I'll drink to that! (open)

[Remle Boyd]

This post is backdated for March 2016

Remle was already having a great day. She didn't know why she'd been so restless or unhappy lately with her work, her life situation or even her hobbies but the answer was made clear to her this afternoon. She was destined to be different. Not that different, she was already a meta-human for goodness sake but her career path had taken an unexpected but much needed turn. For years she'd assumed that the only way to move up and advance in her life was to take over the morning show...but that was wrong. In the last two years she'd been working at the radio station in Pilot Ridge it was obvious (to everyone but her) that she was more suited to management. Therefore she'd been approached yesterday by the Station Manager and Producer to offer her a new path, something they kindly told her that she'd "excel" in. She hadn't really believed them of course but had given the matter thought anyway and the answer shocked her.

The reason she was so unhappy and down was because her work no longer reflected her strengths or passions. Also, she had discovered that she desperately wanted more normalized work hours in order to spend more time with Rhys and make other friends and do other things. She'd changed quite a bit and needed to finally take another step that reflected that. She was now the Assistant Producer at the station and well on her way to removing that "Assistant" from in front of her title. This called for a celebration and she'd called Rhys to have a few drinks with her to lighten the mood.

She sat at a small table in the bar waiting for him and enjoying a pre-party drink. Her tolerance hadn't really changed in the last two years so she sipped slowly so that she wouldn't be too drunk later for other activities she had in mind.

[Rhys Rockwood]

The surprise call from Remle to go have drinks that evening had been a pleasant one, unlike the surprises such as finding a spider in your shoe or a rattlesnake in your sleeping bag or a new charge on your credit card from several states away for several hundred dollars you don't have. No, this was definitely a good surprise. Rhys was able to wrap up the rest of his work day in a better mood than usual; like most people, he was looking forward to seeing his friend. Or whatever they were.

With a grin firmly planted on his face, he hopped into his car and started the drive to the bar she had chosen, and he started to wonder what they were celebrating. Why hadn't she mentioned it during the phone call? It had been a quick little call, maybe she just hadn't had the time to explain at the moment? Yeah, that was probably it.

Rhys nodded along with the music on the radio for a few moments before his thoughts strayed back to their call. Maybe she hadn't said why because she wanted to surprise him with something! But what could it be? Why did she need to surprise him with a celebration? With a laugh, he wrote off the idea of a proposal. They weren't even really dating, and women didn't typically propose to men. Rhys felt safe from that idea.

So for what event would she feel the need to surprise him? A few thoughts ran through his mind. 'Well, we have slept together more than a few times. She could be trying to surprise me with a pregnancy.' And like that, his smile was gone. That was something both something you don't say over the phone and something typically worth celebrating, right? Crap. That was going to be a pretty load of responsibility. Rhys panicked for another minute or two until he remembered they were meeting at a bar. Pregnant women can't drink! A weight seemed to lift off of him as pulled into a parking space and headed into the bar, safe from the fear of a pregnancy surprise.

Rhys spotted Remle and smiled, quickly heading to her. "Well there's the woman I'm looking for," he said, dropping his head over her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her and the back of her chair. He nipped her neck before letting go and taking the seat next to her. "Please tell me there's booze in your drink," he requested, feeling the tentacles of fear poking at his heart again.

[Remle Boyd]

Remle smiled as she spotted Rhys coming in, she liked his company and they were...quite close. But they weren't dating, she wasn't really sure what they were. She supposed the term was "friends with benefits" but it seemed like a lot more than that. Still, it wasn't that she needed a dedicated boyfriend in her life, but she enjoyed having Rhys as a lover. He'd been responsible for helping her be more adventurous of late. She giggled a little when he nipped her neck (it was purely involuntary since that was a more sensitive part of her body) and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek in response before he fully pulled away and sat down.

She gave him a bit of a confused lopsided smile at his question. "Of course, we're at a bar, but you don't have to worry about me needing to be drunk...?" she had no idea why it was important to her lover that she be drinking, she hadn't needed liquor since that first night, and honestly that was only for the dancing bit of the evening. "Do you want to go dancing later?" she asked, thinking she'd figured out the problem. She wasn't really dressed for dancing since she'd come off work in her long sleeved shirt liberally covered in bows and her heels would kill her feet, but if that's what he wanted to do she was willing to do it.

[Rhys Rockwood]

"Not worried about you being drunk. I can handle drunk Remle. You're just so manageable." Rhys flashed her a smirk and ordered something to drink; that's what they were here to do! "We can go dancing if you want. I don't mind making an entire fool of myself for a pretty girl. More or less the story of my life, yeah?" he joked.

Rhys was more than relieved that she was actually drinking. Remle was responsible; she wouldn't be drinking if she was going to surprise him with pregnancy! He considered that bullet temporarily dodged. At some point, he'd want kids. Just not right now. 'Is it just the timing I object to? Remle as a mother...' His thoughts drifted in a more bizarre way than he was used to, so he set them aside. He'd come back to them later. Maybe.

