Crashing the Tea Party [Jo]

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Brandon sighed as he strolled towards the Pier, watching his feet. It was Sunday, so he was out on the boat today. His father had raised his children Roman Catholic, and Brandon stuck to his faith. He may not have agreed with all of the Church's teachings, but it was his way of worship. For someone as belligerent and morally loose as Brandon was, it was usually a surprise for people to find out he was religious. It kind of came with being Hispanic, though. Every Sunday he went to church in the morning with his sister, and when they left there, they would usually grab a bite to eat. After that, they went their separate ways, but neither of them worked on Sunday--it never felt right to do so.

It was warm enough that he could wear his hooded sweatshirt unzipped over his old t-shirt, but it was too windy to take the jacket off. As long as the sun was on him, though, he could be plenty comfortable. He'd invited Melanie to come to the Pier with him and meander if she wanted to, but she said she would rather stay at home. It was weird, though, because she blushed when he mentioned the Pier. She could read his suspicion but she didn't answer the look in his eyes. He didn't push it, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Melanie had met someone. She was out late the night before and hadn't come to the dock to help unload like she normally would. He wasn't mad about it, but when he asked where she was, she simply said, "The Pier." Brandon wondered if maybe there was some new artist or musician that had caught her eye or her ear, and that's why she was delayed. Maybe it was some artistic Lothario thinking he could woo his little sister before he skipped town. He didn't like that idea one bit.

So his trip to the Pier today had ulterior motives. He wanted to see if there were any fresh faces, just so he would be prepared if Melanie decided to introduce him to this new boy. Not that she would right away. He told himself he was just looking after her, that he would prefer she date one of the men on his boat over some traveling bard playing on the Pier, but he knew he shouldn't be so nosy. In fact, he should be happy for her. Melanie hardly ever got out and met people, even for coffee with girlfriends. Hell, she didn't have many girlfriends at all. That was a disappointment too; why couldn't she have some cute friends he could dig on? All of this was running through his mind as he made his way down the Pier, absent-mindedly looking at the tables set up, or rather, the people running them. A few wispy-haired old ladies, a few braided mothers, some latte-drinking metrosexual men, but none that really caught his eye as being Melanie's type.

He was passing a table that smelled like 15 different types of tea when Brandon heard the clattering of a bike or a skateboard on the blanks coming up behind him. Before he could even turn and look, he felt something ram into his shoulder and send him completely off balance. With a shout, he toppled into the tea table almost breaking it and sending teabags everywhere. Before he could process an apology, his dark brown eyes caught the sight of a kid on a bike watching him warily, riding off down the Pier. "You better ride out of here, you little shit, before I come after you!" he yelled in his deep, booming voice. The kid turned back around and kicked his bike into high gear. Brandon continued to glare after him before he realized he just cursed in front of a decent sized group of people. "Sorry," he muttered, catching a glowering grandma's eye before he cleared his throat and turned to the owner of the table.

"Shit, I'm really sorry about this," he grumbled, helping the little woman pick things up. "That little asshole ran into me. I hope I didn't break anything." He finally let his eyes rest on the woman he was helping out and felt even worse. She looked like a sweet person and here he was with his filthy fucking mouth. "'Scuse my French. I actually am a sailor, so I cuss like one," he said with a smile and a shrug. Lame joke. He didn't let it bother him, though; she was bound to think he was lame for fucking up her table anyway.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

Every month Jo made sure to get to the Pier on one of the weekends to sell her tea. It was a good way to advertise her business and to also make a little extra money. She usually made a habit of going there herself instead of sending one of the girls to do it since she felt The Pier could be a little more dangerous than the shop since there were more people wandering around. Plus she was better able to field questions about the flavors and their places of origin. She had become something of a tea expert over the years and knew about different cuts and chakras and healing elements.. it was almost like magic in some ways.

