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surftrips · 1 year

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SNOW ON THE BEACH

OBX WRITING WEEK DAY 2 — MEET CUTE W/ JOHN B.

word count: 1158

summary: after y/n's flight is delayed, she ends up stranded in a cafe in kildare, rescued by a golden-haired boy.

a/n: my first time writing for john b. and i had so much fun! it's been so hot where i am so i am yearning for winter and cozy vibes in case you can't tell haha

Y/N’s flight to Boston had been delayed at the Kildare Airport, out of all places. And out of all the reasons, it was because of an impending snow storm. Who even knew that it snowed in North Carolina? She couldn’t believe her luck, she was supposed to be going home to visit her family for winter break and now she was stuck in the middle of nowhere.

She supposed the Outer Banks would’ve been beautiful any other time of the year, but it was December and there was no one left but her and the locals. With an indefinite layover, she decided to leave the airport and head into town. Y/N was in desperate need of caffeine.

After hailing a taxi and asking to be taken to the nearest cafe, she lugged her carry-on and suitcase into the store before realizing that she had no place to stay. She knew no one in the area and she was sure all the hotel rooms for the night would have been booked by now.

Groaning, she ordered a hot caramel latte and slumped into a seat by the window. Y/N shot her mom a quick text about her flight being delayed, not in the mood to call her and explain the whole situation. Next, she pulled open her laptop and started looking into a cheap AirBnb or motel nearby.

In the middle of doing so, she was interrupted by a voice behind her.

“Hey, you’re not from around here,” he said.

She turned around to see who it was. Her initial guardedness went away when she saw that the boy was around her age. “Is that a question or a statement?” she replied.

Smiling, he said, “I’m pretty confident it’s a fact. I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“Don’t you get a lot of tourists?”

“Not many as pretty as you are.”

Y/N found herself blushing despite how ridiculous this situation was. “I’m just passing by,” she muttered out, unsure of how to respond to his straightforwardness.

“Really? You didn’t plan on vacationing in the Outer Banks in the dead of winter?”

She laughed, the ice having been broken, and decided that it was probably safe to introduce herself to this (admittedly) cute stranger.

“Haha, no, not really. I’m Y/N, by the way.”

“My friends call me John B. Y/N, what’s your story?”

“Well, my flight here was awful, thanks for asking. Then I found out my connection to Boston was delayed because of a New England storm or something and now I’m stuck here indefinitely,” she sighed.

“Shit, sorry to hear that. You must be really unlucky because it never snows around here.”

“You’re really helping me feel better John B.”

“Sorry,” he scratched his head. “How can I help?”

“Seriously? You want to help me?”

“Yeah, sure. Got nothing better to do.”

“Well, unless you have a place where I can crash I don’t think you can help me very much.”

With that, the boy’s eyes lit up. “Actually, I do happen to have a place for you to stay.”

“Oh, I-I was sorta joking you really don’t have to do that.”

“It’s no big deal, my friends crash there all the time. My dad’s not home that much and even if he was, he wouldn’t mind.”

Y/N was starting to wonder what the catch was, sure the boy looked nice and like he meant well, but at the end of the day, this was a stranger. He could be luring her back to his house and she would never be seen again.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he started again.

“What?”

“You can trust me. Look, it’s a small town, everyone knows me. I’ll even invite all my friends over so you can feel safe. Two of them are girls.”

Y/N really wanted to say yes. She had been silently begging all day for a miracle and this was the closest thing to it at the moment.

Sighing, she gave in. “Okay, fine. How far away do you live?”

“Like ten minutes that way,” he pointed east from the store. “We can get there in the Twinkie.”

“The what?”

He led her outside where he had parked his van, infamously named the Twinkie. John B. carried her suitcase into the back while she held onto her carry-on.

“And this thing is safe?”

“Yes, she is safe to ride in. My friends and I have been through a lot worse than a minor storm with her.”

“Whatever you say,” she said, still not convinced. “Hey, what time do you think it’s going to snow anyway?”

“Who knows if it even will? My buddy Pope said it probably won’t get cold enough.”

What was supposed to be a short ride back to his house ended up becoming a very elaborate tour of the town. It started with John B. pointing out a few of his friend’s houses, then the The Wreck where his friend Kiara worked, the high school they all went to, and finally, they ended up at the beach.

Y/N had to admit, it was a nice beach. Even in the dead of December, the sand looked clean and the sparkling ocean had not yet frozen over. As John B. admired the landscape, she used this time to get a good look at him. His golden brunette hair, the blue bandana around his neck, the slight hint of a smile on his face as he looked out into the water. She couldn’t decide what was more beautiful to her at that moment, the boy or the sea.

“Oh my god,” his voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“What? What?”

Wordlessly, he fumbled open his side of the door and raced outside.

“John B? Where are you going?” she called out after him.

“I can’t believe it,” he said, in awe.

“Can’t believe what—” Y/N stopped in her tracks. There, in front of them, and above and behind, were small white flecks. They could’ve been lights, or fireflies, but she knew they weren’t. He knew it too, even though he had only seen it a few times in his life.

“It’s snowing,” he said, incredulously.

“Oh my god, it is!” Y/N had grown up with the seasons, had felt the wrath of a New England blizzard ten times over, but this, this was something magical.

“Is this what it feels like? It’s like a scene from a movie,” he was smiling like a little kid now, reaching to grab a pocketful before the flakes melted in his hand.

“This is so weird.”

“But beautiful,” he looked over at her then, taking in the moment. Her smile was like she just won a contest, and she found no need to hide it anymore.

John B. pulled his arms around Y/N, wrapping her in his embrace. They stayed like that watching the snow come down, silently.

#obxweek23 #obx #outer banks #obx x reader #obx imagine #john b x reader #john b imagine #chase stokes #chase stokes x reader #john b x you #john b routledge

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businessconsiderations · 6 months

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Country Roads

Drove to Ohio for spring break. Brought the kids with me. You stayed in Florida and picked up a bonus teaching assignment for extra money and avoided the cost of boarding the dog. That'll pay for the younger kids' summer soccer camps.

The past several summers driving this, I've done it in one shot with the kids, 15 hrs, 6a to 9a. But I didn't have that in me this time. Broke the trip up into 2 days, drove an an hour or so past the halfway point and used points for a Hampton Inn of I-77 in Elkin, NC.

The drives felt so less pressured, more relaxed. Had time on Saturday morning to go for a run, take the dog for a walk with you, pack up the suitcases and load the van in the morning, rather than the night before which I hate doing.

We had morning snacks, lunch and afternoon snacks in a cooler. Emergency bathroom stops were stress-free because we knew we'd be eating dinner on the road and in no hurry.

We discovered Statesville, NC. Had a dinner at a local place on their main street which I think was called Broad Street. A woman about my age, maybe a few years younger, with her husband and two kids with her, walked into the restaurant with a glass of beer and seemed surprised they wouldn't seat her. They left and returned a few minutes later, her holding her empty glass.

We attempted to return the 4 DVDs we'd rented the night before to the Redbox at the gas station next to our hotel, but the machine wasn't working. Had to drive 10 min into Elkin to find the closest Redbox outside a Food Lion.

I apologized to the dad and daughter waiting their turn. Told them we were driving from FL to OH, returning 4, renting 3 more for tomorrow. He was so friendly and said, "that's alright" in his NC accent after every question he asked me like "you can watch those in your car?" and "how you liking our town?" and "where you staying?" His daughter was silent for the duration of the interaction until we said our goodbyes when she said, "it was nice meeting y'all."

The Hampton Inn was nice, they always seem to be. Everyone working there at the same friendly NC demeanor and accent. Clerk at the front desk pointed to the kids to complimentary popcorn and cookies.

We got an early start the next day. North Carolina was pretty in the morning, spring had almost sprung, there were white blossoms on a few of the trees here and there. The vistas through the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia were as lovely as ever.

Stopped at the first Starbucks in West Virginia. While I waiting for my Americano, I overheard two elderly Asian people having a conversation in a language I didn't understand except for when the woman said to the man, "West Virginia, mountain mama," in the middle of whatever she was saying.

Crossed the Ohio River, the views got bleaker, the skies got greyer, unplanted cornfield after unplanted cornfield. Got to my mom's house around in mid-afternoon, she had a spread of snacks for the kids. They pounded a pound of shrimp, along with chips, pretzels, crackers and cheese.

After dinner the snow flurries came. Plans for the week consist of the dinners and desserts my mom and my brother and sister-in-law will be making us. The cold will be a nice change of pace. Looking forward to healthy and active and fun and interesting and busy spring and summer back in FL with you.

#regrets never dream

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hotelecuatreasuresquito · 10 months

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10 Reasons to Choose Quito

Ecuador's capital, Quito, is well worth a visit. Here are 10 reasons why you should visit the bustling metropolis at almost 3,000 meters above sea level. Are you worried about your stay in Quito? Worry no more! You can find many of the Best hotels in the City Center to make your journey more comfortable.

1. Quito – the middle of the world

With its location at 2,850 meters, Quito is not only the closest to the sun but also the only place in the world where you can stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere & the other in the southern hemisphere. If you balance on the equatorial line, you can feel the energy emanating from the middle of the world. Thanks to this exceptional location, Quito has outstanding natural and climatic diversity.

2. Quito's Old Town

The historic city center is considered the largest and best preserved in the Americas and is the reason why Quito has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the cultural jewels in the old town are for example, the baroque church Compañía de Jesús, the Plaza Grande, the church of San Francisco, or the street La Ronda with its workshops of long-forgotten crafts. Quito's old town is a living museum.

3. Quito's Kitchen

The culinary delights of the Andean metropolis are part of every travel program. Quito's gastronomy is given a very special touch by mixing traditional dishes with Andean and Spanish influences. The potato soup Locro de papas, Seco de chivo, fritada, empanadas, or the boiled corn rolls Envueltos, served with a hearty sauce from aji and tropical fruits for dessert – this is just an excerpt from a traditional menu in Quito.

4. Quito's craftsmanship

In colonial times, Quito was considered a business center, and the city has retained this reputation to this day. In the historic city center, we find workshops of professions that we thought were long extinct, including traditional hairdressers, milliners, candle makers, basket weavers, tailors, and herbalists. Some of the most crucial workshops, such as those of Oswaldo Viteri, Oswaldo Guayasamín, Luigi Stonornaiolo, or Eduardo Kingman, are open to visitors.

5. Quito's Culture

Every corner of the city tells stories from times gone by, a diverse cultural offer with exhibitions, theatre, music, or film screenings brings them back to life. Among the most important museums in Quito are the Casa de El Alabado with its extraordinary pre-Columbian collection, the Museum de Cera, the Sucre Theater, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the House of Music. The museums in the area, such as the museums of Tulipe, Rumipamba, or La Florida, offer an insight into past cultures. You can find many Best Hotels in Quito Old Town.

6. Quito's Nightlife

Leisure activities for all tastes and budgets. The highest density of restaurants, cafes, bars, and discos can be found in the neighborhoods of La Mariscal, La Floresta, Guápulo, and La Carolina. Music, gastronomy, and parties with a large portion of Ecuadorian joie de vivre awaken the desire to turn night into day

7. Quito's Railway

The Chimbacalle district is the starting point of the "most difficult train ride in the world", which has now become a famous tourist attraction. Aboard the train, passengers can watch the landscapes pass by from the Andes to the coast and experience Ecuador from a new angle.

8. Quito's Shopper's Paradise

Souvenirs are part of every trip. In Quito, shoppers can expect a huge selection of shopping opportunities. The Quicentro shopping mall is home to international fashion labels, while the La Floresta and La Mariscal districts are known for their galleries. Shops such as El Quinde in the old town specialize in typical handicrafts, and art lovers will find what they are looking for in El Ejido.

9. Quito's surroundings

Just an hour from Quito, you will find yourself in the middle of unspoiled nature. Typical haciendas offer refuge from the harsh Andean climate, and guests can pass the time with horseback riding, spa visits, or hikes. To the northeast, the cloud forest awaits with its mystical beauty. With over 500 species of birds, including the national hummingbird, this region makes ornithologists' hearts beat faster.

10. Quito – Gateway to Ecuador

Quito is not only a worthwhile destination but also offers access to the other highlights of Ecuador. To explore the city in the best way you can also choose many hotels & can find the Best Hotel Rates in the City Center of Quito Ecuador, according to your needs. The Pacific coast with its beaches, fishing villages, and delicacies from the sea, the Andes with its Route of Volcanoes once traveled by Humboldt, the Amazon region with its mysterious green, and the Galapagos Islands, the cradle of evolution. All this & much more can be easily discovered from Quito.

#hotel #travel #nature

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choicehotelss · 2 years

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Your Guide to a Trip in the Great Smoky Mountains TN Hotels

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers about 800 square miles and is one of the biggest treasures in the beautiful land of Tennessee. It is not just a national park; it is haven for all types of species. You can book one of the top Great Smoky Mountains TN hotels to enjoy the biodiversity in this land and settle down for some quiet and enjoyable time. There are creatures from all categories in this place. You cannot think of a single day in the land to enjoy the beauty; you might want to consider more than a day. A weekend or even a few days would be jolly good to explore the trails, walk through the camps and live the life in the natural sanctuary. • You can stay near Bryson City in North Carolina, near the Smoky Mountains. It is a great community and charming space where you can view the Tuckasegee river and Everett street. There are a host of stores and breweries that you can enjoy while in the Smokies. This is one of the best places for laid back fishing, biking time and paddling. You will be able to get to the Smokies via rail through this place. The closest entry point into the mountains is via deep creek. • If you are planning to stay at hotels near Great Smoky Mountains, you can also look at Townsend Tennessee. You can enjoy the beauty of Pigeon Forge and Townsend in this space. There are several camping and RV resorts nearby where you can plan to stay. This is a brilliant space for people considering a trip to great smoky mountains. The nearest entry point is via Cades Cove. Are you looking at spending some time or probably the entire weekend in Smoky Mountains? You might want to check how best to accommodate your day. • One of the best ways to spend the night would be luxury camping. You can find brilliant camping spots near the mountains. You can check into Pigeon Forge side of the mountains to find a good camping spot. There are at least 40 tents you can rent during your stay in this space. • The next type of Great Smoky Mountains TN hotels would be a lodge. You can find a space in these lodges where you can fit in comfortably. The calm and serene spaces within the lodges can make a brilliant weekend spot for you • There are the nostalgic cabins constructed to make your weekend brilliant. You will find beautiful tent sites and RVs in this space. Apart from finding the right space, you might want to check the activities that you can do while in the park. Here are all the things you should do when in the smoky mountains. 1. Going on a bike trail can be impressive while you are in the Mountains. You will find interesting trails around this area created for the bikers. 2. You can even play on the water near the rivers and creeks while in the mountain spaces. This is an excellent place for the tubers. 3. You can go paddling around the waters or even take a walk down the hill that can make it worth your time Make sure to book the right hotels near Great Smoky Mountains for the perfect weekend.

