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It had been a few days since Sadie moved to Paradise Apartments with the day before being the start of classes for her. She did not need to take them or even go to school again, but to keep up with the times, she had continued with them anyway. Her classes were a light load, with only having three on Mondays and Wednesdays followed by two on Fridays that were done by the middle of the afternoon. Sadie had been hanging out with her friends and some very familiar faces, but she wanted to find something else to keep her busy when they weren't around. So she got the idea of looking for a job that possibly had a few shifts. As she got dressed in a pair
skinny jeans, dark purple low cut v-neck tank top and a pair of dark brown ankle boots, she had thought about job possibilities. She finished with a slight wave to her long blonde hair and light makeup that would make her bright blueish purple eyes stand out a little more. She wanted to make an impression to land a job, even if they weren't a lot of hours. Sadie's first thought was to go apply at Shirley's, the bar not far from the complex. It would be ideal, due to the fact that she knew a thing or two about alcohol, as it was ingrained in her blood by this point and how to handle difficult situations.

As Sadie started to head out of her apartment, she grabbed her keys, phone, and small cross body purse, then went out the door. She headed out of the complex and walked towards the bar, with a positive attitude and bright smile on her face. She soon was at Shirley's and paused before she entered the establishment, as she wasn't sure it was open but soon saw movement inside and took the chance by opening the door, heading inside. It didn't look like they were completely open yet, but would be soon Sadie headed towards the person behind the bar that looked to be the owner. She asked if they were hiring, even if it was just a few shifts a night and explained that she had a multitude of experience, to which the owner/manager looked relieved. The owner soon said 'yes' before Sadie could even finish, followed soon by asking when she could start. "Right now! If you will allow me?" She chuckled softly and smiled at the manager. She soon had instructions to what was needed to be done before the bar actually opened and the place got busy. Two hours later, the bar was cleaned thoroughly and Sadie was set up behind the bar waiting for her first night to start.
After enjoying her days off, which included cleaning up around her apartment and attending her weekly Doctor's Appointment, Sindy was ready to return to work. Probably a few more weeks until she goes away on Maternity Leave, so she was hoping to make the best of it. Most nights were okay and she enjoyed what she did for a living. It would also make for a good part-time gig after she comes back on Maternity Leave, but she'd have to discuss that with the Manager at a later time. After a quick shower, she got her dress on and straightened out her hair. After straightening it out, she got on her slippers, grabbed her backpack and left the apartment. Thankfully for her, her unit was on the ground floor, so unlike her Sister, Marissa, she didn't have of descend a flight of stairs. And with how far along she was with the triplets, that sounded rather daunting. But it was mainly how big she was. But she was at like...thirty-four weeks. Nonetheless, it was off to Shirley's.

Sindy entered through the backdoor and proceeded to clock in and put her backpack in her locker, only grabbing her phone to keep nearby in the event something happened and she needed to call her Midwife. But hopefully it wouldn't come down to that.

Sighing, Sindy straightened out her dress and set her phone near the register and adjusted her watch. She was then greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar woman. Must be a new hire. Her outfit was on point and so was her hair. Looks like she took care of opening instead of the owner. "Hi, I'm Sindy, what's your name?" She asked, to break the silence and hopefully the ice.
After getting the bar ready for opening, Sadie started polishing glasses and making sure they had enough ice to start the day with. As it was getting late in the afternoon, she knew that this was the 'grace period' before it got lively in Shirley's. She saw the manager go into the back office after giving her the instructions of what to do. Sadie had a feeling it was a test of her knowledge of running a bar, to which she would pass with flying colors. Her brother was an entrepreneur and ran a chain of bars that she had helped build with him over the years. How many? She would never say because that was only told to the ones closest to her and that she could trust.