She was at the stand alone tonight, though. Some nights when she was short handed she had to come alone and since she had fired Hadley and hadn't replaced her, this was one of those nights. She was still upset about the whole Hadley incident and even more upset about ending things officially with Kit. She would always love him, but she couldn't have him in her life anymore. He was holding her back and dragging her down. She needed to get out and meet new people. Maybe she would give Maxi a call and see if they could go get drinks soon. She had only hung out with her a couple of times but had enjoyed her company!

The kid on the bike didn't cause any alarm in Jo when she heard him coming. Kids on bikes and boards were common on The Pier, but when the kid slammed into someone her attention was grabbed and she looked up to see a man get shoved by the boy on the bike. What happened next was fast and Jo had a hard time seeing it all. The man was falling on her table which collapsed under the sudden hit, folding to the ground and spilling her tea, cups and hot water urn. She flinched, backing up and watching in shock as everything crashed.

"You better ride out of here, you little shit, before I come after you!" Jo had opened her mouth to see if the man was okay when he had shouted after the boy, making her brows raise. He had every right to be pissed; she was a little annoyed. She shook her head at his apology and went over, kneeling down to see if he was okay. "No, it's fine, are you okay?" Judging by everything all of her stuff was fine except some of the tea. The table, though collapsed, wasn't broken and the urns, thankfully, hadn't opened and spilled the hot water everywhere. The cups might need to be brushed off but for the most part everything seemed okay. Thankfully all the loose tea was in canisters that were shut so she didn't lose any of those. Basically it was just a huge mess.

"'Scuse my French. I actually am a sailor, so I cuss like one," She smiled and got up, putting her table back together. "Believe me, I've heard much worse. I used to live in a house with nearly a dozen guys." She explained with a chuckle. Oh, the good old days.. "The kids around here can be rotten. You're okay though? Nothing broken?" She asked, trying to pick up her things while making sure he was okay.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Brandon was relieved the little lady wasn't screaming and cursing at him. He didn't think he deserved that, it wasn't really his fault that he had crashed her party, but he was still glad for it. Even better, she wasn't mad about his filthy mouth. "Believe me, I've heard much worse. I used to live in a house with nearly a dozen guys." He gave an amused half smile, helping her put together her table again. "The kids around here can be rotten. You're okay though? Nothing broken?" He raised his eyebrows almost playfully. "Besides my pride at being a big tough guy. Naw," he replied, flashing a smile for her. "When I was growing up around here, I don't remember running into people and not apologizing." The table was fixed and he gave a little shrug from his place kneeling on the ground. "Well...not much anyway," he added with a lopsided smile.

He reached for the hot water urn, but luckily felt how hot the body of the urn was before actually grabbing it. Instead, he got a hold of the handles and lifted the thing up onto the table. He did the same for the others and then looked at all the tea that had been spilled. Looking around, he spotted a vendor across the way where he could get some napkins. "I'll be right back," he told her before hustling over to the vendor. He grabbed two handfuls and then ran back to the little table. What tea was spilled on the table he mopped up with the napkins, trying to be quick about it so she could get back to work. At least it smelled nice. Once the table was cleaned off, he noticed there was a lot he had gotten on himself too. He started to soak some up with the napkins, glancing up at the woman he was helping. "Well, at least it smells nice. Smelling like tea is a lot better than smelling like fish," he joked. He figured if he was funny, she might not be as annoyed with him.

When he was sufficiently dried, he started grabbing canisters of tea and cups and setting them back on the table. It gave him a chance to get a look at the little lady. He was a man, after all. She had to have some of the biggest eyes he'd ever seen, and he'd seen a lot of people over the years of traveling he did. With her short hair, she looked like Twiggy back when she was all the rage. She was cute. Maybe he would buy Melanie some tea or something to put a little more money in the cute woman's pocket.