"Alright then, Rem. You asked me out to celebrate and drink, so what are we out celebrating?" he asked, lifting his freshly delivered drink. Rhys was quite prepared for whatever the good news was. At least he thought he was.

[Remle Boyd]

Remle smiled at him again, he had certainly gotten enough practice "handling" her when she'd had too much to drink. "Well, I'm not really dressed for dancing but I could be persuaded to do a little dance when we get back to my place," she teased. It gave her warm fuzzy feelings when she thought of what she and Rhys got up to when they were alone. There was certainly a lot of cuddling and a lot of fun. They still worked out together, went running and swimming and took drives when they had free time. She reflected that their relationship was at once simplistic but also complicated. Not that either of them were keen on making demands on the other. She supposed it was best to just take it one day at a time.

When Rhys finally got his drink and demanded to know what all the fuss was bout she practically beamed. "You are looking at the new assistant producer of the Pilot Ridge radio station!" she practically squealed as she raised her glass for a toast. "I start next week!" she exclaimed happily. "I'll have a normal schedule like everyone else and I'll fill in on the late night radio show only occasionally while they try and find a new DJ!" she grinned.

[Rhys Rockwood]

"My favorite kind of dance!" he agreed and took his first drink. "Congrats, Remle! That's awesome. Here's to you, your new regular work day, AND your hopefully better pay!" Rhys gently tapped his glass against hers and took another drink. "Aaaand, here's to me!" He tapped his glass once more against hers. "Because now I can have you throughout the night!" he added more quietly, grinning broadly. This was definitely a nice surprise. Their schedule would now cross a little better and they could see each other for more than thirty minutes here, two hours there.

Rhys chuckled a little, shaking his head at himself and sipping at his drink. He'd been freaking out over nothing, thankfully. "It's funny. You invited me out to celebrate but didn't mention why, so for some reason, I thought you were going to tell me you're pregnant, that I was going to be a father. Ho boy, did my heart start racing," he admitted with a laugh. "It certainly wouldn't have been the end of the world, but I like your surprise a whole lot more."

[Remle Boyd]

Remle preened, she loved the idea of being able to spend more time with Rhys, she didn't mind stealing a few moments here and there but it didn't seem very...mature...and she was certainly no longer a child. When Rhys mentioned children however Remle nearly dropped her glass. As it was it rattled dangerously against the top of the table, she'd been a few centimeters away when her fingers had slipped. "B-baby?!" she nearly choked on the word. She'd only given children a fleeting thought over the last few years. She wasn't entirely sure she was cut out for motherhood, at the very least she'd never be able to do it on her own. That was IF she could even survive being married. She was certain she looked as if she'd seen a ghost...she probably looked like the ghost to be honest.

Then her mind registered the latter part of Rhy's comment. "It certainly wouldn't have been the end of the world..." did that mean that he was fond of the idea of children? Maybe fond wasn't the right word in this situation...maybe he was okay with her having his child? That would certainly make more sense in the situation, but it made her feel all sorts of giddy and she really didn't feel like examining that right now. She cleared her throat and reached for her drink again, downing it quickly in a few gulps, suddenly needing the fortifying amber liquid. "Nope! Definitely not pregnant!" she laughed nervously as she hailed a passing waitress and ordered another drink before quickly handing off her glass before she broke it. "Um, anyway...anything interesting happen while you were on the road?"

[Rhys Rockwood]

"Well, I was propositioned by the parents of the child I was recruiting to the school," Rhys replied offhandedly, as if it wasn't really worth even mentioning. "First time that's happened. Some of the single mothers have suggested I stay the night in their home instead of at my hotel, and some of the married women have even invited me to their rooms while their husbands were out, but I've never had the couple ask me to stay." He shrugged and finished his drink.

Rhys took advantage of the waitress being there and put in an order for some grilled wings and another drink before turning his attention back to Remle. "Otherwise, it was a very ordinary, tame trip. Wisconsin isn't much to look at. As opposed to this table, where there is more than enough interesting things to look at." He rolled up his sleeves and stretched a little, thinking for a moment about the pile of paperwork that followed his excursions around the continent. Fortunately, he was able to put that off until tomorrow; he had more fun things to occupy his mind tonight.

[Remle Boyd]

Remle's mouth dropped open a bit in shock. "Wow! That's...different I imagine?" she said before she started giggling madly. "Were you even tempted?!" she laughed, knowing that Rhys might not even deign answer her as it was a ridiculous question. Though...he had once mentioned that three people could fit into his bed if she felt like inviting someone else. "Never been to Wisconsin, but I wouldn't mind a trip to Atlantic City. I heard it's exciting!" she smiled. "My parents go to Vegas all the time, but I've never been there either..." she frowned thoughtfully. "I've also never been propositioned by a married couple and with some extra thought perhaps its a good thing you brought their child to Hammel..." she said thoughtfully.

She grinned at his compliment and bit her bottom lip. "Yes I agree, the landscape always looks better when you're around," she flirted shamelessly.