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outsideratheart · 3 years

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Is That A Plum? (Kelsey Plum x reader)

Anon request: Can you do a Kelsey Plum and tattoo reder fluff if possible

It was announced that the 2020 olympics would now happen in 2021, meaning that you would finally have national team training camp.

This meant that you would be able to play the sport you love with some of your closest friends and most of all your girlfriend.

Arriving in South Carolina you were informed that you have to quarantine for 10 days and the only time you were allowed to leave the room was for COVID testing. During those 10 days you had seen Kelsey twice and you were instructed to keep your distance but now quarantine was officially over. You were finally allowed to see you girlfriend and practice with the team.

The morning of the first practice you had slept in which wasn’t surprising, everyone knew how much you loved your sleep. What you didn’t expect was that Jewel slept in too which meant you were now both late and by the time you got to reception the rest of the team had already left to go the arena.

“Great way to start camp” Jewel says.

“Oh, they expect if from me. What is your excuse?” You tease

“What can I say, I didn’t want you to face the team alone” she says causing you to laugh.

Over the years you have become close with Jewel as you both play for the storm.

You call one of the coaching staff and they tell you that you have to make your own way to practice. You and jewel leave the hotel but not before getting a coffee. You were already late, at least this way you would arrive to practice awake.

Meanwhile at the arena the rest of the team arrive and Dawn notices your absence straight away.

“You seem to be missing two players Sue” Dawn says.

“They overslept, Y/N texted to say they are on there way. They shouldn’t be too long”

Sue was right because 5 minutes later you and Jewel walk into the arena.

“You’re late” You are about to respond when Dawn notices your cup “and you stopped for coffee” She says.

“Of course she did” Kelsey says under her breath

“I thought it would be best if I was more alert when I arrived” you say hoping she would buy your excuse.

The rest of the team laugh at your words. This is how you was, always having an answer. You liked to have a joke but when it came to playing your were focused.

“How about this” Dawn pauses as she passes you a ball “Score from there and your off the hook. Miss and you and Jewel have to run the stairs”

Jewel sighs from beside you. She had faith but you hadn’t even been up an hour and you hadn’t warmed up.

“Deal” you say handing Jewel your coffee.

“and if you miss I get your coffee” Dawn raises the stakes.

You laugh at her bet “Ooo now it’s on, I don’t share my coffee. Anyone else want to place a bet, we might as well make this interesting”’ you say looking at your team mates.

“I bet $50 you miss” Diana says and bring your hand to you chest acting offended.

“I’ll match you but I say she makes it” Kelsey says.

“Thank you baby” You send her a wink.

“Anybody else” you ask and take the the silence as no” Fine by me, set the shot clock”

You bounce the ball three times and take the shot. Just like in the movies, it feels like the ball is in slow motion but low and behold you watch as the ball goes in the net.

You jokingly bow at your team before taking your drink from jewel.

You walk towards the bench where the rest of the players are now sitting. You see a sign with your name on next to Kelsey and you mentally thank whoever set the seats up.

“Good Morning” Kelsey says leaning over to kiss you.

“It is now” You say returning the kiss.

“No kissing on the court, COVID rules” you hold you hands up in defeat.

You take you sweatpants off so that you are in your shorts and when you look up you see Kelsey taking a sip of your coffee.

“I thought you said you don’t share your coffee” Diana says.

“What’s mine is hers” you reply causing Diana to laugh, she is about to walk away when you stop her “I’ll be collecting my $50 after practice, I accept cash, card and Starbucks gift cards”

Diana just shakes her head at your words.

You go to take your hoodie off but then remember that you have a new tattoo which you are keeping hidden for the time being.

“Hoodie off Y/N” Dawns says.

“I will once I warm up” you reply.

“That’s not like you. Normally you love to show your arms off” Kelsey says and you wave her off.

It felt like a good idea at first but now here you were half an hour into practice and sweat was dripping off you.

“Y/N I know want to show her your sleeve in private but you are doing to pass out if you don’t take your hoodie off” Stewie says.

You had gotten a new sleeve after the play offs and you had yet to show your girlfriend. You wanted to show her in person and you hadn’t seen her since you got it.

“I know” you pause “you’re right. I am sweating buckets” You take your hoodie off. Perhaps nobody will realise.

That hope is short lived.

As soon as you take your hoodie off, Brittany comes over to you. This was the thing you had in common, you both loved tattoos.

“That’s new, what is it?” She asks.

You look around and thankfully Kelsey it too focused to notice you.

“Some letters. I got it after the finals. Please keep it down, Kelsey hasn’t seen it yet” You laugh as BG pretends to zip her lips.

The rest of training you and Kelsey are on opposite ends of the court. You were both to focused on practice to really notice the other one.

Dawn calls you over the bench to go over the next drill. You are too busy concentrating on what she is saying, you don’t even realise Kelsey is by your side checking out your new ink until she says something.

“This is new, I like it” Kelsey tells you.

Thankfully she doesn’t notice what the tattoo was. You would be able to have your reveal when you got back to the hotel.

The second half of training you were on a team with Kelsey and Brittany. This is what you loved about national team, BG wasn’t on your ass and Kelsey was on your team so the points she scored were your points too.

You, Sue and Diana do some 3 point shots. You three were the top scorers in the league and were also the most confident at taking the shots.

“So Romeo did your girl see your tattoos?” Sue asks.

“She did but she didn’t realise what they were” you reply.

“What are you talking about” Diana asks.

You show your sleeve to D whilst sue takes her shots.

“these are from her” You nod as Diana inspects your arm. “I think this one is my favourite” she tells you.

“Mine too”

After you finish your shooting practice Dawn tells you all to call it a day and to head back the hotel.

Everyone meets in the hotel restaurant after showering and getting changed.

When you get there you notice a seat free near Kelsey so you sit there.

You made sure to wear a short sleeved t-shirt so that your tattoo is on show.

Kelsey takes a closer look at the tattoo and you just watch her. You loved her, you were completely smitten. 2020 made you realise that Kelsey was it for you. Not being able to see her was horrible and it made you think about the future, and that was what she was to you, she was your future.

“Are these?” Her voice breaks and she can’t finish her sentence.

“They are” you say.

Kelsey’s hand was resting on your bicep so you leaned down to place a kiss on her knuckles.

“I really struggled in the wubble. I have always being a people person and to be isolated for that long was really hard but your letters was the highlight of my day. I would wait every morning for your knock and then I would read them over and over again, I swear that by the time I stopped I would have been able to read them back to you from memory”

By now some of the team has come back to the table with their food and was listening to you talk to your girlfriend.

“This one is the first one you gave me” you point to the one at the top of your arm.

“This is from the morning after my horrible game, I was beating myself up but you knew exactly what to say to calm me down. Now I look at it every time I am hard on myself”

You feel your nose tingle as you continue explaining what each letter meant you.

“What is this one?” She asks not recognising the words.

This is the one tattoo on your arm which for her from you.

“It says ‘In all the world there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world there is no love for you like mine’”

You blink and a tear falls down your face. Kelsey moves her thumb over your face, wiping the tear away.

“Who said that?” She asks.

“I did but I am pretty sure Maya Angelou said it first” you say trying to laugh off your tears.

“Is that a plum” She asks and you laugh remembering how you got it.

“That was my idea” Stewie says proud of herself.

#WNBA x reader #WNBA imagines #WNBA one shot #Kelsey plum imagines #Kelsey plum x reader #Kelsey plum one shot

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cinematicnomad · 4 years

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hi kat, what are some good and bad things about living in dc? (i know you technically commute buuuttt...). what are the general dc vibes like?

oh man, hey anon! yeah i can totally answer this.

so first things first, as you already mentioned, while i work in DC i actually commute from northern virginia (colloquially called NOVA). basically i live in the washington metropolitan area known as the DMV (which stands for DC-maryland-virginia).

second thing, i’ve been quarantining down in south carolina since mid-march because that’s where my parents retired (for who knows why?? we had no family or other connection to this state before they moved here in 2016) and my siblings wanted someone down here with them.

but anyway! back to your question.

i really love DC? i don’t know if it’s from growing up in a bunch of european cities, but i don’t really like HUGE cities like manhattan or LA. they tend to feel overwhelming to me. but cities like boston or DC are just the right size for me. and DC has the benefit of building height regulations?? so there are no massive skyscrapers in DC. here’s a little history lesson: back in 1894 the cairo hotel was built and it was 164 ft tall and basically it pissed everyone off. so in 1899 the city issued height regulations limiting their height to 90–110ft (depending on if it’s residential or business) OR to the width of the street in front, whichever was smaller.

but i digress. anyway, i’m a fan of the look and feel of DC. the metro system is in no way the best i’ve ever been on, and wmata has a shit ton of issues, but i do love that i can get from maryland to virginia or anywhere else in the DMV region by hopping on the metro for a couple bucks. if you’re ever in the area download the app MetroHero bc it gives you so much more information about what’s going on on the metro—it’ll link up to twitter so you can see if people are tweeting about your line, it’ll tell you if the train has stalled somewhere, and more. one major bummer: wmata used to have later hours until a few years ago when they started doing all this upkeep and repairs on the metro (which they put off for literal decades) so if you live outside of the city and want to stay out late you either better have a place to crash or be willing to spend some money on an uber home.

DC also just has a lot of shit for you to do? there’s always something going on in town—a new exhibit at one of the museums, a street festival, restaurant week, what have you. last year my friend called me up on a random saturday morning and was like “hey you want to go do this independent bookstore crawl that all the DC bookstore’s are participating in??” and i said yes and spent the entire day hopping between different neighborhoods and different bookstores until we wound up in georgetown at like 10PM and wandered into a bar we knew to eat a late dinner and down some fancy cocktails. like i’m rarely bored in DC when my friends want to get together and do something in the city.

DC’s a big brunch city btw? that can be annoying if your’e not into it but i just feel like you should know it’s A Thing. it also has a big drinking culture. like that’s just a thing, it’s definitely a “let’s go to happy hour” type of city. drive like 15 miles out of the city and suddenly it’s not like that at all. (i worked at a major public university outside of DC and i think i went to happy hour like...less than 5 times the entire 4 years i was there, and then i started working at a university in DC and it’s like...an all the time thing). i have friends and coworkers who don’t drink and it’s definitely a thing they’ve noticed about DC.

be aware rent is pricey. obviously that’s why i live outside of actual DC. you can swing it if you have roommates or a partner to split the cost with but it’s something to keep in mind. the people i know who can afford to live alone make way more money than i do or don’t live in DC proper. or they’re willing to make certain sacrifices: i knew a girl who lived off of adams morgan by herself and she didn’t have a washer or dryer? and her apt building didn’t have one either bc all the other apts in her building had their own in-house units. and the closest laundromat to her was like a $15 uber ride away. so sometimes you gotta make sacrifices if you want to live someplace specific.

honestly there’s probably more to say but i’m kind of blanking at the moment so! if you have any specific questions i can def try to answer them.

#ask #anonymous #it's obviously also a v political city?#i've gone to a lot of protests #my student employee left work early a few weeks ago to go protest for BLM in front of the white house #but obviously there are also people protesting things i don't care about #like ugh this past winter there was the dumb march for life #and i had to sit on the metro next to catholic high school kids on the way to the march #while they talked about 'which city murders the most babies' for some spreadsheet they were filling out #and also there's always someone screaming about trump or what have you #and living in or around a city with a baseball and hockey team with the color red?#gives me some serious whiplash every time i have to do a double take and figure out if it's one of THOSE red hats or just someone showing s #(it definitely has been one of THOSE hats before and usually someone yells at them on the metro)

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nationalhoranleague · 5 years

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Fourteen | Road Trip

≫ Everly - Saturday, January 16, 2016 ≪

"You're going to stop by practice and say goodbye to the boys, right?" I looked to Melissa, who stood leaning against the banister of the stairs, a coffee cup in hand.

"Of course," I looked over my bags that sat on the floor, making sure I had everything. "I would never hear the end of it if I didn't,"

Mel laughed lightly. "I wouldn't advise taking him," She pointed to Sidney who sat over on the arm of the couch, messing around on his phone. "Inside, though."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I wouldn't even think about it." My phone beeped from my pocket with an alarm. My heart fell into my stomach. "We should be going if we want to catch them before they hit the ice." Mel's face fell, but so did mine.

"I'm going to go put these in the car," Sidney suddenly popped up next to me, motioning to our bags on the floor. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mel," Sidney reached to give her a hug, being cautious of her steaming coffee cup. "It was nice to meet you and Jeff." Mel smiled sadly, patting his back as if it was a signal for him to let go of her. Mel never was much of a hugger.

"You're always welcome here, Sid. We're family now, yeah?" Sidney grinned, nodding.

"Yeah," He began to pick up a few bags from the floor. "The same goes for Pittsburgh. Make sure the boys get my note, okay?" I was confused as to what he was talking about, but Mel nodded.

"Of course,"

Sidney turned to me, a suitcase in each hand and my backpack tossed over his shoulder. "I'll meet you in the car, okay?"

I nodded and watched as he made his way out the front door and down the front steps to the car. I sighed heavily as I watched as he climbed into the front seat and shut the door. "I don't want to leave,"

Mel laughed sadly, reaching to set her coffee cup down on a wooden step. "You do," My eyebrows furrowed. "You can't wait to get in that car with your little lover boy." I laughed, reaching up to wipe away a few stray tears.

"I just wish he played here, you know?" Mel nodded, wrapping her arms around me tightly. "I hate being separated from you and Jeff."

"We hate being separated from you," I inhaled sharply, trying to keep my composure. "Maybe, I'll try and talk Jeff into requesting a trade," I laughed, stepping back from her. We both looked awful, red-ringed eyes and cheeks puffy with tears.