The canisters and cups back up on the table, he gave a small smile. "I feel like I should at least buy something for causing all this trouble," he offered. "I mean, I don't really drink tea, but my sister does." He didn't want her to think he was a pussy or something. Brandon drank coffee, not tea, but Melanie loved the stuff. "Anything you'd recommend?" he inquired with a shrug.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

"Besides my pride at being a big tough guy. Naw," She smiled back at him as she placed some of the canisters back on the table. She watched him as he spoke about how he hadn't been that way when he had grown up in the area. A local. Jo found she liked the locals, especially since she learned she should have been one. Her father was, apparently. Not that she really knew her dad. He skipped town when she was a baby and she still wondered if he resided in this city or not. She wouldn't go looking for him, though. She had come to terms with the fact that he wasn't interested in being a parent long ago and she wasn't interested in having a father now, anyway. Still she would have liked to punch him in the nose if she ever met him,

"I'll be right back," She watched the man dart off, unsure what he was doing, and come back with napkin making her smile. "Thank you." She offered meekly as he began spilling knowing he felt bad for the mess. In her younger years she would have been angrier but as she had grown she had mellowed out some. Things like this happened. She could waster her energy getting bent out of shape about it or she could just deal like an adult. Sometimes it was hard to be an adult, especially when you surrounded yourself with juvenile company like Kit Rathbone, but this guy hadn't done anything intentionally. It was an accident caused by some careless kid. Now if that KID had stopped, she would have given him an earful!

"Well, at least it smells nice. Smelling like tea is a lot better than smelling like fish," She laughed, wondering if he often smelled like fish if he was a sailor. "It definitely is." She agreed. Jo often smelled like tea and herbs; she was like a walking aromatherapy candle.

Everything was mostly cleaned up, it just needed to be reorganized. Sure, some of the stuff was wasted, but it wasn't a big deal. "I feel like I should at least buy something for causing all this trouble, I mean, I don't really drink tea, but my sister does." She blushed and smiled, folding her arms low over her stomach, watching the cute sailor. "Anything you'd recommend?"

"Really, you don't have to do that. It wasn't your fault, it was that kids. HE should be buying all my stuff." She joked giving a sweet smile. "I'm just glad for the help cleaning it all up. But..." Her saleswoman side came out and she picked up a small pouch of the lavender chamomile, "This is a really good bedtime tea, or calming tea." She passed it to him with a business card that had both her name and the store's information on it. "Give that to your sister. No charge. A thanks for livening up my booth and helping me clean it up." She grinned and slid her arms around her again. "If your sister hasn't come in yet, she would probably like the store if she enjoys tea. We sell tea and lots of lotions and soaps. All organic, all affordable. We even have some soaps that are good for taking away tough smells, like fish. Perfect for sailors." She offered a playful wink, "And their dirty mouths."

[BRANDON GARCIA]

"Really, you don't have to do that. It wasn't your fault, it was that kid's. HE should be buying my stuff." Brandon smiled wide, appreciating her sense of humor. And the fact that she was mad at the right person. Brandon had busted the table, but it was the kid's fault. Still, he felt bad for it. "I'm just glad for the help cleaning it all up. But..." Ah ha! He knew she wouldn't let him slip away. She was a businesswoman, and he was offering to buy her wares; of course she would sell him something. It was the least he could do. She handed him a teabag and he took it in his rough hand, inspecting it. He felt like he should be carrying a purse just holding it.

"This is a really good bedtime tea, or calming tea." She gave over her business card and he looked at it quickly. Jordanna "Jo" Haile. "Give that to your sister. No charge. A thanks for livening up my booth and helping me clean up." Brandon chuckled and nodded, putting both in his jacket pocket. "I made the mess, so it would make sense for me to pick it up," he assured her. Jo. Such a little name for such a little lady. It suited her well, though, with her short pixie hair. "If your sister hasn't come in yet, she would probably like the store if she enjoys tea. We sell tea and lots of lotions and soaps. All organic, all affordable. We even have some soaps that are good for taking away tough smells, like fish. Perfect for sailors." He grinned at her playful wink. "And their dirty mouths." Brandon couldn't help but feel like she was flirting with him a little. She was cute, so he didn't mind. "I don't think anything's cleaning out my mouth. It's like Teflon against anything wholesome," he teased with a grin.