Sadie was in thought about how she got in the booze industry, which made her chuckle fondly. Her mind drifting to her rugged pirate with how much he taught her and how many adventures they had, she knew he would be forever engraved in her soul. Then she started thinking about the brute of a man that busted her multiple times from the day they met and how she couldn't help but falling for him as well. She started blushing slightly thinking about both of her men and laughing to herself about the adventures they had and would continue to have.

Sadie snapped out of her thoughts when she heard someone come in from the back entrance. She heard the person go to the employee lounge and then start making their way towards the front. Must be an employee. She thought to herself and put on a brighter smile, while waiting for the new arrival. To say she was surprised was an understatement when she saw Sindy. Seeing the very heavily pregnant woman come to the front and stand by the POS system that keeps tabs of orders, clocking in and etcetera, she couldn't help but let out a gasp. She is about to pop. She thought as she tried to reign in her surprise. Sadie quickly fixed her expression and smiled at the woman as Sindy introduced herself and asked what her name was. "Hi, Sindy. My name is Sadie. Nice to meet you." She smiled sweetly at the pregnant lady and continued, "This is my first day working here, but I promise I am experienced and know what I am doing. Even if I am just a college student." She jokingly said the last part and followed it with a wink to ease the atmosphere and assure Sindy. "I have set up the bar and cleaned so well that you could eat off the floor, though I do not recommend." She relayed what she had done and was being her upbeat joking self. "I have to ask. How far along are you? I hope this doesn't offend, but you look ready to pop!" She looked at Sindy and asked with a dazzling smile and shine to her blueish purple eyes as she waited for what would come next.
Sindy smiled as she cradled her swollen belly. The new girl, Sadie, soon introduced herself. Looks like Sindy was right, it was indeed her first day at the bar. To hear that she was experienced with working in a bar surprised the expectant mother. However, she was very happy because it would come in handy and likely go a long when the Bar gets slammed during the busier part of the night. Not to mention Sadie was thorough as well in getting the bar ready for opening. And Sindy couldn't help but chuckle when Sadie made a joke about eating off the floor. "Well, three second rule, though with all the...cleaning supplies we use, I wouldn't recommend it either." She smiled.

When asked how far along she was, Sindy looked down at her belly momentarily, before looking back at Sadie. The answer she was gonna give was probably gonna initiate a heart attack, though hopefully not. And she nodded when Sadie said that she looked ready to pop. "Yeah, I really am ready to pop. I was ready like two weeks ago to be honest." She replied. "And I'm at thirty-four weeks. And here's the fun part. It's triplets. So that's why I'm so much more...humongous."
He had been to this bar once before with no luck of conversation, would tonight be different? He guessed he would venture in and see for himself. He was dressing rather casual today in a pair of black jeans, black boots, and a black tshirt with large white words that proclaimed 'I POOPED TODAY'. It was a tongue and cheek, 80s style jock humor. But he saw it in a store and it made him grin in all nostalgic so he bought it. He wore it tonight to be ironic and see if it drums up conversation.

He pushed open the door to the bar and saw a familiar blonde lady behind the bar. He immediately took a step back out of the door as he took a quick survey of the bar looking for the blonde male that was usually in her wake. He didn't detect the blonde girl's boyfriend lingering around so he entered. He made a point to sit closer to the end of the bar where the pregnant lady was behind the bar.

"Good evening," he said as he tried to make eye contact with the pregnant one.
When Sindy made the joke to Sadie about the cleaning supplies of the bar, she chuckled. "I may or may not have donated some strong cleaning items that will make it of easier use than the soap and water technique." The memory of her quick run back to her apartment to get the supplies she used to clean for herself to make liveable came to mind as she laughed. "It did the job of my apartment. I knew it would work wonders for this place." She said to Sindy with a huge smile on her face.

