#Wrapping up the Chicago Auto Show

[signalwatch]

Jerry Springer Merges With The Infinite

Not many talk-show hosts get a movie playing themselves doing their talk show.  Not many talk-show hosts inspire operas.  Not many talk-show hosts wind up doing a talk-show after a major political scandal involving paying a hooker with a signed check and then *still* winding up as mayor of a major US city for a stint.

Jerry Springer was probably not a good man, but in 2011, I did meet him in the sportsbook at the Planet Hollywood hotel in Las Vegas where he was very nice to me and posed for drunken blurry pictures that have since been lost to bad asset management on the interwebs.  He was there hosting the Vegas nightly show of America's Got Talent.  He smoked a giant cigar and looked bored.

Like many talk-shows, Springer started off trying to do reasonable interviews that went in-depth on important issues, but when cancellation seemed imminent, he and his producers transformed his show into the chair-hurling, fist-tossing, hair-pulling bonanza it was.  Which made Springer rich, ultimately ran for roughly 25 years and spun off a few other shows, including a behind-the-scenes that made no one look good.  But when your set is designed to look like a sewer with a stripper pole, I guess no one cares?

In the 90's, Austin TV was hard to get on rabbit-ears, so I watched Jerry as he and Wishbone on PBS tended to get the best signals at my efficiency over off Airport Blvd.   The TV landscape was littered then (as now) with a panoply of "talk shows".  It was mostly trash TV made by trash people, featuring trash people, and for trash people (ie: me).  Jenny Jones.  Sally Jesse Raphael.  Maury.  Ricki.  It was garbage and a lot of it was faked one way or another.  But it was honest fakery.  Dumb hucksterism playing on the TV in auto-dealer waiting rooms across the country to kill downtime with noise.  Unlike Oprah, the legacy of these shows is not a flood of pseudo-science and Rich Dad snake-oil salesmen given the glow of legitimacy.  Jerry knew his show was dumb.  And he more or less said so multiple times per episode.

The funniest moment I recall for Jerry was not on his own show, but watching the City of Chicago's aldermen make Jerry and his producers come down to city hall with a threat to shut down the show, which seemed utterly legally unenforceable.  The Jerry team was polite in the manner of Eddie Haskell and answered all the questions and took the abuse and knew "my god, this is so good for the ratings" and went right on doing what they were doing.

Springer went off the air in 2017, I believe.  I hadn't watched it in years. The last time I'd watched an episode straight through was probably 2004 or so.

Jerry wrapped every episode of his show with a Springer's Final Thought, which was insane.  His show was devoid of lessons other than "people are yikes".  But he did try to gently provide advice to the audience based on the human drama/ shitshow they'd just borne witness to.  I mean, how he found new ways to say "well, cheating can lead to bad feelings" 1000's of different ways is truly a marvel of the human spirit.

I am unsure what Final Thought he'd leave us with now.  But I think he was amazed by people, and if he weren't, even the money wouldn't have kept him coming back for more than two decades.  Sure, people saw him as showing the worst of humanity, but maybe he was just showing us humans, and maybe he figured out that there wasn't a world of difference between the people on his show, in his audience and the people hauling him down to Chicago City Hall.  He may have known he wasn't so different.  He just got a front row seat to all of it, and got to play mediator. And get paid for it at that.

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[toyotaoforlando]

The Nintendo and Toyota collaboration on the new 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The Nintendo and Toyota collaboration on the new 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

Gamers and car connoisseurs are harmoniously holding hands with the new Toyota and Nintendo collaboration with the Toyota Grand Highlander. Toyota and Nintendo made the coolest decision to collaborate on a concept version of the upcoming  2024 Toyota Grand Highlander and Toyota of Orlando has the details.

What’s with this new Toyota/Nintendo collaboration?

To envision the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander, just imagine the 2023 Toyota Highlander, the epitome of a road trip ready car with the space available – but bigger. The ultimate upgrade to your road trips. Passing time can be hard, so why not do it with a Nintendo Switch. That is exactly what inspired Toyota and Nintendo to pair up for the concept car. It was unveiled to the public at the Chicago Auto Show in early February and features a Nintendo wrap on the exterior and a huge screen, gaming console, and additional speakers in the interior. This is the ultimate gamer’s dream – especially the nostalgic gamers, like us. 

So, we, unfortunately, will not see the concept car anytime soon at Toyota of Orlando. But, Toyota is giving a Nintendo prize pack to 500 Grand Highlander customers when this new Toyota SUV hits dealerships in 2023/2024. Here’s what we know:

500 lucky winners will receive a Nintendo Switch OLED Model System with a vibrant 7″ screen for better gaming and detachable joy-con controllers so players can game anywhere

They’ll also receive a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game, a paid Nintendo Switch online membership, and an expansion pack membership

Get more info on this new Toyota at Toyota of Orlando 

Want more info or want to explore the current 2023 Toyota Highlander? Come on down to Toyota of Orlando today. We’re located at 3575 Vineland Road, just off I-4 near the Millenia Mall. Call to chat with one of our sales specialists at (407) 298-4500!

[savageonwheels]

2023 Chicago Auto Show report

Cool wheels at the 2023 Chicago Auto Show, and here's a wrap-up of what we saw. More pix on Facebook.

[chrisbitchtree]

Goodbye Earl, but make it Harringrove, because I don’t condone murder, unless someone is mistreating my baby Billy.

***

Steve met Billy, the new transfer student from California, the first day of freshman year. They were both on the basketball and baseball teams, and the FFA suddenly wasn’t so boring with Billy around. The became the best of friends, attached at the hip all through high school.

Then came graduation. Steve moved to Chicago to work for his father, and Billy moved back to California with a plan to work for a year and make some money for school. Things didn’t work out that way.

It took two seconds in the first gay bar Billy could find before he was on the arm of the hottest guy in the place, Jeff, slinging back the drinks the man kept offering him.

Two days later, he was calling Steve to tell him he’d met the love of his life.

Two months later, he was calling Steve to tell him he and Jeff were moving in together.

Two years later, Steve got a call from the hospital. Domestic violence. No amount of pleading convinced Billy to leave and fly out to Chicago, to stay with Steve until he got on his feet. Billy deserved it after all. He hadn’t had dinner ready when he’d said he would, and he should have known Jeff would be hungry. He’d be ok. He just had to keep Jeff happy.

It wasn’t long before Steve received another call from a sobbing Billy. He didn’t want to share details, but he wanted to know if Steve could help him figure out how to file a restraining order.

It turns out Jeff didn’t like that, and the next call Steve received was from the intensive care unit. He took the next available flight, not leaving Billy’s side until he awoke.

It didn’t take them long to decide that Jeff had to die.

Never dreaming that Billy would dare disobey him, the first day that Billy was out of the hospital, Jeff gulped down the ice cold beer that he was served with dinner, not thinking of any special additions to the drink.

Steve was ready with the tarp and duct tape when Jeff hit the floor, and a practiced poker face for when the cops showed up to investigate the missing persons report.

Billy and Steve bought some property and opened an auto repair shop, Billy servicing the cars, and Steve keeping the books.

They slept like babies at night, wrapped in each others arms, never once giving thought to the mysterious and unfortunate disappearance of poor, poor Jeff.

[daddydomshouse]

American actor James Dean passed away at the age of 24 on this day in 1955 when he was involved in a wreck while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder. Dean, who starred in such movies as East of Eden, Giant and Rebel Without a Cause, was a beloved actor who took up an interest in auto racing in 1954. He first purchased Triumph Tiger T110 and a Porsche 356. He participated in his first professional race at Palm Springs Road Races March 26-27, 1955. He won first place in the novice and second in the main event.

His final race was May 30, 1955. He had to stop racing to film the movie Giant. After wrapping up his scenes for the movie Dean longed to get back in the drivers' seat. He was scheduled for a race in Salinas and was on his way there on this day in 1955 when he was ticketed for speeding at 3:30 pm in his Porsche 550. Approximately an hour and 45 minutes later at 5:15 a 1950 Ford Tudor went to turn in front of Dean. He could not stop in time and slammed into the vehicle, killing him almost instantly as a result of several injuries, including a broken neck. The man in the Ford walked away with minor injuries. Dean’s passenger and Porsche mechanic suffered a broken jaw and serious hip and femur injuries.

In 1956 he wrecked car was sold to hot rod builder George Barris who decided to take it on tour as a sort of side-show. After a number of mishaps involving the car, including the death of a driver who put the Porsche’s engine in his racecar and crashed, and the car crushing a tow truck driver, it was assumed the Porsche was cursed. In 1960 the car was being transported in a sealed truck back to LA after a tour. When the truck arrived and was opened it was found the car had disappeared. To this day nobody knows the whereabouts of the car, but a man in Bellingham, Washington last laid claim to a $1 million prize offered by the Volo Auto Museum in Chicago, stating he saw the car being hidden behind a false wall in a building in Whatcom County. This was in 2015 and the story has yet to be authenticated.

[clairenatural]

look at you, strawberry blond

destiel, 1.8k. pining, fluff, growing up together, etc! minor character/parental death, vague mention of John’s A+ Parenting. based on the mitski song  (this is a repost because the first one got deleted)

I love everybody because I love you

Castiel first learns what love is when he’s eight years old and Gabriel, sixteen, is grumbling about driving an hour out of his way to find his girlfriend the rare chocolates she likes for Valentine’s day.

“Why?” he asks his older brother, and Gabriel sighs, melodramatic as always.

“That’s love, little bro. Remembering the little things and then putting in the time to make it happen.”

Cas thinks about when he told Dean his parents don’t let him eat candy. He thinks about how Dean has given him half his Kit Kat bar every day for the last year.

He thinks about the time he scraped his knee falling off the jungle gym and Dean spent the rest of recess picking dandelions to make him feel better. Yellow is his favorite color.

“Oh.”

“You’ll understand when you’re older, Cassie. Love is about sacrifice, and commitment--” he goes on, but by the time Michael cuts him off, yelling from his office that you’ve only been dating for two months, Gabriel, stop preaching to Castiel, Cas has already sprinted up the stairs to his bedroom.

A broken piggy bank, $1.50 in pocket change, and several pleas to Gabriel later, and Castiel tucks a king-sized Kit Kat into Dean’s valentine box.

 --------------------------------------

When you stood up, walked away, barefoot

It’s eight years later, one summer in high school, when Castiel realizes that there’s a difference between loving and being in love, and that he is, in fact, in love with his best friend.

He realizes this as he watches Dean walk away, sandals discarded and unnecessary in the soft grass, back to the picnic tables to get them both more fruit punch. It’s the annual junior class picnic, the official welcome to being upperclassmen, and the August sun casts a warm glow over Dean’s freckles, and Castiel knows.

Two seconds later, he watches Dean nearly get hit by an errant frisbee and completely forget his punch mission in lieu of playfully tackling its thrower, Benny Lafitte. He watches Lisa Braden, giggly and glowing and perfect as always, yelp as she’s almost caught in the crossfire, and Dean winks at her as he releases Benny.

He swallows thickly and turns his attention back to the patch of grass they’d been laying in, flattened where Dean had been just a few moments before. He wishes he hadn’t come to this particular realization.

And the grass where you lay left a bed in your shape I looked over it and I ached

--------------------------------------

I love everybody because I love you I don't need the city, and I don't need proof

Castiel goes to college in Chicago and pretends like the two-hour drive between them doesn’t mean anything. And it doesn’t, until Dean’s father gets a job back in Kansas halfway through his freshman year. Dean goes with him even though he’s an adult because the alternative is letting Sam deal with John alone, so Castiel spends most of that summer in Lawrence, dodging both his friends in the big city and his family back in Pontiac. He tells them all that he’s studying Kansas’ role in the Civil War, assisting in research back at the University, but he and Dean spend two months going on road trips with Sam.