"Good luck with that," Mel shrugged like she knew she could never convince Jeff to leave Carolina. "Be good,"

Mel smiled, picking her coffee cup back up. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do while you're in D.C.,"

I smirked, leaning over to scoop up Sidney's carry-on bag and my purse. "What about in the car?"

"Are the windows tinted?" I snorted, shaking my head at the redhead in front of me. A tense pause hung in the air, neither one of us wanting to say the inevitable next words.

"I'll," She stopped to clear her throat. "I'll see you later, okay? I'll come up for my birthday and then we'll work out something for the summer." I nodded, hugging her one more time.

"I'll see you later," I stepped through the open front door and slowly made my way to the rental car parked in the driveway. With one hand on the handle of the passenger side door, I used the other to blow her kiss.

"Ugh," Jeff's breathy exhale blew my fly-away hairs away from the side of my face.

I tilted my head to look up at him. A deep frown and furrowed eyebrows were set into his features. "Jeff," I reached up, placing my hand on his cheek. "We'll be fine, it's only a few more months and then we can spend all summer together!"

Jeff shook his head, releasing me from his embrace. "What if we make playoffs?" I nearly scoffed at the thought. "What if they make playoffs?" Now, that was a little more plausible.

I giggled, shaking my head at my worrisome best friend. "I wouldn't worry too much," Jeff's eyebrows lifted. "We've always done this, you'd go back home to Markham, I'd stay in North Carolina, and then we would travel to see each other." I smiled up at him. "This is nothing new, we can handle it."

"You're not going to go to Nova Scotia with Sidney?" I shrugged my shoulders as we began to walk away from the dressing room and towards the door that I came in through.

I shrugged. "I suppose I don't know, yet. We haven't talked about it,"

Jeff laughed, tugging on one of my boxer braids. "Nonsense,"

"Where are Elias and Justin?" Jeff sighed, leaning against the wall just as we stopped by the door.

"Elias doesn't want to see you off, again, he's in denial, I think. He does, however, want me to do this," Jeff reached to hug me and then kissed both of my cheeks like Elias always does.

I grinned, shaking my head. "You make sure you tell him that he's always welcome in Pittsburgh just like you and Mel are,"

"I will, pipsqueak,"

"Do it in a Swedish accent." Jeff laughed but tried to mock Elias's accent and he failed miserably. "Please, don't do that ever again."

"Justin sends his best wishes," I nodded. "He's in physical therapy this morning, something with his ankle, I think."

I nodded in understanding. "Oh, that's too bad."

Jeff smiled, opening the door and walking out in front of me, leading me to the parking lot. "He's about as graceful on the ice as you are on the ground,"

"So, not at all?" Jeff nodded and laughed. I looked to where Sidney was parked, and through the windshield, I could see him scrolling through his phone just as intently as earlier with his eyebrows furrowed. "Behave yourself, okay? No penalties, no major parties, and please don't aggravate Mel while she's trying to study for school." Jeff nodded, a sad smile on his face as he wrapped me in his arms again.

"Okay, mom," I rolled my eyes at the boy who was only a few months younger than myself, but always felt the need to tease me for the way I looked after him. "Have fun in D.C., text me when you get settled into your hotel so I know you're not dead."

"Alright, dad," Jeff laughed, before unlacing his arms from around me. He lifted his head to glance in Sidney's direction and offered him a wave.

I looked at Sidney, noticing his content smile as he watched Jeff and me. "Go,"

I slowly began making my way towards the rental car Sidney and I would be driving to D.C. in. "I love you, Jeff."

He smiled, winking at me. "I love you too, Everly."

Minute Forty-Seven: US-64 E, Nashville, North Carolina

"So, how did you meet Jeff, exactly?"

I laughed, just a little. "So, before Jeff played hockey, he was a figure skater." Sidney eyed me oddly, but I just nodded. "I was at a competition in Buffalo in like 2004, maybe, and the coach I had at the time knew his coach and so they introduced us to each other and the rest is history,"

Sidney nodded, a smile on his face. "How did you guys end up living together?"

"Coincidental turn of events, really," Sidney laughed and I shrugged. "I graduated from high school, he got drafted to Carolina a few weeks later, and then when he signed his three-year contract we put part of that check and part of the money I got from Vancouver into buying a house."

Sidney smiled. "And you lived there together for five years?" I laughed, nodding.

"Oh yeah," I huffed, a small laugh coming from me. "Fairly sure my parents thought I was insane, buying a house with a teenage professional hockey player that I was in no way in love with." I turned my head to the window. "But, you know what? We had fun and we were the closest thing each other had to family while we were in North Carolina. We hit some rough patches obviously, but we always made up and went back to being siblings. We grew up together, you know?"

Sidney allowed an exhale to evict from him. "Good friends are hard to find,"

I turned my head back to Sidney. "I've been lucky, I suppose." Sidney's eyes briefly left the road to look at me. "Found Jeff, found Mel, Olli," I sighed happily, reaching over the console to place my hand on Sidney's thigh. "Found you."

"We're only friends?" Sidney asked, a playful grin coming across his face.

I laughed, tilting my head back. "You're my best friend, babe."

Sidney hummed, tilting his jaw in my direction. I grinned, pushing myself up to press a kiss against his stubble covered face. "You're my best friend too, Everly Grace."

Hour One, Minute Fifty-Eight: I-95 N, Emporia, Virginia

"Sid," Sidney barely glanced at me in the passenger seat. "I have to use the restroom,"

Sidney groaned loudly, allowing his chin to drop against his chest. "You have to pee, again?"

I blushed, offering a sheepish grin. "Well, no,"

Sidney snorted, shaking his head. "Everly!"

Hour Three, Minute Thirty-Two: I-295 N, Fredericksburg, Virginia

I glanced up from my tattered copy of "Looking for Alaska" to look at Sidney's phone that sat perched up in the cupholder. It had just gone off for about the 16th time since we've been in the car.

"You're a very popular man today,"

Sidney groaned. "Answer that, will you?" I slowly closed my book and reached for Sidney's phone.

"It's Pat," Sidney nodded, a grimace coming across him. "What did you do?" I wondered aloud as I unlocked Sid's phone. I began to read through the numerous texts Sidney had received from his manager, shock coming over me. "Have you read these?"

Sidney nodded his head. "I read the first seven texts,"

I cleared my throat. "Would you like me to read what he just sent you?"

Sidney ran a hand over his face. "Go ahead,"

I sighed, reaching up to toss my two braids over my shoulders. "It's an article, so, prepare yourself."

Sidney stiffened in his seat, cocking his head ever-so-slightly to the side. "It's an article?"

I scoffed, shaking my head with a laugh. "Oh, yeah. TMZ Sports. "America's Sweetheart Everly Grace Cassius has never been one to be shy when it comes to opening up about her private life, often willingly talking about her past struggles with depression, overcoming adversity in the figure skating world, and her dating life. But, since her return to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania in early October of 2015, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist has been relatively hush-hush.

Everly's sudden quietness caused a stir across the figure skating world, as the absence for months on end from social media has not to be seen since Cassius joined the national spotlight. This being said, fans were lead to speculate that Cassius' absence on social media was due to a possible new relationship.

Everly's fans were proven right after she and rumored beau, Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby, were pictured together in Raleigh, with a few friends and NHLers in tow. This is not the first time the two have been linked together, as they were pictured together twice before: first in a Pittsburgh grocery store looking cozy in early December and then again earlier this month, appearing to celebrate her 24th birthday with her family and a few Pittsburgh Penguins players and wives. It is also glaringly hard to ignore the fact that Everly has followed many Penguins' wives and girlfriends on social media, as well as Crosby's younger sister, Taylor.

Crosby is known to the city of Pittsburgh as their most eligible bachelor since his breakup in 2014 from his former flame, Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster, Ella Hart. Crosby is also known to be a very private man, being one of the only NHL players still absent on any form of social media. Crosby's likeness for his privacy may very well be what's keeping Cassius quiet on social media.

We are waiting on further confirmation from either Cassius or Crosby or their respective representatives and will update this article with further information as it may come along."

Sidney kept his eyes concentrated on the road in front of him as he steered the car in the direction of the exit for Washington D.C. "Well," He began, stopping to exhale a heavy breath. "Shit." He laughed.

I laughed, lightly, as I shook my head. "So," I placed Sidney's phone in my lap and pulled mine from my purse that sat on the floor. "Now, that the cat is out of the bag, should I make it Instagram official?" I asked teasingly, knowing that he would likely say no.

Sidney nodded, glancing over his shoulder as he merged into a lane, heading into the direction of the hotel. "Do it,"

I looked at him in surprise. "Wait, what?" He laughed. "I was kidding, I know you don't want to be on social media."

"Everly, I don't want to be on social media. But, I understand that you choose to use social media as a platform to interact with people. If posting a picture of us on social media is important to you, then do it. Post my nudes on Instagram, I don't care, it's your social media. Share as much or as little as you want to." I placed my hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly.

"Are you sure?" I moved one hand up to the back of his neck, twisting a longer curl around my pointer finger.

He smiled, dropping his head back into my hand as he turned into the parking lot of the hotel we were staying in tonight. "Absolutely,"

I grinned. "I love you, Sid,"

Sidney smiled widely, leaning across the console to kiss my forehead. "I love you, Ev. Date night in D.C. then?"

I hummed as I began to collect my things and put them in my purse to go into the hotel. "Sounds like a plan, I'll wear my 'Crosby's #1 Fan' t-shirt."

Sidney laughed, his head hitting the back of his seat. "Yeah, I bet you will."

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kingofdirtandnothing · 4 years

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@wemultitudinous asked: How does your muse respond to people (that are not alex) making advances on them? // for john! Sinday Questions: (Accepting)

Verse dependent answers ahoy!

Chef verse: He absolutely, 1000% is too gay to function. He just does not pick up when women are flirting with him. It’s a ridiculous thought to him. Like telling him that duck is flirting with him. Women are completely different animals to which he has zero romantic interest and his already fairly oblivious brain just doesn’t compute.

With dudes, it’s also super dependent on location. If he’s on the side of town where he thinks his mother might show up, then he’s going to stiffen up, laugh it off, play it straight. (Urk.) But if he’s over by POST/NY or his own place, or a gay bar or something, John is super receptive to being hit on. Big smiles, lots of body language where he’s turning himself to face them, reaching back to touch their wrist, smooth their lapels.

He tends to get a little softer spoken, a little less likely to joke when someone’s full attention is on him. He likes to soak up the attention, and he’ll speak less to make sure he doesn’t fuck it up.

Main verse: Much more receptive to women hitting on him in this verse, because it’s a survival instinct thing. He’s had multiple girlfriends, both back home in South Carolina, and in New York. He’s pretty heavily straight presenting in this verse because he has to be. His financial ability to stay in New York (and his sanity, at the moment) are tied to not rocking the boat. So he’ll laugh and he’ll tuck hair behind her ear and let her press up close against him.

He has, on very desperate occasions, taken female one night stands home. John always puts in the work, but it’s never what he needs, or wants so it tends to fall flat on his side. But he’s a gentleman, so he sees it through.

Getting hit on by dudes in main verse is a little awkward, because he’s so touch starved and so attention starved and desperate for that attention, but he’s trying so damn hard to be what’s expected of him. Which is how you’ll get a couple of minutes of John with dark eyes and lowered lashes leaning into any offered touches, then having to sheepishly tell the guy that he’s straight, but he appreciates it.

He hates that most.

Suits Verse: John is divorced, has completely scorched earthed his family, and Martha knows the truth. He’s still quiet about it, but it’s the closest to out and proud he gets. He’ll wear a pride button on his lapel and everything, this is progress for my repressed boy, you guys.

This is the verse where he will gently, but politely shut women down immediately because he doesn’t want any hurt feelings or misunderstandings. He got extremely lucky once with Martha, he doubts breaking another heart will go so smoothly.

With guys, John is generally too tired to play around. He feels ancient because he’s got a lot of work on his plate and a kid with him every other weekend, so he tends to shut down any flirting that starts to probe into his personal life. He’s got a legit tinder in this verse, and it says ‘not looking for anything past tonight’.

Sex has become a necessary transaction to him, and an already impatient soul loaded down with all of this means he’s more likely to appreciate a dude walking up to him and saying ‘nice ass’ than ‘you have beautiful eyes’. He just wants to get off and go home. John is the sad guy drinking obscenely expensive whiskey at three am in his boxers eating take out.

Highschool Verse: Pure, unadulterated panic. Girls, boys, anyone so much as looking at him for longer than a couple of seconds makes him squirmy and reduces him to a pile of ‘uh’s and ‘um’s. He’s a deeply repressed, closeted disaster with foot in mouth disease. It’s terminal. (Whew, a short one.)

Old Guard Verse: Generally, too old for this shit, but he’s always gentle and polite about it. Though admittedly, in the last couple of decades he has enjoyed the novelty of men hitting on him out in the open. So he might possibly stoke those fires a little more than he should, because he enjoys the fact that it’s broad daylight and a man has a hand at the small of his back.

Forestry Ranger Verse: Oh my god look, it’s a generally well adjusted and pretty chill John Laurens! Who knew that was a thing that existed! This is a John who came out to his parents while he was thousands of miles away at boarding school, convinced he was going to spend his life with Francis. Who denied the whole thing and got a fiance over the summer.

So this is a John who got a ‘no son of mine’ talk straight out of highschool and has been fending for himself for over a decade now. Pickings were slim in South Carolina, but he’s very much into his trips into the city now that he’s transferred into New York.

Women will get the ‘aw shucks, thanks ma’am but I’m married to my job’ response and men will very likely get his hotel room number. Seriously, he gives it away way too easily. It’s a wonder he hasn’t been murdered.

But the job gives him the freedom to play into whoever they want him to be for the night, be it fireman or search and rescue or something straight out of a gay Hallmark movie, and then wash it off in the shower in the morning, get a gold star for his performance and then head home.

#ch: laurens #wemultitudinous #so apparently this one got away from me as you can see #way too much information from me #long post for ts

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dramaqueeenamby · 5 years

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Waves [AU]

A/N: Well, you heartless bitches asked for this, so here it is. Part 1 of 2. Only tagging the few of you who expressed interest (that I can remember lol) as I don’t want to spoil anyone else’s perfect couple.

Words: 3K

Warnings: Angst, over the top shit, etc.

