Poplar had been MIA for awhile now, and that was because he'd found himself a girlfriend! He'd called up Deanna and Braeden finally, and asked them to meet up with him at a fancier bar in Uptown because he had someone he wanted them to meet.
He was currently seated at the bar, with his arm wrapped around a bleach blonde woman's waist. She was pretty in a model way, skinny with a decent chest. She was wearing way too much makeup though, and she was texting on her phone and not really paying much attention to Poplar at all.
He was currently seated at the bar, with his arm wrapped around a bleach blonde woman's waist. She was pretty in a model way, skinny with a decent chest. She was wearing way too much makeup though, and she was texting on her phone and not really paying much attention to Poplar at all.
Brae had been super excited to get the call as he hadn't heard from Pops in a while! They were meeting Uptown, so he made sure to dress on the nicer side, in a few layers. Dea had been avoiding him, it seemed and Brae wondered if his two friends had made up and were just lost in each other. He would be wrong, he'd find out, but he could hope. He'd show up at the bar after Dea as he was almost always late to everything. Dea was wearing simple blue and black dress that ended at the knee and her normal heels. She had spotted Pops and hung back, noticing the woman he was with. When Brae got there she heaved a sigh and walked over with him.
"Hey, P." Brae gave a smile to his buddy and then one to the woman, though he didn't know her. Dea offered one as well, but it was more strained.
"Hey, P." Brae gave a smile to his buddy and then one to the woman, though he didn't know her. Dea offered one as well, but it was more strained.
Poplar beamed when he saw his two friends, though the woman didn't even look up from her phone. "Hey guys!" He tried not to let his eyes stray over Dea too much, "Glad you could make it. I wanted you to meet Tammy. Tammy this is Deanna and Braeden." The woman finally looked up and pasted on a smile, "Well hi there!" She had a syrupy sweet southern accent and everything about her screamed fake. Poplar seemed smitten though and he kissed her on the cheek, "She's my girlfriend."
Brae looked a little surprise, but he managed to keep the smile on his face. He looked from Dea to Pops with a wrinkle between his brows before recovering and smiling wider to Tammy. "Hey, nice to meet you." Dea on the other hand got a more sour expression. She had guessed as much from the way Pops had been with her and Dea was not happy.
"Charmed, I'm sure." Dea was certainly checking out her competition and trying to keep a smile in place.
"Charmed, I'm sure." Dea was certainly checking out her competition and trying to keep a smile in place.
"I thought we could all have drinks here and then go to dinner?" He glanced to Tammy as if he were asking for her approval. "Sure sugar, that sounds fantastic." She gave him another big fake smile and returned to her phone. Pops looked to Dea and Brae with a smile of his own, "Are you surprised?"
Brae had more practice with pretend smiles than his female friend. "Yeah, sure. Sounds good, P." He kept on grinning and looked to Dea who was trying to conceal an eye roll. She did not want to go to dinner with Pops' girlfriend, no matter who it was. Brae nearly elbowed her to get her to answer a quick okay.
As for surprised? Oh, they were surprised. Brae wanted to ask so badly what had happened to Pops liking Dea! He couldn't do that in front of the two women, though. Dea answered before him anyway. "That's not the word I would use, probably. Drink time?" She flashed a smile and turned to get the bartender's attention.
As for surprised? Oh, they were surprised. Brae wanted to ask so badly what had happened to Pops liking Dea! He couldn't do that in front of the two women, though. Dea answered before him anyway. "That's not the word I would use, probably. Drink time?" She flashed a smile and turned to get the bartender's attention.
Tammy wrinkled her nose, "Why do they call you P? That's a little...juvenile, don't you think?" Poplar looked a little upset, but he quickly hid it. "Well, we've known each other for so long..." He trailed off and motioned the bartender over to let everyone order drinks.
"So what have you guys been up to?" Tammy was still tapping away on her phone with her fake nails, and Pops had put his arm around her waist again.
