#Pour me another drink

[hardlyinteresting]

Lemon drops

Jake Seresin x reader

Nights at The Hard Deck just got a lot more interesting.

Warnings: alcohol consumption, The reader is referred to as she/her, with no physical description, (please let me know if you'd like me to tag anything please), I grew up in an Army household so some of my Navy knowledge may be slightly off base (no pun intended)

This one-shot will exist in the same universe as other one-shots I have planned. But, they can all be read entirely independently.

Word count: 1.3K

Masterlist | talk to me about Jake and Tyler

Friday nights at The Hard Deck are always busy. Sailors and pilots all stopping by on their way home from base eager to let loose, that's to be expected. What he's not expecting is to walk in on a bachelorette party in full swing. 

In a Navy town, it's not completely unheard of for last-minute bachelor and bachelorette parties to fill the local dives, but the larger-than-normal crowd and the young woman dancing on one of the tables has Jake rolling his shoulders back before he settles into the night. He'd been looking for a chill vibe, a cold beer and a few rounds at the pool table. But, he won't complain about a night of flirting, he fancies his odds in a room full of jealous bridesmaids and tag chasers.

Rooster and Coyote seem to have gotten a head start if the empty glasses, or the girls they're helping line up shots at the pool table are any indicator. 

Leaning against the bar Jake waits patiently for Penny to finish making a tray of shots. Lemon-coloured liquid poured from the silver shaker he's so rarely seen used at The Hard Deck, into sugar-rimmed 1 oz glasses. His eyes follow the tray over to the crowd of already tipsy ladies all dressed up to celebrate the blonde in her “bride” sash and tiara. But his attention lingers on the woman who laughs brightly as she raises the tiny glass for a toast. 

“To the bride! I think I speak for everyone when I say that we love you so much, and we're all so excited for this next chapter of your life!” The rest of the party cheers in response, “Now, let's get drunk and start drinking something that's not just sugar”

She's quick to down the lemon drop shot, quickly licking the drip that rolls down the back of her hand. She's sun-kissed and glowing even under the dim overhead lights. She must be from the area, not just passing through. The music is loud and the bar chatter is louder, and she's stunning as she moves her hips to the sound stepping down from the table. She's licked away the sugar rim on the glass by the time she makes it through the crowd to lean at the bar next to him. It's only when Penny sets a beer in front of him that he realizes he's been staring at the mystery girl. 

She's even cuter up close. And for the first time in a long time, he's speechless. Several recycled one-liners rattle around inside his head, but not a single one feels like it's worth the breath. Something about the way she moves through the room, either unaware or intentionally disinterested as several other patrons turn their heads to look her way, tells him she'll have no trouble shooting him down. Regretfully, it only makes him more intrigued. 

And as if she couldn't get sweeter, the scent of her perfume or her shampoo, or the hell if he knows knocks him back. Brown sugar and vanilla. Of course, she smells like sugar. He scolds himself as he replays the image of her pink-tongued and unctuous in her attempt to clean the syrupy glaze dripping across the back of her hand. He may be a self-proclaimed flirt and widely identified playboy but he does do his best to be a gentleman. Despite his attempts to think of church surgeons, or his mother's lectures, geography lessons, or complex aerodynamics, he knows it will be ages before he's able to completely erase the surprising saccharine bar room sight from his mind. 

“Whiskey, please,” she asks Penny, “and thank you for making those shots”.

“For you girls it's no problem,” Penny insists, sliding the glass of whisky across the bar. 

If he bothered to look up he'd catch her raking her own eyes across his form, paying attention to read his name badge, and trace his pins in an attempt to keep herself from ogling his broad shoulders, and strong arms. The khaki uniform does him all sorts of favours. Penny gives her a knowing smirk as she slides the whiskey across the bar.

Unashamed, his eyes follow the intriguing girl back across the room lingering too long on the back pockets of her little denim shorts. 

He's no stranger to wooing pretty girls in bars. He won't brag, but he's got an admirable success rate when it comes to finding a partner for the evening (and he's never heard any complaints). But, something about this girl is different. She's not just pretty, but she's stunning in a girl-next-door kind of way that damn near knocks him off his feet. The way she talks with her friends, and laughs without hesitation has a smile forming on his own face and he feels like a damn idiot for watching her from across the room. She pays no mind to any of the pilots or other patrons who mosey over to shoot their shot with her and the rest of her party, but she accepts every challenge that comes her way at the dartboard and the pool table. 

