Nate Kelly (somedaymaybe) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2019-06-12 13:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | #december 2017, jocelyn, jocelyn x nate, nate |
Who: Jocelyn and Nate
When: Early evening, Tuesday, December 19
Where: Near the ice skating rink on the pier
Status: Complete
Being back in Point Pleasant for the winter was especially tough after having been in California for the last several years. Jocelyn thought she had come back prepared, but her moleskin coat was not doing much to cut the cold and Jocelyn was realizing she would likely need a new pair of snow boots before inches became feet.
Now that she had made the decision to stay indefinitely, Jocelyn had found a tiny house for rent on Mulberry Drive. It wasn’t far from where her parents lived, and they had helped her with the deposit and first month’s rent. It was more than Jocelyn dared ask for, but she knew they wanted her home, and yet all three of them could agree that it was better for Jocelyn to have her own place than to just live out of her childhood bedroom for the next however many months, or years.
The one bedroom ranch was quaint, and a bit drafty. But it was a roof over her head, and it was privacy. Her mom had given her the old couch and chair set from their basement, and Jocelyn was able to move her bed and dresser to the house as well. She needed some more furnishings, but Jocelyn figured it was a work in progress, and she could easily hit up the second hand stores just outside of town after Christmas.
Admittedly, it was a little nerve wracking to be sleeping alone in a strange place for those first few nights. She’d had trouble sleeping and tossed and turned quite a bit. At some point she was sure she’d heard voices down the hall in her kitchen but when she had gone to investigate she had heard nothing but the wind howling outside. She hadn’t quite found the courage yet to head into the basement yet. It was just this place, this town, that put her on edge. The house was just a house, and the noises she heard were just the sounds of an old foundation.At least that’s what she hoped. Otherwise she would have to admit to herself that maybe she was starting to lose her mind, because occasionally when she thought she heard those voices in the kitchen again, they always somehow ended up sounding like Grayson.
But today, the snow had tapered off a bit and Jocelyn decided to take advantage of the break in crappy weather to head to Main Street and try to find not only a warmer jacket, but a few Christmas gifts as well now that she had a more comfortable cushion in her bank account. As much as she was cursing the cold, Jocelyn had to admit she had missed how pretty the town was during the holiday season. Christmas lights were everywhere, even in the trees lining the street. The shops had festive window displays, and she could hear Christmas music radiating from a few of them as she walked by. She wanted to be able to buy Jacob and Sage something for Christmas, so she resisted stocking up on makeup and cute sweaters, even if the cute sweaters tended to get her better tips at the bar.
She wasn’t having much luck finding a new coat, but she had wandered far enough into town to see the ice skating rink close to where the boardwalk began… or ended, depending on which way someone was walking. Since she didn’t exactly what to go back to her house, Jocelyn walked down the street until she hit the boardwalk. She had almost forgotten about the rink that was set up every year around this time. The scent of roasted almonds and cinnamon was in the air. It was almost enough to make her forget about Cooperdale, and her friends and Grayson. She wished she had thought to text Sage or Jacob to join her, though she knew Sage had his job, and Jacob had his doctor, so they were probably both busy. So Jocelyn walked alone for a while, quickly darting out of the way when two kids ran by laughing, red balloons gripped in her hands. She nearly fell and instinctively reached out to grip the back of a coat that was a few feet in front of her. Inadvertently tugging the person back as she tried to keep from face planting, Jocelyn was already apologizing even as she got her feet back underneath her.
“I’m so sorry,” she began, releasing the man’s coat and then pausing when it turned out she sort of recognized him. Sage’s boss. Shit, what was his name? Jocelyn smiled. “Hey, it’s you. I didn’t… uh, hurt you, did I?”
Tuesday nights were light at Dragonfly, enough so that Nate could take off from time to time. Sage was competent enough that he could handle it himself for a few hours, so long as Nate was there to clean up and close. It was kind of amazing to him that he'd finally gotten to this point, where he wasn't living at the bar day and night. He'd had a few years of that, getting it off the ground, being the owner and the bartender, and it was nice to be able to trust someone else for once.