TAGS: @purple-apricots @sisterwifeudaku @idilly @honeyybey @letsshamelessqueen-m @certified-kneegrow

WAVES

Summer and Chris always had a playful type of relationship, one where insults would fling back and forth, but always with the understanding that it was all in jest.

Neither ever took anything that was said to heart.

Even when Summer told Christopher to "fuck off" and "go away," he never obliged because he knew that she didn’t really mean it.

They had an understanding. They could read each other better than anyone else in their lives could.

So, when Summer started to pull away, he noticed it immediately. As she was in the middle of filming Black Panther 2, across the globe, the physical distance put a strain on things. The twins missed their mom, and while Chris would never try to say that Summer didn’t miss the kids, something was different.

Typically, she tried to visit at least once or twice a month while being away, but this time, she said that it would just be "too hard." And, really, he understood that. Marvel’s schedules were grueling. However, he felt as though she was avoiding something.

Some…one.

On several occasions, he asked her if everything was okay, and each time, she’d smile and reassure him that she was just exhausted. At first, he believed her. Why wouldn’t he? She was his wife. He trusted her with his life, and vice versa.

Eventually, Facetime and phone calls were no longer enough for the kids. They needed to see their mother in person, and really, Chris missed her just as much.

So, he decided to surprise her, flying down with the kids to Atlanta, waiting for Summer in her rented condo. It was a wonderful surprise, Elysha and Emmett glued to their mother the whole evening, talking a hole in her head, filling her in on everything she’d missed while away.

Chris was pleased. The twins needed that. However, he also needed some alone time with his wife. So when the Hemsworth kids finally went to sleep, and he attempted to make love to her, he was most definitely surprised when she rejected his advances.

"I’m tired, baby. I had a long day on set. Maybe tomorrow." With a quick kiss on the lips, Summer brought the comforter up to her neck, turned on her side, and fell off to sleep.

That was another thing.

He couldn’t even remember the last time Summer didn’t fall asleep on his chest or nestled into his side.

Still, though….he ignored it. He believed her.

And then, the next day, Summer overslept. Rushing out of the house, she left her phone behind.

He was in the middle of fixing the twins breakfast when it lit up, notifying her that she had a new iMessage.

T’Challala 😜😜😜

He frowned.

Who….

"Chad?" He spoke to himself, ready to ignore it when it chimed again. Another text from Chad. Still, though, he tried to ignore it.

On the fifth chime though, he couldn’t help it. Grabbing it, he used his fingerprint to unlock it and opened up the thread with Chadwick.

Where are you?

Ryan is going to have your ass for being late.

I thought we were supposed to meet before filming began?

Chris’s frown deepened, but he tried to sway his suspicions. It wasn’t out of the norm for co-stars to rehearse together, especially considering the close relationship between Chad and Summer’s characters.

But then….Chris absentmindedly scrolled up to read earlier messages, and the more he read….the more upset he became. It started out harmless. However, it quickly transitioned into more inappropriate conversations. Flirting. They were flirting with each other. Heavily.

And then, he reached the explicit ones, the ones that referred to the actual acts. Sexual encounters between his wife and Chadwick, someone he thought to be a friend.

Everything that happened after that…it was really a blur. He called over a friend who lived in the area to stay with the twins before he hopped in the rental car and sped over to the set, breaking almost every traffic law.

Actually getting onto the set wasn’t a problem. He easily made his way through security and forced brief hello’s to the people he walked by. The closer he got, the more enraged he became. And when he finally reached them, saw them sitting next to each other, Chadwick whispering something in Summer’s ear, he lost all sense of self-control.

"Son of a bitch."

Summer’s head snapped in the direction of her husband as did Chadwick, but even the trained martial artist and his impressive reflexes weren’t fast enough for Chris. With one swift motion, Chadwick was yanked out of his chair as Chris’s fist connected with Chadwick’s jaw in a blow that sent him flying onto the ground.

"Christopher!" Summer stood in shock as Chris waited no time in jumping on top of Chadwick, continuing to rain his fist on top of a confused Black Panther. "What are you doing!"

"Did you think I wouldn’t find out!" Chris continued to shout as his fist repeatedly connected with Chadwick’s face. Chad made fruitless efforts to separate himself from the irate Australian, but it was no use. Chris’s size in conjunction with his rage were a recipe for disaster for the South Carolina native. "Answer me, you fucking bastard!"

"Baby, please!" Summer cried, trying to grab her husband by his forearm as security attempted to intervene, one of the guards trying to move Summer away only for her to push them away. "Christopher, you’ll kill him!"

"I don’t give a fuck!"

"Christopher, please," she plead, thankful as four guards finally pried him off her nearly unconscious costar.

"How long?"

Summer couldn’t breathe. She felt as though there was an insurgent of pressure being placed on her throat, making each breath she took that much painful. "Baby, please-"

She jumped back in fear as he kicked over the closest object, a filming camera."How long, Summer!"

At that point, she wasn’t even thinking about the crowd watching the scene unfold or the on-set parademics who were attending to a bleeding Chadwick. Her only concern, her only care, was for the distraught man in front of her, whose eyes were filled with the undeniable pain he was masking with pure rage.

"Answer me!"

Pressing her lips together, she dropped her head in shame, holding onto her stomach. "T-t-hree months."

Silence.

Summer felt like she was going to pass out.

"You bitch." Her heart throbbed from the ruthless tone of both his voice and his words. Never had he called her out of her name. Ever. "So what, you film for a few hours, go back to your hotel and call up me and the kids and pretend like give a fuck about us-"

"I love you," she croaked, wincing as he kicked another object.

"Bullshit!"

"Baby," she tried to grasp his face only for him to shove her away. "Baby, please-"

"How could you do this, Summer? To the kids?"

"Baby, can we discuss this somewhere priv-"

"Why? You don’t want everyone else to know you’ve been fucking your costar, your married costar?" Chris was purposely raising his voice as to attract as much attention to the situation as he could. He wanted to humiliate her, just as she’d done him. "Then again, you could clearly give two shits about wedding vows-"

Her jaw trembled. "That’s not true."

"Oh no?" His eyes widened in disbelief as he moved closer to her, staring down at her. "So then tell me why-how the fuck you could do this?"

"Baby," Summer reached out to touch his chest only for him to pull away from her.

"Don’t touch me, Summer," he whispered harshly. "You disgust me."

"I swear to you, Christopher, it meant nothing-"

"Then why the fuck has it been going on for all this time, Summer? Huh!" He shouted. She cried harder. "You’ve been fucking him all this time, and now you really want me to believe that it meant nothing?" His volume lowered, and while Summer thought she’d be grateful, she saw that it only lowered because of the emotion seeping through the anger. Never had he looked at her with such pain. Ever.

The fury that coursed through his body briefly broke. "I love you." The way his voice broke halfway though ‘love,’ the devastated betrayal in his normally vibrant blue eyes, the slump in his posture as he stared at her with a plethora of questions and emotions.

Summer had never so strongly desired for the earth to swallow her, to rip her from this nightmare that she called a reality. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not like this. Deep down, she knew that she would be exposed.

"What’s done in the dark always comes to the light."

Grandma’s words never rang truer than in that very moment.

"There’s nothing, nothing, Summer, that I wouldn’t have done for you." Summer was no longer concerned with the audience even though most of the onlookers had dispersed as not to invade on a clearly private and intimate situation. However, what unnerved her was the way in which he was talking.

In past tense.

"You’re upset, and you have every right-"

"Don’t fucking patronize me, Summer."

"I’m not," she croaked, clasping her hands in front of her and closing her eyes. "I swear I’m not. I just-let’s talk-"

"For what? The kids are staying with me."

Her eyes shot open. "W-what?"

"The house is just as much yours as it’s mine, but I’m not uprooting the twins, so you can pack your shit-"

"W-w-wait." Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult for the Academy Award Winner, and her vision was all but a haze as her tears clouded her eyesight. "Wh-what are you saying?"

Chris stilled, turning his head to avoid the conflicting emotions that we’re making his communication that much more irrational. "What the fuck do you think I’m saying, Summer?" He forced himself to look at her, the woman he’d promised and given the world only for her to scoff and demand the universe instead. "It’s over. I want a divorce."

She scoffed, almost falling back. "N-n-no. You-you don’t mean that-" Summer laughed, delirium settling in as her preferred defense mechanism. "We-we can work through this.

"No, we can’t," he replied coldly as she dubbed over, breathing heavy and sporadically. "This-this is beyond repair."

"Don’t say that," she cried, shaking her head. "P-please don’t do this."

Chris scoffed, finally allowing the tears he’d been holding back to fall. "I didn’t." A beat. "You did."

——

Panting, sweating, eyes bloodshot and wide, he looked around the dark space, the only light emanating from the moon that dimly shone through the wall of windows on the other side of the room.

In a panic, he glanced down and to the side, shutting his eyes in silent relief. Summer laid there, turning on her side, most likely because his abrupt movement pushed her off his chest. As she shifted her body, trying to find a comfortable position, he both told himself to leave her be while reaching over to wake her up.

"Summer, he whispered, his large hand gently shaking her shoulder. When she moaned and failed to move, he increased his volume. "Summer, wake up."

She whined, moving her shoulder to shake his hand off, mumbling incoherent words.

He sighed, running his hand over his face. "Honey, it’s important."

Summer also sighed, turning on her back, eyes still closed. "Is it the kids?"

"No."

"Then fuck off, Christopher. My jaw is still sore."

He rolled his eyes and moved on to plan B. Kicking the blankets off, he reached over, lifting her up in his arms and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Christopher!" She groaned, hitting him on his back as he walked them over to the sitting area in the separate part of their large master bedroom. "I hate you."

As soon as he placed her down on the sofa, she was on her side, attempting to go back to sleep.

Chris pinched her calf, prompting her to kick him before he lifted her legs and sat down beside her, allowing her to rest her calves on his lap.

"Sweetheart, I just had the worst fucking dream."

"That I stabbed you in your eye for waking me up? Give it time. It just may become your reality."

"You cheated on me."

At that, Summer’s eyes shot open. Eyebrows furrowed, she sat up a little, supporting her weight on her elbows. "What?"

Chris kept his eyes forward while his fingers grazed her smooth legs. "With…Chadwick."

Her eyes doubled in size. "Wait a minute." Chris watched Summer sit up all the way, removing her legs from off his lap so that she could sit on them, placing her closer. "Run that by me again."

"You two had been having an affair for months. I showed up with the kids to surprise you while you were filming, and you left your phone, so I saw the texts….."

"Wait, Chadwick as in Boseman? As in married and just had a whole baby, Mr. Boseman?"

"I showed up at the set and kicked his ass-"

"Like on the actual set set?" The more she heard, the harder it was for her to believe. "Whew chile. The dream ghetto."

"You and I got into it, well, really, I was furious-" he stopped when he heard snickering. "What the hell, Summer?" She was laughing. Literally, genuinely, wholeheartedly laughing. Hand over her mouth, Summer was clearly humored by the whole scenario. "This shit isn’t funny."

"No, it’s fucking hilarious." She corrected, wiping at her teary eyes. "Can you imagine me messing around with Chad’s cranky ass? Love him to death, great guy, but he can be a bit boring-"

"What exactly do you love about him?"

"Chris." She rolled her eyes, clearing her throat to get back to the topic at hand. "Really?"

"It’s a legitimate question."

She pushed her lips together and tilted her head to the side. "Is it though?"

Chris’s eyes fell over to the nightstand on her side of the bed. "Would you let me see your phone?"

Summer paused and chuckled. "That’s funny." She waited for him to say something, to join in on the joke, but he never did. "Christopher…" The Australian gleaned from the way his wife pulled away from him, her shoulders dropped, and eyes wide with surprise, that he’d perhaps gone too far. "You…do you not trust me?"

He reached over and pulled her back into his side. "Of course, I do."

Summer pulled away and climbed off the sofa. "It doesn’t sound like it."

He sighed. The last thing he’d meant to do was hurt her, and it was painfully evident that that was exactly what he’d done.

Standing up, he looked to see her laying on her side, on the bed, back toward him.

"Summer…." She remained quiet. "Honey-"

"How could you even allow yourself to think that I would-that I even could cheat on you?" She finally spoke, leaning up on her elbows to look at him. Chris turned his head to keep him from seeing the tears glistening in her eyes.

"I didn’t mean it like that-"

"Then how the hell did you mean it?" She demanded, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. "Because it sure as hell sounded like that."

Gently grasping her by her arms, he pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms and securing them under her chest. "Summer, listen to me." He pressed his lips into the back of her shoulder. "And I know that our schedules have been hectic the past few months-"

"So what, because I don’t see you for a little while, you think I’m just going to seek comfort in the arms of another man?" She murmured, Chris noticing the decreased hostility in her voice as a sign that she was calming down.

"I just-I want, fuck, I need you to know, to always know how much I love you, and that I never want to do anything to make you feel unloved or to push you away."

"You won’t, Christopher," she sighed, placing her hand over his. "Unless you wake me up again because of some crazy ass dream, then I’m leaving your long neck ass for the pool boy."

"We don’t have a pool boy, Summer."

She chewed on her bottom lip. "I didn’t tell you." She yelped as he flipped them over so that she was on her back, his body hovered over hers. "His name is-"

"I don’t give a shit," he abruptly cut her off, kissing along her jaw, his hand moving up the side of her thigh.

She pouted. "Very rude, Mr. Hemsworth."

"My apologies, Mrs. Hemsworth," he chuckled, ripping off her underwear in one swift swipe. "Allow me to make it up to you."

Chris went to pull her shirt over her head when she stopped him. He frowned as she brought her hand to his chin, forcing him to look at her. "Hey." Summer lifted her other hand to his face, pushing back the short strings of hair that slightly grazed his forehead. "It’s you." He gave her a faint smile. "Always you, baby."

He pecked the top of her breast. "I love you."

She smiled and licked her lips, allowing him to lift her shirt over her head. "I love you too, Son of Odin."

He groaned. "Summer."

"Sorry," she laughed, quickly switching positions so that she was on top of him. "Allow me to make it up to you."

And that was exactly what she did, all while managing to avoid Chris looking through her phone…..

