Who: Riley and Tess What: Talking about love, feelings, and thankfulness When: August 9th, 2019, early evening [backdated] Where: Josie’s Bar Rating: Low Status: Complete
Tess was back at bartending with all of her duties since her ribs were fully healed. And she was eager to do all the work she did before. Lugging a couple of caddies of hard liquor, she brought them to some shelves behind the bar. Then she worked on a couple of the tabs. The blonde loved staying busy. And lately she has been more energetic and bubbly than usual. Love did that.
Finishing up with the tab and checking one of the glass washing machines, she looked across the bar and saw Mr. WaggleBrows himself - Riley.
“Hey babay,” Riley quipped, sidling up to the edge of the bar. He waggled his eyebrows at her in a playful way before he burst into a laugh. It was nice seeing Tess back in her element; she seemed happier now than he’d seen her in years and it was exhilarating.
“Why do you look like a sun drop? You’re glowing!” Something had changed since he’d seen her last and he wanted to know exactly what was up with his best friend.
“Hey,” Tess grinned as she placed two glasses on the bar. She wrinkled her nose at him and smirked. The blonde woman was steadily rising towards cloud 9. She felt like she was sixteen and experiencing the giggly, happy, pretty first love all over again.
She blushed and turned away, grabbing a bottle of red wine to help settle her overblown nerves. Tess turned back to Riley and set the bottle on the bar. “Because….,” she spoke in a normal volume. Then she leaned in close to her friend and whispered, “I’m in love!”
As the glasses and the wine was set upon the bar Riley slipped up into a seat. Elbows went up onto the counter and he swept the bottle up, uncorking it. Slowly he poured a bit of the wine into both of the glasses, setting the corked bottle aside for the moment.
“Love?” Riley beamed, radiant. “Really? I’m so happy for you!” He swept his glass up and held it out for a toast. Genuinely he was excited for her. It wasn’t often that feeling came and he hoped that it would work out for her. “Who stole that purdy heart of yours?” He had a feeling he knew who it was but he wanted to be sure.
It was the one in a zillion time for Tess. She hadn’t felt like this in such a long time. But this time felt so different, so intense for her. She wanted it to be real and didn’t want to rush it, afraid she’d mess it up.
Smiling, Tess nodded. “Thanks.” She took her glass of wine and held it up for a moment before clinging against Riley’s. Leaning close again, she whispered as if a shout would shatter the magic. “Meg.” She blushed hard and her eyes were alight.
The pink haired beauty. That seemed almost perfect for Tess - Riley recalled Ehren having had a thing for Meg too a while back, though that seemed to have fizzled out. “I’m so happy for you!” He whispered back after taking a sip from the glass.
Seeing his friend this way was a rare treat. He wanted so badly for things to work out with them, but he also knew that you had to have fun with that stuff, too.
Tess had been friends with Meg for five years. There had always been something there, but friendship came first with flirtation when they first met in the apartment building’s laundry room. “Thanks!” She smiled and sipped her wine. The young woman couldn’t stop smiling when she thought of her girlfriend.
“I can’t stop smiling. I love being with her. Riley, I don’t want to screw things up!” Tess shrank a little. She wanted to be with Meg all the time. The feeling was insatiable, but she promised not to go fast with her. Being with a woman was new to Tess yet so far it felt natural.
Riley nodded. “You gotta go with the flow,” he explained, wiggling a little in the chair. “That’s how things have worked out for me. I mean, Finn and I started out just like you guys, you know? Friends. It kinda just grew into something more.”
A sip from the wine and he smiled like a fool, “Love is one of those things that’s hard to shake off. You don’t wanna shake it off, but sometimes underneath the glitter and the fluff there’s more. Like depth. Deep shit. You know? That’s the stuff that really tells you if it’s worth it.”
When the newness wore away and you were left with everything else what would you do? Relationships had their challenges, but Tess seemed eager to face them. He was thrilled to bits for her.
“Yeah, yeah,” she nodded. “Meg and I have been like that. And recently...right after the storm, I went out to look for her since she was out there Like Finn trying to fight back the rain and winds and all. Found her in the ground. I was so afraid, Ri. But she was okay. And we kissed and…” Tess stopped to breathe.
The blonde woman sipped more of her wine and stared down at the glass. “She so lovely, funny, strong.”
The storm had put a strain on his mental prowess. He had nearly paced a hole into the floor in the Facility worried to death and praying to anyone who would listen that Finn make it unscathed through the storm. He was glad to know Meg had made it alright (obviously) and sad that Tess had been made to worry.
But without Finn, Meg, and anyone else who had risked their lives so much more loss and damage would’ve come.
“I’m glad everything is cool now,” he assured Tess, smiling at her. He filled up their glasses again.
“Sounds like a winner. When do I get to meet her formally?” He’d seen the woman around - she was hard to miss.