It was a little weird for him to leave in the middle of a shift when he didn't have some other obligation, but he'd gotten far too close to Christmas without doing all his Christmas shopping and if he waited any longer he wouldn't be able to do it. Most things he could buy online, but this time of year shipping was unreliable, even from Amazon, especially if it decided to snow. So he was now one of those guys shopping the week before Christmas and trying not to buy junk that his family would toss. Tending the bar would be far easier.
He'd managed though, and was feeling good about his purchases, heading back towards his car when someone caught the back of his coat and pulled him backwards. Nate stumbled back, but kept to his feet, turning to face Sage's friend as she began apologizing. "No, I'm good. Just surprised me. Jocelyn, right? You okay?"
Jocelyn nodded, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face as she glanced over her shoulder. She couldn't see the kids in the crowd anymore, but could see their red balloons floating above them and getting farther away. "I'm fine. I was just trying to get out of the path of some kids who seemed to be in a hurry." At least she had nearly taken down someone she knew, even indirectly, than a complete stranger who might have had a fit. Especially if they knew who Jocelyn was. Her return, along with Jacob's, wasn't exactly a secret anymore. Her gaze dipped down to Nate's bags and she grinned. "Last minute Christmas shopping?"
Nate knew who Jocelyn was, just like he knew who Sage was. The difference between him and half the town was that he believed them. People disappeared in Point Pleasant and he suspected it was rarely due to a person's involvement, especially a teenager's. "Yeah, I kind of waited till the last minute," he chuckled. "I could order something online, but it's kind of a gamble at this point on if it'd get here or not. What about you? Ready for the holiday?"
"Not even close to ready," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "I just moved into a place of my own on Mulberry and it's a bit of a fixer upper, so I've been a bit distracted by that. Although that's just a convenient excuse. I almost always wait until the point of no return, when panic sets in and I spend the whole day before Christmas Eve shopping on pure adrenaline. Thankfully I don't have many people to shop for..." Although she supposed that made her sound lonely or friendless or something. Which wasn't the case. Jocelyn rubbed her gloved hands together to warm them a bit. "Are you heading out? Can I buy you a... hot chocolate or something?"
Could a beautiful woman buy him a drink? Always. "Sure," Nate smiled. "I'm pretty sure Sage can hold down the fort a while longer. He seems competent." He wouldn't have left him manning the bar if he didn't already think so. "I think you get a pass if you've just moved and you're trying to fix up a house, but that's just me. And I've only got my parents and my sister." He was usually good if they gave him a list of some sort, but it was so much harder when he had to guess what they might want. "You got any experience fixing up a house?" he asked as they strolled slowly towards a vender selling hot chocolate and roasted nuts. The air smelled spectacular this time of year, but he tended to think that about every season for one reason or another.
If Sage got annoyed with his boss not returning to work promptly, Jocelyn could always shoot him a text explaining it was her fault. But Sage had always been pretty laid back and capable, so she didn't think he would be chuffed about it. It was nice to have some company now, even if they didn't know each other very well. What better way to remedy that than to suffer in the cold together with some hot chocolate? Jocelyn grimaced slightly at his question, hating to admit that she wasn't very handy, as if she was somehow failing as a feminist for not being able to fix her own plumbing. "Not exactly," she admitted. "I'm not completely useless, but I don't know the first thing about water heaters, or how to cut the draft. The windows seem pretty thick, but I still get chills every now and then. And I think there might be something wrong with the pipes. I hear noises, usually at night when everything is quiet." She didn't want to admit that she heard voices. That would probably send Nate off in a hurry. "It was probably the worst time to get into a place of my own, but I needed the space." Jocelyn eyed him with a teasing spark in her eye. "Are you handy by any chance?"
"A little bit," Nate smiled. "I did some work on my own house when I moved in, and I try to manage Dragonfly as best I can without having to call anyone." He was handy, but he wasn't a carpenter or an interior designer. He'd described what he'd wanted when he'd had Dragonfly built and just worked on maintaining it. "Where exactly are you on Mulberry? We might be neighbors. I can come take a look, if you'd like. Maybe save you a few dollars calling a professional." He tried to remember if he'd seen any moving vans around his house. Unfortunately, he spent most of the weekend at the bar and would've missed the primary hours that people did actual moving.