His sophomore year John dies and Castiel flies back for the weekend, explaining his sudden departure as a family emergency and getting an extension on two papers. Dean holds his hand at the funeral but won’t look him in the eyes for two hours after, even as he refuses to leave Castiel’s side.

The boys move in with Bobby but that summer Dean shows up in Chicago, explanations lined up about not worrying about Sam anymore and wanting to see what about the city made Cas keep coming back. Castiel gets an internship and pretends like that was the plan all along. He quietly cancels his plane tickets to South Dakota.

All I need, darling, is a life in your shape I picture it, soft, and I ache

--------------------------------------

Reach out the car window, trying to hold the wind You tell me you love her; I give you a grin

Dean stays in Chicago. He moves into Castiel’s empty room when his original roommate moves out, he finds work at an auto shop, and he starts taking mechanic classes at a community college. Castiel isn’t sure why—he doesn’t want to ask. Afraid to look the gift horse in the mouth and risk having his happiness bitten off.

Then Dean starts talking about a girl. Then Castiel meets the girl, Cassie Robinson, and it all makes sense.  

He pretends it doesn’t sting every time Dean brings her up, that the way his face lights up doesn’t burn, that he doesn’t feel physically ill the first time he meets her.

By the time Dean tells him he’s in love, gushing about Cassie in a way eerily reminiscent of Gabriel twelve years earlier, it’s turned into a dull ache that Castiel has mostly contained in the back of his chest. They’re on their way to Cassie’s apartment, the first stop on their way to a cabin spring break of their junior year, and the ache is suddenly threatening to break through his ribcage.

But the sun is warm on his cheek, and the radio is playing a soft summer soundtrack, so Castiel allows Dean’s happiness to wash over him long enough to forget who—or, more importantly, who isn’t—causing it. He grins at his best friend before turning his gaze back out the passenger window of the Impala.

Oh all I ever wanted was a life in your shape So I follow the white lines, follow the white lines, Keep my eyes on the road as I ache

--------------------------------------

Look at you, strawberry blond

Dean and Cassie break up, and Dean drinks for a month, but Castiel getting into Stanford for grad school distracts him just long enough to go back to normal (a normal that does not involve thinking about how Dean nearly kissed him when they were both drunk the night he got his acceptance).

This new normal involves staring graduation in the face, and California beyond that, and moving out of his Chicago apartment somewhere in this middle, which also involves coming to terms with moving away from Dean.

Until Sam gets his own acceptance to Stanford a few months later. Then Dean starts sending him links to two-bedroom apartments, and using “we” when talking about the move, and looks just as confused as Castiel when he asks about it.

“Well, yeah. I mean, with you gone, and now Sam—You thought you were going by yourself?”

And even though Castiel vaguely thinks this is a bad idea, and living with his best friend who he’s been in love with for his entire memory had been hard enough for the two years they’d been doing it, he can’t say no. Because every time he gets up the nerve to say something Dean calls him over and shoves his laptop into Castiel’s face, talking about hiking trails and flower fields and front lawns and dogs, and that quells any doubt he had.

They move to Palo Alto, into a townhouse with a lawn and a communal garden. Dean adopts a golden retriever.

Fields rolling on, I love it when you call my name

--------------------------------------

Can you hear the bumblebees swarm? Watching your arm

Two months into Castiel’s first year of graduate school they have a picnic, taking advantage of the lingering warmth of the California fall. Sam is off in the field playing with Zeppelin, obviously having used the ‘come meet my brother’s dog’ excuse to invite the pretty blonde woman (Jess?) chasing the golden with him. Dean is rambling about Star Trek and Castiel is paying half attention, the majority of his focus on the reading in front of him because professors don’t consider picnics an extension-worthy excuse.

He’s just started to get invested when he hears a yelp and looks up to see Dean Winchester, his best friend, most trusted confidant and the possible love of his life, swatting a bumblebee. Cas gasps, reading forgotten, and lunges across the picnic blanket to grab Dean’s wrist. “Dean.” He chastises, and Dean gives him a look.

“It’s a bee, Cas.”

“It’s a bumblebee, which are essential—”

“To our ecosystem, yeah, but it’s pretty essential to me that it doesn’t sting me.”

“It won’t sting you if you don’t swat at it.”

“You didn’t see the look on it, man. It meant business.”

“Bees are attracted to sugar. You probably just smell good.”

Dean grins. “You calling me sweet, Cas?”

And, well, no. He isn’t. He’s talking about the empty pie tin next to Dean. But the words make him realize just how close they are, how far he’d moved into Dean’s space in his efforts to stop his hand, how the force of the movement had pushed Dean almost back onto his elbows.

He opens his mouth to respond the way he usually does to Dean’s cavalier flirting, but the words don’t leave his mouth—which is, somehow, he swears, closer to Dean’s than it was a second ago. Just as Castiel is preparing to push back, clear his throat, and add this moment onto a growing list of almost-but-not-quite moments stretching back years, Dean sucks in a breath and closes the gap.

Castiel reacts before his brain can fully comprehend what’s going on, bypassing any shock entirely and kissing Dean back immediately. He lets go of his wrist, instead bringing his hand to the side of Dean’s face, stroking his cheekbone with his thumb. Dean pushes himself back up and wraps an arm around Castiel’s waist, pulling him essentially into his lap, and then they’re kissing, and Dean smells like summer and tastes like apple pie, and Castiel suddenly understands more than ever why bees are always buzzing around him.

It feels like a lifetime until it’s over, until they’re just staring at each other and out of breath, both scared to say anything and break the magic they’d accidentally created. The silence is only broken by a shout from across the grass, followed shortly by a tennis ball that nearly misses them, followed by 65 pounds of golden retriever that does not miss them and nearly topples Castiel in his pursuit of the ball. And then Sam comes running after the dog, still shouting—apologies, this time—and then there’s Jess, laughing hysterically, and then Castiel has to scramble out of the way because Zeppelin has made a U-turn, interpreting the whole commotion as a game of keep-away.

Dean meets his eye above the chaos and grins, and the sunlight hits his dirty blonde hair, and it’s so breathtaking Castiel almost forgets to smile back.

I love it when you look my way.

[onechicagorpf]

Not A Stranger - Part 2

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader (Chicago Med intern)

Waking up in bed next to a random naked guy after a drunken night out usually sucks, but eh, whatever. you’ll never see him again, right? Well except this time, random naked guy turns out to be your ED attending’s little brother, so maybe you’re a little bit screwed…

Read Part 1 first here Read Part 3 here Read Part 4 here

Warnings: SMUT. Full-on, R-rated smut! Swearing, the usual cuss words. Dubious medical content, lol, because I don’t know a thing about medicine!

Your knuckles rap against the wooden door.

“C’mon, c’mon,” You whisper under your breath, your right leg shaking restlessly. Your heart feels like its in your throat, and you honestly feel like you’re about to pass out from either excitement or anxiety or both.

There’s soft footsteps on the other side of the door, and your back snaps straight.

Jay opens the door, a smile on his face, but his eyes quickly go wide once he sees you.

You don’t care.

You surge in, reaching out and cupping the back of his head, pulling him to you. You press your lips to his passionately, your other hand fisting his shirt. Jay’s hands land on your waist, the small of your back, and he’s almost tripping backwards by the force of you. In your head, you laugh at the fact that you’ve caught him off-guard, for the first time today.

You push forwards, moving further into the threshold of his apartment, still kissing him, but he stops. He grabs your arms and pulls away from the kiss, and you’re entirely confused.

Jay looks stunned and horrified, and you frown, opening your mouth to ask if you’ve made a mistake when you hear from further inside his apartment –

“Is that the pizza?”

You almost pass out.

Will.

Jay lets go of your arms and the two of you separate, putting a far-more-than-required distance between yourselves.

Jesus fucking Christ! The exact person I was trying to avoid! Does the universe just hate me?! What did I do to piss off God this much?! You’re screaming internally, and you kinda just want to rip your own hair out.

Will comes out of the kitchen, and you almost want to groan because he’s wearing a tee and basketball shorts and honestly, this is not how you want to see your attending. He looks fine, but you just feel like you’re seeing a version of him that you’re not close enough to meet yet, and it’s weird. Almost like this is exactly why the voices of your better angels were screaming at you to not sleep with Jay again?

Oh, and there’s also the fact that you’re really only here to blow his brother’s back out.

“Oh! Y/N?” Will’s brows are furrowed, and he freezes on the spot. “Is everything okay?”

“Uh…well,” You start, but your throat is dry and you’re not even sure what to say and you’re freaking the fuck out and –

“Actually, I invited her over.” Jay jumps in, and you turn to him, eyes wide, but trying to stay calm so you can play along. “We were chatting today at Med and she said she, um, wanted to talk to you and I thought you could…help her.” Jay says looking at Will, who turns back to you, concerned.

“Right, yes. I uh – I just, I keep thinking…about Toby Wilkerson. And his stroke. And about how I was this close to just not saying anything about his symptoms because I wasn’t sure, and he could’ve died.” You manage to get out, and my god do you feel like the worst doctor on the planet right now because the truth is you barely thought about Wilkerson since he got sent up to CT.

“Aw, that sucks. But trust me, every doctor’s been there at some point. Come on, let’s talk.” Kind Will, sweet Will, gestures to the couch and you throw your hands up, vigorously waving him off. “No, no, it’s fine I didn’t realise you guys were doing a thing and I don’t want to interrupt – ”

“Nah, don’t worry about that; we were just going to watch the Hawks game but – hey!” Will says suddenly, and you and Jay both look at him expectantly, immensely confused. “You’re a huge Hawks fan, right?”

Jay turns to you slowly, and you can see him begging you to say no, to just back out. Unfortunately, what he doesn’t know is that on your first day at Med, you came in wearing a Hawks scarf that Will pointed out, so you know there’s no way you’re getting out of this one.

“I…am, yes.” You manage to say without sighing deeply, which you very much want to do. Every second of this feels like divine punishment, perfectly crafted to suit your many transgressions in life.

“Alright, come on, let’s watch the game and then we can chat about Wilkerson during the intermissions.” Reluctantly, you and Jay make your way over to the couch and sit down. Right as the thought that this couldn’t possibly get worse passes in your head, Will obliviously plops down right between the two of you. At this point, you’re just pressing your lips against each other so that you don’t burst out laughing like a maniac at how perfectly ridiculous this all is.

Will leans forward to grab the remote and find the channel showing the Hawks game. You look over at Jay, on the other side. The younger Halstead looks back at you.

His eyes scan every inch of your body, from top to bottom, painfully slow like as if he’s mentally undressing you. Heat coils in your core and you swallow hard. Jay leans back against the couch and adjusts the crotch of his jeans subtly, but you notice. A small smile is on your lips, and you feel daring all of a sudden. Holding eye contact with Jay, you run your tongue over your bottom lip, getting it wet and glossy, before sucking it into your mouth.

“Okay!” Jay gets up suddenly, his voice loud. “I’m gonna – gonna go call the pizza guy and see where he’s at!” He goes straight to the kitchen, grabbing his phone on the way. You hold your laughter in.

“There we go,” Will says as he finds the right channel. “Hey, I’m gonna grab a cup of water, you want anything?” You ask and Will requests a beer.

Slipping into the kitchen, you see Jay’s got his back to you, and his arms are shoulder width apart, bracing the edges of the kitchen sink. His knuckles are ghost white, fingers clenching the sink like he’s trying to put a dent in it.

You line up right behind him, getting on your tip-toes so you can press a soft kiss to the back of his neck. Jay shudders, groaning, and you shush him.

“Keep it down,” You warn in a quiet whisper.