#chris hemsworth #chris hemsworth fanfiction #chris hemsworth x reader #chris hemsworth x OC #chris hemsworth oneshot #fic: waves

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comfortsuitespineville · 1 year

Text

Retail Therapy and Culinary Delights: Comfort Suites Pineville North Carolina's Guide to Shopping and Dining Experiences

Welcome to Pineville, North Carolina, a vibrant town known for its fantastic shopping opportunities and delectable culinary scene. In this blog, we invite you to embark on a delightful journey through the retail therapy and culinary delights that Pineville has to offer. As your trusted guide, Comfort Suites Pineville will provide you with comfortable accommodations and insider recommendations for the best shopping and dining experiences. Plus, being the closest hotel to Carowinds amusement park, you'll have easy access to the fun-filled adventures as well.

Carolina Place Mall:

Begin your retail therapy at Carolina Place Mall, located just moments away from Comfort Suites Pineville. Explore a wide range of stores, including popular national retailers and specialty boutiques. From fashion to electronics, home decor to accessories, the mall has something for everyone. Enjoy a leisurely shopping spree and take advantage of the mall's amenities, including restaurants and entertainment options.

Unique Boutiques and Local Shops:

Pineville is home to charming local boutiques and specialty shops that offer one-of-a-kind finds. Explore Main Street in downtown Pineville, where you'll discover quaint shops offering handmade crafts, vintage treasures, and unique gifts. Support local artisans and find hidden gems to take home as souvenirs of your visit.

Culinary Delights:

After an exciting day of shopping, treat yourself to the culinary delights that Pineville has to offer. Explore a variety of dining options, ranging from family-friendly restaurants to upscale eateries. Indulge in Southern comfort food, savor international flavors, or enjoy farm-to-table cuisine crafted with locally sourced ingredients. From casual cafes to fine dining establishments, Pineville's culinary scene is sure to satisfy every palate.

Craft Breweries and Wine Bars:

Pineville is also home to a thriving craft beer and wine scene. Visit local breweries and taprooms to sample handcrafted beers made with passion and creativity. Alternatively, unwind at a cozy wine bar where you can explore a diverse selection of wines from around the world. Experience the local flavors and raise a glass to the vibrant beverage culture of Pineville.

Proximity to Carowinds:

As the closest hotel to Carowinds amusement park, Comfort Suites Pineville offers convenient access to thrilling rides, exciting water attractions, and live entertainment. Make the most of your visit to Pineville by spending a day at Carowinds, enjoying the adrenaline-pumping roller coasters and family-friendly attractions.

Conclusion:

Pineville, North Carolina, offers a perfect blend of retail therapy and culinary delights. From the diverse shopping options at Carolina Place Mall to the unique boutiques and local shops, Pineville has something for every shopper. After an exciting day of exploring, indulge in the culinary delights of the town, ranging from Southern comfort food to international flavors. Comfort Suites Pineville provides comfortable accommodations, ensuring a pleasant stay during your retail and culinary adventures. Plan your visit to Pineville, and experience the joy of retail therapy and culinary delights in this charming town.

https://www.comfortsuitespineville.com/

#comfort suites pineville #hotel pineville nc #closest hotel to carowinds #hotels in pineville south carolina #best rooms near me #comfort inn and suites pineville nc #cheap hotels in pineville nc

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theworldofotps · 5 years

Text

I Want More

Pairing: Drew McIntyre x Reader Word Count:1,116 Description: Description: You and Drew are friends with benefits you want more but he doesn't. -Kinda sad maybe a little? Requested: @sassymox asked for Drew and this is one I had written, I’ll be working on the others over the next few days! ------- Tag List @thewrestlingwarehouse @reigns420

If you want added to the tag list just let me know. ------------ Looking at the scatter of hickies across my neck I slip my shirt on then wash my face in the sink I needed to hurry up and leave Drew's hotel room. Quickly brushing my teeth I put my things in the small mesh bag I brought with me before walking into the room.

"Headin out?"

"Yeah, I want to get to my room before Dean comes to pick me up for breakfast."

"Okay same time tomorrow?"

"I'll be here."

I reply slipping on my shoes standing up Drew presses a kiss to my lips before walking to the bathroom shutting the door. Taking my bag I head down the hall to my hotel room tossing my bag on my bed I pull clothes out of my suitcase and get a shower before my best friend comes to get me. Singing to the playlist on my phone I scrub lightly over the hickies the Scotsmen had left across my skin thankful my ring gear could cover them. The only ones that needed to be covered were the ones on my neck the makeup department are going to be pissed. Rinsing off I wrap my hair in a towel drying myself then slipping on jeans and a black tee shirt. Blow drying my hair I let it hang loose calling a come in when I hear a knock.

"Good morning doll."

"Morning Dean just give me a minute then we can head out."

"No rush I told Renee to meet us after her meeting with Hunter if that's okay?"

"Yeah that's fine does she know the coffee shop we'll be at?"

"Yep I gave her the directions it's not that far from here so she'll probably just have Hunter drop her off."

Nodding I put on my sneakers grabbing my bag I put my wallet, phone, and keys inside putting it on my back I follow him out the door.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Good Renee accidentally kicked me in the nuts so that was a bit unpleasant but other than that I slept fine."

"That sounds painful."

"It was lemme tell ya."

Smiling we get in the elevator heading down to the lobby and out into the warm Carolina weather.

"How about you?"

"I slept alright I got up early this morning tho so I'm a bit tired still."

"Did you stay with Drew again (y/n)?"

"Yeah, I did I couldn't help myself."

"When are you supposed to stay with him again?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Have you told him how you felt yet?"

"No, I'm scared too he's one of my closest friends and the thought of scaring him off because I want to be more than just friends with benefits. I don't know how he would react I don't want to lose him."

You sigh thinking of the man who had been occupying your thoughts for months now. Ever since you two took your friendship to the next level without officially being a couple you couldn’t get him out of your head.

"I can understand that and I'm not demanding that you go tell him but you're hurting your heart by continuing to do this. That's not fair to yourself (y/n) you're a wonderful woman and Drew would be so lucky to have you. But if he doesn't want more than I think it would be for the best if you just stayed friends that didn't sleep together."

"Why do you have to be right?"

"Because I'm me and when am I never not right?"

He asks slinging his arm over my shoulders I smile rolling my eyes shoving him to the side before quickly making my way into the coffee shop.

"Okay, that was rude."

"Poor Dean are you okay?"

I coo pinching his cheek as we get in line shaking his head with a chuckle we order some coffee and breakfast before picking a table.

"Do you think I should just tell him tomorrow? I want to give myself some time to think of what I'm going to say."

"Do what you think is right nobody can pick the perfect moment do it when you are ready."

"Thank you I'm so glad to call you a friend."

"Best friend for your information."

"I don't think that would go over too well with Seth."

"Who cares what he thinks?"

Laughing we start eating our breakfast talking about the upcoming house shows before we're joined by Renee.

~ Taking a breath I knock on Drew's hotel room trying to keep my nerves under control come on (y/n) you can do this.

“Ay, love come on in."

Looking up I see Drew dressed in a pair of sweats and black teeshirt a smirk covering his face walking past him I stand by the bed. Drew walks over cupping my face in his hands pressing his lips to mine I try to hold back the content sigh. I knew we had to talk but I wanted to selfishly enjoy this moment in case it was the last time. When he goes to tug my shirt off I pull away holding his hands in place looking up at him.

"Are ya okay?"

"Um yeah, I just need to talk to you if that's okay?"

"Of course lets sit."

Sitting side by side I look down at my hands trying to sort through my thoughts he takes my hand in his giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"So you know how when we started this we said we didn't have to worry about getting feelings because we're such good friends?"

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons why we agreed to it."

"I can't do this anymore it's nothing you've done well not really I'm falling for you I want more than just sex and sneaking out of your room in the morning."

"(Y/n) I'm I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything okay? If you still want to be friends then I can be more than happy with that I don't want to lose you but I can't keep sleeping with you. I'll only end up hurting myself in the process I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry you can't help who you fall for if you think we can still just be friends then lets. I wish I could say I felt the same but I don't want to try and force feelings that aren't there."

"I can handle that thank you for understanding."

Pressing a kiss to his cheek he pulls me into a tight hug I rest my head on his shoulder blinking back the wave of tears. Tears of sadness but mainly tears of thankfulness that I was still able to keep my friend. ----------- Sometimes things don't work out the way you want but good things can still come from it. I just wanted to do something a little different I hope you all still enjoy.

#drew mcintyre #drew mcintyre x reader #drew mcintyre one shot #wwe #wwe one shot

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chasholidays · 6 years

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OKAY. I drove past a roadside fruit stand at the beach labeled "Bellamy Farms" last month and immediately thought of you. Would love a beach romance with hot farmer Bellamy and hippie artist Clarke (could be holiday themed, or not!) 5-10,000 words, obviously with a meet cute & falling in love over veg. Perhaps with some Kabby and Linctavia on the side if it pleases you. TY for this gift!

oops there’s not really a meet cute here sometimes that is how the cookie crumbles etc

When Clarke Griffin is nineteen, her father dies and she drops out of college to move to the beach and become an artist.

It’s not, admittedly, the best reaction, but it’s not as if most people have a good reaction to parental death. Clarke has always done everything right, had been so sure that if she was a good kid who followed rules her life would be good. And then her dad died anyway and college is just moreschool, except that she can’t fit art classes in with her premed course load, which she doesn’t even want, and her father is dead and her mother was somehow involved in his death.

So she packs all her stuff into her car and drives down the east coast with the windows rolled down and music blaring and squats in her dad’s empty beach house for a couple of weeks, drinking cheap booze and generally feeling sorry for herself.

And then, finally, she looks around.

The beach house had been a staple of childhood summers, but it’s late fall now, the off-season, and that’s a new experience for her. It has the feel of being in a mall after closing time, or at a big event doing set up. It’s a secret place, a dress rehearsal, and being a part of that sends a thrill through her.

This is where she wants to be. This is where she belongs.

Abby is frantic when she picks up the phone. “Clarke? Where are you? Where have you been?”

“I’m in South Carolina,” she says. “And I’m going to stay here.”

“What do you mean?”

Clarke leans back. “I want the beach house, and I want however much money Dad left me, and then I won’t tell anyone what I think you had to do with him dying.”

There’s a long pause. “Clarke, you don’t have to blackmail me. And it’s not what you think. What happened to your father was–”

“A tragic accident,” she supplies. Abby said it enough. “I know. I don’t care. I’m not going back to school, I’m not coming back home. I just want the beach house and my inheritance and I’ll be set.”

“Set at what?”

It’s a good question. “I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

It’s not true, exactly; Clarke can’t imagine casually checking in with her mother for a long time. But Abby will probably call her back, and Clarke won’t lie to her if she’s got a plan.

All she needs is to get a plan.

The town of Arcadia, South Carolina is cute, like something out of a picture book. It’s not the actual beach town, but instead the closest inland town that people come to for non-beach reasons, and therefore the place Clarke might be able to find a job that doesn’t involve working at a restaurant, hotel, or tourist trap.

Granted, it mostly adds antique store, clothing boutique, and art gallery to her options, but all of those seem more in line with her skill set. She likes antiques and art, and she wears clothes.

She ends up getting hired at an upscale shop that sells a variety of goods made by local artists, from pottery to clothing to salvaged beach sculptures. It’s the kind of place that makes people think “this doesn’t look that hard” when they see the prices, and Clarke is no exception. She can’t sew and she doesn’t have access to clay, but she lives on the beach. She could definitely make weird seashell art.

But to her surprise, not only can she make weird seashell art, she likes it and is good at it. Commercial pieces are easy: charms to string on jewelry, small mosaics of sea creatures, just little things to remind tourists of their trips. But there are so many more things she can do, driftwood and sea glass twisting together into broad, conceptual pieces, the kind of stuff galleries might actually want someday.

It’s not a fast process, of course, but the years bleed by easily. The art community around Arcadia isn’t exactly thriving like it would be in a city, but it’s active and passionate, and Clarke slots in like she’s always been there. She dates Lincoln, the sculptor who looks like a bodybuilder, for about half a second before they decide to be friends, then Finn, an artist with a metalworker girlfriend who didn’t know he was seeing someone else, and then Lexa, who has dreams of moving to the city and making it big.

“Which city?” Clarke asks, amused.

“Does it matter? As long as I get out of here.”

The two of them stay together for a while after that, but that’s the moment Clarke knows they’re ultimately doomed. She’s twenty-four, years removes from the complete meltdown that had brought her to South Carolina in the first place, but she’s never had any desire to return to the life her mother had wanted for her. It’s a privilege, she knows, that she can afford to be out here, living in a beach-house year round, working as an artist who doesn’t actually make quite enough to support herself, but she has that privilege. She can afford to have the life she wants, and this is it.

She and Lexa make it another year, and then Lexa goes to Raleigh and Clarke makes a driftwood statue called “September Departure” in her honor.

After that, she can’t help feeling like maybe romance isn’t in the cards, like she might be out of options.

Both Lincoln and Raven tell her she’s being ridiculous.

“That’s the breakup talking,” Raven says. “It always feels like love is dead or some dramatic shit, but that doesn’t last forever.”

“I just feel like I’ve exhausted the local options,” Clarke says, with a sigh. “I’m running out of people to date.”

“And new people do move in,” Lincoln points out. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but the population here isn’t static. Good things could be coming.”

It feels like a prophesy, and Clarke is all primed and ready for it to come true, for Lincoln to have set her up for a meet cute with some new residents some unknown good thing.

Which means, of course, that she completely misses the good thing when she nearly walks right into it.

It’s the first farmer’s market of the summer season and Clarke is setting up. She and Lincoln have a booth together, selling their various works of art, and this is always the most stressful week. It’s the week Clarke is convinced that somehow the tourists won’t come, or won’t like beach trinkets anymore, that something will go wrong and she’ll have to admit this isn’t a real life and go back to her mother. It’s not rational that she puts so much emphasis on the opening week, especially since tourist migrations tend to vary from year-to-year, but if it was rational, it wouldn’t be a superstition.

The Blake Farm booth catches her eye because, despite what Lincoln said, new booths really aren’t that common, and a new farm is noteworthy. Especially the name, Blake Farm, which nags at her brain hard enough she actually walks into Bellamy in her distraction.

“Jesus, princess, can’t you watch where you’re going?” he grumbles. He’s carrying a large basket full of produce, so she can’t really blame him for being annoyed, but she and Bellamy also snipe at each other basically every time they come into contact, so she doubts he’d be any less short if he was empty-handed.

Her brain snaps the pieces together a second after she sees him: Bellamy Blake. Blake Farm.