Then Sindy told her she should have been due two weeks prior, followed by how many infants were in her womb. She looked at Sindy, then back at the latter's swollen belly. That will do it. No wonder why she is so huge and looking about to pop. Sadie thought to herself as she spoke, "I bet you are ready to have them out. I'm not sure how you are still standing, much less trying to work at a bar." She said in an astonished tone to show her sincerity. "I bet your partner is ready to meet his children as you are, right? Both are probably shocked to be having multiples, as well. I know I would be." She said to Sindy, still smiling and looking at her, waiting to see if she responded.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a very familiar man pull the door open to the bar and partially enter, but then stop when he looked in. She saw him back out and look around the area, as in possibly looking for someone. He came back in, and her heart beat rapidly, like it always did when he was around. She read his shirt and snickered in amusement, You would wear something like that. She mused to herself, but soon realized he didn't acknowledge her existence and made a point of sitting the furthest away from her and directly in front of Sindy. Although it broke her heart, she knew maybe he wanted nothing to do with her. So, to push through and not make it anymore awkward, Sadie plastered on another smile and turned to Sindy. "Hey, Sindy. I am going to take a restroom break before we get busy. I will be right back." She didn't give her a chance to respond, as Sadie walked towards the back and out the back door to get a breath of semi fresh air to hopefully clear her head before returning.
Asher had thus far avoided her boss since they had landed in the Florida area. She knew he could find and track her down no matter where she went, but he had work of his own to do, and that was just fine with her. Asher had spent a few days sorting out her apartment, and moving in furniture, which she somehow managed to do mostly by herself. She had a little help here and there, especially when it came to christening her new bed.

Thoroughly satisfied, but a little sweaty and sticky, Asher showered off the work, and switched her outfit from….well, the nothing she currently had on to a nice black dress. She tied a red belt around the waist, and put on matching red heels, so the colours wouldn’t contrast. She debated what to do tonight. She had checked out the strip club, and thoroughly enjoyed her time there. She could head back, and she would, but she was in the mood for something else tonight.

Heading out, Asher just started walking, taking in everything around her. It was dark, and gritty and her shoes looked much too expensive to be here, but she wasn’t touched, nor even stared at too hard. She wasn’t worried even if she was, considering who she was, and her boss was indeed the Chief of Police. That was likely why she hadn’t seen the man recently, and that was just fine with her, she thought.

She stopped infront of a bar, Shirley’s, and brown eyes looked at it curiously. The windows were dusty, but she could hear at least some conversation from inside. Shrugging, she figured she could use a drink, and pulled open the doors. Asher stepped in, and her eyebrows rose as she scanned the place, starting at the corner and slowly moving over towards the bar. She spotted the blonde bartender, a familiar face to her, the pregnant one beside her, and sitting infront of the pregnant one was a dark-haired man that was also a familiar face.

She moved towards the bar, leaning lightly on it as she surveyed her choices, and nodded in acknowledgment to Sadie, who she knew had been around from the first moment, and had seen a few times lately. “Hey, Sadie. May I have a Hurricane, please?”

As she waited, she looked towards Jasper, and she couldn’t quite help the chuckle as she shook her head as she thought. The two of them were not enemies, technically, but they never totally agreed either. “Oh. It’s you.” She said with the slight raise of her eyebrow.
Sindy couldn't help but smile a little more when Sadie's eyes went to her belly. She then took a moment to straighten out her dress as her new co-worker did express some concerns about how their work environment. Sure, it was tough for her to be on her feet for extended periods of time, but it wasn't impossible. Every so often, she'd just have to sit down for like fifteen minutes, ten when its slammed or busy. Or she'd just have to lean on the counter for a second, along with some deep breaths. Then once break time came, she just needed to keep her feet and ankles elevated to help with the constant swelling that she dealt with. In any case, Sadie wasn't wrong. "Yeah, I'm ready to have them. And it helps to have comfortable footwear. I also use compression socks to help with the swelling. Kankles are absolute worst." She replied, letting out a small sigh. "Oh and...I don't have a partner. I'm doing this by myself." She added.