“What's wrong hangman? Cat got your tongue?” Penny laughs, “I was sure you were going to try to chat her up”. 

The truth is for the first time in a long time he feels like he might be out of his depth. Like a schoolboy with a crush on the new girl in class. 

“The night is still young,” he shrugs. 

But the night flies by, he drinks his beers, and laughs with his own friends, makes his own bets, but never crosses the room. 

She buys her own drinks, and corrals her drunk friends safely into the backs of taxi cabs, calling out for them to text her when they get home. And when closing time rolls around she settles her tab and says goodbye to Penny with a hug, and a reminder that she'll see her later. 

Jake goes home alone, the thought of the sugar sweet girl on his mind. 

When he returns to The Hard Deck next it's a week later. He saunters in with a grin. a bet with Rooster and Phoenix waiting to be won at the pool table, and an ice cold beer with his name on it calling for him. 

He heads to the bar first, leaning waiting to be served when he smells the hauntingly familiar smell of vanilla sugar. He's damn near certain his heart stops when she turns around behind the counter, a megawatt smile on her when she says, “hey, what can I get you?” 

“Whiskey. Neat. Thanks Sugar,” the name rips off his tongue before he can stop it. 

“Coming right up hot shot,” she laughs. 

“It's ‘Hangman’, actually. But you can call me Jake”.

She hums, setting his glass in front of him, “you were in here last week, weren't you”?”

“Sure was,” he confirms, allowing himself to memorize the way she leans back against the middle counter, her arms crossed; so calm and so cool. He suddenly feels the need to swallow hard, his cheeks warming under her directed gaze. 

“You won a lot of money off of my friends,” he offers when she says nothing else. 

She shrugs, “it's a habit I can't seem to break”.

He hopes she never does. Watching Payback and Coyote empty their wallets had been the highlight of his week. 

“Well, maybe when your shifts over,  you can come and try your luck with tonight's crowd, Sugar,” Jake offers. It's a feeble attempt at flirtation compared to his usual routine, but none of his words seem to be coming out right, his mind going blank each time he looks at her in her jeans and white tank top. Thoughts of lemon drop shots, short shorts, and table dancing fill his mind. Suddenly he's 13 again, asking a girl to the school dance with a racing heart. 

“I'm here ‘til closing,” she tells him, saving him from his spiral. She sorts her station and wipe down the bar top, “but don't worry, I'll be able to watch you show off from over here”. 

And with that she gone again, moving down the bar to help another customer. 

Nights at The Hard Deck sure just got a lot more interesting. 

[kuromi-hoemie]

Please drop the drink recipes that u cant taste the alcohol 😍

I'll share my two faves rn ^.^

Lazy Blackberry Mojito

ingredience..:

pink lemonade

club soda

bicardi

a box of blackberries

my steps :3

Put the blackberries in a ziplock bag (after cleaning them) n smash them to a pulp; it leaves you with the leftover juice and bits.

Add a few rounded scoops in a jar, fill with ice.

Pour bicardi (GENTLY), count to 6. u could do more tbh..

Fill halfway with club soda, fill the other half with pink lemonade.

Mix thoroughly.

This one's meant 2 be enjoyed with a boba straw so you can suck up and chew on the berry bits as u go.

Sparkling Sour Apple Cider

ingredieths:

Smirnoff Green Apple Vodka

Sparkling Apple Cider Non-alcoholic

Bicardi

my steps :3

Fill w ice.

Pour bicardi, count to ur preferred number.

Fill up to about a third with green apple vodka.

Fill the rest with Apple Cider.

The green apple vodka is very sweet and together they come out sort of like a sour apple soda.

Closing Thots...

Very generally I'd just say it's a ratio game to me 0: I try to fill the bottom 10-20% (usually) with liquor then mix whatever drinks/juices seem complementary.

The secret to a drink that hardly tastes like liquor is to not use too much lol!! 😭 u can always come back and make another one, if the first one could've been stronger u can go stronger, but start small.

Filling the whole thing with ice makes it go by fast and hits very refreshingly anyhow :^} see these ratio pics as just very loose starting points u can move around from.