[Rhys Rockwood]

"A bit tempted, sure, but I've got plenty of whatever I like waiting for me here," he replied, smiling. "Vegas is worth a trip, once or twice. I'm not sure I'd intentionally vacation there since I've been out there once before. And yes, it is a good thing they agreed to let their son come to Hammel. Gives them a reason to come out and...visit," he finished with a wink. That would likely get her wondering what he meant.

"Of course the landscape looks better with me around. Compare anything to me, and suddenly it looks much better." Rhys was well aware that wasn't what she meant, AND that it wasn't the slightest bit true, but that never stopped him from using some self-deprecating humor. He found it much better to laugh at everything than to let it bring him down.

[Remle Boyd]

Remle laughed with him as the waitress came back with their drinks and promised their food would be out shortly, Remle took the opportunity to order some chips and salsa in the meantime and a bowl of pretzels. She was hungry and feeling snacky at the moment. "This is so exciting! I get a few extra days vacation time too! Maybe we could do a road trip sometime!" she said happily, thinking that it would be nice to spend some time with Rhys outside the town. She hoped he didn't think that was a weird thing to say. She did NOT want to contemplate Rhys in bed with two extra people who were not her. Actually she didn't want to share Rhys with anyone when she was in bed with him.

The waitress came back with the chips and salsa and set them in the middle of the table and she reached for them eagerly. "Hey! I was just thinking, it's getting warmer now we can start running more outside!" she suggested. They ran outside in the winter too but not as much as they could have when the weather was warmer. "I've missed running with you this last week," she smiled. "Among other things," she added.

[Rhys Rockwood]

"Careful what you wish for, Remle. I might just take you there and shove you way outside of your comfort zone for the fun of it," he reminded her. "For example, I might drag you up into the mountains for a camping weekend. Running, hiking, swimming, climbing...but only give you a pair of shoes to wear the entire time we're up there, and that's only to protect your feet from sharp rocks and junk. It being warmer really only means my ideas are going to get wilder. On the other hand, it's awfully convenient for other things."

The wings arrived a moment later (stupid chicken, needing to cook and take longer than chips and salsa), and Rhys settled the dish between the two of them before digging in. First food after work didn't usually last long, and this time would probably not be an exception. He would really need to get home and cook up a meal to satisfy his hunger, but snacking on wings, chips, and pretzels at a bar would make a fine start to his evening meal plans.

[Remle Boyd]

Remle flushed an unhealthy shade of red despite the low lighting of the bar and choked on her salsa. She was appalled and excited by the prospect of being naked in the woods with Rhys and wasn't sure which emotion was stronger at this point in time. She didn't think she was ready to naked in the woods. She cleared her throat after coughing a little and took another drink. "I was thinking more like a nice hotel or something..." she said finally. "With room service and air conditioning..." she added with a hopeful smile.

"It could be a hotel IN the mountains!" she stated finally after eating one of his wings. "Is this going to be enough for you or do you want to stop by the grocery store on the way back so you can make something?" she asked curiously when she switched back to the chips.

[Midori Hawkins]

Midori wasn't exactly a stranger to running late. With a five year old to organize, even if she was leaving the house alone, things were forever taking much, much longer than she expected. Today had been, surprise surprise, no different. Granted, she hadn't exactly expected Remle to call and invite her out for some kind of celebration her friend had refused to say over the phone.

At least getting Tory ready these days was pretty easy. He more or less got himself ready, though he'd made no less than six trips back to his room to collect things he wanted to bring over to Devon's place. Thank God for him agreeing to babysit for her, or she would have never been able to leave the house. After leaving him with a quick kiss and a promise to see both her boys later, she'd headed to the bar to meet Remle.

Tapping out the last in a series of texts to let her know that she was on her way she swore, and that she was here finally, she left her car and headed into The Churchkey. After waving at Cecil behind the bar, she looked around until she spotted Remle.

And... wait. Was that Rhys? She hesitated for a moment, debating if she was interrupting, before reminding herself that Remle had invited her out. Maybe Rhys was just a coincidence. Or she'd asked multiple people. Well, whatever the reason, it wasn't like she could hang out for long. She had a son at home, and a boyfriend looking after said son. But she could afford some time with Remle. Besides, she wanted to know what the big surprise was!

"Hi Remle! Hi Rhys!" She paused by the table before taking a seat. "How are you both?"

[Rhys Rockwood]

"Snacking here will be enough for now. I haven't pushed too hard today, and I've managed to stay on a fairly regular meal schedule. Shouldn't need a pile of extra food to feed my specialty unless you make me work really hard, and I can always run out for more food if I need it." He felt like the wings would do the trick for now, particular after he ate some of her chips...and her pretzels...and ordered probably oooone more appetizer, and fried cheese sounded delicious.

Rhys couldn't help the grin when he heard Midori greet the pair of them. She was a great person to work with, and her son was hilarious, mostly on account of being so young. "Hungry but happy, as always. Status quo, yeah? How about you, and who'd you saddle my buddy with to come out?" He saw Tory often enough at work to have some attachment, however minor, to the kid. It didn't hurt that he liked children in general, not that he was in any way ready for his own.