTER is to convey type to the individuals, and we solely characteristic merchandise we predict you’ll love as a lot as we do. Goal is a STYLECASTER sponsor, nonetheless, all merchandise on this article have been independently chosen by our editors. Please notice that if you buy one thing by clicking on a hyperlink inside this story, we could obtain a small fee of the sale.   Courtesy of Goal. Minnetonka Frosted Scuff Slippers This look won’t ever exit of favor. It has every little thing you would need out of a slipper, together with an easy-to-get-on minimize, cozy insides and a impartial coloration that goes with every little thing. Courtesy of Goal. RockDove Cross-Band Platform Slide Slipper Platform sneakers are trending in all shoe silhouettes proper now, together with slide-on slippers. Choose these up for simply $21. Courtesy of Goal. Common Thread Shearling Boots The shearling that pokes out of the highest of the boot gives simply the correct quantity of comfy-cozy feels, which is all I need as quickly as Oct. 31 hits. Plus, reviewers say they’re excellent for on a regular basis put on and true to dimension. Courtesy of Goal. Bearpaw Shorty Boots My title is, my title is Bella Hadid. You’ll be able to actually make a TikTok to that observe now that you simply’re rocking these short-cut boots that value underneath $85. Courtesy of Goal. Frosted Slide Slippers In the event you’re extra into all-furry everythang, choose up these slides that are available in brown or mild gray. Courtesy of Goal. Mountainside Fake Fur Lined Ankle Bootie In order for you extra of an all-weather bootie you could nonetheless run errands in, that is the choose for you. Because it has a bigger rubber sole you may put on it out of the home throughout these days when it’s simply too chilly to take off your slippers. These are simply $27.99 Originally published at Sacramento News Journal

[bexxafex]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Celtic & Co. Sheepskin Venetian Slippers.

[spndhsmony]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: New UGG Women's Oh Yeah Spots Slipper 1118165 Natural Real Lamb Fur Sz US 9.

[jaidakiss]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Brand New Birkenstock Shearling Slide Sandals Size 39 US Size 8 Navy Blue.

[cine-sports]

Fall Is Here and It’s Time to Upgrade Your Sock Drawer

Fall Is Here and It’s Time to Upgrade Your Sock Drawer

Photographed by Willy Vanderperre, Vogue, March 2015 With sandal season over and boot, clog, and loafer season in full swing, it’s time to get your sock drawer in order. After all, a new pair of fall shoes would not be complete without the right socks to go with them– even shearling slides could use a cute sock! They might be small, but socks are an important styling basic, no matter how you…

[ruman123blog]

Vionic Women's Asha Keira Slide Sandal- Supportive Ladies Slip on Sandals That Include Three-Zone Comfort with Orthotic Insole Arch Support, Medium Fit Sandals for Women

Vionic Women’s Asha Keira Slide Sandal- Supportive Ladies Slip on Sandals That Include Three-Zone Comfort with Orthotic Insole Arch Support, Medium Fit Sandals for Women

Price: (as of – Details) A sporty slide in cool sorbets, snake print, leather—even shearling—with adjustable hook-and-loop fastening to customize your fit. Available in Women’s whole sizes 5-11 If you are a half size, we recommend ordering the nearest size down. Fits medium “B” widths. For the greatest comfort, we recommend wearing your new Vionic footwear for just a few hours for the first few…

[alpacaclothing]

Giving Your Feet the Breaks

Every now and then, we all deserve a vacation, some kind of a getaway or a simple mini-break from the tedium of our everyday lives, especially for city and urban dwellers all over the world. 

However, while our brains might get a needed break when we ditch our desks to explore a new destination, our feet are often forced to work overtime. This is one time when we need to consider our choices in our lifestyle, this time to include our overworked feet. They also need a vacation. 

Foot breaks 

Podiatrists, fortunately, have given us some helpful advice all about feet and the footwear we use. This includes how to break in shoes before a tip, looking for doctor-approved comfort shoes, and using the inserts to help the fit of a shoe. 

Before the use of insoles, few people would know the coziness on offer from the power of sheepskin. These insoles are the perfect addition to any shoe that needs help. Real sheepskin insoles are the definition of plush. 

The fur is backed by dual-density foam that is malleable to fit into any shoe. The shock-absorbent heel pod and layer of shearling cushion make the shoes so comfortable. Sheepskin insoles can change any shoe into a warm house slipper. 

Craftsmanship

These luxury insoles in sheepskin are beautifully crafted keeping the high quality on top of the requirements. 

They are crafted with utmost care to keep the quality high enough which actually makes it a highly sought-after footwear part. 

