Morningstar Manor

Gabe was in the spa cleaning up. It was nearly closing time and he was ready to head back to the apartment for some food and rest. He made a mental note to call Sarah too. He'd had to take a rain check on their night out due to an omgemergency hair issue with a very high end client.

***

JJ hadn't had a chance to hang out in the Mocha since he'd moved in and tonight - since after the band try out he didn't have anything else planned - he decided to give it a shot. He sat in one of the overstuffed chairs, sipping surprisingly good coffee and playing with his iPad.

***

Jason was technically off duty - and out of uniform - but he was still strolling the Manor grounds. Out in the gardens he paused to light up a cigarette and take a sip from the bottle of beer he held in his other hand. He looked up at the night sky, unable to really see any stars due to the city lights. But still - it was a nice night.

***

At the Lamb Kara wiped down the bar and smiled at the regulars. Tuesday nights were slow but that was okay. After a busy Labor Day she could use an easy night. She looked at the clock and then caught Jack's eye, giving him a nod.

Jack grinned at her and cleaned up the last table. His shift was over so once he put this in the kitchen he could go home.

Dermot didn't know about these fancy type stores, but it seemed like the sort of place you went to buy something for someone when you'd utterly cocked up something...which he'd done. Brilliantly. The question was, could he find something Kara would like enough to make her forgive him when she found out he'd burnt up an entire year's worth of tax receipts for the Lamb? Totally by accident, of course, who knew tequila was so flammable?

Long hard days in court, in a suit and heels, were not Icene's favourites. Add that Adam was working late, and had asked her to pop into the Lamb to see if they could do the bar for the barbecue, and having her hair pinned up was annoying her, and it was a somewhat tightly controlled Icene who entered the bar and headed straight to the nearest bar stool, settling herself on it with a small smile for the bar staff, "White wine and soda please, no ice."

She'd left her briefcase at the Manor security desk, and only had a small purse with her, but luckily that had just enough room for her diary and a pen, some cash and a few other essentials. She hung it over her shoulder and tucked the purse into her lap while she waited for her drink. Hopefully Adam wouldn't be too long, but in the meantime....

The Lamb was never exactly quiet but Wednesday was one of its slightly less busy nights and there were a few free tables and the dartboard was free.

Charlie came in and looked around, waved to Molly and headed for the bar. "Hello sweetheart," he said. "Happy thhhhhhinko da mayo. Guiness please. Ah - and one for my friend here. What're you having?"

It was evening, sunny and warm, and Celeste looked just as primped and pressed as she had when she left her flat that morning. It was her job, after all. She was dressed simply today, in a navy floral tea dress and patent navy mary-jane pumps. She had her coat slung over her arm, and shopping bags swung from her arm as she walked.

Pausing outside a coffee shop, she glanced at the menu for a moment, before sitting down at a table outside and drawing a sterling silver cigarette case from her handbag.

Celeste walked through Morningstar's lobby and headed straight for the Mocha needing to warm herself up a little, the wind still a little too biting to be comfortable despite the sun. She was dressed in a vintage navy blue dress from the late 40s, her short jacket matching. Even her luggage matched - deep blue leather case on wheels, a smaller carry case balanced on top.

Removing her gloves and unwrapping the fur stole from around her neck, she walked up to the counter, ordering a cinnamon latte and a slice of cake. She was going to order it to go, but it had been a while since she'd people watched, after all. Sitting down in the window, she picked up a magazine, half-reading it and half-watching the inhabitants of Morningstar go about their business.

She'd been away for so long that she barely recognised the faces that passed - and after all, she hadn't spent much time in the Manor, even when she did live there full-time. Nonetheless, it was good to be back, and Celeste was hopeful that there would still be one or two familiar faces. That darling photographer, perhaps...what was his name again...Andrew? Andras, that was it.

So Seamus hadn't exactly kept his word to God. Not exactly. 

But surely even the good Lord would understand that when a bloody gorgeous ol' lass like Mrs. Lively came in the Lamb and tucked yer tip down the front of yer pants with a little scrap of paper with her address written on it, ya just didn't say no.

Or maybe he wouldn't, as he'd seen fit to send her husband home an hour early. Seamus hadn't even had the chance to get  really into it yet and the next thing he knew he was about to fight a man wearin' nothin but one black sock and one gray. And he woulda been fightin', had the fella not pulled out a sawed off and pointed it right toward his naked balls.

He didn't even feel like a pussy when he ran with his clothes in a bundle that he tucked in front of his crotch after the first shot shattered the wood of the door between his knees.

He just prayed Dermot was in the car where he'd left 'im.

"Ahhh, well,fuck." Dermot said this morosely, watching Molly wiggle her way across the room without even a glance in his direction. "Seems as though she doesn't care for knock knock jokes, brudder."

They'd driven straight through from Boston to the City. Well, Seamus had driven. Dermot had gotten his license taken away so he was playing Miss Daisy for twenty-four hours while Seamus drove like a mad man.

But, they were in the City now, at the Lamb where their sister and relative safety was bound to be. Seamus crawled out of the car and walked into the Lamb with his brother, taking his sunglasses off when he entered the darkness of the pub.

"Well. Ain't this some shit?"