Before she could elaborate further, she heard the door being pushed open and she turned to look. A man in his late twenties, maybe early thirties proceeded to enter. As she got a look at his T-Shirt though, Sindy took a deep breath. Wow, she thought. He was probably gonna be the first patron for the night and since no one was really here yet as the bar has practically just opened, Sindy wasn't expecting any trouble. Well, at least not until Sadie suddenly left, needing to use the restroom. Might be something she isn't privy to. Did she know the guy? Sindy would have to ask her later.

Finally, she turned her attention to the man, who just sat down...directly in front of her. Her hands moved from her belly to her lower back as she felt a tad bit of strain as the weight of the unborn babies was pulling heavily on her spine. "Good evening, what can I get for you today?" She asked, a smile on her face.

Before she could take his order down though, another woman entered the bar. Wasn't long until she took a seat nearby. Then she asked Sadie for a Hurricane as she was on her way out. Since she knew exactly what she wanted, Sindy proceeded to go ahead and start making it for her. Mostly because she didn't know when Sadie was going to be coming back from her bathroom break.

Quietly, Sindy started mixing a Hurricane together, pouring the light and dark rums, lime and orange juices, passion fruit puree, simple syrup and grenadine into a shaker with ice before closing and shaking it as well as she possibly could. Unfortunately, the smell of the rums was a tad bit unbearable since pregnancy amplified her sense of smell and now it was three times stronger. So she did hold her breath momentarily. "Oh, that was a strong smell." She said before taking another deep breath.

Then the new woman addressed the man sitting in front of her. Looks like they knew each other. Finally, she was done shaking the drink together and then poured into the Hurricane Glass before waddling over to set it on a Coaster for the woman, then headed back to the man. "Sorry about that, was just covering for her since she needed to use the restroom." She said before looking him in the eye. "Now, what can I get for you?"
Jasper didn’t miss the look on Sadie’s face when he chose to sit closer to the other bartender, rather than her. But he had learned over the years that Sadie’s boyfriend was never far behind, and Jasper had been beat up a few too many times by the guy. He smiled politely to, he checked her nametag, Sindy when she greeted him. He was going to place his order but was interrupted when Sadie announced she was going to go to the restroom. He wasn’t deterred and, again, was about to order a drink when Asher entered. He knew the moment she came in as a chill raced down his spine.

Jasper would never call Asher, herself, an enemy, but the company she kept certainly was his enemy. That being said, whenever he saw Asher, trouble was never far behind. He looked over to Asher when she called him ‘you’ and gave her a sarcastically friendly smile. “I knew it was you the moment you walked in.” That could have been a friendly enough statement, if he had left it there. But Jasper was a smart-ass through and through and just had to tack on, “The scent of rotten tuna permeates off you.”

Sindy was off fulfilling Asher’s order as he sat alone fiddling with the ring that sat on his left ring finger. It was a newly acquired ring, and he was still getting used to it. It was a chunky thing. With a blood red ruby in the middle. He was a fan of rings, having many on his fingers, but this was larger than the others. He continued to play with it as he waited for Sindy to get back to him. He wasn’t sure if he should strike up a conversation with Asher. They were friendly enough, when the occasion allowed, but that was rare. He guessed he could ask a friendly enough question. And it was an answer he wanted to know. “When did you arrive in the Sunshine State?”

Sindy was back in front of him and ready to take his order. He shifted his blue eyes from Asher to Sindy, his eyebrow raising as if it was an unconscious habit as he offered her a smile. “I’ll take a whiskey neat, love. Thank you.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it and removed one of his credit cards. He then placed his wallet back in his pocket and set the credit card on the bar. He glanced over at Asher and said as politely as he could to her, “First round is on me.” He then looked over to Sindy, “Let’s open a tab. It might be a long night.”
Finally after getting the fresh air she needed, her mind registered a very familiar voice that had asked for a drink before she left. Ace? Sadie thought as she opened the back door, entering and washing her hands before heading back up front. When she returned, she smiled at Sindy, who was getting Jasper's drink order, and whispered a 'thank you' to her coworker. As she walked past Sindy towards the other end of the bar, she looked at Jasper and gave him a small smile, though it wouldn't reach her blueish purple eyes because her heart ached. She probably knew why he was keeping his distance, but she wouldn't assume anything, and if he wanted her to keep a distance, she would. Until he wanted to talk to her if he did.