Jocelyn knew she could ask her dad for as much help as she needed, but she wanted to prove to her parents that she could take care of things herself. Minus the financial help, of course, but she had every intention of paying them back. She wasn't sure Jacob and Sage were very handy either, though they both still occasionally surprised her. "I'm on the corner of Mulberry and Oakwood, the white ranch with the blue door?" Jocelyn paused in front of the vendor and asked for two hot chocolates before she reached into her purse for her wallet, her gaze back on Nate. "Are you on Mulberry too?" It was a small enough town that Jocelyn couldn't say she would be surprised or anything, but it would be a pleasant enough coincidence, especially if he was maybe willing to come and make sure her house wasn't going to fall down on her in the middle of the night.
Nate knew the house, even if he couldn’t see it from his own. He passed it every day on the way to work. This town was small, but it felt infinitely smaller to find out that she lived just down the street from him. “Yeah, I’m down on the col-de-sac, backed up to the woods, the one with the wind chime on the front porch.” He didn’t spend a lot of time outside this time of year, but it was a nice place to sit and have a smoke when it wasn’t so fucking cold. “If you ever need anything, let me know. I work kind of late hours, but I’m usually around.” He didn’t imagine she’d come knocking on his door at six o’clock in the morning, so it was fine to offer, especially since she was buying him hot chocolate.
Jocelyn paid for the hot chocolates and then took them, offering one to Nate with a smile. "Be careful about that offer. I may show up needing a cup of sugar when you least expect it." She couldn't remember if she saw the house with the wind chime, but at least she had a point of reference now. Jocelyn hadn't done a lot of walking around her new neighborhood, but it was nice to know someone familiar was close. "It must be hectic, running your own business. I work at the Back Porch and the guys who own that place are almost always there. It's like they don't have anything resembling a social life. I feel kind of bad for them." Jocelyn sipped her hot chocolate tentatively, although she appreciated how hot it was, given the weather at the moment. "Do you get out a lot? Or are you pretty much devoted to Dragonfly."
"Not gonna lie, I've crashed in my office from time to time, but I'd like to think I've found a balance," Nate smiled, his hands wrapped around the hot chocolate, taking in the warmth. "It was hard in the beginning. I pretty much lived there. It's not the kind of business you want to get into if you want to be in bed before midnight. It gives me kind of a weird schedule where I'm more likely to meet someone for brunch than dinner. But I've got a few people I can rely on to hold down the fort if I need to get out for a bit, so that helps. And on a good night, it kind of feels like I'm just hanging out with my friends." The only difference was that he wouldn't drink at his own bar. He couldn't, not really. He needed to stay alert, to keep on top of things, and make sure everyone left happy. If he was really out with his friends, he wouldn't be waiting on people.
"I understand that," Jocelyn said. "I mean, most of it. Not sleeping in the office," she added with a smile. "But most of the good tips come in the evening, so that's when I prefer to work. Which... essentially means my social life is restricted to my day's off, or like you said, brunch instead of dinner." Not that she had much of a social life beyond hanging out with Jacob and Sage. Which wasn't bad, since they were her favorite people, but she certainly didn't have a sexy doctor to call up like Jacob did. It was hard to date in a town where people thought she was a murderer, or at least an accomplice to one. Her smile widened a touch before she hid it behind the cup she lifted to her lips. "You don't strike me as the brunch type, I have to be honest."
Running a business, especially a bar, really was a bit restrictive when it came to his social life, but Nate didn't want to complain. He was doing what he loved and he came by it honestly. There weren't many that could say that, especially in Point Pleasant, where he knew most of the wealthy had a little magic to aid them. And maybe he did too, but not in a way that hurt people. He made people feel good. What was wrong with that? "No, I'm more of the black coffee and cigarettes type," he grinned. "But I like the idea of brunch, eggs and toast and all that shit, so long as someone else is making it. My sister's a brunchy type. I meet her sometimes." Rarely, but it was the one time he could reliably be available. "You got any siblings?"
"Black coffee and cigarettes. Breakfast of champions," she teased. She had dated similar types in the past, although most of them had been pretty self absorbed, or fancied themselves the artistic type that nobody could possibly understand. Nate seemed a bit more down to earth, but Jocelyn was aware of the fact that she didn't quite know him, so she could be completely wrong. "I'm an only child," she answered after sipping her hot chocolate. "My parents had me a bit late in life. I'm not sure my mom would even understand what brunch was if I tried to explain it to her." She looked around, enjoying the fact that so many people seemed to be out this evening. The weather sucked, and some of the news had been pretty terrible, but it was the holidays and maybe people were trying to make good on it. "Were you on your way somewhere, before I nearly knocked you over? I don't mind walking in that direction. Might warm us up a little to get moving."