"I would be surprised if my sister hasn't been to your store already, but I'll pass this on to her. She'll probably buy out the store," he told her. The more he talked, the more he felt he should introduce himself. He reached one of his hands out to her smiling. "I'm Brandon, by the way. Brandon Garcia." He took her hand in a firm handshake, not believing in being overly gentle just because she was a woman. You could tell a lot by someone's handshake, and if she shook his limply, he didn't want to get involved. A woman with a firm handshake was usually feisty, and he liked that in a woman. When he released his hand, he gave her a curious look. "So what made you decided to mix lotions, soap, and tea in one shop? Seems like an odd combination," he commented, putting his hands in his pockets. His hands were always warm, but they were feeling just a little chilled with the late afternoon air.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

"I don't think anything's cleaning out my mouth. It's like Teflon against anything wholesome," She gave a soft laugh and rolled her shoulders. There was nothing he could say that she hadn't heard before. She had heard and seen far too much in her time already for him to do anything so boyish it shocked her. "That's a challenge for any soap maker." She teased back, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears. She had grown it out since the fight with Kit, but it hadn't been that long ago so it was only long enough to just barely tuck behind her ears.

"I would be surprised if my sister hasn't been to your store already, but I'll pass this on to her. She'll probably buy out the store," Her brows raised as she grinned. "Now that sounds like something I'd be interested in." She played back watching him extend his rugged hand to her. She was cute, and she wondered if he was being flirty or if she was reading into things.

No! She couldn't think of men right now. She needed to focus on her. But why? Why couldn't she drown the memory of Kit? Why did he need to hold her back another day longer than he already had?

"I'm Brandon, by the way. Brandon Garcia." She took his hand and gave a good handshake. It wasn't super strong, but it was confident, as a business woman's should be. "Jordanna Haile," She greeted back, "Though I know you saw it on the card. Most people call me Jo, but I go by Jordan, too. Or Jordanna, or... well any variation of my name, plus some." She shrugged and let out a laugh.

"So what made you decided to mix lotions, soap, and tea in one shop? Seems like an odd combination," Jo raised a brow at Brandon. Was he serious? "Quite the contrary, they go hand in hand." She explained reaching down into her purse and pulling out a small bottle of lotion. "Lavender chamomile lotion." She said without reading the bottle, a smile crossing her lips. "A lot of the ingredients I use in my soaps and lotions are also found in the tea blends. Apricot, chamomile, ginger, orange, rice, lavender, pomegranate.. plus lotions and bath essentials have calming effects like tea. Really they're all very closely related, only half my products go on you the other half in you. I won't bore you with all the gory details now, that requires more time and preferably a quiet place and a beverage, but if you're ever interested let me know." She shot back feeling somehow confident. Maybe getting rid of the negative influences in her life was a good thing. "I might even be able to find a cure for that Teflon problem you have." she teased with that little smirk of hers, trying not to blush too much.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

When Jo raised her eyebrows at his question, Brandon fought back a snort. Apparently, she didn't think lotion, soap and tea was an odd combination at all. "Quite the contrary, they go hand in hand." "How's that?" he inquired, watching as she stooped to get something. It was a bottle of what looked to be lotion. "Lavender chamomile lotion. A lot of the ingredients I use in my soaps and lotions are also found in the tea blends." Brandon hoped he didn't look like the guy who would know much about lotions, soaps, and teas. If he did, he had a feeling he would have better luck with men than he did with the ladies, and he didn't swing that way. He listened as she explained, though, finding it mildly interesting. He didn't know the first thing about making soap, lotion or tea, and it never hurt to learn something new...as mundane as this was.