“Holy shit, did you finally get your own place?”

He ducks his head, not enough to hide the pleased smile on his face. Clarke doesn’t actually hate Bellamy, not really, but it feels as if they’re perpetually on the wrong foot, as if they’re always about to get into a fight whether they want to or not. Getting into fights is just how the two of them communicate.

“Did you not hear about that?”

“I was wondering why you dropped off the face of the earth, but I thought maybe wishes really did come true.”

He snorts. “Dream on, you’re never getting rid of me.”

“Seriously, when did this happen? What happened?”

“Come to the booth if you want me to talk to you, I need to set up.”

Clarke follows him, taking in the produce already on display with a more curious eye, now that she knows it’s Bellamy’s. He’s been a regular face at the farmer’s market for as long as Clarke’s been here, but always selling for Pike’s Produce, the farm where he’s worked for since it was legal for him to work. Clarke knew he wanted a place of his own, but he also knew that it was, in his words, a stupid dream. He was better off not owning, so long as Charles paid him a good wage.

“You remember Miller?”

“Your ex Miller?” she asks, frowning. Bellamy is a couple years older than she is, but still roughly in her demographic, and while he runs with a different crowd than she does, there are only so many places to hang out. When she goes out on Saturday night, she goes to the bar where his little sister works, and he’s usually there too. He’s unavoidable.

“Yeah. He moved to Charleston to start a restaurant with his internet boyfriend.”

“I did hear about that.”

Bellamy hefts a basket up onto the table and Clarke tries not to notice the flex of his muscles. He’s in good shape. That’s just an objective fact. “I was always worried that if I started my own place, I wouldn’t have enough of a customer base to stay open. Most of the local places already have their suppliers, and I didn’t know if I could do enough business on my own. But farm-to-table is really big right now, so Miller and I went in together. He tells me what he needs, I grow it. Charles is doing his meat and dairy too, so he’s not even mad at me for leaving. He always wanted me to be able to make it on my own.”

“That’s amazing,” says Clarke, meaning it. “So you’re selling what Miller doesn’t need?”

“Yeah. It could still blow up in our faces,” he adds, shrugging. “Maybe we’ve got enough dudes selling over-priced produce here, but I figure I might as well try. If I crash and burn, I’m pretty sure Charles will take me back.”

She has to smile. “You can be a little excited. It’s exciting. Don’t jump straight to what could go wrong.”

“Thats rich, coming from you. You’re convinced if you don’t sell enough dolphin moasiacs by noon your entire business is in jeopardy.”

He’s not wrong. “So I’m speaking from experience. Don’t be like me, Bellamy.”

“Trying not to be.”

She smiles; the retort is automatic, and it’s kind of cute. Just a little. “So, any recommendations?”

“For what, exactly?”

“Something I can buy from you that will taste good that doesn’t require cooking.”

“The cherry tomatoes are pretty good. Sweet. I just eat them like candy.”

Clarke examines the cartons, arranged in neat lines on the table and overflowing with bright red fruit. Bellamy picks up a tomato and offers it to her, and when she pops it into her mouth and bites down, it feels like sunshine exploding into her mouth.

“That’s amazing.”

He looks smug, but she can see the pride lurking behind his eyes. “I know.”

“I’ll take two cartons.”

“My first customer,” he says. “Thanks.”

“Definitely not your last.”

She takes the tomatoes back to her own table and finds a piece of paper, writes Try a Blake Farm tomato!! on it and tapes it to the front of the tablecloth, next to the display of rings.

Lincoln does a double take when he sees it, then shakes his head. “So, that’s still happening.”

“They’re good tomatoes.”

“I’m sure they are.”

“So, you like wood, right?”

Clarke blinks at Bellamy, who’s come to lean against the bar next to her. His sister, who’s behind the bar working on Clarke’s drink, doesn’t look any more impressed with the statement than Clarke is.

“Your pickup lines need some serious work, Bell.”

“It’s not a pickup line, O,” he shoots back, and then returns his attention to Clarke. “Do you know where the farm is?”

“Not really.” It’s been about a month since she found out Bellamy’s farm existed and she’s gotten almost no new information about it since then. “I tried googling you, but your web presence needs work.”

“I know, Miller’s boyfriend is working on it. It’s not like there’s much to see yet.” He clears his throat. “Anyway, I got the old Sinclair place, and they had some trees I needed to clear out. I know it’s not driftwood, but I thought you might want to take a look and see if you could use anything.”

The offer is both completely logical and totally unexpected, one of those things that’s good for both of them but still, well, Bellamy helping her out. That’s not how it’s supposed to work.

“I could definitely come look,” she says. “Lincoln might want some too.”

“Yeah, you can bring him,” Bellamy says, with a shrug. “Maybe when O is around.”

To Clarke’s surprise, Octavia goes beet red, the most embarrassed Clarke has ever seen her. She’s probably a bit young for Lincoln, in an absolute sense, but she’s twenty-three and more than capable of making her own choices, and the two of them might actually be good together. Lincoln’s been single for a while.

“Shut up, Bell.”

“Are you helping out on the farm, Octavia?” Clarke asks, mostly in the hopes that ignoring the Lincoln thing will put Octavia at ease and let her get more information about it later, when her guard is down. Or from Bellamy.

“I’m living there since Bell sold our old place, and he says I can either help out or pay rent, so I’m helping out.”

“Which is a way better deal for you than it is for me.”

“You say that now, but someday I’m going to move out and you’re going to be so sad you have to actually hire people.”

“I’m definitely going to be sad when I have to deal with staff, yeah. You don’t have to come look at the wood,” he adds, to Clarke. “I can just get rid of it. But I figured I’d check in with you first.”

“No, that would be great. I like doing beach stuff but I’ve been thinking of branching out, and this might be a good way to start.”

“No pun intended?” he teases, and at her blank look, elaborates, “Branching out? Because it’s a tree.”

Octavia groans. “Jesus, Bell.”

“Definitely no pun intended,” she says, trying and failing to not be endeared. Bellamy is not only really attractive, but he’s also got this aura of coolness, so it took Clarke to realize that, under all that, he’s a hopeless dork.

She likes him a lot better now that she knows that.

Bellamy rubs the back of his neck, which doesn’t help her situation. “Well, uh, do you have my number? Since our web presence sucks.”

“I don’t think I do.”

“Give me your phone and I’ll put it in for you.”

“If this was you picking her up it would be pretty smooth,” Octavia observes, probably vengeance for the Lincoln comment. Clarke can never decide if stuff like that makes her happy or sad to be an only child, but it definitely makes her aware of being an only child.

Of course, as soon as she tells Lincoln about this, he’s definitely going to start dropping hints that it Means Something, so maybe this isn’t an experience she’s totally missed out on. Friends can be nosy assholes too.

Still, it’s a good offer, and one she’s interested in, so she hands over her phone and lets Bellamy give her his number, texts him back so he has hers too.

After almost six years of knowing each other, they can finally get in touch if the need to. There’s a milestone.

“Bellamy has some lumber he thinks we might want,” she tells Lincoln, when she gets back to their table.

“Huh,” says Raven, “I thought he was just hitting on you.”

“Nope, definitely not.” It’s safe to say that now, when he can’t hear. “He just wanted to give us first dibs on supplies.”

“Which is lumber?”

“Yeah, whatever he cut down on the farm to make room for–whatever else he wants on the farm. I said we’d go out there some afternoon soon to check it out.”

“Sorry, you’re going to Bellamy’s farm to check out his wood?” Raven asks. “Just to summarize.”

“With Lincoln.”

“You act like that helps, but Lincoln’s bi too. You’re both into Bellamy’s wood.”

“We’re not sure we’re into Bellamy’s wood,” Lincoln corrects. “That’s why we’re going to the farm. To examine the wood and see if we want it.”

“I can’t wait until he starts growing carrots and cucumbers, this will never get old,” Clarke remarks, dry, but Raven actually looks at her hard.

“Seriously, how come you’ve never gone for Bellamy?”

“I didn’t want hooking up with guys you’ve already slept with to be a thing of mine.” It’s only half a joke. “Come on, half of our conversations end in fights, how would we date?”

“You seem to be getting along pretty well these days,” Lincoln says.

“That’s because he’s been busy with the farm he didn’t even tell me he bought.”

“He didn’t tell me either,” says Raven. “I just knew because Mr. Sinclair mentioned it last time I saw him. I didn’t know you guys didn’t know, I figured it was common knowledge.”

“Octavia told me, but she swore me to secrecy,” Lincoln puts in. “I think he was trying to keep it quiet in case something went wrong. Luna said the sign wasn’t even up until after he went to the farmer’s market.”

It makes Clarke feel a little better, which in turn makes her feel worse, because she doesn’t want to have any feelings about Bellamy, or his farm, or his life in general. She has no interest in justifying why she’s never dated him because the whole premise is flawed. She couldn’t date Bellamy even if she did want to. It’s not a thing.

“I just don’t think he’s my type,” she finally says. “Obviously he’s hot, don’t get me wrong. But that’s not enough. I dated Lincoln because he was hot and look how that turned out.”

“We broke up amicably and now we’re best friends,” Lincoln says, dry. “How awful.”

She has to smile. “You know what I mean.”

Neither of them agrees, but they shut up about it. She’ll take it.

Lincoln texts an hour before they’re supposed to go out to the farm to say something came up, so he’ll just go out on his own later. Clarke wants to call it out as the bullshit it so clearly is, but that’s not actually a productive use of her time. She still has to go see Bellamy, unless she cancels too, and then it’s a whole thing.

She can just go check out Bellamy’s wood on her own. No big deal.

Before this, Clarke had known that Mr. Sinclair had died and left the farm to his son–also Mr. Sinclair–who taught physics and autoshop at the high school, which was why he was friends with Raven, who was definitely the star pupil in both classes. Mr. Sinclair the younger had a house of his own and no desire to keep up a property the size of the family farm, even if it hadn’t been a working farm for many years. It’s not the largest property in the area, but it’s well located and well maintained, probably perfect for a young farmer just starting out.

It’s also not on any of Clarke’s regular routes, so she hasn’t seen it in a while. If anyone had asked her, she would have said it was still on the market, but it’s not like she was paying much attention. And even though she came here at nineteen, she’s aware of not being a native. She doesn’t have the complicated network of contacts most people do, especially since the beach house is kind of isolated, away from where most of the actual residents live. She’s alone a lot, and she doesn’t mind, but driving past the new Blake Farm, this place she didn’t even know about, she can’t help regretting it.

She doesn’t know what she would have done if she knew about this sooner, but she wishes she’d had the option to try doing it.

There’s no one in sight when she parks, so she just gets to wander around, looking at the barn, the house, the rows of crops. She wouldn’t have been able to describe what it looked like before, but she knows it looks better now, the fields full and green, the house repainted, everything bright and clean and new.

“Hey,” says Bellamy, jolting her attention from the rows of tomatoes. “Sorry, I heard you come in but I was in the barn.”

She turns and it actually takes her a second to recover from just seeing him. Bellamy is always attractive, obviously and easily, a fact of life. Bellamy looks good; that’s how it is. But he’s usually a kind of buttoned-up guy, especially for someone who ostensibly lives on the beach. He rocks this kind of nerdy professor look, and it’s jarring to see him in jeans and a tank top, a bandanna pushing his hair off his forehead. The only thing missing is his glasses, which would definitely complete the look for her, but she assumes they’re not practical.

And, honestly, she probably couldn’t deal with all of that. It’s just as well he doesn’t have the glasses on top of his huge arms and broad chest and freckles popping off of his skin.

She shakes herself out of it. “No problem. I was just looking around. Lincoln had to cancel,” she adds. “He got a lead on some material he wanted up in North Carolina. So it’s just me.”

“Cool. You want the tour?”

“Sure.”

He shrugs on a light flannel shirt, which pretty much confirms that he’s not going to get less hot during this visit. His shoulders are covered, but he looks like the cover of a romance novel with the unbuttoned flannel and glistening skin. “Okay, so–the barn. I don’t actually need the barn.”

“No?”

“No animals yet.”

“Right, you said Pike was doing the animal produce.”

He nods, holding the barn door open for her. “This is my office for now, until I figure out if I can afford to keep livestock. I just want to grab keys and my glasses, and then I’ll take you around the fields and to the lumber.”

Clarke doesn’t jump him when he finds the glasses, but it’s a close thing. She wouldn’t have said she was avoiding Bellamy, but she’s seen more of him in the last couple weeks since he got the farm than she probably has in the last year before this, and the high concentration of interaction is a lot. Especially since they’ve been getting along.

She should pick a fight, just to remind herself why a literal roll in the hay isn’t an option.

Instead, she just lets him drive her around the farm, explaining what he’s doing now and what he’s still planning to do, pointing out crops that are coming in, doing well, doing poorly, rattling off names of weird hipster vegetables Clarke’s never even heard of.

“You really love this, huh,” she observes.

He glances over at her. “And?”

“It’s just nice. I know a lot of people feel kind of stuck here, like Lexa did. I’m glad this is where you want to be.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I didn’t think you’d mind if I left town.”

“It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“You too.” He clears his throat. “I honestly never thought you’d stick around. I remember when you showed up and it just felt like–”

“Rich girl burnout?”

“No offense.”

“None taken. If I wasn’t a spoiled rich girl, I probably wouldn’t be here. I couldn’t have afforded to throw everything away. But–” She huffs. “This is going to make me sound like an asshole.”

“I already think you’re an asshole, so go ahead.”

His voice is warm, and she smiles. “I think I needed to be away from pressure. School was just–I was the top of my class, always, because if I wasn’t then I thought I was losing. And I think I would have burned myself out and made myself miserable. It was already starting to happen in college, when I wasn’t the biggest fish in the pond anymore. If I wasn’t the best, I didn’t know what to be.”

“So you’re the biggest fish out here?” He doesn’t sound offended.

“No, I got out of the pond. I’m a total failure judged by any of the standards I used to have, but I’m happy.”

He laughs. “Okay, yeah. I can see how that would make you sound like an asshole. But it’s nice having you here. And it’s not as if you’re not successful. Your art actually sells. I’m pretty sure Lexa’s going to be back with her tail between her legs in a couple years, but if you wanted to leave–”

“I don’t think I could make stuff like this if I left,” she admits. “I think I need to be out here.”