Materials 

The materials are made of top notch high quality and the material used is not just a single layer of sheepskin. They are constructed with a mild internal stiffening and s drippy latex base. 

This latex base is to help prevent them from slipping in your boot/shoe. Once these are inserted, they will stay there and not follow your foot out when you take them off your footwear. 

The difference 

The sheepskin insoles do make a real difference in comfort and warmth to a casual, roomy shoes or even a pair of boots. 

Another contributor to the comfort factor is the fact that the materials is made of super-soft upper layer of natural sheepskin. It is bonded to the structural layer that prevents rucking up and creasing. 

Together with the bottom layer of non-slip grippy latex, it helps prevent the insole from sliding about in the shoe. 

Comfort /moisture absorption 

The insole adds an extra layer of comfort to the sole of your shoe. Meantime, the insulating layer of sheepskin (lamb’s wool) supplies the wonderful and comforting warmth for your feet. 

The sheepskin naturally absorbs and desorbs moisture. In effect, it helps your foot breathe in its boot. 

Eliminates odors 

Since sheepskin also naturally anti-bacterial, it eliminates odors even in the most well-worn shoes and leaves it smelling fresh and new. 

Every pair of insoles comes complete by themselves and is ready to use. There is no need to trim anything to fit them in your shoes. 

Finally, the sizing is approximate in order to accommodate most manufacturers’ shoe sizes.

[crazy4tank]

The Third Adidas x Ivy Park Collection Is Here

New Post has been published on https://fashiondesigne.com/the-third-adidas-x-ivy-park-collection-is-here/

The Third Adidas x Ivy Park Collection Is Here

Hot ladies, take a back seat mainly because Beyoncé has declared it a good icy winter. Enter: Frozen Park, Beyoncé’s third Adidas x Ivy Park selection, dropping on www.adidas.com/ivypark on February 19, in 4: 00 PM SE RÉVÈLE ÊTRE sharp.  

Announced on January twenty five, the Icy Park selection follows last year’s “Drip 2”  #ThisIsMyPark   and the  Black Group   collection, motivated by Beyoncé’s creativity whilst being at home during the outbreak. Both featured similar wants the first collection, released previously in 2020. While “Drip 2” pieces featured fluorescents, black, and gold since the main color palette, from the teasers we can already conclude the particular icy collection seems like it will probably be a mainly white color ways (and rightfully so! ) 

From co-ord sets to sports bras to bodysuits and, naturally , sneakers, each collection offers seen a pattern associated with comfy athleisure yet fashionable pieces that fall in collection with Beyonce’s personal design and the classic Adidas silhouettes. We expect this one to become no different. Based on the  first sneak peek , Frigid Park will boast reflecting pieces, lots of winter white wines in the form of everything from sneakers in order to everyone’s favorite  curve-hugging jumpsuit . For each the quick video survey, we  may   be getting some fuzzy or shearling accessories.

The campaign video clip is set in a winter wonderland and has celebrity cameos such as Hailey Beiber clad within a printed pink ensemble as well as the icy man himself, Gucci Mane rocking an almost floor-length coat with the Adidas logo design emblazoned on the rear. Plus, we can’t forget the superstar herself: Beyoncé! She presented in a reflective co-ord established on a custom Ivy Recreation area snowmobile and in a pair of exactly what looks to be a new trainer line.  

On February 5, together with a new teaser video, the particular brands announced the third Adidas x Ivy Park selection will be available on February nineteen online at www.adidas.com/ivypark and in-stores from Feb 20. According to Adidas, “items are available in sizes XXXS – 4X with prices which range from $30 for accessories in order to $850 for outerwear. ” Keep your eyes peeled because if you know anything at all about an Adidas by Ivy Park release then you definitely know it is guaranteed to sell within minutes, if not mere seconds. So grab those cash and prepare for an hot out (and cozy) winter season!

All products showcased on Teen Vogue are usually independently selected by our own editors. However , when you purchase something through our store links, we may earn a joint venture partner commission.

Let us slide into the DMs. Sign up for the particular Teen Style daily e-mail .

Want more from Teen Vogue ? Check this out:

[onceuponamirror]

An order of #49 please! Boss/Intern :)

49. boss/intern au

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Technically, she’s not late today. Of course, she’s never late, so the standard of which she holds herself doesn’t necessarily apply to the average worker. 

Unfortunately, that means when Betty wakes up thirty minutes behind schedule for no real reason other than the fact she was up late reading and fell asleep on top of two manuscripts again, and when she skips her usual bagel at her corner cafe, and when she almost misses her elusive G train because she’s just narrowly avoided her coffee spilling down shirt, and when that leads to a similar close call transferring trains—her mood isn’t great.