“How the fuck am I supposed to keep it down when you’re – fucking – ” Jay struggles, and you chuckle.

“When I’m what? Doing this?” You snake your right hand to the front of his body, letting your fingers softly – too softly – brush the front of his jeans. Jay bucks backwards into you involuntarily, swearing under his breath. His left hand grabs your wandering fingers and holds them as he struggles to get his breathing to settle.

“Y/N…I can’t – ” You turn him around so he’s facing you, and you can see him, see what you’re doing to him. Jay’s pupils are blown, his face is flushed, he’s sweating, and his brows are furrowed. His chest is rising and falling rapidly, and you place your hand over his sternum.

“Breathe, okay? Breathe. I want you to sit down, get through this hockey game, and once Will’s gone – ”

“Once he’s gone I’m going to fuck your brains out, you understand? Y/N, seriously,” Jay holds your chin, tilting your face up, and leans in, brushing his lips against your ear. “I’m gonna make you come all night long. You’re gonna be screaming my name, all night long. You’ll never want to fuck anyone else again after tonight. I’m going to make you mine, you hear me?” You want to nod, or say yes, but your thoughts are just so far gone you can’t. You suddenly feel Jay’s fingers pinching your right nipple through your shirt, and you can’t help letting out a throaty moan that Jay immediately stifles by sliding his thumb into your mouth. You wrap your lips around his thumb and start sucking fervently, closing your eyes but Jay grabs your jaw and pulls you off.

He’s got the dirtiest smirk on his face, after watching you so desperate for him in your mouth. “Easy babygirl, you’re the one that said we got a game to watch, yeah?” He murmurs, low. You begrudgingly nod.

The doorbell goes off, and Jay slides away from you. “I’ll get that!” He announces, and you take a deep breath, adjusting your clothes, before grabbing a beer from the fridge and heading back to the living room.

Thankfully, the one thing you haven’t lied about today is that you are genuinely a huge Hawks fan, so the game manages to keep your mind off of your…other preoccupations for the most part. It’s actually pretty fun, watching another side of Jay – the little brother who’s always ribbing at Will, who leans all the way forward when the Hawks get a powerplay, who tries to hold a whole pizza slice in his mouth so he can throw his hands in the air when they score.

The goal buzzer is going off obnoxiously, and Chelsea Dagger just starts to play. Jay grabs the pizza right before it slides out of his mouth and you just laugh. Will shakes his head. “Excuse my little brother – I promise our mother taught us manners and how to behave in front of women but he’s hit his head a lot over the years, so.” Will shrugs and Jay retaliates by punching his shoulder. “Can you please try and keep it together in front of my student and colleague, please?”

Jay rolls his eyes. “She’s not just yours.” Your eyes flash dangerously at Jay, who winks at you. Luckily, Will doesn’t spot either reaction, because he’s busy looking down at his phone that’s beeping. “She can be my friend too.” Jay adds.

“Yeah…maybe…” Will trails off, and you see his eyebrows drawn together as he stares at his phone.

“Everything good?” You ask.

Will slowly shakes his head. “Brittany Norwalk? The – ”

“- Peds vs auto that you looked at after lunch?” You interject.

“Yeah, they just tried to take her up for a thoracotomy and she couldn’t take the anesthetic so we’re going to have to go non-surgical…but apparently Lanik’s trying to get her shipped off to Lakeshore so we don’t have to keep a bed filled all night til I get back there tomorrow.” Will scoffs, and you just shake your head.

“No offense, and I know he’s your boss, but Lanik’s a complete dick.”

“Trust me, I’m with you on that.” Will replies, sighing. “So what now?” Jay asks and Will thinks about it for a moment. He turns to you. “You okay with it if we talk about Wilkerson tomorrow?”

Before you can say anything, Jay cuts in. “You’re going to Med? Now?”

Will throws his hands up in the air. “It’s the best course of action; I go down there, I can start the non-surgical procedure now, and frankly I’d rather do it myself because I’ve done it before.”

Jay’s eyes connect with you and you look away immediately. You know what he’s thinking. You also know he’s probably thinking the same thing as you – that there’s a patient whose welfare is on the line, so everything else needs to take a backseat now.

“You want me to come with?” You offer, and Will thinks about it.

“It’s fine, you should get some rest anyway. Wilkerson – ”

“Honestly Will, I feel okay already. I think I just needed to get my mind off of him somehow and – ” you gesture to the TV, where the Hawks have just scored another goal, “hockey and pizza’s done the trick.”

“And surely, the amazing company of yours truly?” Jay asks, leaning back against the couch with his hands behind his head, eyes practically twinkling. Both you and Will just stare at him, before you look at each other. “I’m scared to leave you alone with him.” Will says as he starts to grab his stuff.

“Calm down, I’ll give her back to you tomorrow in one piece.” Jay shoots back – which you highly doubt, by the way – and Will says that he better, before going into the bedroom to change.

There’s just silence, and a huge gap between you and Jay on the couch. Never having been one to be able to sit still for long, you fidget, bring your feet up onto the couch and hugging your knees. Jay doesn’t move at all, his eyes on the TV and it’s starting to unnerve you. What if he’s changed his mind?

Will comes back out, in pants and a proper shirt, and picks up his belongings before bidding his goodbyes and leaving. Once the front door closes, you turn the inside latch, locking it shut.

“So,” You start, shoving your hands in your back pockets as you stare at Jay, standing in the middle of his living room.

“So.” Jay parrots back, arms crossed over his chest. His face is neutral, and you can’t read it at all and it bugs you.

“You kinda talked a big game before.”

Jay shrugs, his green eyes fixed directly on you. “Just givin’ you an out if you’ve changed your mind. I wasn’t kidding about what I said before.” His voice is hoarse, deeper than it was before when it was you and him and Will all having fun. His eyes – they’re still, so fucking green but there’s a change. There’s something dark in them, and the thought of that only excites you.

“Make me scream your name, Jay Halstead.” You say, your voice sultry, and Jay comes undone.

He drops his arms and swiftly crosses the room to you, his hand grabbing your jaw as he crushes your lips with his. The two of you slam into a nearby wall, never separating, as you continue to kiss, stronger, deeper, more desperate. Jay expertly parts your lips with his tongue and you moan into the kiss. Running your hands down his body, you feel the lines of his abs through his thin cotton tee, and you catch the hem of it in your hands. Yanking it up, you and Jay part ways to get it off him completely.

Your eyes graze over the expanse of his body – his chest, his abs, his arms. You spot the little freckles dusted over his body, and you also spot the faint scars here and there, from a lifetime of fighting. You look up, and Jay’s watching you watch him.

Maintaining eye contact, you lean forward and start kissing his chest. Light, soft kisses, but as you travel downward, you increase the pressure of your lips on his skin, gripping his hips for support. Eventually, you’re down on your knees, your mouth right under his navel. Jay makes quick work of his jeans and you yank them down unceremoniously, along with his boxers. Jay’s thick cock bounces up, resting against his stomach. You look up from where you are, and you see Jay’s face – his furrowed brows, his open mouth – and you just smile.

You gently press your lips to the tip of his cock, adding pressure slowly. You lick the slit of his cock and Jay sucks in a sharp breath. His fingers run through your hair, still gentle but you suspect not for long.

You take his cock in your mouth, and you start bobbing up and down. With your right hand, you pump whatever your mouth can’t reach of his shaft, and quickly you get into a rhythm. You make sinful noises around his cock, your hand using whatever saliva is dripping down his cock as lube to stroke the base of his shaft. “Fuck, fuck…baby – ” Jay digs his fingers into your hair, grabbing all of it in his hand. You put your left hand over his, pushing, and he gets the message.

“Are you…sure?” Jay asks, out of breath, and you hum while your lips are still wrapped around his cock. The vibrations must have felt good, because Jay swears and involuntarily bucks into your mouth, and you can taste precum starting to leak from the head of his cock.

Jay grabs your hair, and your head, and slowly starts fucking your mouth. Thankfully, he quickly picks up the pace, and starts thrusting vigorously into your mouth. You gag on his cock, just like you wanted to, and every time his thick cock hits the back of your throat, you eyes tear up, but you fucking love it. Jay pauses when he’s fully in your mouth, letting you feel the massiveness of his cock possess what feels like the entirety of your mouth, before fully pulling out.

You gasp for air, breathing heavily, as saliva dribbles down your chin. Jay runs his thumb across your lips. “You look so good with my cock in your mouth, baby.” 

“I want…I want more…” You whisper, wrapping your lips around the head of his cock once again. “I don’t want to hurt you, Y/N – FUCK!” Jay starts and you cut him off by swiftly deep-throating his cock. “Fuck fuck fuck – fuck!” Jay repeats, grabbing your hair and fucking up into your mouth. You feel him tense up, as he slams his cock in and out of your mouth, and you hear him shout, and he stops, your nose touching the base of his shaft, his cock entirely in your mouth, and you feel hot spurts of cum down your throat. When he finally releases you, his cock is red and wet, glossy all over from your saliva and his cum.

Jay lifts you up and aggressively kisses you. You grab and pull on his hair, and he retaliates by squeezing your ass hard enough that you know there’s going to be bruises tomorrow. You pull apart, and he tosses you on to the couch. He surges forward, and together you two quickly remove all of your clothing as well. He pushes you so you lay down on his couch, and Jay quickly makes himself at home between your thighs.

Keeping your legs spread with his arms, Jay starts by peppering kisses from the back of your knee to your inner thigh on one leg, before switching to the next and starting all over again. You whine, fisting his hair in your hands to try and get him to touch you where you really want him, but Jay's working his plan the way he wants to.

"God, I love the fucking sounds you make." Jay murmurs, looking up at you. Your eyelashes flutter as he softly blows at your clit, and you can hear him smirking.

"C'mon, c'mon," You beg running your fingers through his hair. Your suddenly feel the forceful pressure of a tongue against your clit, and it's so sudden and so hard that you immediately jerk, hips bucking upwards. “Oh!” You shout, and Jay grabs your hips, holds them down, and starts assaulting your clit with his mouth.

"Oh, fuck, yes, yes - please - uhhnnhh ahhh! Fuck - !" You moan, eyes squeezed shut as Jay softly sucks on your clit. You feel his fingers enter you, curling, stretching you out and you groan. With your free hand, you grab your right breast and squeeze yourself. You start getting lightheaded, and you know what's happening.

"I'm gonna...I'm gonna come..." You whisper, and Jay immediately stops what he's doing.

"No, no, no no Jay please please fuck - " You whimper, trying to grab his hair to push his face back between your legs where he's certainly an expert.

He pulls himself up, bracketing you with his arms as he's face to face with you now. Bracing himself on one arm, he uses his right hand to brush away the hair on your face. "Shhh baby, I've got you, yeah? You're mine, and I'm gonna take good care of you."

With his hand around his cock, Jay slowly rubs your opening with the head of his cock. You moan, grabbing his face with your hands, begging him to fuck you. “Say you want me,” Jay’s pupils are so dilated, and he’s breathing heavy.

“I want you, I want you so bad, please, please – ” You whine, and he leans down and presses his lips to yours, soft and gentle. Your kiss is slow, and sweet – Jay runs his tongue over your lips and you almost want to start crying because of how good everything feels. You start feeling pressure between your legs, and you grab Jay’s shoulders to try and shift yourself down to bring his cock up into you. Jay just laughs at your desperation – “I’ve got you, Y/N...easy now,” – and slides his tip into you.