She walked towards the familiar brunette and spoke, "Hey, Ace. Long time, no see. How are you?" She smiled warmly at Asher because she genuinely liked the woman and found her funny as hell, especially when she told her boss to shove it. "Sorry about earlier. Had to take a quick breather before we got busy." She waited for her response when she heard Jasper say the first round was on him to Asher and to open a tab towards Sindy. She smiled in amusement at the last part of his statement and waited to see what else would come of the night.
Asher wasn’t actually sure if Sadie had heard her order or not, since she then seemed to suddenly disengage. Asher had learned not to question the habits of Sadie, accepting them as they were, and merely reserved to wait. However, it wouldn’t seem she had to wait long as the other woman, heavily pregnant, started making the drink. She shared what nearly could almost be considered a look of worry for the woman with Jasper before Jasper went ahead and opened his mouth.

Asher’s eyes went flat, and her eyebrow rose as she studied him for a moment before responding with just as much sass. “Are you quite sure that isn’t just the smell of your own upper lip, sweetheart?” Genuinely, she did like Sadie, and meant zero offence to her, but….sometimes, you had to take the shot. Still, she sat down kind of close to him, somewhere between him and where Sadie would eventually be standing. At first, she pulled out her phone to check it, but when it stayed silent, she put it down to wait again. When she did, she watched Sindy put the drink down infront of her, and Asher smiled beautifully. “Thank you, lovely.”

It was then she heard Jasper’s question, and her mind went back over the journey. “63 hours, 27 minutes, and give or take, 45 seconds.” She told him as she glanced up from her watch. Asher had a thing about time. Maybe it was learned from the sea and maybe it was just learned from time alive, but either way, she almost always knew down to the minute. “And you?” She asked him coolly, her eyes drifting his face for a moment. She smiled a half smile when he said that the first round was on him, and they could open a tab. She smirked softly and nodded towards him. “It may be a long night indeed.”

She then caught sight of Sadie once more, and smiled at her. “Hey. Long time, no see indeed.” She lifted the glass infront of her and tilted it towards her. “I’m good, now that there’s booze in my hand. I trust you’ve been well.”
Sindy only smiled after handing the lady her Hurricane that was freshly made. Briefly, she watched a rather tense exchange between the two patrons that were now sitting relatively close to each other. Great, she thought. It really was going to be a long night and since the gentleman asked for a Whiskey Neat. Sadie returned not long after and proceeded to mouth a 'thank you' to her, to which Sindy smiled and nodded. After a brief struggle due to her belly, Sindy was able to grab a bottle of Whiskey that was at room temperature and poured it into a glass for him. As soon as she returned with it and a coaster to set it down in front of him, he asked to open a tab. Oh yeah, it was gonna be a long night.
She proceeded to take the card on the table and put it in a glass, went into the order screen by the Cash Register to enter the tab for him. Reading the name on the card, Jasper Payne, she entered it on the screen and got the tab opened for him. Because the Bar has been flagged for overservice in the past, she had to be mindful of how much she served throughout the night. But it was gonna be a while. After all, the cut-off was 2AM, which was state-wide. Some places were exempt though, but Palm Springs wasn't one of them. Thank goodness...

Finally, Sindy took a moment to lean on the counter, one hand on her back, the other on her belly. She took a deep breath before looking between Jasper and...Ace? Looks like Sadie was familiar with her...and Jasper. I'm getting too pregnant for this, aren't I? She wondered.
Sadie had been running drink ideas in her mind when she saw Sindy tense up and look between Jasper and Asher. She soon looked between the two and smirked. She knew that the two patrons in front of her could banter and probably soon would if they hadn't already. Especially Jasper. He just could not control his mouth, and she wouldn't have it any other way. She heard Asher's response to her question and looked at the woman. "I have been doing good. Thank you." She said and smiled at her friend that she had known for a long time. They know each other because of Asher's boss, but she still considered the woman a friend of hers, also. "What has your boss done that made you start drinking this early in the evening?" She jokingly said, but also was quite curious. With a wink and smile, she finished with "And whenever you need another, don't hesitate to holler for me."