"I won't bore you with all the gory details now, that requires more time and preferably a quiet place and a beverage, but if you're ever interested let me know." Brandon nodded that he would, but he doubted he would ever ask the gory details about that stuff. Nothing against Jo, he'd just rather talk about something less...feminine. Melanie could probably talk to her all day, though. He liked the confident way Jo spoke, though. She obviously knew this stuff inside and out and he liked when people knew everything about their trade. The statement, "I just work here," pissed him off. "I might even be able to find a cure for that Teflon problem you have." Brandon chuckled, shaking his head. "That would be a hell of a challenge, Jo, but if you want to take that on, be my guest," he teased back. "Last I checked, though, it wasn't a good idea to put soap in your mouth." He smiled wide and noticed the little bit of color on her cheeks. Could be the chill in the air, though...but she was cute.

He eyes wandered over the tea and he licked his lips a little, wondering what his next step would be. Talk or move on? He certainly didn't mind the conversation. "Like I mentioned before, I don't drink a lot of tea, but I do like coffee. Do you have any coffee at your shop?" he inquired. A grin came to his face as he briefly scratched the back of his head, a sort of nervous habit of his. "Then if I actually did show up with my sister, it wouldn't be so obvious that I was just there to see you." Brandon's grin was almost bashful; he never quite got used to flirting even though he was good at it. He was just one of those guys that said what popped into his head and hoped it didn't sound too lame without regretting if it did or not. Still, to add a playful air to his comment, he screwed up his face as if he was concerned. "Was that lame?" he asked, mock serious.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

"That would be a hell of a challenge, Jo, but if you want to take that on, be my guest. Last I checked, though, it wasn't a good idea to put soap in your mouth." His smile was wide and sweet. He had boyish good looks and she couldn't help but feel a little attracted to him. His statement about eating soap made her chuckle. She was reminded of her friend Dakota back in Vegas when she had started her first store. He loved to eat a couple of her lotion blends. It was disgusting, but he swore they tasted awesome. How he even figured that out was beyond her, but she had to put an end to it when she found him digging into the honey oatmeal with Triscuits. "Wouldn't kill yah." She shot back playfully.

"Like I mentioned before, I don't drink a lot of tea, but I do like coffee. Do you have any coffee at your shop?" Jo grinned but rolled her eyes. What was with the general public and coffee? Tea was way better! Coffee had been a new addition at Sunshine's Too, one that she was just starting at her first location since it had increased revenue there on the west coast. "Then if I actually did show up with my sister, it wouldn't be so obvious that I was just there to see you."

Her grin was small at first and then crept up to a full fledged smile, making her bow her head and give a nervous sort of laugh. "Was that lame?" She was still giving that stupid smile and rolled her shoulders in a shrug. "Yeah." She told him with playful seriousness. "But it was cute." She offered, licking her lips before pulling her bottom one in, chewing on it lightly as she looked at him. He didn't say he was definitely coming, and if he did it would be with his sister. That wasn't serious flirting. He probably flirted with all the ladies. A cute sailor? Yeah, he probably got around some.

"But to answer your question, yes. We have coffee, and it's not just regular old java, either. I have special imported blends. I like things to be unique and fun." She explained. It was the only way she could agree to bring on the new product. She just didn't want to be known as another one of those little coffee shops. Sunshine's was so much more than that. It was her baby, something to be proud of. She had built her empire from the ground up with a great deal of hard work. "I'd like if you brought your sister." She said being a little coy. "Just as long as you don't destroy my shop. You got a free pass today because of the bike kid, but I'll be keeping my eye on you if you come into my shop."

[BRANDON GARCIA]

As Jo grinned from ear to ear, Brandon patted himself on the back internally. Maybe his comment was lame, but if he could make a girl smile like that, it was worth it. She rolled her shoulders when he asked if it was lame and her response made him laugh. “Yeah. But it was cute.” The way she bit her lip was cute in his mind, but he just glanced to her mouth and then back to her eyes. He shrugged playfully, his hands still in his pockets. “I try,” he said with mock seriousness. At least he wasn’t rusty. It had been a while since he had flirted with a girl. Brandon did a lot of it in his younger years, in several different languages, but since returning from his travels and taking up his father’s business, he’d calmed down a lot. Maybe it was time to get serious about women again; everything else in his life was going right and sailing smooth. It would certainly make Melanie happy.