You let out a loud, dragged out moan, your back arching off the couch. “You’re so fucking wet, you’re so fucking wet for me,” Jay groans, sliding his entire cock into you easily. He’s buried to the hilt inside of you, and he starts thrusting gently. So slowly, that you can feel every inch of him against your muscles, your core. You rock back against him, your pussy clenching around his cock with every thrust. “You take me…so good baby…its like your body...was made to get fucked by me,” Jay whispers into your ear, before quickening the pace, harshly slamming his cock into you with every rapid thrust. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh god – ” You whimper, your voice breaking off into a high pitched whine as you throw your head back. Your whole body is bouncing with every of Jay’s thrusts, and you know you’re so close, so close, when Jay suddenly halts his movements.

You’re going to kill him.

“You – fucking – fuck!” You breath, trying to rock yourself on his cock, trying to build up the heat in your core again, but Jay pulls out of you entirely. “Fu – Halstead!” You shout, eyes flashing but the intense look in Jay’s eyes silences you immediately. 

“I’m not letting you cum until you’re screaming my name so loud all of Chicago can hear you, okay?” Jay’s voice is rough, deep and almost threatening, and you swallow hard. Eyelashes fluttering, you nod, your breasts softly bouncing as your chest rises and falls heavily. Jay grabs your arms and turns you over, so that you’re laying on your stomach. He presses his front to your back and moves your hair to the side. His lips roughly lay kisses over the back of you neck, between your shoulder blades, down your spine. You close your eyes, relaxing against his gentle movements. Eventually, his hands grip your hips and pull up, so that you’re on your knees, ass in the air, face pressed against the couch.

You feel the couch dip behind you, and you try to see what he’s doing, but you can’t, not from your angle. The suspense of it just makes everything so much more heated. You feel Jay’s left hand dig in to your left hip, and before you can even process it, you feel his cock thrust roughly into your cunt.

“Oh!” You shout, and Jay’s fingers dig into both your hips, and that’s the only warning you get before he starts pounding his thick cock into you. Obscene noises escape your mouth, and you squeeze your eyes shut as the sound of Jay’s thighs slapping against your ass resonate loudly in the room. You’re not going to be walking straight tomorrow, you know it, but it’s so fucking worth it because this feels so good, so amazing, so hot and it’s what you want and it’s what you need. Tears start spilling out of your eyes as you feel the orgasm you’ve been denied for about an hour now building again, stronger, heavier, deeper, and you start whining, whimpering, mewling.

Jay grabs your arms and lifts you a few inches off the couch, and you almost pass out because this new position gives him all the room he needs and more. Jay’s cock slams right where you need it to, and you feel like he’s fucking rearranging your guts at this point. Jay’s guttural moans are like music to your ears, and you feel your toes start curling, clenching around his thick cock.

“J – Jay, Jay, Jay! I’m coming, I’m com – JAY!” You scream, refusing to let his name part from your lips. Your vision whites out as you go over the edge, your body shuddering and twitching, and your orgasm slams into you so hard you feel like you’ve passed out. Jay slowly pulls out and gently releases your arms. He has to help flip you over because every part of you feels sorely fucked out and jelly-like.

Your eyes stay closed, and you’re drowsy, like you’ve been given every painkiller in the world. You vaguely hear Jay’s voice, and it feels like its in the distance, or as if your head is underwater.

“Hey. Hey,” Jay repeats, and you slowly open your eyes and you see him over you, watching your face with concern in his eyes. “Did I go too hard?” He’s worried, and you just slowly shake your head.

“Y/N, I – ”

You say something so soft Jay can’t make it out. “What is it, Y/N?” He leans closer. You just reach down between the two of you, and wrap your hand around his still erect cock that’s now leaking precum again.

Jay stiffens, but he grabs your hand. “It’s okay, I’m okay, let’s just make sure you’re fine – ” and he shifts to get up, but you stop him. Your eyes are wide open now, and while your head is still spinning, you’re a little more focused than you were 5 minutes ago. You send your right hand downwards, touching yourself and covering your fingers in your wetness. One of your fingers accidentally swipes against your sensitive clit and you twitch sharply, crying out, and Jay’s immediately holding you, worried. 

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” You murmur, and bring your slick hand up, wrapping it around Jay’s cock. Jay settles his forearms on either side of your head, bracketing you, and he presses a soft, chaste kiss to your lips. Smiling against him, you start working his cock, your hand rubbing against his stomach and yours. Jay’s so close already, so it doesn’t take too long before he starts moaning. He dips his head into your neck, swearing under his breath. “Hey, no, I want to see you Jay. Look at me now,” You say, and Jay wordlessly complies, lifting his head back up. You see how absolutely wrecked he looks – brows drawn together, sweat all over his face, and body, breathing like he’s running out of air – and you reach up with your other hand and brush your thumb against his check. “You’re so good Jay, you’re so good, you’re almost there baby,” You encourage him, and he nods. “I’m clo – close, Y/N, I’m so – I’m almost – I – uhn, fuck – I’m so close baby – ” Jay babbles softly, eyes screwed shut. You almost come again, just watching how gone he is. Jay sucks in a sharp breath when you run your thumb over his slit, and then he’s over the edge.

“Oh fuck – fuck, fuck – Y/N, Y/N!” Jay shouts, shooting hot cum over your stomach, your breasts. You press kisses to his neck, letting him settle down and regain his senses as he sags down against you. The both of you are slick with sweat, and half unconscious, so it’s a while before anyone moves or says anything. Eventually, the two of you decide you need to get in the shower, so you do.

The two of you stand under the shower water, and you run your hands over each other’s bodies, cleaning away the messes of Jay’s orgasm. Well, at least you do. Jay’s fingers keep peeling off to thumb your nipples, or squeeze your breasts, and you have to grab his fingers to stop him from being so handsy. He laughs –  a cheeky, I’m-not-sorry-at-all look on his face.

“So,” You start, looking at him.

“So,” Jay repeats, his lips curving into a smile.

“You kept your promise, I’ll say. Made me scream your name, fucked me so hard and so good I think you might have ruined everyone else for me,” You say, and Jay frowns. “Might have?” You just laugh softly, as does Jay, before his face drops the smile. “Seriously, though, are you okay? I went really hard on you – I swear, I didn’t mean to – I don’t know what happened – I just saw you there under me and I just – I lost my mind and you just looked so fucking good and I wanted to – ”

“Shh – Jay, look at me.”

His green eyes connect with yours, and your hearts warms with how full of concern and worry they are.

“I can take it. When it’s from you, I can take it,” You say, and then your heart’s beating like crazy in your chest because that right there? That sounds like its more than just sex. You’re not sure what this is, you’re not even sure if you should be doing this at all – Will’s still his brother and still your attending and having sex with Jay already screws stuff up but something more than sex? 

That’s just a recipe for disaster, right?

Thankfully, Jay doesn’t seem to realise that you’re starting to panic, and he just leans in, and holds your face in his hands as he kisses you softly. You relax, Jay’s lips moving against yours, with yours, in a delicate dance that has you forgetting all your worries and feeling safe and comfortable.

***

A/N: Thanks for reading! I do have ideas for a part 3, but I’ve also kinda left it so that this can be the end of this series, so I’m probably not continuing it unless y’all want me to! If you want to see part 3, please leave comments saying so! Thanks :)

[noladyme]

The Crown Princess of Charming - Part 1

Welcome to Charming - its name says it all. Cat needed a fresh start; and though she hadn’t planned on that being in the arms of the crown prince of this little town’s bikerclub - that was what happened. This Charming CA would either be the death of her - or a whole new life. 

This story is obviously non-canon. It will include characters from multiple seasons; some of them having never met on the show. In this universe, Tara didn’t come back from Chicago. I’ve done this to get the story I wanted.

I’ve also decided to give the protagonist a name in this story. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it.

1

“Move, you goddamn piece of shit!”. My car had stalled just a few yards before a sign that read Welcome to Charming – our name says it all. So far it hadn’t been very charming at all. Multiple cars were passing me and blaring their horns. “Do you think I just decided to park here?”, I yelled at a white Honda, with a blonde behind the wheel. She gave me the finger in response. “Shit!”.

I heard a roar of engines behind me; and a leather clad man on a motorbike pulled up next to my window. “You found a hell of a place to break down, luv’”, he said, with a Scottish drawl. “Yeah, thanks. I hadn’t noticed”, I sneered. “Pardon me, I was just stating facts”, he smirked. I frowned. “Sorry. I’ve just had a long ass drive”, I mumbled. “Mind if we take a look at it?”, he asked. I gestured for him to go ahead; and stepped out of the tired, beat up car; that had been my home for the last 4 days – driving from Chicago, to my new home in the town I’d chosen by its name alone. Charming.

I needed something charming at this point in my life – the last few years having been chaos – so I’d thrown everything to the wind; and had basically run away from the city, when I’d applied for, and been offered a job at Charming Middle School.

Behind my car, two more mc’s were parked – one of them a tall bearded man who sent me a friendly smile; and the other a blonde, lean guy, wearing a white t-shirt and white sneakers. Interesting choice for riding a motorcycle, I thought. All three men had the same patch on their backs – a skull-headed reaper. The writing said Sons of Anarchy – California.

The scot had opened my hood, and was looking into the steaming entrails of my car. He let out a long whistle. “When was the last time you checked our oil, luv’?”. I decided to ignore his choice of nickname for me. “I have no idea. I just bought it a week ago; haven’t really done anything but drive it”. He smiled and shook his head. “Jackie!”, he called. The blonde man looked up; and took of his sunglasses – revealing a pair of piercing baby blues. “We’re gonna need the tow-truck”.

The blonde got off his bike, and joined the scot at the front of the car. “Shit”. He drew out the word, ending it with a full-on laugh. “Darlin’, you’ve killed it”. I sighed. “Great…”. “Were you going far?”, he asked. “Charming was my destination; but I didn’t even make it past the sign”. I ran my hand through my hair. “Shit!”.

Blonde guy called out to the bearded biker. “Ope! Call TM. Get Rat out here with the tow”. “We can’t leave her here, on the side of the road”, the third man answered. Blondie chewed his lip. “You up for a ride?”, he asked me. I was caught off guard. “What?”, I asked. “We’ll get your car back to our shop. You can wait there for it; and figure out your next step”. I shrugged. “Yeah, why the hell not”.

Blondie walked up to me and stuck out his hand. “I’m Jackson. Scottie here is Chibs; and the kind man calling a tow-truck for you, is Opie”. I took his hand and shook it. His grab on mine was firm, but gentle. “I’m Cat”, I said cautiously. He smiled brightly at me; a glint to his eyes that made me blush slightly. “Welcome to Charming”, he said. “Now, come on”.

He handed me his own helmet; and got on his bike; patting the seat behind him. I grabbed my purse from the front seat; leaving my keys on the left front wheel. Welcome to Charming, indeed, I thought, and got on Jacksons bike with him, looking for something to grab on to “You’re gonna have to hold on to me, Cat”, Jackson smirked. I put my hands on his waist – noticing his firm and muscular frame – and he started up the bike. The force of the engine between my legs made me jump a little; and I heard Jackson chuckle in front of me. “Don’t worry, I got you”. He revved the engine, and we rode in to town.

—

We drove into a big lot about 10 minutes later. I noticed a large amount of motorcycles; and more bikers clad in leather. They all wore the same patch as the three men I’d just met – though some said Nevada. There were two large buildings; one was an auto shop – Teller Morrow – and the other seemed to be some sort of a clubhouse.

Jackson halted his bike at the end of the line of motorcycles; seemingly a spot reserved for him. I climbed off, almost stumbling; and he grabbed my hand to steady me. “You good?”, he asked. I nodded.

A tall middle-aged woman, with an amazing rack, came out of the office of the auto shop. “Jax; Clays been looking for you”, she said. Jackson smirked, and backed his bike into his spot. “What else is new?”, he said. The woman kissed his cheek. “I’m picking up the kid in a few. You need anything at home?”. “Milk. And coffee”, Jackson answered. He looked towards me. “Ma; this is Cat. Her car stalled just by the edge of town”. The woman looked at me; her eyes enquiring, but mostly friendly. “The one Rat and Juice went out for?”. Jackson nodded.