“Yeah. I’ve never seen anyone capture the ocean like you do, it’s amazing.” Before Clarke quite has time to process that–Bellamy has seen her art, Bellamy has opinions on her art, Bellamy thinks her art is amazing–he coughs, this awkward clearing of his throat like he realizes it’s kind of a lot too. “This place is clearly good for you.”

He’s not the first person to say it, or something like it. But it means something else, coming from him.

“Yeah,” she says. “I like to think so.”

Clarke doesn’t set out to make the branches she took from Bellamy into any kind of gesture or statement. She picked the pieces she liked, these gnarled branches she thinks she can work with, leaves she could preserve in some way, maybe. Bellamy hauled them into his truck, drove her back to her car, and helped her load them, and Clarke left feeling only a little at loose ends.

But as soon as she’s home and really looking at the pieces, all she can see is him. These aren’t old, dried out logs, carried to her by the sea from god knows where. These are Bellamy’s trees from Bellamy’s farm, and when she looks at them, she can’t imagine turning them into anything but what they already are: Blake Farm and Bellamy, his dream finally come true.

So she runs with it. It’s not as abstract as some of her pieces, but Clarke’s past the point in her life where she thinks inscrutability is artistically superior in and of itself. She makes the pieces she wants to make, and it’s easy to just fall into making this one. Clarke goes into a kind of trance when she’s inspired, really inspired; she can make a big, impressive piece more quickly than a bunch of her tourist souvenirs, for all they’re easier, just because she wants the real piece so much more.

She finishes off the Blake Farm piece the morning of the farmer’s market, which is kind of a mixed blessing. Because it is for Bellamy, wholly and undeniably. She couldn’t give it to the boutique to sell or try to get it put on display anywhere, but it feels just as impossible to go up to him and tell him she made him a gift. He’d given her the wood without any expectation of getting it back, and she doesn’t know how to tell him he inspired her without it being a big deal. Because it is a big deal, at least to her.

She’s definitely kind of in love with him. It’s probably been a long time coming.

Lincoln texts her to ask where she is while she’s loading the thing into her car, and she says she’s on her way, but he can take as much of the table as he wants. It’s probably going to be a couple minutes, one way or another.

Clarke usually visits Bellamy’s stall before the market has opened. She picks up some berries or tomatoes to put on her table, since free stuff gets people’s attention, and then she doesn’t see him again until the end of the market. It’s easier than leaving her stuff unattended and fighting her way through crowds, and it feels more causal too. She’s not going out of her way.

Which means this is her first time actually seeing him in action, Octavia at his side, one of her own mosaics on display on the corner of his table with a sign directing fans to her table.

Apparently they’ve got a weird thing going, and she didn’t even realize.

“I didn’t know you were doing advertising for me,” she tells Bellamy. He’s looking at his phone, so he missed her coming in, the ideal scenario. She should be able to get out what she wanted to say.

He startles but recovers, smiling a little. “You’re advertising for me, I figured I should return the favor.” He clears his throat. “I was worried you weren’t going to make it. Thought you might be sick.”

“I don’t think I’m selling. But I could use your help with something, if your sister can watch your booth for a minute.”

“Yeah, of course. O, I’ll be back.”

He probably won’t think it’s weird. They’re his branches, it only makes sense that his farm would inspire her. He might try to pay her. He might not even like it. But I made a mosaic of your farm with your branches as a frame isn’t really an unambiguous gesture, and if she plays it cool, he might not even realize it’s a thing. This is what artists do, right? Totally normal.

“I figured you’d want to see what I did with the stuff I got from you.”

He blinks, clearly taken aback. “You already used it?”

“I was inspired.” She opens up the back of the car, not letting herself ask him to close his eyes or making it a big presentation, but she doesn’t have to. Bellamy stops dead, staring, and Clarke tries to see it through his eyes, the sea glass and shells, the leaves coated to keep them fresh, the branches surrounding a scene of blues and greens and golds.

His farm, rendered in whatever made her think of him.

“Holy shit,” he breathes.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted it, I thought I should give you first dibs, but–”

He kisses her, this quick shock of contact that just lasts a second before he seems to realize what he’s done and he pulls back, eyes wide behind his glasses. He really is, well–Bellamy. A constant background presence in her life that she wants to make much more prominent.

Someone she’s, somehow, very fond of.

“Sorry,” he says, searching her face like he’s trying to figure out if he should be saying that. “It seemed like the right response.”

Clarke winds her arms around his neck. “It was,” she says, and kisses him again.

They don’t make it back to their stalls for a long time.

When Clarke Griffin is twenty-six, her boyfriend proposes and she leaves her beach house to move to his farm instead. They convert the barn into a studio and she spends her mornings helping on the farms, her afternoons working on her art, and her nights with Bellamy, always with Bellamy.

It’s not the life she imagined, when she was young, or even when she came to Arcadia for the first time. But somehow, it’s exactly what she wanted.

#wildcard47

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foodpilgrim · 5 years

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Appalachian Anomaly

At the annual Table Rock Writers Workshop last week, our special guest was Emily Nunn, a native of southwest Virginia and author of The Comfort Food Diaries, published in 2017 by Simon & Schuster. Emily read from the memoir in which she discovers that comfort food is less about the dish and more about its preparation. Food can be a way to express the deepest care without saying a word. Cooking for others can be more comforting than eating itself.

After her presentation, Emily, who also created the “Table for Two” column in the New Yorker magazine when she worked there, revealed a recent discovery—a wood-fired pizza joint in an unlikely place—Roan Mountain, Tennessee, the little village at the base of the high peak that divides North Carolina and Tennessee. Back in the 19th century, the winding road to the top, then very narrow and precarious, allowed traffic in one direction (toward Tennessee) in the mornings and then became one way toward North Carolina in the afternoons. Hardscrabble mountain people made the passage on foot, by hack, and on horseback as they could.

Eventually, in 1894, a resort hotel called The Cloudland was built right on the state line near the peak at 6,286 feet. Travelers could rent rooms with spring mattresses, copper tubs, and steam heat for two dollars a night, a fee which also included three meals. The state line was painted on the dining room floor at the Cloudland, because those seated in Tennessee could order an alcoholic beverage to go with their meals, but those who were on the North Carolina side could not. The Mitchell County (NC) sheriff reportedly came often at dinnertime to patrol the border, hoping some of those imbibing in Tennessee might accidentally stumble across the state line into North Carolina, presumably then being forced to pay a fine as steep as the slopes of the Roan.

Anyway, I digress.

Emily’s report of the Roan Mountain pizza was so evocative that Donna Campbell and I set out at week’s end to sample it. I have reported here on Pie on the Mountain in Lansing, NC, and Big Ed’s Pizza in Oak Ridge, TN. Both restaurants feature righteously fresh ingredients, including the now-ubiquitous Benton’s Tennessee Bacon. However, the pinnacle of pizzas for me is in Carrboro, NC, where Gabe Barker--the son of James Beard Award-winning chefs Karen and Ben Barker--makes ten-inch Neapolitan miracles at his Pizzeria Mercato.

Gabe has developed a handcrafted thin yeast dough that blisters to perfection in his gas-fired oven. The Mercato toppings vary with the season--organic vegetables and meats from the Carrboro Farmer’s Market across the street and the finest imports of Castelvetrano olives, Italian cheeses, and dried Calabrian chiles. Gabe’s most sublime creation to date is a grilled sweet corn and Gorgonzola pizza topped with razor thin slices of Serrano pepper scattered sparsely enough to open the sinuses without numbing the tongue. But I digress again.

On the way to Tennessee Donna and I studied the Smoky Mountain Bakery’s online menu and agreed on the Gourmet Veggie and the Hiker’s Surprise. All of their pizzas are more-or-less 12 inches and range in price from ten to twelve dollars with a maximum of twelve toppings. When we arrived on Cloudland Drive, we couldn’t see the restaurant from the road, only a bank of sunflowers just beginning to bend toward autumn.

The sign out front

Ten years ago, Tim and Crystal Decker, both northern Californians and seasoned chefs, set up shop in a renovated barn to create this Appalachian anomaly. He is a European-style artisanal bread maker and she is a pastry expert. Their son Anton, a musician, also takes a turn in the kitchen.

If Gabe Barker’s place in Carrboro is urban chic—concrete floors and recycled timber tables and benches—this place is shabby seventies. No frills, no fuss. A throwback to hippiedom.

Breakfast is still under way when we walk in, served until 10:45—omelets, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, Belgian waffles, and pastries. The pizza oven is blazing by 11:00. The line soon runs out the door, and inside you find yourself waiting amid stock storage—cardboard boxes piled high and to-go pizzas already stacked in boxes on a low bench for pick-up beside the cashier’s station. A glass cabinet holds cherry pinwheels, lemon crinkles, coconut macaroons, snicker doodles, blueberry scones, red velvet sandwich cookies filled with cream cheese, banana bran muffins, and little loaves of pumpkin bread laced with walnuts and cranberries. A sign above these treats reads: “Stressed is desserts spelled backwards.” On the opposite wall, a metal baker’s rack on wheels is heaped with chocolate chip cookies and sweet rolls in plastic bags to go.

Eight young people are navigating around the flour-covered worktable in the kitchen. Two are rolling out dough, another is chopping toppings. Another slathers on tomato sauce while the young man closest to the hot maw of the oven wields the pizza shovel with grace. The rest take turns taking orders and swiping credit cards through nothing more than an iPhone.

Down the line, salads of frisee, mesclun mix, luscious cherry tomatoes, and random red beans sit in closed clam shells on refrigerator shelves for the taking. Three bucks per salad or two for five, DIY. Commercial dressings, however, come sealed in packets at the ordering window—the only disappointment, as it turns out. On down the line, self-serve fountain drinks with free refills are two dollars. There are a few tables inside; many more outside on the wrap around deck.

We place our order, take a number, and find communal benches at a long picnic table out back in sunlight dappled by a half-dozen black walnut trees towering over two sides of the deck. There is a vegetable garden, now waning, in the sideyard. Trees up the hill beyond are rounded sculptures of kudzu. Tendrils trail down and wave in the breeze. A sudden waft of woodsmoke heightens my appetite. We prepare with paper plates, napkins, plastic cutlery, and condiments, including red chile flakes and a shaker of parmesan that doesn’t taste like sawdust. All of these acoutrements are anchored against the wind in plastic bins on each table. The service is surprisingly quick.

Gourmet Veggie and Hiker’s Surprise. All photos by Donna Campbell

The Gourmet Veggie pie comes first--backroad-Italian rustic—chunky onions, generous bites of artichoke, a heavy hand of cheese. Yet, the dominant taste is salty black Kalamata olives and sweet sundried tomatoes—both flavors intensified by the oven’s heat. I suspect the tomatoes are local and dried on the premises. Fantastic.

Next out, the Hiker’s Surprise lives up to its name immediately. What is that crunch? Besides the saltine-like crust, there are deliciously browned chunks of walnut. Wow. The walnut pieces have been laid down on a light brush of pesto and then slyly covered by slabs of mushroom, more sun-dried tomatoes and caramelized onions, and the silky melt of Gorgonzola. The only thing I can imagine that might add to this magic is a handful of sliced red grapes spread and roasted over the top. (I mention this addition only to work in another pizza joint recommendation in Fayetteville, West Virginia, near the New River Gorge. Pies and Pints is the name—Gorgonzola and Grape is the pizza’s appelation.)

So, Miss Emily Nunn, you do not disappoint. These pizzas are a rare find, an unusual amalgam of flavors in an even more unlikely place. But as you told us last week at the writing workshop, the comfort often comes in the odd mix at the table. Or as she put it near the end of her book:

“Luckily, I had figured out that life was not a banquet at all but a potluck. A party celebrating nothing but the desire to be together, where everyone brings what they have, what they are able to at any given time, and it is accepted with equal love and equanimity.”

That’s how it was for us at the writing workshop--sharing what we had brought unvarnished, both our manuscripts and our personal stories, mostly told at table when we stopped long enough to eat. And so it was at this Appalachian anomaly—Californians making pizzas and pastries on the side of an ancient mountain. We declared our gratitude in the moment, delighting in the many tastes unfolding, bite after bite, on a not-exactly-round but satisfying crust.

#food

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modernlcve · 6 years

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* — stats — drew carter !

* — basics !

full name: anastasia drew carter. nickname(s): answers exclusively to drew. has since she was nine. age: twenty - four. date of birth: april fifth. place of birth: beaufort, north carolina. gender: female. pronouns: she / her. sexual orientation: lesbian. level of education: high school graduate. recipient of a degree in hospitality.

* — physical !

tattoos: none. piercings: multiple ear piercings. notable features: balayage highlights. weakness(es): none notable. scar(s): none notable.

* — domestic !

occupation: event planner at one of the hotels owned by her family. residence: lives in the tucana apartments. social class: upper class. parents: andrew carter, age 57, hotelier that encouraged drew to be an Empowered Woman until she used that power against him. charlotte carter, age 46, the hammer, more generally an adversary to drew, wished she’d just be a Lady. siblings: eddie carter, age 18, drew’s younger brother. they aren’t too close, but they get along well enough. extended family: lots of stuffy people with money drew doesn’t put work into keeping in touch with.

* — personality !

positive traits: brazen, resolute, dependable. negative traits: stubborn, confrontational, forceful. myers-briggs ( x ): istj, the logistician. temperament: sanguine. moral alignment: neutral good. horoscope: aries, the ram. hogwarts house: gryffindor.

* — favorites !

movie: steel magnolias. tv show: veep. book: the awakening. drink: pink lemonade. food: shrimp scampi. animal: dolphins. color: red. song: here you come again by dolly parton. artist: florence + the machine. celebrity crush: lucy liu.

* — impressions !

first impression: i made her sound like a freak with her traits but she comes off as a lot more chill than that. she’s good- humored and knows enough about manners to not come off as overly rude. self impression: she likes to think everything she’s doing will pay off one day. but she wonders if she’s playing in too much to her dad’s fantasy of continuing the Family Empire even if she’s staunchly trying to do it her way. lover impression: she’s casual. she’s not one for great declarations or big romantic gestures. she just wants some- one she can have a good time with. this could come off as distant, but she doesn’t mean it that way.

* — et cetera !

turn ons: a good sense of humor, confidence. turn offs: smothering, smoking, overly peppy or optimistic people get on her nerves. drink/drugs/smoke: socially/no/no. dominant hand: right. clean or messy: clean. early bird or night owl: night owl. hobbies or special talents: did swim + dive all through high school and college.