She had just glanced at Jasper receiving his drink when a ton of memories flooded her and made her smile at the rugged man. Still as handsome as ever, she thought to herself as she looked him over. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sindy trying to make the connections between them but didn't ask. So, Sadie didn't feel inclined to share any information towards her coworker. She soon noticed the pregnant lady was holding her back and looked to be in some pain, so she walked towards Sindy. "Are you alright? You do not look very comfortable and like you may be in some pain. Are you sure you should be working this late in your last trimester?" She showed sincere concern for Sindy. She knew women could work through pregnancy until they gave birth, but this lady was carrying triplets and way past her due date. As she waited for Sindy's reply, Sadie realized she may have invaded her coworker's personal space, so she slowly backed away and walked back towards the end of the bar. She smiled earnestly at her coworker and then looked between Jasper and Asher as she waited for anyone who needed her for anything.
Jasper offered Sindy a nod of his head and a soft smile when she put the drink down in front of him. “Thank you kindly, love.” Jasper, had noticed the uncomfortable look on Sindy’s face when he and Asher started their seemingly unfriend banter. To put her at ease he leaned a little over the bar and said in a semi-confidential volume to Sindy, “Fear not, love. We are actually friendly. We just pick on each other.”

When Sadie returned to the bar, he caught the shadow of a smile she gave him and read that as he should keep his distance from her. With Sadie and Asher both in the bar Jasper could only assume they would be joined shortly by Red and he would need to keep a safe distance from both of them. But Asher jobbed back at him and pulled a sincere laugh with her ‘upper lip’ comment. He laughed again when Asher was so specific about the amount of time she had been in Florida. That was Asher to a T. His answer was much more simple, “Two days, maybe…give or take an hour.” He shot her a friendly smile before he turned his attention to his drink and let Sadie and Asher chat. He knew that if Red was going to make an appearance, he would need to stay as quiet as possible.

As Sadie and Asher talked, he couldn’t help but notice that Sadie was calling Red ‘Asher’s boss’. Had Red and Sadie had a falling out? He started to relax a little, feeling more bold. Sadie then turned her attention to Sindy and Jasper saw an opportunity. He rose from his seat and went to stay by Asher. He eyed her cusiously and asked, “Since when does she refer to Red as ‘your boss’? Did I miss something?” He then clinked his glass of whiskey against her glass of hurricane. “Adventure awaits us,” he said playfully as he took the seat next to Asher.
As Jasper got his drink, Asher’s attention would stay on Sadie. She chuckled and leaned back in her chair as Sadie asked what he had done this time. “Well, you see, he did that thing where he opened his mouth, and words came out of it.” Asher sipped her drink as she crossed her long elegant legs. “Which probably would’ve been fine, except then he kept saying the words, which did the pissing me off. Then we had rather unsavory words for one another.” Asher shrugged a little at this, but Sadie would know it would mean he was in a mood.

Asher then turned back to Jasper as his question was asked and answered, but then she found out he had been here for two days, and give or take, an hour. She chuckled softly, but was shocked out of her reply as, when Sadie went to tend to Sindy, Jasper got up and moved towards her. She wasn’t expecting that, but she had personally never had a problem with Jasper. She welcomed him to sit beside her, and laughed lightly at his question.

“Half the time, I can’t tell if they’re having sex or fighting, so quite honestly, I couldn’t tell you.” She answered him honestly, fully aware of the relationship between them. Most of the time, Asher chose to stay out of it, because it was just safer that way. She then clinked her glass with Jasper’s, and looking into his, quickly tapped her finger against the glass Jasper held. In an instant, the liquid inside would turn from whiskey to a dark, red substance that she knew Jasper would much better prefer. “To adventures.”