She shook my hand. “Gemma Teller”, she said. “Cat Rose”, I smiled. “You’re the new teacher down at the middle-school”, she said – more a statement than a question. I nodded. “Yeah, I am. How’d you know?”. “Gem knows everything”, the biker named Chibs said; and kissed Gemma’s cheek. “Hi, mom”.

I chuckled. “You seem a little too young to be his mom”. “Around here, I’m everyone’s mom”, she answered. “Though my only biological kid, is the cheeky blonde you rode bitch with”. I took that as meaning Jax was her son. The cheeky blonde sent me a smile. “Gemma will take care of you from here on”, he said. “See you around, teach’”. I smiled in return; and Jackson walked towards the clubhouse.

I followed Gemma into her office. “What’s the Sons of Anarchy?”, I asked. “Sweetheart, stick around long enough, you’ll find out”, she said. “Coffee?”. “Yeah, thanks”, I smiled.

I didn’t see any of my new biker friends the rest of the day; as my car arrived not long after we did. A mohawked Latino named Juice, of all things; informed me that my cooler was shot; and I needed a completely new starter. None of this made any sense to me; as I didn’t know anything about engines – but looking at the costs of repairs needed to have the vehicle function again; I decided to sell it for scrap.

“Too bad, honey”, Gemma said. “I had one of those as a teenager”. “You wanna buy it?”, I grinned. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in it”, she answered, and lit a cigarette; offering me one. I accepted. “Juice; is Tig still selling his old chevy?”. “Yeah, he hasn’t gotten a buyer yet. I think it’s ‘cuz it smells like wet dog”. I shook my head. “I won’t be able to afford it; with or without the smell”. Gemma winked at me. “I’ll get a you a good deal; and you can make payments”. I smiled. “I’m gonna like this town”. “We all do”, she smiled back.

—

Gemma gave me a ride to the motel I was going to stay at, until I found a new place. I got my four boxes and two suitcases out of her trunk and backseat; thanking her for all her help. “It’s me who should be thanking you. The school had been looking for a good arts teacher for over a year”. “I’m taking over 6’th and 7’th grade English as well”, I said. She laughed. “Mrs. Bloom finally decided to retire, huh?”, she said. “She taught both me and Jackson”. “Wow…”, I grimaced. “I’m not that old”, she said. “That’s not…”, I began. “Just pulling your leg sweetheart”, she smiled. “See you around”. She drove off, and left me to settle in to my new temporary home.

I spent the evening scanning the newspaper for cheap rentals. Money was scarce; but I knew the motel needed to be short term – especially after noticing the thin walls inability to hide the sounds of my neighbors having kinky sex. Some woman kept screaming Yes, Daddy!; making it difficult to concentrate on my apartment-hunting .

In the evening; after ordering a pizza; I decided to take a shower. I let the water run for a bit; before stepping in – trying to ignore the metallic smell of it. Washing 4 days of roadtripping off my body; I finally felt clean enough to face my new situation.

I’d left Chicago in a hurry; leaving my furniture, and only bringing my most cherished belongings. I wanted to get as far away from the city as possible; but a ticket to Hawaii was out of the question on my teachers’ salary – and I wasn’t ready to go back to dancing at clubs. Most of my last cash had been spent on the now dead Ford; that I’d sold for scrap through TM.

Chicago wasn’t my home town; but I’d thought it was the place for me. I’d been proven wrong, when a relationship had gone wrong. Very wrong. I’d needed to get away from the guy in question; as his possessive nature throughout our relationship had ended up scaring me. Trying to get a restraining order hadn’t worked due to his own contacts within the court-system. I wanted a new life. Maybe Charming could be the base for that.

Stepping out of the shower; I wrapped myself in a towel. There was a knock on the door, and I went to open it. Outside stood Jackson; a grin the size of the county on his handsome face. “You’re not pizza…”, I said. “Not the last time I checked”, he chuckled. “You left behind some paperwork at TM”. I looked down at my lack of clothing. “I should get dressed”, I smiled. “Come on in. Sorry about the mess”. He stepped inside. “It’s fine, darlin’. You should see my place”.

I grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms, and a tank top from an open suitcase; and went into the bathroom. “Do you usually order pizza in just a towel?”, he called after me. “Only if the delivery-guy is really cute”, I called back. Shit… now you’re flirting with the biker. Good one, Cat. “I’ll have to change professions”, I heard him mutter.

I stepped back into the room, fully dressed. “What’s the paperwork?”, I asked. He handed me an envelope. “Just a signoff for the scrapping of the car”, he said. “It’s too bad. My mom had one of those back in the day”. “She told me”, I smiled. “Coffee?” He smiled. “Nah, sorry, I gotta run again”. “Too bad”, I said. Dammit! Stop, you idiot.

He chuckled. “It’s good to have some fresh blood in town. I hear you’re starting at the school. You’ll be teaching one of Opie’s kids. Ellie – sweet kid”. I signed the papers he’d handed me, and gave them back. “I’ll remember to give her good grades”, I said. “Yeah…”, he answered sadly. “She’s been through it. Her and Kenny both. Their mom died a year back”. “I’m sorry to hear that”, I answered earnestly. “Donna was a good mom. And a good old lady”, he said. “What’s that?”, I asked. “An old lady? Shit, you are new in town”, he smirked. I shrugged. “Just not used to biker lingo”, I winked. “I’ll have to get you used to it, then…”, he said with a smile. I chewed my lip, a rush of heat going through my body.

He remembered himself. “The car – the one you’re buying”, he said. “Tig will be down at the shop tomorrow night. You can pick up the keys then”. I exhaled; trying to calm down my budding crush on the gorgeous man in front of me. “Thanks. I’ll be there. 7 pm good?”. “We should be done with church by then”, he said. “Tomorrow’s not Sunday”, I answered. He chuckled. “Not that kind of church”. I narrowed my eyes playfully. “Biker lingo…”, I said. “Biker lingo”, he smirked.

We stood there for a while, both unsure what to say; before Jax broke the silence. “Tomorrow; it’s Gemma’s birthday. There’s gonna be a party at the clubhouse”, he said cautiously. “If you wanna stick around for a while…”. “Maybe”, I smiled.

“Yes Daddy! Slap that ass!”, we heard from next door. We both laughed. “If I’m not mistaken; Tig might be right next door. But it’s probably not a good time to disturb him”, Jackson said. “I’ll wait”, I agreed. “See you tomorrow?”. “I’m looking forward to it”, Jackson winked; and walked out the door; giving me a final grin; before closing it behind him.

Cat. You can’t have sex with the biker, I told myself. But the warm sensation streaming though me, told me I’d probably have a problem sticking to that, if I had the opportunity.

—

The next day I slept in; enjoying the feeling of being in an actual bed for the first time in days. I did some light shopping for groceries – the fridge in my motel room not being very big. The people I met seemed friendly enough, though a bit standoffish. I figured it was because I was new in town.

Walking back towards the motel; a group of bikers rode by – one of them being Opie. He lifted a hand in a wave at me. I noticed that the bikes were ridden almost in a procession; with a leader in front; and everyone else keeping to their assigned position in the group. It was led by a grey-haired man with a prominent jaw. He looked at me, and nodded. I nodded back.

Back in my room, I had a light lunch; and decided to figure out what the hell one wore for a birthday party at a biker club. I figured some skinny jeans and an off the shoulder, black t-shirt would have to do. Putting on my favorite necklace – a silvery hand with an eye in the middle; a Hamsa symbol – I let my hair hang lose; and put on a little makeup. Black cat eye; and red lips. It usually did the trick. You’re actually dressing up for the biker now, I smirked at myself.

I was early; so, I tracked down a coffee shop to sit and read a book. My shoulder bag usually had at least one volume in it. This week, it was American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. I was completely concentrated on my book; when suddenly Chibs and a large curly haired man stepped in to the shop. “Well, look who we have here!”, Chibs smiled. “Bobby, this is the young lady who killed her car just outside town”. I grinned. “Thanks”, I said. “I needed a reminder of my bad mechanic skills”. “I aim to serve, madam”, the scot grinned. Bobby stuck out his hand. “Welcome to town, my lady”, he said; and kissed my hand chivalrously. “Careful Bob. VP’s got his eye on this one”, Chibs said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”, I asked. “Don’t worry about it”, Bobby grinned.

I took a sip of my coffee, and shook my head. “What are you doing here?”. “Coffee run for church. It was a long night”, Chibs winked. The man behind the counter handed over some coffees to Bobby; who pulled out his wallet. “Your money’s no good here”, the barista said. Bobby nodded. “How’s your mom?”, he asked. “Much better, thanks”, the man answered and smiled. “I’ll pay you back”. “We know you’re good for it, Gary”, Chibs said. He looked at me. “See you later?”. I nodded.

The bikers left the shop; and drove off towards TM. The barista walked up to me with my check. “Welcome to town”, he said warily. “Look… Samcro; they’re a part of this town; and they do a lot of good. But they’re in to some pretty bad stuff as well. Be careful”. He didn’t wait for an answer; but just went back behind his register. I frowned, and tried to wrap my head around his words. I paid Gary, and left the shop myself.

I decided to do some light sightseeing. It was Saturday; so most of the small shops closed early; but I made my way to the middle-school that would be my new place of work the coming Monday. The trek was a bit longer than I’d anticipated; so I was glad that I had a newish car set up for me. The building wasn’t large, but I figured it was large enough for the amount of kids in the area. The look of it gave me some peace of mind. It would be an easy start, I thought. And I was looking forward to it.

—

Walking back towards TM, I stopped by a florist who was closing up. I got a nice bouquet for Gemma, and walked into the auto-shop lot. The place was bustling with people. At least 20 bikes were parked in the lot; and everywhere people were shaking hands, and grabbing wrapped presents out of their cars. The men were all clad in leather; except for a man in a sheriff’s uniform; and the women were mostly wearing miniskirts and dresses – their boobs on display as much as possible.

I didn’t recognize any faces, and felt a bit anxious, before someone grabbed my shoulder. “Hey, darlin’”, Jax was beaming at me. He leant in and kissed my cheek; his stubble and short beard scratching my chin in a delicious way. “I’m glad you made it!”. “Yeah, me too”, I smiled. He took my hand, holding it confidently. “Come on. I’ll introduce you”.

We walked in to the clubhouse. It smelled like motor oil and whiskey, and the air was heavy with smoke. It should have put me off; but I was enjoying it. It reminded me of my former profession as a  dancer, and the kind of trouble I’d gotten in to then. Jackson let go of my hand, and put his own on my lower back, leading me to the bar counter. “You remember Opie”, he said; gesturing at the tall bearded man. With his helmet off, he was now wearing a hoodie, and had a beautiful blonde on his arm. Opie shook my hand and smiled at me friendlily. “This is Lyla”, he said softly, and gestured at the woman. “Nice to meet you”, she smiled. I thought I recognized her face from somewhere, but I couldn’t make the connection. “Cat”, I smiled, and shook her hand.

Jax led me on. “Chibs and Juice, you know as well; and I’m told you already met Bobby”. The men both nodded at me. “Then there’s Happy…”. A tall menacing man sent me a warm smile. “Piney; Opies dad”; Jackson said, gesturing at an elderly man with an oxygen tank hanging from his shoulder. Jackson looked at a scrawny looking guy, and a tall heavy man standing next to him. “Those are the prospects. They don’t matter”. I scrunched my brows at him. “Trust me”, he chuckled.