Not dour enough to not greet the guard behind the desk, but just enough to feel her hackles rise when she sees a pair of elevator doors with her name on it start to close. “Hold the door!” She calls, rushing forward.

She sees a hand on a button through the gap, and for a moment, she thinks it might be on the close door button, but at the last second, the hand moves and slips between the sliding space, and the doors shift directions.

“Thank you,” she breathes, her eyes briefly falling on the owner of the hand. It belongs to a tall guy, about her age, with dark hair and a closed off expression that, on anyone else, might look vacant. 

She reaches over to press the button for her floor, and finds it already lit up. “You’re going my way,” she says genially, shuffling back into place beside him.

He doesn’t respond so much as make a grunt of confirmation, which grabs her attention more than a simple okay would’ve. Betty looks over at him, a brow quirked.

He has all the aesthetic layers of a tortured soul; spots of waning moons under his eyes that bely something more carved than simple sleep deprivation, black jeans, and a thick navy jacket, lined with shearling despite the fact that autumn chill is late this year.

Then again, she was nearly late too, so perhaps she shouldn’t judge.

Despite the casual way he stands, his hands moving to a new place deep inside his pockets, his eyes flicking over to her twice before finding a spot on the circuit board and staying put, there’s an almost anxious air about him. She would know.

He’s wearing nice shoes—black oxfords, clearly once very shiny—and feels that says a lot. If Betty had to guess, she’d say he’s a new writer, about to have his first editorial meeting. He has that nervous kind of look.

The elevator dings to fourteen, which means they both get out. He heads towards the front desk, and she beelines for her office. 

If she feels his eyes on her one last time, she doesn’t look back.

–

Not much later, once she’s settled into her chair and only about five minutes deep into the some-odd fifteen emails that have arrived overnight—what is it with her book jacket artists and their tendencies to send in their revisions at two in the morning? She’s almost worried about them—there’s a knock at her door frame. 

“Morning Midge,” Betty says, glancing up only once as her fingers clack over the keys. 

“Morning!” Midge chirps back, draped halfway through the threshold. “Um, your college intern is here?” 

Betty blinks. “Are they arriving today? I thought that was tomorrow,” she says, with a slight cringe. It doesn’t make a huge difference, but, well, she now regrets not stopping at her corner cafe for those bagels. 

She would’ve liked to have greeted her new employee with a treat, made them feel welcomed, particularly because she knows her publishing house doesn’t offer pay for the college students who work for them. 

“Today,” Midge confirms, with a sympathetic sort of grin. “Should I send him in?”

“Yes, thank you,” she replies, running a smoothing hand over the top of her ponytail. A few moments later, the guy from the elevator appears in the doorway. 

This gives her pause—she does tend to have a slight problem about making assumptions, but he looks about her age, rather than the typically fresh-faced, bright-eyed, Type-A, Betty-Deux-Machina-if-she’s-being-honest look of most interns. 

“You’re the college intern?” She says, surprised. If she were a person of tact, she’d realize this might not be the thing to open with.  

His eyes narrow, just slightly. “This is the adult fiction department, is it not?” He replies, not moving but to lean back and check the plaque next to her door. “You’re Elizabeth Cooper?”

“You just seem a little old for a college intern,” she says, without really thinking. 

“And you seem a little young to be a head of department,” he shoots back, eyebrows raised. 

There’s a long pause wherein they both realize what he’s said; he sucks in a breath, and she thinks perhaps the proper response would be to be offended, but she’s not. 

Instead, she laughs, and he visibly relaxes, his shoulders dropping with relief. “You’re right,” she replies, grinning, turning back to her computer in order to pull up the email with his file. “The usual head on maternity leave. She’ll be back about halfway through your internship. So you’re…Forsythe?”

“Jughead,” he corrects, a bit awkwardly.

“Gesundheit?” 

“No, I go by Jughead, not Forsythe,” he says, and for the first time, she sees him smile. It’s a nice look on him, and not the kind of thing she should be thinking about with her college intern. “And I am old for a college student. I got…a bit of a late start.”

She finds her own lips pulling back in a soft smile. Her whole life has been a series of deadlines—get good grades to get into the good school to get the good job to get the good money for the good house—and she admires a sense of patience in a person. Do it right, when it’s right. 

She’s always early to things, always rushing, always thinking about next, that it might be nice to work with someone who takes his time. 

A moment later, she realizes they’re still looking at each other, smiling, and clears her throat. “Okay, have a seat, Jughead. Let’s talk about slush piles.”

.

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.

[spndhsmony]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: New UGG Oh Yeah Spots Natural Fuzzy Slingback Slides Sandals S 9.