Tess herself had nearly paced a hole in the floor as well. She was thankful that Finn was okay and more so for Meg. That pull of emotion she had finding Meg had bowled her over emotionally.
“Yeah, thanks. I’m glad Finn is okay,” she nodded and smiled.
“Maybe in the next few days. I need to see what her work schedule is like.” Tess replied and sighed before sipping her wine. The blonde woman was silent for a few moments, thinking way too much - Meg, how she felt around her, the worry, the wishful dreams they had of a life off the island. But for now they were here on the island together. “When did you know you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Finn...aside from when he proposed to you?” Tess stared at the wine in her glass for a moment as she asked the question and then looked up at Riley.
“Like the first day I met him,” he quipped, rolling his eyes playfully at Tess. “No, but really. We were sort of doing this same thing, I think. Like kind of dating or something, starting to know each other, and I woke up one day and went, ‘aw hell, I think I’ve met my soulmate’ and from then on it’s been a thing.” He didn’t tell Finn about that at first, he thought he’d scare the other man off but he realized they’d been thinking the same way all along.
“You just kinda know.”
Taking a sip from his glass, he watched her over the rim.
Tess smirked at Riley’s quip. Then she nodded as he sounded about right. It was true. She felt like she had met the person who complimented her the most and was perfect. How she felt for Meg was something she hadn’t felt before. Not nearly as intensely. But the blonde did promise the pink-haired woman she wouldn’t rush things.
“Yeah. That feels right. I didn’t know if I could ever feel the way I do about her.”
She sipped some more and thought.
“It takes some getting used to. It’s weird at first, like it’s unreal. But then you realize that it’s how you’ve always felt.” He advised. “I’d ask her - see if she feels the same. Doesn’t hurt, and at least you’ll know if she’s worth the fight or not.”
Even if it felt like rushing it wasn’t, anyone who was honest would answer the questions.
“Just talk to her.”
Her brown eyes flickered upward to catch Riley’s. “I hope she feels the same. I’m on that edge of unreal and how I’ve always felt. Took me four years to kiss her.”
“I will,” Tess breathed and reached her glass out to Riley’s.
His glass was lifted to clink against hers. “If you love her, she knows it. From what you’ve said about her I have a feeling she knows.” He waved a hand at Tess. “Ask her. The worst she could say is no.”
“You’ve got this.”
Tess inhaled sharply thought her nose and clinked her glass against Riley’s. “I’m afraid she’ll say ‘no’. But I trust you.”
She took a big sip of wine and nodded. “I’ve also not thanked you properly for taking care of me after my half a round with that guard at the bike garage.”
“That’s the worst she could say, but I don’t think she will.” Riley shook his head at her. “But I don’t think she would.” He would bet on it. Offering Tess a smile he took another drink of the wine.
Shaking his head at Tess, he grinned sheepishly. “It’s what friends do. You’re my best friend. My best man, er, gal….you and Meg have to be in the wedding.”
“Okay,” Tess nodded and sat her glass aside. She had enough and needed to be quasi-level headed for the rest of her shift.
“A very best friend. Thank you. Oh yeah, best gal, person. Really?” she smiled.
Laughing, Riley nodded. “Totally! I’d be honored if both of y’all would be in the wedding. Can’t do it without you.” Someone had to hold the ring and keep him from blubbering through the entire thing. Maybe Tess could help him write a few vows, she was way more creative than he was.
Finishing the wine in his glass, Riley set it aside and recorked the bottle. And then their glasses were plucked up and he moved, walking around the counter to the back to wash them out so Tess didn’t have to.
“The wedding is going to be amazing!” Tess smiled at Riley. She would help with all of it. He’s get him through it. It was going to be one of the happiest days of his life. As Riley came around the bar, Tess wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving him a hug.
His own arms wound around Tess in kind, and Riley pulled her close. The end of his nose would scrunch in amusement as he squeezed her. And then finally he would let her go and back up. “What would I do without ya? You should let me make y’all some cookies or something. To say thanks and all.” Unless Tess was sick of sweets.
But who could ever be sick of sweets?
She grinned and squeezed him as she got her other arm around him. He gave good hugs. Then as she caught his eyes as they let go and backed up. “Run around like a madman. Oh I can’t stop you from baking.” Tess smiled. She was fine with sweets. Most times, she squirreled what she had away for rainy days.
With a nod of his head he relished the idea of making something sweet for his friends. He loved giving and helping, that was why he’d turned to teaching rather than cooking for a living. He adored children, most of all.
“Probably!” He laughed, and Riley smiled. “Cool! Sweets it is. I’ll bring them by once I’m done with them.”
Tess snickered and grinned. “Good, good. No rush!”
She loved when he cooked, baked. Riley seemed to be joyful in everything he did. It was admirable.
A grin and Riley nodded. “Probably should get back to the house. Finn should be home by now. I’ll start on those sweets and catch up with you later!”
Waving at Tess, Riley turned and wandered out of Josie’s with a spring in his step.