"So what have you guys been up to?" Tammy was still tapping away on her phone with her fake nails, and Pops had put his arm around her waist again.
Brae's smile faltered for half a second and he mentally made note to call Poplar by his full name or Pops. He'd been using the initial names with his friends since forever, his brother too. he was glad to turn his attention to drinking and ordered himself something strong. Dea got a more fruity drink and hopped onto a bar stool to sip at it unless they were going to sit elsewhere. Brae knocked half his glass back before answering. "Nothing much. Just hanging out with my brothers, mostly."
"My sister went out with Bjorn again. I still want to meet his goats. She was being purposefully cryptic... Tammy wasn't paying much attention though, so Dea wasn't sure it would be worth her time trying to make the woman feel like an outsider.
"My sister went out with Bjorn again. I still want to meet his goats. She was being purposefully cryptic... Tammy wasn't paying much attention though, so Dea wasn't sure it would be worth her time trying to make the woman feel like an outsider.
"Yeah? That's surprising." Poplar couldn't remember Brae ever spending time with his older brother. Tammy looked up at Dea, "You have a sister? How fun. I always wanted siblings, I'm an only child myself. Is she dating a goat farmer?" She batted her eyes and gave Dea that ridiculous fake smile. Pops was too busy chatting with Brae to correct her, or he would have.
Brae offered a more genuine smile for his oldest friend only. "Yeah. It was nice, though. Daeni---Ardaen and I had a good talk." He glanced over to Tammy before using another juvenile nickname.
Dea just narrowed her eyes at Tammy. "No, she'd dating a famous drummer. He's from the band StarLord." She said it like Tammy was just an idiot and Dea was humoring her... Which she was in a way.
Dea just narrowed her eyes at Tammy. "No, she'd dating a famous drummer. He's from the band StarLord." She said it like Tammy was just an idiot and Dea was humoring her... Which she was in a way.
Pops gave Brae a genuine smile, "That's great!" He knew Brae had a hard time talking to his older brother, "Did you ask him about his artwork? I'd love one of his pieces for my apartment."
Tammy blinked, "Well my word! All these famous people. Just last weekend we went to this party and there were so many singers to rub elbows with. I got the number for one of the guys in the band SunShine Sinners. Have you heard of them?"
Tammy blinked, "Well my word! All these famous people. Just last weekend we went to this party and there were so many singers to rub elbows with. I got the number for one of the guys in the band SunShine Sinners. Have you heard of them?"
Brae smiled a little more and ducked his head. He was so happy to be able to talk to his friend like this again. "Yeah, I asked. He... Well he has his reasons for not keeping up with it. Which I get." he still had not divulged the crap load of baggage that was Richard in their lives to Pops. Not knowingly. "He's going to try and doodle some with me, maybe." He was definitely happy about that and it showed.
Dea's smile was so strained it might crack her face. She wanted to ask this bitch why the hell she was getting numbers when she was with a catch like Poplar, but manage to bite her tongue. "Yes, I have. Have you not?"
Dea's smile was so strained it might crack her face. She wanted to ask this bitch why the hell she was getting numbers when she was with a catch like Poplar, but manage to bite her tongue. "Yes, I have. Have you not?"
"That's really too bad...well if it goes beyond doodling let me know? I was serious about wanting something from him."
Tammy snorted, "Of course I have. But I didn't know if you had. I doubt Poplar was taking his friends to high class parties like this one." She turned to Pops and made a simpering noise and laid her head on his shoulder, "I want another drink..." Without missing a beat he waved the bartender over and ordered another drink for Tammy.
When Pops turned back to Brae, Tammy giggled and looked at Dea, "See how well trained he is?"
Tammy snorted, "Of course I have. But I didn't know if you had. I doubt Poplar was taking his friends to high class parties like this one." She turned to Pops and made a simpering noise and laid her head on his shoulder, "I want another drink..." Without missing a beat he waved the bartender over and ordered another drink for Tammy.