[ratatatastic]

you two...affectionate but only when the highs of winning or alcohol are involved...i see...

[unproduciblesmackdown]

clearest glimpse of this group being who i'd wager is Not thee mister macabee

[fingertipsmp3]

I’m gonna challenge my subconscious to a fist fight and I’m gonna lose

[imaginepostingonsideblogs]

dear teacher,

i could not do the assignment because i had the most tender fucking dream about rex townsend and i am genuinely still weak in the knees about it for some reason im sure you understand <3

yours, toby

[try-and-try-and-try-again]

They’re making me drink f***ing ensure I can’t take this.

[bitchdafuqyousay]

having yet another cup of coffee n being suddenly reminded the time I got told I "taste like coffee" like a punch to the gut

[sir-snow]

My vape is dead. Store don't open for 8 hours. Pray for me.

[bright-and-burning]

i’m alive btw . my brain just hasn’t rebooted yet

[fayet]

Tumblr just told me that I've had this blog for 12 years today and now I'm having a miniature midlife-crisis realising how much time has passed. Happy Anniversary, ye olde blog! Thanks to all the people on here who've stuck around, and cheers to those who got away.

[performing-personhood]

Oh, look. It's the reason I have to go back to the service industry mines instead of finding a way to break into the indentured servitude of a job with a chair and weekends.

Which is fine, of course. I'm fine. This is all completely fine. Absolutely the finest. Never been finer.

[bumblingbabooshka]

Can you imagine if Tuvok got divorced? It’d be so funny, I just know that guy would completely give up on everything. He’d need like, several decades to recover. I think he might go become a Kolinahru for real this time.

[blujayonthewing]

The Presto Continues

I think I may have said last time I was at the final iteration BUT!! I lied I already knew I still wanted to tinker with it, lmao. This version is still not QUITE there but we're close, lads, I can taste it. ALSO, I've acquired silly straws, which may be the most important ingredient. Also also, I'm looking forward to making this with enough foresight that I set up a nice place to take a picture and actually use a good camera, because it's very pretty :D

THE CURRENT RECIPE:

2oz dragonberry rum

1oz lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)

6oz sprite

1/2oz uv blue raspberry vodka, infused with butterfly peaflowers

Star fruit, lemon twists, and a silly straw

Edible luster dust (optional)

Shake rum and lemon juice with ice and strain into a hurricane glass. Add sprite and enough fresh ice to almost fill the glass, then top with infused vodka, using the straw to stir carefully-- preferably with an audience to delight and amaze with the mystical magical color change (which you should hype up as much as possible for the duration). Garnish with star fruit and twists of lemon peel that you made way too long because you got a little too excited making them.

The only problem with this one is it's too tart! That actually might hit the spot for some people-- it's perfectly drinkable as-is, but for what I'm conceptually going for it definitely needs to be sweeter. I thought going in that that might be the case, but I'd hoped the soda would be sweet enough to carry the extra citrus-- alas. I'm gonna try just adding an amount(?) of simple syrup next time, and I may also cut back the lemon juice to half an ounce?

Upsides of this edition: it's definitely prettier with the sprite! Not only does the clear, fizzy drink have a nicer overall look than the lemonade, it also ended up being a prettier shade of purple, even with the same amount of the vodka. And like I've been saying, this drink conceptually really did just need to be carbonated. Sprite is also great as an ingredient because multiple single servings can sit on the floor in the pantry almost indefinitely until I happen to need some, unlike fresh real lemonade, haha. Another unexpected upside is that this is now different enough from the accidental variant I made that one time that they now feel like legitimate variations on the same theme, instead of just 'one of them is the lazy 2 am not wanting to use a shaker version' lol

[famewolf]

just tasted possibly the worst energy drink ever. i took a single sip and recoiled and tried two more times but I thought I was going to be sick by the third.

it was like drinking cotton candy syrup but if the cotton candy was made of centuries old chemicals.

i like sweet, but this was like ....... so bad it made me grimace and turn my head away every time i tried to drink it

[anotherpapercut]

sometimes I'm like I should socialize more then I remember the time I was at a party and 2 complete strangers I had been having a conversation with started talking for like 10 minutes abt their abusive exes while I stood there silently before one of them actually turned and asked me if I had ever had an abusive ex