Nate had been on his way back to the bar, but it was early enough that there really was no reason to rush back. Sage could handle the Tuesday regulars and he'd rather hang out with Jocelyn a while longer. Which was probably a little unfair, considering she was Sage's friend, but there were benefits to being the boss and that was he could take time off when he could afford it. "I'd just finished my shopping," he smiled. "I thought I might walk down to the rink and check it out, get some roasted nuts maybe. Pretty much stalling at going back to work," he added with a little laugh. "Want to join me? Or were you hoping to get out of the cold?"
"I have nowhere to be," Jocelyn said with a soft shrug as she smiled. "I thought it might be fun to check out the rink, so I'll tag along if you don't mind. I've been coming home for holidays in the past, but I just never seemed to have the time to venture out and see the rink again." She fell into step beside him, keeping her hands wrapped around the hot chocolate cup that was still semi-hot. "You know, if you like brunch I make a pretty killer Eggs Benedict. I just never have the excuse to make it when I'm by myself. It might be fun to break in my new kitchen if you ever have a morning to stop by." Jocelyn knew she was likely being a bit too forward, but she had never really been the kind of girl to wait for good shit to happen to her. She liked to make it happen. Obviously she didn't always succeed, but at least she had the ability to say she tried.
"I'd love the company," Nate smiled, turning his steps towards the ice rink. Truth be told, his social life outside the bar was seriously lacking. He couldn't remember the last time he did something for fun that didn't incorporate work in some way. A walk to the rink was something small, but it was something. And he didn't have to be a brunch person to find Jocelyn's invitation appealing. It might have been forward, but he preferred that over having to guess a woman's interest level. "You just tell me when and I'll be there," he grinned. "I can bring coffee, if you'll tell me how you take it." Coffee was all he could commit to when it came to brunch.
"Nothing too complicated," Jocelyn explained with a laugh. "A little cream and sugar is enough for me. I want coffee, not coffee milk." She found Nate attractive and he seemed to have a brain between his ears. Even if nothing "romantic" happened, it would be nice to have another friend in Point Pleasant. She loved Sage and Jacob, but it was different having someone she could potentially touch in an affectionate way that maybe went beyond platonic. "Well, this weekend is a bit too close to Christmas, and I'm sure you've got family obligations. Maybe sometime next week? I can shoot you a text and see when you've got time away from the bar."
"So long as it's not New Year's Eve, I can make that happen," Nate said with an easy smile. New Year's Eve was the biggest night of the year for Dragonfly and he wouldn't really be able to rest till it was over. It should be fun, provided nothing bizarre happened like on Halloween, but it was still work and he'd probably want to sleep for a full twenty-four hours afterwards. "Have you made plans for the big night yet? I think I recall Sage trying to talk you into stopping by the bar." Or it might have been him, but Nate always encouraged a full house.
"New Year's? Oh, god no. No plans. I think I'm just trying to get through Christmas first," Jocelyn admitted. "I'm pretty sure it won't be a problem to stop by though, especially if Sage is working." Jacob might be with Connor for all she knew. "I'm going to try really hard not to encourage any craziness, but this town is unpredictable. And New Years, with alcohol and good feelings... I don't envy you having one of the only bars in Point Pleasant," she said with a small smile.
"Yeah, things can get out of hand here pretty fast," Nate said with a little laugh. There was good crazy and bad crazy, but Nate was prone to believe that the sort that Jocelyn might encourage was good. The bad was all the town and completely out of their control. Any smart person would probably leave and not come back, but it had a pull to it, enough that they both called it home. "I like to think I can handle it. Most of the time, anyways. Plus, sometimes I like a little crazy." He was so laid back that not everyone realized that, but then his wild side didn't tend to come out when he was busy at work.
Jocelyn raised a brow curiously, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "Do you? I imagine that little bit of crazy is designated to your personal life?" She was sure a bit of crazy at the bar provided plenty of entertainment from time to time, but it also had to be a bit stressful if and when it got out of hand. She didn't know Nate very well, but while he looked like someone who might enjoy a bit of unpredictability in his life, he also seemed pretty straight laced so far, as least from what Jocelyn had seen of him, which admittedly was very little.
