A Little Warming Comfort [OPEN]

[emmajackson]

Jacks' little nose turned up as she stood in the middle of her motel room. It was cramped, smelled like stale cigarettes and sad memories of better times, and had a little box by the bed to put quarters in. She'd thought those massage beds only existed in the movies. "Learn somethin' new everyday...." She shook her head at the sad state of the room, glad at least that the air and heating worked, the window opened, and she had shelter over her head. Not that she would have minded camping out, but showers were a necessity. She couldn't spend another minute in this little room though, not after days of driving cross country in the Bronco.

Her first afternoon in Scriptor Bay had consisted of checking in and settling in to her hopefully non-permanent motel room, and gassing up and tinkering with her Triumph before taking a cruise to see what she could see around town. She'd wanted to get a feel for her new home for the moment before starting in on trying to find her mom's family. She didn't really know anything about them....or if they were even alive for that matter. Her dad hadn't really been able to tell Jacks much, so there wasn't much to go on. Oh well, a problem to worry about tomorrow.

A problem to worry about for today? It was much chillier up here than it had been back home, and she was cold from cruising around the city. There were a number of promising looking places she wanted to visit, and she'd been happy to see that the town wasn't all that different from Austin in the way of individuality and uniqueness. She even liked this slightly chilly weather as it was a break from the crazy heat down south, but right now she really needed to warm her bones.

Like a beacon speaking just to her, a sign came into view that read 'The Jack Kit'. She smirked at how perfect that was, then almost laughed as she pulled closer to see that it was a bar. Not just any bar, but her kind of bar. She cruised into the parking lot, making sure to grab a spot under a street light, and pushed the kickstand down with the heel of her worn black Doc. She unclasped the strap of her helmet and tugged it off, tucked it under her left arm, then unstraddled the seat and made her way to the entrance. She stopped just at the door and eyed the newspaper stand, stuck the middle finger of her right hand into her mouth and tugged on her leather glove to get it off, then dug into her pocket and pulled out a coupla coins.

Clink clink went the change and she pulled the door open and grabbed the top paper. It was sorta thin, but she hadn't really expected much in the way of news for a local rag, especially on a Tuesday. Hands now full, Jacks switched the paper to her left hand and opened up the door to the half empty bar. It took a second for her eyes to adjust from the waning sun to the dark escape the bar provided it's patrons. She blinked a few times and stepped in, bringing a cool rush of air with her.

She smiled to herself as the familiar smells wrapped around her like a blanket, and she identified them as she walked. Aged casks, hops, dark liquor, tobacco, polished wood, and good times. Alright, the last one didn't really have a smell, but she could sense it anyway. This was a place people enjoyed coming to, and she instantly felt at ease because of it. She gave a friendly smile to an older man at the front of the bar as she passed him on her way towards the other end. She climbed (literally, poor little short thing) up onto a barstool, settled her backpack and helmet on the stool next to her, then unfolded the paper on the shiny wood of the bar top. She was in the mind for some whiskey to warm her belly, and hopefully a job or place to rent in the paper.

[GAVIN BROOKS]

The whole Abby thing still had Gavin a little fucked up. First he was head over heals, crazy in love with her and then? Well, he still liked her, that wasn't the issue. But a potion? Witch? No. Gavin could barely get his head wrapped around the whole situation and found that coming to work was a great way to escape his strange reality.

Then he remembered Nicole.

What the hell would his blond friend with benefits think of him when she saw him? How could he tell her the wedding was off? How could he explain away his bizarre, revolting behavior the other night? He wanted to be ill. That wasn't a side of Gavin he wanted to come out ever. It was a side of him he didn't even know existed. Then he thought about his brother! He had left that message that he found the woman who would make a man out of him and Owen had been calling him ever since to get the scoop. Even his mother was calling for the gory details, and to Gavin they certainly were gory. How could he possibly explain what had happened when he himself didn't know?

What Gavin needed was a break from life. A break from the people he knew so he could try and reestablish. That break walked into the Jack Kit and planted herself at the bar.

