Safe and Sane

Saturday mornings, Beth had found, were likely to be slower than weekday mornings. While she hadn't really expected customers from nearby businesses, apparently they'd taken a liking to her baking and seemed to come in a steady stream from ten onwards to buy cakes to have with their midmorning coffee, or sandwiches for lunch. On Saturdays, though, there were less people, and Beth had put back opening until eleven.

It gave her more time for baking, and that particular Saturday, there was still a batch of scones in the oven when she opened, risking the few minutes she needed to get them out when, of course, the sound of the bell alerted her to the opening of the outside door. Beth cursed, backed through the swing doors with the hot tray still in her hands, and leaned back far enough to speak to her customer. "I'm so terribly sorry, I'll just be a moment, please make yourself comfortable and...Jack?"

The club had been transformed. The main room was no longer recognizable as a lounge; it had been made over with mood lighting and subtle decorations. On one end there was a huge buffet, the bar was open and tended. There was even room for dancing on a small wooden floor that had been laid down on the opposite end of the room. Scattered about were bowls of candy of all kinds.

One of the smaller lounges hosted traditional party games -- bobbing for apples, donuts on a string, even a table set up for carving small gourds and pumpkins. A few of the private play rooms on the main level had also been opened, set up for groups or exhibitionism, but as in previous year that wasn't the focus of the night. And, in case anyone had forgotten a costume or hadn't been able to find one, the smallest public lounge was being used as sort of a large wardrobe.

A large poster in the hallway announced the categories for the costume contest: scariest, funniest, the most creative, best couple or group, and -- of course -- the sexiest.

Boulder seemed to have decided to skip fall, and go straight for winter. Snow had been falling since the previous night, and most of the day. Not serious snow, but 8 inches or so was enough to cause problems on the roads. Mostly because it was the first snow of the year, and that, combined with maximum temperatures below freezing, was enough to keep a lot of people indoors.

It all meant that the cafe was quieter than usual that Wednesday night. Hallowe'en banners were draped over the counter, and a small squash had been carved and placed on each table, candles flickering inside them, adding their tiny warmth to the heating that fought against the snow.

Before Wednesday

Lex was already back in Jack's apartment by the time he got home from work. She'd gone domestic and washed dishes for him in her attempt to unearth his kitchen. By the smell of it she'd also cooked, at least according to the savory aroma that wafted towards the door. It'd only seemed suiting since there was nice dessert, and frozen dinners or hot dogs wouldn't do it justice. Lex had just finished setting the timer for another half-hour when Jack walked in.

"Jack!" She pointed a wooden-spoon at him. "I think I have a date on Wednesday. I also found a bakery with an art gallery, full of S&M pictures. I thought of you. Welcome home. Dinner will be ready in half."

So his sister was in town and Jack was not avoiding her. Or running away. He was taking advantage of the fact that he had time to indulge and getting to know the club again. That's why he was here, studying more checklists, paper fanned out on the coffee table in front of him, elbows on his knees. Worn jeans and a t-shirt and work boots covered him, so he wasn't dressed to impress. He was comfortable. Just. Comfortable.

And curious enough to look up when the door opened. "Hey."

The first thing Lex had done after buying the plane ticket out to Colorado was call her brother to tell him to pick her up at the airport. She'd given him a whole two day warning, although she'd left out the detail about having no return flight to NY and no intentions of going back for the long run. It was always better to surprise Jack in person.

Her flight arrived early and she had time to run and collect her luggage before tracking her big brother down. Lex dragged the cumbersome suitcase out to the curb and looked for his car. She spotted the vehicle and Jack standing next to it. No doubt he'd notice her unusual excess of baggage, but she didn't give him the chance to comment. She wheeled over quickly and abandoned her belongings on the sidewalk so that she could greet her brother.

"Hey there, stranger," Lex said before hugging him. The action involved jumping up into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, and letting her feet dangle a few inches off the ground and she clung to him.

Another Wednesday, another munch night. Evenings were beginning to draw in, with fall nipping at the air, temperatures beginning to drop as soon as the sun had sunk below the horizon. The cafe had responded with a range of spiced coffees, hot soup, and cookies and muffins still warm from the oven.

And, of course, the infamous chili spiced hot chocolate.

It'd been too long. It'd been way too damned long. Work and life were conspiring against him, keeping him away from, well. Everything. Coming back now was part of the process of reclaiming himself and everything he'd become. He'd started with friends, reconnecting, contacting, socializing again.

Being here fit neatly into that social slot and it felt...weird. Like a homecoming when all the furniture's been changed. He'd wandered through the lounge before, headed back the hallways to relearn the layout of rooms in the back and what had been added and taken away, then he drifted out to the common area again and paused there, hands on his hips. "Not what I was expecting. I think I approve."