Just after she finished her drink, her phone finally went off. The ding was loud and annoying, like the man who texted and made it go off in the first place. Asher was annoyed at first, but when she read the text, she blew out a sigh of relief. “Good. He’s cleaning up the mess of the police station. He’ll be busy quite a while.” Relaxing, she picked up her drink again, and looked at Jasper again. “So, how’s your drink?”
The pain soon subsided for Sindy as she stretched her back, arms and ankles before straightening her dress back out. Though her hands were resting on her lowing back, her fingerstips reaching her spine. She smiled when Sadie came up to check up on her. But it was apparent that Sindy was a little fatigued. She was determined to finish her shift, but she was definitely going to need a break or three to get through the rest. Peering at the clock, she decided that she'd take a break within probably the next hour and a half minimum. Simply because it was Sadie's first day, Sindy didn't entirely want to leave her by herself, even if the lady had a lot of experience in Bartending. When asked if she should be working this late in her third and final trimester, Sindy could only let out a sigh before her hands went from her back to cradling her belly. "I mean, probably best that I don't. Sadly, that's really not an option because I'm doing this by myself and I don't have a partner who can take care of me." She replied, reiterating that she was a single expectant mother. "Besides, I might as well keep going. Maternity Leave is in like two weeks unless something comes up at one of my Doctor's Appointments."

Slowly, Sadie backed away and went to the other end of the bar, leaving her with Asher and Jasper. A few minutes in, as Sindy wondered about the connection between the two, to which Jasper said that they were friendly and knew each other. And she proceeded to keep an eye how much was left in their drinks, so that she could be ready to get them a reill, or for Jasper, get more drinks. She proceeded to start putting glasswear away, since there were still items in the dishwashing machine. "By the way, did you lovelies need anything, like food to eat, additional drinks?" She asked, look between the both of them, and briefly at Sadie out of the corner of her eye.
Sadie was only showing some concern towards Sindy. If the woman wanted to overdo it, the so be it. It was not any business of hers. When Sadie walked back towards her part of the bar, she noticed Jasper was over there next to Asher and smiled. She had overheard what Asher said to Jasper and started snickering, Well, you aren't wrong. She thought to herself as she walked towards the counter. She was just about to chime in, but before she could say anything, she heard Sindy ask them if they needed food or anything to drink. She looked to Asher first, knowing that she would be the only one to actually eat anything and then to Jasper.

She knew she needed to break the ice between them. She understood that he was trying to keep his distance, but he did come this way, and to her, it was her turn to initiate contact. She looked straight into his blue eyes, smiled and said, "Hi, Tar-baby. How have you been doing?" As she showed him a genuine smile that held so much emotion. Her blueish purple eyes brightened with hope that he would talk to her because she did miss her pirate boyfriend. She waited for him to reply and caught Sindy unloading the small dishwasher, 'Hey, Sindy. Those still had a tough residue on them. I was trying to let them soak a little longer so they would clean easier. I sprayed some degreaser on them and put them in the dishwasher after I empty it earlier." She told her coworker and smiled. She turned back to her friends in front of her, "She is right though, we do have some bar foods if you are hungry." She said this more towards Asher but included Jasper to keep up with appearances.

She smiled at them again, "I am watching your drinks. Just let me know if you want to change it up. You both know how I am with drink making." She winked playfully at them and waited to see if they needed anything further. Knowing this would be a long night, but she embraced whatever would come.
The sound of the door jostling open and whacking shut again announced the arrival of another customer. She shuffled in wearing faded jean shorts and a baggy, droopy white tank top that struggled to remain strapped over her shoulders. Her bare legs were dappled in bruises left from wreaking havoc, and she had a lit cigarette still smoking between her thick lips. The cheap sandals she wore made obnoxious flip, flop noises with each stride.