When Pops turned back to Brae, Tammy giggled and looked at Dea, "See how well trained he is?"
Brae nodded. "I'll tell him. Might be good for him." He was done with his first drink then and hopped over to the bar to get a refill quickly.
Dea felt the bile rising and swallowed it back down. "Actually, I have been---" Tammy was busy being the most obnoxious person alive and Dea rolled her eyes so hard she was sure she caught a glimpse of her own brain. When the woman's attention was back on Dea, she was making much less effort to cover her annoyance. "Oh, yes, he's an adorable terrier. You must be so proud."
Dea felt the bile rising and swallowed it back down. "Actually, I have been---" Tammy was busy being the most obnoxious person alive and Dea rolled her eyes so hard she was sure she caught a glimpse of her own brain. When the woman's attention was back on Dea, she was making much less effort to cover her annoyance. "Oh, yes, he's an adorable terrier. You must be so proud."
Pops gave Tammy a squeeze, and looked over at the girls. Tammy had laughed loudly and obnoxiously at Dea's 'joke' "Oh you are so funny!" She sipped at her drink, and Pops smiled, "You two girls getting along?"
Tammy grinned, "Of course sugar! Deanna is a real doll. And so pretty too!"
Tammy grinned, "Of course sugar! Deanna is a real doll. And so pretty too!"
Dea only narrowed her eyes more and made a face smiling face like Tammy was just too much. She turned her head to let out a sigh and chug back some of her drink. Pops asked if they were getting alone and Dea just wanted to bite his head off and tell him he was an idiot for slumming it with this woman. Tammy answered though and Dea plastered on her smile. "Oh, thank you. You're..."She looked Tammy up and down and had to spit out a compliment she didn't mean. "Just something. Where did you find her, P?"
Tammy frowned faintly at the dig from Dea and they both started talking at once, "I met him at--" "I was at--" Pops laughed, "You tell it dear." Tammy smiled, "Naw sugar, you go ahead. You tell it better."
Pops cleared his throat, "Well I was at a bar drinking and had a little too much."
He flushed, and Tammy smirked, "You're so cute when you're drunk."
Pops cleared his throat, "Anyway, I uh...couldn't drive myself home and Tammy just happened to be getting off work right around then. So...she offered to walk me home. And then things just went from there." Most likely she had seen the huge tab he'd built up and paid off without batting his eyes and she wanted to see what kind of house he had.
Pops cleared his throat, "Well I was at a bar drinking and had a little too much."
He flushed, and Tammy smirked, "You're so cute when you're drunk."
Pops cleared his throat, "Anyway, I uh...couldn't drive myself home and Tammy just happened to be getting off work right around then. So...she offered to walk me home. And then things just went from there." Most likely she had seen the huge tab he'd built up and paid off without batting his eyes and she wanted to see what kind of house he had.
Dea leaned back to listen, not at all caring if she hurt Tammy's feelings. She just smiled harder when they were being 'cute'. She just nodded along with the story and when it was done looked at Tammy. "You must feel so lucky."
Brae was just watching the exchange and keeping hihimself busy drinking. He was definitely further in than anyone else by now.
Brae was just watching the exchange and keeping hihimself busy drinking. He was definitely further in than anyone else by now.
Tammy grinned, "Well he's the lucky one. Aren't you sugar?" Poplar flushed and nodded, "I am." He kissed her on the cheek and noticed that Brae was halfway to tipsy already, "You guys wanna go get food?"
Dean was definitely going to throw up now. She couldn't even stomach the rest of her drink. Brae gladly finished that off for her after his own. No reason to waste the liquor! "Yeah, I'm starving, P--Poplar. Let's go." He wet his lips and put his smile back in place, heading a few paces back if everyone was ready to go. Dea was quietly seething but did not protest going for food now.
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