Gavin stared at the girl as she sat down, wiping a glass as he did. She didn't look familiar which meant she was either new in town or recently turned 21. Those at least were the most likely of scenarios. She was cute with her long dark hair and dazzling icy blue eyes. Her clothes made her come off as a force not to be reckoned with, but her cute disposition made him think she was at least approachable. The best part about his job was that he had to approach everyone. It was in the job description.

"Hey." He greeted, making his way over and sliding his hands on the bar, propping himself up as he looked her over. She looked to be young. "You got ID?" He asked raising a brow at her and offering his cute boyish smirk. Someone who didn't know him was a good thing right now. He wasn't sure he could handle a run in with Nicole or Lafayette.. the thought made him ill. "Haven't seen you in here before." His smile grew a little.

[emmajackson]

Jacks had just tucked her leather gloves into the outside pocket of her backpack when she felt a looming presence to her right, behind the bar. "Hey." She was turned in her seat facing the barstool with her stuff on it, but her eyes flicked to the right when he spoke...hmm nice chest...and upwards to find a handsome face peering down at her. The man standing behind the bar was tall (as were most people Jacks encountered) with very warm brown eyes that had a sort of...intensity to them. Despite all that, he had a casual and friendly air to him, and when he lifted a brow and smirked she added fun loving to that list. He just had that sort of feel to him....a little boy next door-ish. Genuine.

She felt her own mouth quirk up on one side in response to his smirk, and had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at his next words. "You got ID?" If she had a quarter for every time she was asked that, she'd be a rich bitch. Instead she let out a quiet laugh and nodded as she reached into the large part of her backpack and started digging around for her elusive wallet. "Haven't seen you in here before." He smiled wider, and her laugh grew louder. The way he said it, it didn't feel like a line, but it totally kind of was.

Her slender fingers wrapped around her beat up leather wallet and tugged it out, then dropped it on the countertop. Her amused voice was heavy with her Texas drawl and had an almost sultry quality to it as she spoke. "You're very astute." One of her slender brows lifted upwards as she met his eyes, her fingers working to open her wallet and tug out her ID without even having to look at what she was doing. "This is my first time in here. I'm just a little new to town." She gave him a sparkling smile and slid her Texas ID across the counter, then propped her left elbow up on the counter. She rested her chin in her hand and studied his face as he looked over her driver's license to make sure that everything was kosher.

"Real nice place you've got here." She waved the fingers of her free hand around a little to motion the rest of the bar, and she let her eyes do a slow roam around the place. Yep, she'd be here a lot...she was pretty dang sure of that already.

[GAVIN BROOKS]

He watched the tiny girl pull out an old wallet, his eyes following her movements as he rested his hands on the bar, crossing his feet ta the ankle patiently. "You're very astute." He gave a soft chuckle and grinned boyishly. "One of my finer qualities." He replied, not having missed the drawl in her voice. She wasn't from around here, that was for sure. Then again, neither was he. She was from down south, though specifically where he couldn't put his finger on. Tennessee maybe? Georgia? He picked up her ID and took a look. Texas. Way off.

"This is my first time in here. I'm just a little new to town." His smile broadened. That was more than apparent. "Real nice place you've got here."

"Not mine, Miss Emma Jackson." He said handing the ID back to her and looking her over, but not in an inappropriate way. Gavin might be a player, but he was an all around decent guy. He treated everyone with respect, especially women even if he did do dirty things behind closed doors. He never crossed a boundary unless told to.

"Actually, if you're from Texas you might actually like the owner. He's from there." He explained peaking over his shoulder wondering if Kit was around. He wouldn't have introduced him either way, he was only curious. Gavin called dibs on the tiny Texan, and until she shot him down he was going to play the nice guy and try and show her a good time. It was just who he was, even with the weird relationship he had with Abby.

"Anywho, whatcha wanna drink?" He asked, rolling his shoulders and standing straighter. He wanted to know her story, what brought her here. She didn't seem the type to come here for schooling, not on the back of a bike. Then again, stranger things happened. He wouldn't press, not yet, not until she gave him a cue she was interested in him pressing on. Truth be told he could use the distraction, and there was nothing better than meeting more non-locals. The locals, he found, were a little weird. Or at least some of them. Abby especially. A witch... whoda thunkit?!