We walked towards a dark-skinned, kind looking woman, holding a beautiful baby in her arms. “Hey Neeta”, Jax smiled, and took the baby from her; holding it to his chest. His face was glowing with pride. “And this is my boy. Abel”. I let the baby hold my finger, and smiled at his chubby face. “Hi, Abel”. Jacksons eyes met mine; gleaming. “Is… his mom…”, I tried – fearing the answer. “Not around”, Jax answered. “It’s better that way”, he said meaningfully. I nodded. It wasn’t the time.

Abel started fussing. Jax took a baby-blanket from a diaper-bag on a table. “Did you bring…?”, Jax said, before Neeta handed him a bottle. Jax smiled warmly in thank you. He put the bottle to Abel’s mouth. “Here you go, little dude”. He bounced the baby up and down softly. “You’re good at that”, I smiled. “My mom would have my ass, if I wasn’t”, he grinned. “Besides, he’s my little man”. I stroked a finger over the baby’s forehead. “He’s perfect”. Jax looked at me proudly. “Yeah”, he smiled.

I looked around. “Where is your mom, by the way?”. “Shit, yeah”, he said, looking at the watch on his wrist. Jackson kissed the top of Abel’s head, and handed the bottle back to Neeta. “Gemma and Clay will be here in 5”, he called into the room. “She doesn’t know why she’s here. So quiet the hell up!”. There was a rumbling of an engine outside. “Shit, they’re early!”, Bobby said. “Turn off the lights!”.

Someone hit the lights; and about ten seconds later the door opened. “Goddammit, Clay”, Gemma grumbled, as she walked in. “You promised to take me to dinner, you jerk!”.

“Surprise!”, everyone yelled; and the lights turned on again. Gemma stood, mouth agape; flanked by the grey-haired man I’d seen on the road earlier; and a black-haired man with piercing eyes, I figured was Tig. “Oh my God!”, Gemma cried out. “You assholes!”. She laughed, and began hugging the people around her. Jackson walked up to his mom; and embraced her warmly; Abel still in his arms. Gemma kissed first Jackson; and then the baby, taking him from Jax’s arms. “You guys are dicks”, she said; happy tears in her eyes. The grey-haired man – Clay – put his arm around her waist, and kissed her warmly. “Happy birthday, baby”, he said. “At least you remembered it this year”, Gemma pouted playfully at him.

She looked towards me, a sense of wonder in her eyes. I smiled, and mouthed happy birthday. She mouthed me a thank you in response; followed by a warm smile. For a second her eyes shifted from me to Jackson, and she narrowed her eyes at him; whispering something in his ear. He laughed in response, and looked at me, biting his lip. He nodded at his mom, and walked back to me.

“Do you want a drink?”, he asked. “Please”, I said, smiling nervously. “Don’t worry, babe, you’re here with me”. I laughed. “Maybe that’s why I’m worried”. He winked at me. “In that case, you should be worried. Word around the street is, I’m dangerous”. He kissed my cheek again, and put his arm around me. “Rat, get this lady a beer”. The scrawny prospect handed over a cold bottle, and I took a welcome sip of it.

Opie joined us. “You’re teaching my kid this year”, he said. “Yeah, Jackson told me”, I answered. The tall man looked a bit uncomfortable. “She’s been having some issues… It’s been messing with her schoolwork”. I smiled comfortingly. “Don’t worry, I won’t be a hard-ass”, I said. Opie smiled softly. “Thanks”, he muttered.

Jax looked at his friend. “I told Cat about Donna”, he said. Opie nodded and met my eyes. “So you get it”, he said. “I do”, I said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help”. Opies expression warmed. “Thanks”, he said. “Cheers”, he said, raising his bottle at me. We clinked our beers, and both took a sip.

Opie looked meaningfully at Jax. “We got that thing, brother”, he muttered. Jackson frowned slightly, and looked at me. “I need to do some business”, he said, and put a strand of hair behind my ear. “Be back in a bit”. He walked off with Opie, leaving me to sit on a stool by the bar.

The black-haired man walked up next to me. “I hear you’re in need of a car”, he said, accepting a beer from the larger prospect. “I’m Tig”. “Cat”, I answered. “I know”, he winked at me. “It’s a piece of shit old chevy, but it’s better than the one you came to town in”. “Anything is better than that”, I laughed. He handed me a set of keys. “80 a month for a year work for you?”, he said. “That’s cheap”, I said, frowning slightly. “We take care of our own”, Tig said, and patted my shoulder. “By the way; if you get sick of the VP, let me know”, he smirked. I laughed again. “Sure, Daddy”, I grinned. “So the was you, next door”, he chuckled. I shrugged, and nodded.

Juice stepped up to stand on the other side of me. “Hey”, he said, giving me a crooked smile, and a lifted brow. Tig tapped him over the head. “Hands of, Juicy!”, he said. “Jax territory”. The young biker took a step away from me. “Sorry”, he laughed nervously. I shook my head, laughing. “This place is weird”, I said. “Welcome to town”, Tig said; and clinked his bottle to mine, taking a sip of beer. I joined him in the drink. We took a shot of whiskey together, before Tig’s attention went to a busty brunette in the corner. “Excuse me”, he muttered; and sauntered off, leaving me alone again.

I decided to look for a friendly face in the crowd, being a bit uncomfortable on my own. Jax hadn’t come back for his business yet, and I was worried he’d leave me alone all night. Lyla was standing with another woman, looking like they were gossiping about something. She caught my eye and waved me over. “How are you holding up?”, she asked. The other woman walked off; climbing on to Happy’s lap, where he was sitting on a couch. “Uhm…”, I began. “I just got in to town, and I’m already having drinks with the local biker gang. I’d say I’m a little out of my comfort zone”. She smiled friendlily at me. “You’ve already bagged the vice president. You’re doing just fine”, she said. “I haven’t bagged anyone”, I smiled. “He’s known you for 2 days, and already invited you to his mom’s birthday. I’d say you’re a bit more than some crow-eater”, Lyla responded.

I took another sip of my beer. “What’s a crow-eater?”. Lyla chuckled. “Ok, quick lowdown on the women in the club”, she began. “Most of the women in here, are what we call crow-eaters. They hang around the club, make the men feel good about themselves… you know”. “An easy lay”, I muttered. “Yeah”, Lyla smiled. “Some of us are what you’d call old ladies. We’re the ones who have locked our men down. See this…”. She showed me a tattoo of a flying crow on her shoulder. “This means no one but Opie touches me”. “Doesn’t it feel weird to be… marked, like that?”. I grimaced. “Sorry… I didn’t mean…”. “Don’t worry about it, honey. I get it”, Lyla responded. “This is just my way of showing everyone around me that I belong to Opie; but also, that Opie belongs to me”.

She smiled, and took my hand, squeezing it. “You seem nice, so I’ll let you in on a secret. This life… it’s not easy; but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love Opie – and his kids. He takes care of me and my boy”. She looked at me meaningfully. “But if you’re unsure about whether this is your idea of a good life; you should walk away. I mean that in the nicest way. Please don’t take it as anything else”. I gave her a crooked smile. “I’ll take it a day at a time”. She nodded.

A hand grabbed mine. Jax was standing next to me. “Hey”, he said softly. “Come say hi to my mom”. I followed him over to Gemma. “Hey sweetheart”, she said. “Thanks for the flowers. They’re beautiful”. “You’re welcome”, I smiled. “This is my husband, Clay”, she said, and the man at her side shook my hand. His eyes were deep and menacing; and I was unsure whether to be afraid of him or respect him. “Welcome to town, teach’”, he said. “Thanks. It’s been good so far”. Clay nodded at me, and looked at Jax. “Did you finish that business?”. Jackson clenched his jaw. “It’s done”, he said. “I made the call”. “Good”, Clay said. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t blow back on us”.

Gemma patted his chest. “No club business on my birthday, baby”. Clay smiled at his wife, and kissed her again. “Yes, ma’am”, he muttered. Gemma looked at Jax. “Do you need me to take the baby tonight?”. Jax looked at me, and then back at his mom. “Would you?”. “You know I love taking him”, she smiled. “Make it my birthday present”. Jackson chuckled. “Shit, I’ll take back the diamond necklace then”, he said. He took my hand. “Come on, let’s find somewhere quiet”. My breath hitched, and I followed him out of the clubhouse.

We sat down by a picnic table just outside the door. Jax had brought us a pair of freshly opened beers. “You doing ok?”, he asked earnestly. “Yeah”, I smiled. “Just … a bit out of my element”. He bit his lip and looked at me enquiringly. “What element is that?”, he asked. “I dunno… I usually don’t go to mc-parties”. He chuckled, and took my hand. “I’m glad you’re here”. “You don’t even know me”, I said quietly.

He sighed. “Tell me, then”. “What do you want to know?”, I smiled nervously. “Whatever you want to share”, he shrugged. “Why?”, I asked. He looked at me with a genuine warmth. “Because I’ve been thinking about you ever since you wrapped these hands around my waist, and it sent chills down my spine”. He took my other hand, linking his fingers with mine. “Where did you come from?”.

I didn’t know how much to tell him. I was still mentally sore from my ordeal with the guy in Chicago – but his serious expression made me trust him. “Chicago”, I said. “I was a teacher there as well. It didn’t work out…”. “Why?”. I sighed. “The city can wear a girl down”, I smiled theatrically. “And there was… a guy. He didn’t know how to take no for an answer”. Jacksons jaw clenched. “What’d he do to you?”, he almost growled “At first he was fine. We had a few dates, before he suddenly proclaimed his love for me”. “You didn’t feel the same way?”, Jax asked. “No. I mean; back then, he was friendly, had a steady job… He saw himself as a catch; and I guess he was. But I just didn’t care about him like that. He was… possessive. I tried to call it off, but he acted like I’d never said anything, and continued dropping by at my school; sending me flowers; and showing up at my apartment at all hours of the day”. Jackson bit his lip. “Sorry… I guess you’re off men for a while”, he said, and met my eyes again. I smiled. “No. Just him”. “Good to know”, he muttered. “But why didn’t you get a restraining order?”.

I sighed again. “I tried… he has connections. When he didn’t like my way of handling things, he let the word spread in the school council that I had an issue with drugs”. Jax shook his head angrily. “Asshole”. “Yeah”, I agreed. “I managed to get the drug accusations of my record – but it was too late, and I was fired”. “So you came to Charming”. I nodded. “I looked at names of towns on the west coast; and Charming seemed promising”, I smiled. “There was an opening as a teacher the elementary school; so I applied – and they must have been desperate, ‘cuz they gave me the position with just a phone interview”.

He squeezed my hands again. “I’m glad you’re here”. “Me too”, I muttered.

Jax put his hand on my cheek, and stroked my temple. “So if you’re not off men… mind if I give it a shot?”. I bit my lip, trying to stifle a smile, and shook my head.

He leant in, and stroked his nose against mine. Our lips brushed each other for a second; and he kissed me. I parted my lips slightly, and the tip of his tongue met mine. He put his hand on my lower back, pulling me closer to him. He smelled like leather and some musky cologne; a warm smell that fit him perfectly – and his kiss tasted like the beer he’d been drinking, and mint chewing gum.

He exhaled deeply and pulled back a bit. “Do you want to get out of here?”, he asked softly. My body was screaming yes, but I was desperately trying to control myself. “Jax… I just moved into town. We’ve known each other for 5 minutes… I don’t think…”. “I get it”, he smiled. “I’m not expecting you to jump in to bed with me. But I do want to see you again”. “I’d like that”, I smiled.

Our lips met again. “You taste like… pancakes”, he smiled. “Is that good?”, I smiled. “It’s perfect”, he said against my lips, kissing me deeply one more time.

The door opened, and Juice stepped outside with a ginger girl. “Shit, sorry”, he smiled. “It’s fine, Juice, the table is yours. Just clean it up afterwards”, Jackson smiled. “Come on”, he said to me, pulling me with him.