“But to answer your question, yes. We have coffee, and it’s not just regular old java, either. I have special imported blends. I like things to be unique and fun.” He smiled and nodded, noting that last statement. Unique and fun, huh? He would remember that. “You should bring some for the people to try at your stall. I definitely would have tried what you have,” he told her, hoping she would take the suggestion to heart. Maybe tea was her thing, but coffee was what sold these days. “Just a suggestion,” he added, hoping she didn’t think he was bossy. He was, but only on his boat…and in his bed. But anywhere else, it was rude. “I’d like if you brought your sister.” Hook, line, sinker. Brandon gave a charming smile, taking the hint she was giving: she was interested, if only mildly so. He would take that. At the very least, he would be able to introduce Melanie to a new friend—she and Jo would get along like two peas in a pod.

“Just as long as you don’t destroy my shop.” Brandon gave a genuine laugh, glancing to the teas set up on the table. “You got a free pass today because of the bike kid, but I’ll be keeping my eye on you if you come into my shop.” He gave her a mischievous grin and shrugged. “Because I’m cute, right? I understand,” he said with mock seriousness. He looked playfully pensive as he shook his head at the ground and sighed heavily. When he grinned at her again, it was obvious his arrogance was all in jest. Brandon wasn’t conceited, not like that; he was too down-to-earth for that kind of behavior. “You bring up a good point, though. I might have to be chained to the counter so I don’t break anything. That or you’ll just have to follow me through the store. I’ve told my sister she shouldn’t let me out in public, but she doesn’t believe me for some reason,” he joked. He let the playful air settle for a minute before he let his smile get a little more serious. Jo seemed nice and he liked the rapport they had. It couldn’t hurt to visit her shop, as girly as it was. “Seriously, though, I’ll bring her by,” he assured, hoping she could read into that statement. He wanted to see this cute little lady again. “And that’s saying a hell of a lot, because I don’t do the shopping in girly stores thing,” he added playfully, but trying to salvage some of his tough guy reputation. If he was caught by one of his guys in that store, he’d never live it down.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

“Because I’m cute, right? I understand,” It was hard for her to be serious around this guy. He reminded her of her old high school boyfriend Gabe. Cute, charming, maybe a little too comfortable around women.. She didn't want to think on Gabe, though. Not now. Not ever. “You bring up a good point, though. I might have to be chained to the counter so I don’t break anything. That or you’ll just have to follow me through the store. I’ve told my sister she shouldn’t let me out in public, but she doesn’t believe me for some reason,”

Jo raised a brow. Chained? Followed? Hmm... both could work for her. Her lips pulled up at the corners mischievously. "Maybe she's trying to train you to act like a civilized human." She offered in a playful tease.

He grew serious again and she bit her lip once more, watching him as he spoke about coming by with his sister. The thought made her stomach squirm knowing she would probably see this sailor again, something she would be more than okay with. “And that’s saying a hell of a lot, because I don’t do the shopping in girly stores thing,”

Jo let out a little laugh, her hand coming up to cover her mouth before sliding down and crossing over her stomach. "Well, I admit I would like that. Maybe get to meet the girl who's failing miserably at taming you." She teased. "I'll make sure to have chains waiting and ready at the counter in case I need to detain you there." There was a slight sultry undertone in the way she said those last words. Whips and chains weren't really her thing, but the thought was kind of hot. She briefly thought about what it would be like to have this stud tied down to her counter, naked... her cheeks turned fiery and she cleared her throat, pulling her eyes and thoughts away from that. What the hell was wrong with her.