* — QUESTIONNAIRE !

01. where was your character born? what brought them to carina bay? what do they like most about the town?

drew was born in the outer banks, her family’s homestead for most of her childhood, but they did a decent amount of travelling. they were brought to carina for work, her family owning one of the beachside hotels and a spot coming open that would allow her to get hands on experience in the hotel, with her ultimate goal being able to take what she sees and use it when she’s working a more corporate position.

02. who are your character’s friends and family? who do they surround themselves with? who are the people your character is closest to?

a lot of what i have about drew’s family is Stolen. her parents are high society ala emily and richard gilmore. they’re very focused on their image and legacy and upholding both. her brother, eddie, is the family rebel and the one who’s really straying hard from the Hospitality Buisness, which makes her relationship with her parents better than it maybe could be. she surrounds herself with the Gays of the greater carina area and generally just looks for people who can take a joke and blow off steam with her.

03. what is your character’s biggest fear? who have they told this to? who would they never tell this to? why?

drew’s biggest fear is wasting her life secretly being a Pawn to what her dad’s wanted all along. she has plans to Steal his job one day, and do things her way, but until then, she’s having to play along with him a little, and she worries that she’s not fighting back hard enough. she’s probably told eddie about this just because he Gets thinking their dad is a dumbass but that’s about it bc she doesn’t go into great Detail about her Career Plans with others.

04. has your character ever been in love? had a broken heart?

probably not 2 either. she’s a casual dater. she hasn’t really had a serious relationship before mara, and i don’t know if we’ve established how Serious they are atm or at an In Love level.

05. your character is doing intense spring cleaning. what is easy for them to throw out? what is difficult for them to part with? why?

drew doesn’t have a problem getting rid of things. she likes a good deep clean and tries to do one at least a couple times a year. she has the hardest time getting rid of clothes and bags ( specifically totes bags and backpacks, her purse selection is much more Curated ).

06. it’s saturday at noon. what is your character doing? give details.

she likes spending saturday morning on the beach. she goes for a run, then sticks around for lunch with a book or her journal or something. she likes just being outside and taking it easy.

07. what is one strong memory that has stuck with your character since childhood?

she remembers a winter her family went to spend the holidays with her mother’s parents in france. it was a year where, weirdly, everyone got along, and they didn’t bog themselves down with events and appearances during christmas, and just focused on hanging out and being together. she keeps meaning to make it back to visit again.

09. what is something that upsets your character? where do they go when they’re upset?

drew’s upset by feeling like she’s being held back. she thinks she has a lot of good ideas, and doesn’t like feeling like they’re being ignored. it’s a lot of what her problem with her family is: her notes fall on deaf ears. when she’s upset, she likes to go for a walk or run, or be around people who’ll let her rant and rave for a little.

10. when your character thinks of their childhood kitchen, what smell do they associate with it? why?

coffee. she’s from a family of coffee people, and moments they’d all spend getting out the door in the morning were sometimes the extent of the Family Time they’d all have together for the day, so the smell of coffee brings back more memories of her childhood home and growing up with her family more than any food.

#( drew carter. )#( stats. )#i definitely changed thigns from how i originally pitched her but . such is life.

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julietlofarophoto · 6 years

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Jean White

Deming Street, Woodstock NY, Tuesday January 17, 2019

Juliet: What first brought you to Woodstock?

Jean: I was born here. My grandmother, Sarah MacDaniel Cashdollar was born and grew up on Overlook Mountain. She married a young man, Wilbur Cashdollar and they came down to the village to start married life. They rented the cottage from Mr. Lasher which is now The Woodstock Library. After a year or so, they were expecting their first child and returned to the mountain to be near the family.

Juliet: “The mountain”, as in, MacDaniel Road…

Jean: (laughs) Yes, my mother was one of seven children She worked with my grandmother at the boarding house (now Cumberland Farms). Earlier, because Sarah had five daughters she thought they would be able to manage the telephone switchboard which was in the building on the corner of Neher and Tinker Streets. And then, through the efforts of a family friend who spent much time in New York City, my mother Ethel took an intensive course with Harper Method, a new system developed for hair and beauty care. She had what we think was the first beauty shop of it’s type in Woodstock in a corner section of the house immediately behind Joshua’s on Tannery Brook Road.

Juliet: Do you know how your parents met?

Jean: It must have been about 1930. My father worked for a construction company. He was from North Carolina. You had to go wherever the jobs were. So he came and was living at the Woodstock Hotel. It was on the site of the present Longyear Building at the corner of Rock City Road and Mill Hill. There was a fire there, and the hotel burned. He came down and stayed at the Homestead Boarding House and that’s how they met! They bought the house across the street before I was born. I do remember it having a garage and an outside toilet attached to the garage. We did have a bathroom inside, but I’m not sure if it was added after they bought it or if it was already installed .

Juliet: Did you live in any other residence while you were growing up?

Jean: No, but we did go to Ohio with my father. He was working on Wright-Patterson Field in Dayton. My mother, sister Susan who was about 2, and I went with him for about a year or so. We were there during Pearl Harbor Day. When my brother came along, my father just went by himself when he had to go to jobs and we remained in Woodstock and attended school. He had a very early death. He was killed in an accident when he was 40. My mother raised the three of us by herself with the love of family. There were very difficult times but the love we shared held us all together.

Juliet: What is your first memory of Woodstock?

Jean: You know in some psychology classes they ask “What is your first memory?” I remember the sand box by the old apple tree in our back yard.! But of Woodstock itself? It was always a part of me. My grandmother lived across the street. There was a constant back and forth, with very little road traffic. I used to go up to little grocery store where the Joyous Lake was, owned by brothers Leslie and Clyde Elwyn. Their houses were right down on Pine Grove just before the Women’s Health Clinic. The houses are next to each other and the same design. You can still see them! I was thinking this morning, the store had a little meat department in it. My mother would send me with a note and list. There was a ramp that was fascinating to me. I think it’s gone, but maybe underneath it’s still there. You would enter the store by going up a ramp running along Mill Hill Road and then enter the store on your left. It was made of cement. So my earliest memory was that I was always living here and I can’t really put my finger on it.

We went to school near the corner of Deming street. Deanie’s Restaurant was on the corner. It was a brown rustic looking building then. Right next to it is a red building, I think it’s Castaways. We went to Kindergarten on one end of it, then first and second grade on the other end.

Juliet: And then you went to the one that was right by your house.

(Her home was between what is now CVS and Ulster Savings Bank. The former school building still stands right behind CVS)

Jean: That’s right.

Juliet: Did you graduate high school here?

Jean: No, Woodstock only went to eighth grade. Then at that time, we went to Kingston.

Juliet: WOW.

Jean: I’m not sure how that worked because there were no school buses. I guess the Township paid the bus company Pine Hill or whatever it was then. They were black and white buses. They would take us down with the commuters and everybody. After 3 o’clock the buses would all come behind the high school to pick us up. It was the same building as Kingston High school today, although they’ve added on a lot!

Juliet: When did you leave?

Jean: I graduated high school in ’52 and went to Pratt Institute Brooklyn for four years. There were some circumstances during that time … I became very interested in Native Americans. I decided I’d like to go and teach on a reservation. It was a big megillah to get certified to do that. They didn’t certainly need an art teacher, which was my training. Through a long haul, one of my professors said “Why don’t you just go to Washington, and the Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and just see? You’re not making any headway writing letters.” So I made an appointment and I went to Washington. They told me “You have enough credits to be a Guidance Advisor” (laughs) “Would you go wherever you’re needed?”. So by that point I said “YES”, and I went to Arizona. I was a guidance advisor but I ended up teaching first grade for half a year because the teacher they hired didn’t get there until January.

Juliet: Where were you exactly?

Jean: Keams Canyon, Arizona. It was 88 miles from Holbrook, Arizona. 100 miles from Gallup, New Mexico. They were the two closest…metropolises. It was the Hopi reservation surrounded by the Navajo. The children at the school were Hopi and Navajo primarily. There were also some Anglo kids from a few teachers.

Juliet: What was your path back to Woodstock?

Jean: I really wanted to have more adventures so from there I drove the car back to Woodstock and was here for the summer the next year. I had gone to an Art Education conference in Los Angeles while I was on the reservation. I took the bus there. I met a rep from Special Services Department of the Army. They had wonderful job opportunities in Korea, Germany, and France. I thought “Oh, Korea is only a year, I’ll go there”. So I signed to work with enlisted men’s dependents. It wasn’t for officers. The idea was to keep them from getting mixed up in drinking in the towns, and causing trouble. That all got changed after I went to New York to have all the shots for Korea. The program in Korea was ‘frozen’ and I went to Germany for a year and a half. I met a man who became my husband. We got married here in the Dutch Reformed Church and moved to New Jersey because that was where he was working. I had some art teaching experience there with some good administrators. We were married about 23 years and then divorced. I continued to come to Woodstock all during this time. My mother lived here in a little house just off Elwyn Lane and my dear daughter and I would come for summers and weekends. She and her husband built a lovely house on Plochmann Lane. Eventually, I met a really nice man. He loved the theater and he didn’t want to be too far from New York. I said “You might like Woodstock”. We kept coming up and looking for a place to live. Someone told us about a house on Broadview which was out of our price range. As we drove down Deming Street we saw a little sign on this lawn that said “For Sale”. That would have been the late 80’s, we bought this house in ’89.

Juliet: So I could ask you what you think has changed since 1989, but you’ve seen everything in the last seven decades.

Jean: You know I’m very grateful Juliet, for one thing. It’s terrible that buildings were torn down, my house and the Homestead because they were very nice buildings with lots of character. What’s in place of them you know, parking lots and Cumberland Farms… but I think those incidents maybe kind of spurred the zoning process into action. I’m not sure. I don’t think they were so willing to allow people to tear down buildings after that.

Juliet: I think it really must have changed the flavor.

Jean: Where Bradley Meadows is was just a lovely open field. My mother and father, just before he died, had signed papers to buy a little house that was right next door to them which had been the Christian Science church. It was very small, built in 1920, on this side of our house right there where CVS is. The congregation had purchased the former summer school of The Art Student’s League of New York where they are now, across from the hardware store. That was built in 1912 and they vacated it in ’22. My parents bought that little church next door and they rented it. Eventually they sold it to my aunt and uncle. I remember one night, when I was about 13 … I was ironing in that house, looking out. I saw in Bradley Meadows, a flame. I ran over to my grandmother’s across the street. There was a man who lived in the back in a little studio next to the garage. He ran out and we saw it was a hammer and sickle burning. That was startling to me to see that. This would have been the late 40’s. At that time, the Ku Klux Klan was burning crosses on the other side of town, periodically. I never saw it but I heard about it.

What I was going to say that what I”m really grateful for is the businesses that have gone into the houses along Mill Hill Road and Tinker Street who have tried to to keep them as much as it works. I like that. I so appreciate the people who came into town in the sixties and created their businesses and contribute to the community. And they are a part of the community. Whereas today I see more people coming in speculating and grabbing up real estate and wanting to make money from the Woodstock name. It’s too bad I think, because I don’t see a whole lot of becoming part of the community. There is a sense of “What can I get out of Woodstock?” rather than “How can I become a part of this wonderful vital diverse community?” The special aura that has brought folks here for many years is the appreciation of the quiet beauty and spiritual nature of this creative place… this Woodstock.

There are about 6000 residents and I’m not sure if this is correct but I think it’s 60% of homeowners are part time people. So that leaves a small amount to do the Fire Department, the Rescue Squad, all of those volunteer things. It’s unfortunate. Woodstock more or less has a population that leans on the older end of the age scale. We need more young people, more families.

It’s still lovely to walk around Woodstock. I must say I know fewer and fewer people. I think it’s unfortunate that folks who have lived here for many years can’t afford to stay here and their children are looking at the same picture. Real estate prices have risen from the demand of part time folks or B and B landlords that it prevents a lot of people from being able to stay in Woodstock. These are the folks who maintain our volunteer Fire Department and all the other organizations that support the residents..

Juliet: What is your favorite thing about living in Woodstock?

Jean: I have always loved the interaction with people from all walks of life. When I was working at Deanie’s in the summers, the theater would be open, the Playhouse. The actors would come up after the performance, the bakers would come out from the kitchen and there would be a song fest, right there among the tables! It was just a marvelous interaction of people. I have always loved that. I have lived in New Jersey in suburbia, where so much is the same, people seemed to be so much the same.

It’s just like a little world here in Woodstock. I know it’s not that complete of a melting pot, but it’s getting there. We are more and more diverse. I guess that’s what I like. There’s so much activity. You can find anything if you want to go out and do something. Everything from poetry reading to gymnastics classes and meditation groups and whatever. Woodstock as you know has such a big volunteer community. We were active in Meals on Wheels for several years. You had teachers and realtors and homemakers working. I like diversity and…the strong personalities!

Juliet: YEAAAAH! (we both crack up laughing)

Jean: I just hope Woodstock is able to maintain itself as a real community where it’s welcoming to those who really want to settle here and be part of the vitality.…

Here’s an illustration, I love this. I would hardly think this would happen: I kept my mother’s little house and rented it for a lot of years. Just before Christmas, the 22nd, a friend who lives on Neher Street was having an open house. So I said I’d go there, and then come back here because I had another event to go to for my stepdaughter. I went to the warm and lovely open house and had a grand time. It was filled with folks I knew and some new friends. When I came back here my phone rang as I was getting ready to go and my tenant who's been there many years called. She says "Jean, the guys from the water department were here and turned off the water. There was a big leak. They are going to call you.” So I said “Okay I’ll stay here”. Larry Allen from the water department called and was so nice and said he was so sorry but it was my responsibility to get that repaired. SO the water is off. Larry gave me names of people I could call and with his involvement, it all worked out within a few days. It was all repaired. But that same day at the open house, the Town Supervisor Bill McKenna walked in to the open house and asked "Is Jean White here?" They said “She was, but she just left” He said “Well, the water pipe at her house burst!” Obviously there's communication between the departments. I just thought that was very nice. I felt a real part of this community. I called Bill. It was Christmas Eve and he was at his office. I don’t know if I would have experienced that if I were a newer person, but I've been around a while. I think getting involved with the community gives you a real home. I LOVE living in Woodstock. There are such interesting and caring people who make Woodstock where I want to be.

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