“I think it’s time for me to go home”, I said softly. He looked at me with a kind smile. “You want a ride?”. I jingled the keys in my pocket. “I got a new car; remember?”. Jax groaned. “Shit; I would have loved to have these legs wrapped around me, in one way or another”. He slid a hand over my thigh; squeezing them gently.

Juice looked impatient; and Jax took my hand – leading me over to a black, classic looking Chevrolet. “Wow…”, I said. “I popped an air freshener in there for you. It had a pretty gnarly smell”, Jax chuckled. “Thanks”, I smiled, and looked at him warmly.

Getting into the car – immediately thanking Jax an extra time for the air freshener; as it was needed – I rolled down the window. “Thanks for inviting me”, I smiled at the blonde man. Jax took the hand I had resting in the window-opening, and squeezed it – winking at me. His face suddenly dropped. “Shit, Cat. I didn’t get your number…”. I grinned, and rattled of my digits, and he punched the number into a flip phone from his pocket. Who uses flip phones anymore?

Jax leant in, and planted a final soft kiss against my lips. “Bye”, he whispered, and bit his lower lip. I smiled and started up the engine. My new car purred, and I had a wide smile on my face, as I left the lot – sending a final look towards the picnic table, where Juice was face deep in the red-haired girls cleavage.

Welcome to Charming, I grinned to myself, and drove off.

—

Tag-list: (let me know if you want on it)

@wolf-lover-bookdragon

@wonderlandfandomkingdom​

[arcanemoody]

It's 11am.

I’m in Chicago.

I’m drinking cold brew with coconut milk.

Communication necklace: red (dead battery).

I hit snooze twice on my alarm. Got up in a daze and put my clothes on almost on auto-pilot. The winter storm meant Rocket was asked to work from home today -- no such luck for a university in downtown Chicago. We didn’t even close for the last blizzard.

I brushed my teeth, took my meds, swabbed my scar tissue, walked to the train station in the middle of a winter storm that left me soaked with melted snow by the time I sat down on the train. 

Anxiety symptoms are moderate to severe today: sound sensitivity is particularly bad and the office is really loud today. No itches or constriction or overheating. I haven’t picked or chewed my nails today. Body dysmorphia is not being a bigger pain than usual (but I wouldn’t call it good). I realized I forgot to post this week’s assignment for my research methods course and that makes me want to cry. I sent an email to the professor and I asked to set up a Zoom appointment to discuss data collection processes for my project. Hopefully that shows I’m engaged with the material and my misstep was an anomaly. 

Things I feel positive about today (even though it’s hard): my outfit (black zip hoodie, striped tank, black maxi skirt, grey peshtemal, gaiter boots). Crochet. I brought two lebkuchen wrapped in foil for breakfast this morning. After my presentation tonight, I don’t have to worry about it anymore. I sat in my boss’ office and talked about anxiety with him for a while -- which helped a lot. I bought a sticker sheet of DC Comics “puffy” stickers from the comic shop for 99 cents last week. I’m canceling my tutoring appointment today and giving myself my full lunch hour to decompress.

[thegreeleytheo]

Wrapping up the Chicago Auto Show

Did you know that the Chicago Auto show is the biggest auto show in the US!  It is also the longest running; this year marked the 110th Auto show.  More than 1000 Vehicles take up 1 million square feet in this huge show.  The Chicago Auto Show is also a great fundraiser for various charities.  They have raised over $48 Million in the last 30 years.

One of the best aspects of the Auto Show is the concept cars. The Manufacturers take consumers wants and needs into account when creating the concept vehicles.  Many of these vehicles are environmentally friendly and featuring ways to conserve energy.  They are designing the vehicles with sleek designs and are using a great deal of white in the interior.  This often is a huge contrast with the darker color that is used in the interior.  Here are the new concept vehicles that were featured at the Chicago Auto Show:

CADILLAC ESCALA INFINITI Q INSPIRATION LEXUS LF -1 MITSUBISHI RE-MODEL A TOYOTA FT-4X

Now, if you aren’t into concept vehicles, here are some of my favorite vehicles presented at the Auto Show:

 50th Anniversary Subaru vehicles.  A whole line of Subaru’s in heritage blue.  They will release a new model for each Subaru on the market in the Spring of 2018

 The 2019 Ford Ranger- Ford is bringing it back!  It is a great midsize truck! https://www.chicagoautoshow.com/vehicles-on-display/2019/ford/ranger/

2019 Infiniti QX50- What a sharp SUV crossover: https://www.chicagoautoshow.com/vehicles-on-display/2019/infiniti/qx50/

If you would like more information on the Chicago Auto Show, please visit their website at: https://www.chicagoautoshow.com/

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Let’s block ads! (Why?)

[bigenthusiaststarlight]

Wrapping up the Chicago Auto Show

Did you know that the Chicago Auto show is the biggest auto show in the US!  It is also the longest running; this year marked the 110th Auto show.  More than 1000 Vehicles take up 1 million square feet in this huge show.  The Chicago Auto Show is also a great fundraiser for various charities.  They have raised over $48 Million in the last 30 years.

One of the best aspects of the Auto Show is the concept cars. The Manufacturers take consumers wants and needs into account when creating the concept vehicles.  Many of these vehicles are environmentally friendly and featuring ways to conserve energy.  They are designing the vehicles with sleek designs and are using a great deal of white in the interior.  This often is a huge contrast with the darker color that is used in the interior.  Here are the new concept vehicles that were featured at the Chicago Auto Show:

CADILLAC ESCALA INFINITI Q INSPIRATION LEXUS LF -1 MITSUBISHI RE-MODEL A TOYOTA FT-4X

Now, if you aren’t into concept vehicles, here are some of my favorite vehicles presented at the Auto Show:

 50th Anniversary Subaru vehicles.  A whole line of Subaru’s in heritage blue.  They will release a new model for each Subaru on the market in the Spring of 2018

 The 2019 Ford Ranger- Ford is bringing it back!  It is a great midsize truck! https://www.chicagoautoshow.com/vehicles-on-display/2019/ford/ranger/

2019 Infiniti QX50- What a sharp SUV crossover: https://www.chicagoautoshow.com/vehicles-on-display/2019/infiniti/qx50/

If you would like more information on the Chicago Auto Show, please visit their website at: https://www.chicagoautoshow.com/

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

[toyotaofnorthcharlotte]

Get excited for new Toyota models coming in 2020!

The 2019 model year was quite a remarkable year for new Toyota models. This model year we saw a complete redesign of the Toyota Avalon that brought a new face to luxury sport, we saw the arrival of the new N Charlotte Toyota Corolla Hatchback, and a complete reimagining of the Toyota RAV4. While this model year was a good one, the automotive industry waits for no one and it’s about time to welcome the 2020 model year. Things are only getting better from here and Toyota of N Charlotte is here with a list of these new Toyota vehicles.

What to expect from the 2020 model year

2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition

With over 60 years of history under its belt, it’s probably time for a celebration! The N Charlotte new Toyota Land Cruiser is returning for the new model year with a new limited-edition trim level called the Heritage Edition. The special trim option features several unique aesthetic modifications.

2020 Toyota Tacoma

With only an image of the top half of the front end and a video showcasing four-way adjustable power seats, the Toyota Tacoma is wrapped in mystery. It’s set to be fully unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show on February 7th.

2020 Toyota Corolla

It’s a new year and it’s time for another reimagining. The little crown is returning with a new look, inspired by the Corolla Hatchback. The inside and outside feature a clean and sporty flow with new comfortable materials and clean lines. This model year is also the first in the Corolla’s history to get a hybrid model.

2020 Toyota GR Supra

The classic Supra is returning in a big way! Its exterior design draws inspiration from the N Charlotte new Toyota FT-1 concept and uses a straight-six engine, true to Supra form. This sporty Toyota can produce 335 horsepower, 365 lb./ft. of torque, it has a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

2020 Toyota Highlander

Are you excited for these new Toyota models? Stay up to date on our inventory at Toyota of N Charlotte at 13429 Statesville Road.

[thetruthaboutlovecomesat3am]

So I love your "The Perfect Girlfriend" story and i really hope you write a sequel. But how about a post Infinity War fic which takes place in that universe, with Nat and the Hill family mourning Maria or something like that.

(Spoilers for Infinity War and The Perfect Girlfriend!)

[You really made me do this, uh? Hope you enjoy the heartbreak

Betternever means better for everyone

(it always means worse for some)

It’sSteve who has to tell her. Of course it is. She knows it’s going tobe bad news by the way he says her name, with such a sweetness thathas been beyond him in the last few months. She remembers bits andpieces of what he says. Something about Carol Danvers calling, Fury’spager, Fury’s car, a phone a few feet away with a screen lock thatmade Carol call right away. She remembers how the speech ends andthat’s the only important thing.

“Hillis gone.”

Justlike that. Hill is…gone.

Natashanods and doesn’t cry, doesn’t scream, she barely reacts at all.

Shethinks about Thanos, so confident that this will make everythingbetter thorough all the Universe and it feeds her grief.

They’reon a Quinjet and she’s still in her field suit, but she asks ifthey can detour briefly to Chicago. When the time comes for her toget out, Steve walks with her. She stares at him, waiting for him toget back on the plane but he doesn’t back down. Maybe he can seeeverything Natasha is trying not to show, maybe he knows. Maybe hejust doesn’t want to be alone either.

Bannerand James go back to New York immediately to meet with Tony and theytake a cab to the city, because apparently they live in apost-apocalyptic world but there’s still cabs. The street are tooempty and lines are barely a thing anymore. The world has completelyshifter overnight. This is the aftermath, this is the other side.

She’sbeen thinking about something to say for two days but it all justwent by in a blur and she has no idea if she’ll be even able tomake a sounds when Maria’s mom open the door.

That’swhen it strikes her. What if she doesn’t? What if Barbara - what ifeveryone - what if they’re all gone.

Stevewalks to the door with her but stands two steps behind when sheknocks. Natasha expects Barbara but she’s met with a younger, palerversion of her.

“Sara,”Natasha almost sighs with relief as the younger Hill sibling wrapsher arms around her neck. Natasha hugs her back and begs her brain tofind something to say.

“Nat,thank God you’re here. We’ve been trying to call ever since butwe couldn’t get a hold of you or Maria.”

That’sthe moment Sara looks behind her and sees Captain America himselfstanding on her front porch, looking at his shoes. She realizes he’strying to conceal the tears in his eyes but Sara can see them anyway.

“No-”it comes out chocked, broken, like a sob that won’t come out. Likethere’s not enough oxygen in the world anymore.

“Sara,I’m so sorry, I’m-“ Natasha wants to apologize again and againcause of course this is what happens to Maria: a thing she can’tprotect her from, or save her from.

Saradoesn’t let her. She shakes her head. “No, please. Maybe she’sstill hiding somewhere, maybe…”

“Sara,a friend found her phone at her last known location. She’s nothome, nothing has been moved. She’s gone,” Natasha acknowledgesit for the first time and it knocks the air out of her. “Maria’sgone.”

Sarasilently sheds the couple of tears she has left, but it’s enough tobreak Natasha’s heart.

“Comein. I’m sure the others wants to see you too.”

Natashawalks into the house and follows Sara into the living room. She knowsstatistically they won’t all be there, but the air still getsknocked out of her lungs after her eyes study the room.

“Natasha,”Carl gets up from the arm chair, his tone hopeful, his eyes lookingfor clues.

Natasha’shead bows and her eyes stare at the ground and behind her there’sno Maria, no hope left, there’s just a man with a strange haircutand a shield. He’s the wrong soldier, he’s the wrong person, toCarl at least. He sinks back down and his hands cover his face.