"Anyway, you got my address. You know where to find me." She wanted to give him her number, but didn't want to come off as desperate. He knew where she was, and that was enough. Unless he asked. If he asked she might tell him.. or maybe play coy. She shook the thought away before she could really think too much on it. Thinking too much on anything involving men had always worked out poorly for Jo. This time, if there was something, she would let it happen naturally, and not get hung up on it if it didn't work out. She was the new and improved Jordanna Haile!

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Jo gave out a little laugh and Brandon wondered if maybe he failed this time. Did he come on too strong? Who the hell knew, but he at least he tried. “Well, I admit I would like that.” He smiled wide. “Maybe get to meet the girl who’s failing to tame you.” Brandon chuckled, wondering if Melanie really had failed to tame him. All that talk of how he should try to meet a nice girl seemed to work finally. He’d met a nice girl and managed to get an invitation to see her again. “I’ll make sure to have chains waiting and ready at the counter in case I need to detain you there.” The way she said that with her flirtatious and sultry hint made him look away for a moment and lick his lips before grinning like an idiot. Chains, huh? He might be able to dig that. She didn’t look tough enough to really try that, but just imagining they ever got to that point…he needed to stop so he could actually manage walking. When he looked back, she was blushing and his mental self buckled to his knees. He loved when cute girls blushed. A cute blush on a cute girl made her twice as cute, and Brandon always saw a blush as a visual cue that he could make a girl’s heart flutter. It perked up his ego every time.

“Anyway, you got my address. You know where to find me.” That he did. Maybe on Thursday when Melanie got off work he would take her over to the store. Brandon didn’t take the boat out on Sundays, Thursdays and Fridays. He’d ask her about it tonight when he got home. No doubt she would say yes, but he still had to make sure that day worked for her. “It might not be until later in the week. I don’t want to come straight off the boat smelling like fish and then come into your store. I’d probably chase a bunch of people away,” he joked, but there was some truth to that statement. The smell of fish was powerful when he first finished work.

His eyes glanced down as he wondered if he should be as bold as he wanted to be. All signs pointed to yes, right? He brought his almost black eyes back up to hers, a little unsure of himself for once. “I know I’ve got your address, but uh…can I get your number too?” he asked hopefully, giving her a lopsided smile. There was a moment’s hesitation and he wondered if maybe this one was already taken. The thought hadn’t occurred to him before now. “Unless you already have a boyfriend. That’s usually my luck; the pretty ones always have boyfriends.” He gave another charming smile and a playful shrug. If she did have a boyfriend, he hoped the guy wasn’t around.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

“It might not be until later in the week. I don’t want to come straight off the boat smelling like fish and then come into your store. I’d probably chase a bunch of people away,” Jo smiled but she wondered now if it was all a line. Would he come in? Was she getting her hops up for nothing? He sounded like he was playing, though. So who knew? "Yeah, that's fine.." She offered, feigning excitement feeling like maybe she'd just lost him somehow. Why did she have to read into every tiny detail?

He was looking down and Jo gulped. Was he having second thoughts now? He was hot.. too hot for her, probably. She looked down too, pretending to busy herself with organizing the table again. She felt his eyes on her and she peaked up, catching his gaze. “I know I’ve got your address, but uh…can I get your number too?” The smile crept up slowly, bashfully...trying to hide the excitement she felt at her heart flutter. Should she play coy? “Unless you already have a boyfriend. That’s usually my luck; the pretty ones always have boyfriends.” Pretty ones? Jo? Someone would need to grab a mop soon because she was melting.

"No boyfriend." And recently cut ties with the closest thing to one I've had in a long time, she thought to herself. So he was interested! She wanted to dance, but of course she wouldn't. Jo had a way of scaring the guys off. Her explosive personality tended to get the better of her more than she liked, though it had gotten significantly better over the years. Still! New and improved Jo!

"I guess a number wouldn't hurt." She offered a small, flirty grin as she grabbed her pen and reached for his hand. It was such a high school thing to do, write your phone number on a guys hand, but Jo had always thought it was sweet. She could have just given him another business card, but she knew he wouldn't lose it this way. She sprawled the ten digits on his palm and wrote "Jo" over them, pulling away when she was done. "Now if you say you lost my number I'll know you're a liar." She teased with a wink, wondering if she was being too forward now. He didn't have to call, but he couldn't use the lost excuse if he didn't.