Rowen approached the bar, a path well-worn by her steps. She plopped herself at her usual stool at the center of the bar counter, then finally took notice of the other people existing in her world.

“Hey Tubby,” she greeted in a gravelly voice, nodding her chin to Sindy. “Miss me?” Smoke trickled from her smirking lips with the words. She casually stubbed the butt of the cigarette out in a provided peanut dish, then turned her murky green gaze back to Sindy.

Rowen and the mother-to-be were very familiar at this point; Rowen being a regular haunt of the bar and usual nuisance, and Sindy being the one to have to regularly cut her off at closing or call the police.

“Patron, three shots,” she ordered with oozing nonchalance, tapping a slender finger on the bar top three times. Then, her savage eyes slowly observed the rest of the gang. She stared brazenly, a slight frown steadily morphing between her thin eyebrows. She realized she didn’t recognize the faces at the bar tonight, which was incredibly odd to her. Lastly she realized she didn’t recognize the second bar tender behind the counter either.

“Who the fuck’s that?” Rowen directed the question to Sindy, but was looking at the blonde in the purple.
Jasper gave Asher a friendly little push against her shoulder with his as she touched his glass. A crooked smile touched his lips as he looked down and saw the change to his drink. Her phone buzzed as Jasper took a sip from his glass. Hearing his mortal enemy was tied up for the night made Jasper completely relax. Knowing the chances of him getting in an altercation this evening was nearly eliminated put him in a very good mood indeed. He lifted one of his eyebrows and winked at Asher, "Delicious, love."

Sindy addressed them again, this time offering food and refills. He looked away from Asher and over to Sindy. "All is great with me for now. Thank you." He took another drink from his glass and set it down to savor the flavor. Then Sadie must have heard that her boyfriend wouldn't be showing up this evening and decided Jasper existed. 'Tar-Baby?' He cocked his head and looked at his on again, off again lover and said, "You're still calling me Tar-Baby?" He gave her a squinty look. It was a playful look. A look he used to give her before she would pull a smile out of him. "You can't be more creative after all this time?"

Then the energy of the room changed as the door was jolted open and let slam shut. Jasper wasn't easily startled or disturbed, but something about this new patron made a shiver run up his spine. Something was...off. Jasper, in his younger years, was a thief. One of the most important traits a thief could have is an instinctual read on someone based on body language and word choice. He sensed confrontation. Without sounding hostile in the slightest he addressed the blonde woman, "I'll do a shot with you." It was better to be the right hand of the devil than in his path.
Asher laughed lightly when Jasper playfully pushed her shoulder. She smiled at him when he said his drink was delicious, and she rose her glass to him. “And so shall we indulge.” She sounded just so perfectly proper when she said it that even she laughed a moment later, which ruined the whole image. She shrugged it off as she sipped her drink.

Her eyes looked to Sadie and Sindy as they spoke to each other, and then at Sindy when she addressed them. She thought for a moment, but ultimately shook her head. “I’m good for food right now. Thank you though.” Asher answered her with a bright smile. Her eyes shifted to her friend when the blonde came back and assured her she was watching their drinks. “Good, because I’m gonna need you to keep them coming, Sadie-girl.” Asher winked at her, then looked at her phone again as Sadie engaged Jasper. She smiled softly at their interaction, and shook her head softly at both of them.

The near-serene moment was suddenly gone as a loud slam was heard. For a moment, Asher was concerned that her boss had indeed decided to show up and crash the party, but a glance over her shoulder revealed a woman that pretty confidently stormed into the bar. It was obvious she had been here before, and Asher could nearly feel the vibes that rolled off this woman. Asher watched as the woman demanded to know who Sadie was, and as Jasper volunteered for a shot with her.

Left to her own devices for the moment, she turned back to Sadie to continue their conversation, but kept her ear open for any aggressive replies. “When did you land in Florida? And tell me all the apartments were as bad as mine.”