Elenaalmost smiles upon seeing her, then her eyes tear up.

“I’msorry,” Natasha says again, because what else can she say. “If Icould have taken her place-“

“Don’t.”Elena stops her. “Dad’s been saying the same thing about…”her eyes switch to the couch, half empty. The spot next to Kylevacant.

WhenNatasha walks in, Kyle gets up. He’s just a kid, he doesn’tdeserve this. He doesn’t know how to deal with something like this.

Hewalks slowly to her and Natasha can’t help but stare. He looks somuch like her, he’s probably the closest thing to Maria left inthis world and he’s walking to her. So it’s only fair thatNatasha falls to her knees. He crashes into her and cries on hershoulders all the tears Natasha can’t. This is the thing aboutkids: the adults stop crying at some point, but their tears neverend. The kids keep weeping every loss.

Barbara’sgone. Phil is gone. Rob is gone. Jenny…the sweetest little girlNatasha has ever seen…Jenny’s gone.

Shewants to get up and scream at the sky, she wants to call God Himselfand beg Him to make the world stop turning, beg Him to end thisnonsense. Too bad the only God she believes in goes by the name ofThor and he couldn’t end this either. Maybe they never really stooda chance in the first place. Maybe there was no purpose, no meaningto it all. Maybe everything they went through was all really just fornothing, because there is a kid crying in her arms and Natasha cannotpromise him it’s going to be okay.

Kylehugs her tight and cries every tear he can, until he calms down andElena takes him upstairs so he can go to bed. Natasha knows it’slate, knows she should go. But this is the only place on Earth whereher pain isn’t hers alone. Where she can share it with someone wholoved Maria as much as she did.

Carlis holding a family picture, Natasha notices. She knows this is nothow the world is supposed to be. They say when parents outlivetheir kids, it’s tragedy. She wanders what is it to lose a spouse,two kids and a grandchild in half a second then.

Shestays for a while. Holds Sara when she bursts in tears again. TellsCarl a story about Maria he had never heard before. Kisses Kylegoodbye while he’s asleep so he doesn’t have to see her go.

Elenawalks her to the door, shakes Steve’s hand, then waits until he’stwo steps out the house to grip Natasha’s forearm.

“Youwere her hero. You were ours too.”

“I’msorry-“

“No.This is not your fault. But if there’s a way to fix it, I knowyou’ll be the one to find it.”

“Elena,I don’t-“

“Ifthere isn’t,” she goes on, “then there isn’t. But you dare toskip one family brunch, one, and I’ll hunt you down myself. Everythird Sunday of the month. She always came, you always came with her.You’ll keep coming. You’re our family. We’re yours. You’reall we have left of her and we’re all you have left of her.”

Natashanods and her eyes fill with tears she keeps fighting back. Elena hugsher as tight as she can, then let’s her go.

Shegoes back into auto pilot, they get in a cab, go back to the airport,get into a jet. Then they’re alone. Just her and Steve. He puts hishand gently on her shoulder and says: “We’re going to get themback.”

Finally,Natasha allows herself to cry.

[publicworksgallery]

The “Point of N̶o̶ Return” - A Celebration of Resilience

Winter 2022

Chicago is back in action, and so are we.

The new Public Works apparel line features 100% recycled cotton items, thoughtfully designed and responsibly made.

This collection is part of our current winter 2022 initiative “Point of N̶o̶ Return,” a series of art, experiences, street galleries, and apparel about perseverance and revival. We believe artists and musicians continue carrying the torch for good vibes during weird times. The overall message? Our beloved Chicago is never down nor ever out.

“Point of N̶o̶ Return” kicked off with a Human Bloom and LeftJones show at Sleeping Village and was followed by a hair care charity drive with Love & Nappyness and the “Long Hair Don’t Care Show” at the Metro featuring Jamila Woods, Matt Muse, and The Mind.

Coming in April is an exhibit from underground DIY electronic artist Travis Egedy, aka Pictureplane, inside our gallery space in Wicker Park. Called “Ultraviolet Mythology,” the collection of paintings, screenprints, and mixed media pieces explores the intersection between confinement and freedom, love and hate, and a collective pop culture mythology - opening Friday, April 1.

Reenter the world in clothes that are lovingly designed and sustainably sourced, and keep an eye out for an announcement about public gallery hours so you can peruse in person.

POINT OF N̶O̶ RETURN POCKET T-SHIRT

Buy Shirt

POINT OF N̶O̶ RETURN WEIRDER TIMES SWEATSHIRT

Buy Sweatshirt

POINT OF N̶O̶ RETURN WEIRDER TIMES SWEATPANTS

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POINT OF N̶O̶ RETURN POLAR VORTEX LONG SLEEVE SHIRT

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POINT OF N̶O̶ RETURN I'M STILL HERE CLASSIC BEANIE HAT

Buy Beanie

POINT OF N̶O̶ RETURN READY FOR THE STORM SCARF TAN/BLACK

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POINT OF N̶O̶ RETURN READY FOR THE STORM SCARF BLUE/WHITE

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[aliciabuncle]

TheDetroitBureau’s Latest “Headlight News” Podcast Ready for Download

Check out the latest news and features from TheDetroitBureau.com by “tuning in” to our latest podcast, Headlight News. It’s a weekly roundup of news, features, reviews and more. 

This week’s debut episode features a round up of the week’s top stories from TheDetroitBureau’s Publisher Paul A. Eisenstein, and a look at the top story — the Chicago Auto Show — from Joe Szczesny.

Larry Printz weighs in with a review of a luxury sport-utility vehicle: the Jaguar F-Pace. Michael Strong follows up with a look ahead at some of the top stories we’ll be covering this week.

And Larry wraps things up with a trip back in time with a look at this week in automotive history.

Check out TheDetroitBureau’s new Headlight News podcast by clicking here. And look for a new episode every Monday! 

TheDetroitBureau’s Latest “Headlight News” Podcast Ready for Download published first on https://decalsgraphicstore.tumblr.com/

[maugustyniuk]

8 Dance-Centric Juneteenth Celebrations to Check Out This Weekend

Dance organizations across the country have been planning ways to celebrate Juneteenth since well before it was declared a federal holiday by Congress this week. June 19 marks the date on which news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, TX, more than two years after the Civil War was declared over and enslaved people in the U.S. freed. Here are eight class and performance offerings, some in-person and some online, celebrating Black joy and resilience that you can check out this weekend.

Ailey Celebrates Juneteenth, plus a free class from Ailey Extension

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's online portal, Ailey All Access, launched a week of Juneteenth-inspired programming on Wednesday, June 16. It features an excerpt from Rennie Harris' tribute to the company's eponymous founder, Lazarus; a 1972 archival film of the legendary Judith Jamison performing the finale of Ailey's Cry, famously dedicated to "all Black women everywhere—especially our mothers;" and the rousing "Rocka My Soul" dance that closes Ailey's seminal Revelations. The program additionally features a "BattleTalk," putting artistic director Robert Battle in conversation with Opal Lee (the "Grandmother of Juneteenth"), Juneteenth Legacy Project co-chair Sam Collins and Legacy Project commissioned artist Reginald Adams. The program is free to watch on YouTube and will be available until June 22 at 7 pm ET.

In addition, Ailey Extension will offer a virtual Juneteenth Celebration: West African Class, diving into West African culture and technique fundamentals, with Maguette Camara on June 19 at 12 pm ET. The class is free but will be capped at 300 participants. Register at alvinailey.org.

(RE)VISION presented by 651 Arts

New York City–based presenting organization 651 Arts launches its inaugural Juneteenth Celebration with (RE)VISION, a weekend of outdoor and online dance film screenings. Ronan Mckenzie and Joy Yamusangie's short film WATA draws on stories of the African and Caribbean water deity Mami Wata. Charles O. Anderson's (Re)current Unrest, making its long-awaited regional premiere, explores the history of Black art and protest. Marjani Forté-Saunders' Memoirs of a...Unicorn: BLUEPRINT shows the importance of the Black family structure to individual identity as it's been tested through history. And the premiere of Cyborg Heaven places the Black urban experience at its center through the lens of house ballroom culture, hip hop and queer radical poet traditions. The film series will be shown following a set from Qool DJ Marv at outdoor screenings in Downtown Brooklyn June 18–19 at 8 pm; tickets are free but advance registration is required. Virtual screenings will take place on June 20. 651arts.org.

Central Avenue Dance Ensemble's A Night at Club Alabam

A Night at Club Alabam takes its name from the dance venue that was known as the "Cotton Club of the West Coast." Presented by Los Angeles' Central Avenue Dance Ensemble, a dance group dedicated to teaching the history of Black vernacular jazz dance through performance reenactments, the online production is a tribute to a bygone era, a vintage nightclub show drawn from the dances of the 1930s and '40s—from tap to vernacular jazz, ballroom to flamenco, mambo to tango. The show premieres June 19 at 1 pm PT; the recording will be available on-demand for two weeks following the livestream. Tickets start at $15. centralavedance.com.

Instagram offerings from Movement of the People Dance Company

Joya Powell's Movement of the People Dance Company offers a full day of offerings and celebrations via Instagram Live. The day kicks off on June 19 at 10 am ET with a grounding exercise, followed by bass jam sessions, self guided massage, a conversation about allyship, a guided improv session, a pause for poetry and reflection, and, to wrap it all up, an invitation to "Dance it Out" with Powell herself. Info and offerings available on Instagram @mopdance.

Coming Together at Lincoln Center

Directed by Torya Beard, Coming Together is a multidisciplinary Juneteenth celebration centering family and celebration. Dancer-choreographer Brian Harlan Brooks, street dance specialist Tomoe Carr and tap luminary Ayodele Casel are joined by DJ Justin Johnston and poet Fanta Ballo for this presentation by Lincoln Center's Concerts for Kids. The event will take place June 19 at 12 pm ET at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' transformed outdoor campus. Tickets are free but must be secured via the TodayTix Lottery. lincolncenter.org.

Juneteenth: The Celebration with M.A.D.D. Rhythms​

Chicago's iconic tap crew M.A.D.D. Rhythms headlines a free outdoor performance at the Harold Washington Cultural Center alongside Blu Rhythm Crew, Broadway in Bronzeville and The Happiness Club. Live performances kick off at 1 pm CT, but early arrivals can catch a grocery giveaway at 11 am. maddrhythms.com.

M.A.D.D. Rhythms will also be making an appearance later in the day at the 2021 Chi Village Fest.

REFRAME / REMNANT / RITUAL at NCCAkron

The culmination of Cara Hagan's Community Commissioning Residency at the National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron, this collection of short dance films explores ancestry and embodied relationships to space, as well as the reframing of history from the perspectives of women of color. Dancer-choreographers Ananya Chatterjea, Paloma McGregor and Tamara Williams collaborated with Hagan on the quartet of films; poet Jacinta V. White and dramaturg Sharon Bridgforth also worked with the cohort. The films premiere June 19 at 3 pm ET on NCCAkron's YouTube channel. The event is free, but you can RSVP at nccakron.org.

Step Afrika!'s Juneteenth Virtual Celebration

Step Afrika! offers a virtual triple bill of three newly-filmed works. Trane, excerpted from The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence and reimagined for film, takes inspiration from the Black women who made the Great Migration in the first half of the 20th century. Little Rock Nine combines stepping with contemporary takes on 1950s social dances to honor the nine Black students who enrolled in a segregated high school in 1957. The Movement showcases a cast of nearly 50 stepping at national monuments in Washington, DC, in tribute to the newfound momentum of Black Lives Matter. The program will debut June 19 at 8 pm ET on Step Afrika!'s YouTube channel and Facebook page. Pre-register for the free event at stepafrika.org.

from Dance Spirit https://ift.tt/2UfLDxs