"It was nice meeting you Brandon." Again that flirty edge was in her voice, "Even if you knocked all my stuff over."

[BRANDON GARCIA]

“No boyfriend.” Brandon almost threw a fist in the air. Victory! His smile grew at her own bashful one, finding it adorable and infectious. How could he not smile when her smile spread so wide a cheerful across her face? “I guess a number wouldn’t hurt.” He saw the flirty look on her face, the quirk of her lips encouraging him further. She grabbed a pen and he almost pulled her card back out of his pocket to let her write on it, but she grabbed his hand instead. Her hands were as tiny as the rest of her and soft too. All that lotion, he supposed. A brief image popped into his head of her lotioning herself up. He tried to focus on her writing on his palm instead. The pen tip tickled on his skin, making him want to squirm a little. Writing her number on his palm had to be the cutest way he’d gotten a girl’s number in a long time.

When she was done, his eyes came back to hers and there was an amused smile on his face. “Now if you say I lost my number I’ll know you’re a liar.” He laughed her wink making her look like a pixie out of a Disney movie, mischievous and cunning. “Can’t argue with that,” he said with a shake of his head. “It was nice meeting you Brandon. Even if you knocked over all my stuff.” He chuckled and then shrugged playfully. “My clumsiness is part of my charm,” he joked. His eyes came back to hers and he smirked a little. “If destroying your stand got me your number, I wonder what destroying your shop would get me.” His grin was devilish and teasing, making it clear he wouldn’t actually do that but he liked messing with her. What would it get him? Probably a good knuckle sandwich to the face, but he liked to imagine something a little sweeter. What could he say? He was a guy.

Those almost black eyes of his fell to the pen in her hand and he took it from her gently, grabbing her hand as well. Without a word, he started writing his number on her hand too, smiling to know it was probably tickling her as much as it had him. He wrote “Brandon” above the number, handing the pen back to her. “It’s practically chicken scratch, but just in case, now you have my number,” he told her, letting her hand go. Exchanging numbers on palms? It was a good start, a unique start when you were his age, and he had a good feeling about this. He took a step back, keeping his eyes on her, and putting is hands back in his pockets. “It was nice meeting you, Jo. I’ll definitely be around,” he promised, his grin wide. He kept his eyes on her as he backed away, burning her pretty image in his head before he turned away. Even when he turned away, though, he looked back over his shoulder at her, smiling wide. Man, she was cute.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

“My clumsiness is part of my charm,” She rolled her eyes playfully, smiling. “If destroying your stand got me your number, I wonder what destroying your shop would get me.” Her brows went up and her eyes widened, her jaw going a little slack though she was grinning. "A beat down, that's what!" She shot back and laughed. She might look tiny, but she was a powerhouse. Jo could fight with the best of them. Sure, she could be easily dominated but what she lacked in size and muscle she made up for in harsh words and a loud scream. She had a severe Napoleon complex.

Even with her threat she saw him reach for the pen, grinning as he did the same thing to her as she had done to him. The pen tickled and let out a soft little giggle. “It’s practically chicken scratch, but just in case, now you have my number,” She beamed at him, biting her lower lip obviously excited about this exchange. She had gotten a guys number! Moving on from Kit was looking good so far!

“It was nice meeting you, Jo. I’ll definitely be around,” She felt her heart flutter, her mood uplifted completely. "Now that's a threat I hope you keep." She answered watching him back up and then turn away. Her head tilted a little to the side, checking out his ass in those jeans. Yes... this would be a good thing for sure. When he turned and grinned she felt like she was busted but let out a small laugh.

She was glad she had chose tonight to set up her booth, and if she ever found that little shit who knocked Brandon into her table, she would give him a free drink card.

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