"Yeah," Nate grinned. "You know the saying, don't shit where you eat? It's like that. Everyone wants to enjoy where they work, but I have to draw the line somewhere if I want to stay in business." He was more likely to get drunk at her bar than his, even if his drinks were free at Dragonfly. He'd worked too damn hard to get where he was just to ruin it by mixing business and pleasure. "What'd you do before coming home? Anything fun?"
She couldn't help but laugh at that and Jocelyn nodded before taking a sip of her hot chocolate, which was now lukewarm at best. At least it still tasted good."I totally understand that. I like to have a few beers with my friends, but it would feel weird doing it at the Porch. Not only because they have regulars, but you know, my bosses are there. I would feel like I couldn't let go and have fun." She didn't own the place, but she worked there and made decent money so Jocelyn didn't want to risk that just for a few hours of drunken debauchery. His question prompted her to hesitate for only a moment before answering. "I was an assistant in Los Angeles for a television show. Nothing terribly glamourous. I did things for other people, which... I guess is what I'm doing here now too. I feel a bit in limbo, if that makes sense. I'm just trying to take things day by day and see where that leads me."
"Exactly," Nate said. She was in the same position he was, even if their roles at the bars they worked were a little different. Nate didn't have to worry about what his boss might think, but he did need to keep his clientele in mind. "It sounds glamourous," he laughed lightly. "What was the show?" He didn't watch a lot of TV, never had, but maybe he'd heard of it. He decided not to ask her why she left, at least not yet. If she was feeling in limbo, then the chances were high that it wasn't entirely her decision. "I liked LA, but I couldn't live there. Too much good weather can't be good for you," he grinned. "This place... it has it's charms, I guess. We plan to leave, but we keep coming back."
"Just some cable show about women and their wedding dresses," Jocelyn said, waving her hand dismissively. "It was mostly women snarking and bitching at each other for an hour. But I guess people like to watch that stuff. I really loved the sunshine, but I guess too much of a good thing can be bad?" She smiled and shrugged, her gaze ahead on the skating rink and the people who were brave enough to attempt it today. She had no idea what to say about the charms of Point Pleasant. Jocelyn had some good memories of her hometown, but the bad memories felt heavier in her chest. Sipping her hot chocolate, she glanced at Nate. "I really thought I had left for good, but... I don't know. I'm glad to be near my parents again, and Sage and Jacob. I had friends in L.A. but it was still lonely, if that makes sense. Do you ever think about moving away? Trying your hand at a bar in a larger city?"
"Sounds painful," Nate snickered, speaking of the television show. It definitely wasn't his brand of entertainment, but he knew some people loved that shit. If he was going to watch tv, he wanted something that made him laugh, not cringe. "When I left for college, I swore I'd never come back," he admitted. "I thought I'd set up on the west coast, or maybe New York. But bars are a dime a dozen there and there's not that many people that will give a college grad with no management experience that kind of a loan." His family was already so entangled with the D'onfrios, why not add another layer? He'd hated owing Anthony, but with the way things were going it wouldn't be long till he could pay the loan off. "I could get that here, even if that meant everyone was waiting for me to fall on my face. It became a challenge, you know? To stick it to 'em. I could leave now, but... I'm still here."
Jocelyn could understand that mentality and she nodded. "Become a success and prove them all wrong," she said. "I totally get that. Maybe it's better that you set up here. Dragonfly seems like it's doing really well, and... I don't know, with the way this town draws people back in, it would be rough to fail out there and have to come back and admit it." Like she had. Although Jocelyn wasn't sure what her failure was besides not making much of her life outside of Point Pleasant. But she was here now and she needed to make the best of it, otherwise she would be miserable. "Some parents are really good at saying 'I told you so', even if they don't mean to be malicious with it."
“My mother’s one of those,” Nate said with half a laugh. “I know she didn’t want me to fail, but at the same time I think she’d have really liked to say ‘I told you so’.” Veronica got to say that on other occasions, but Nate had managed to be successful when it came to his business. Dragonfly was doing well enough that she could brag on him, except that most people didn’t realize he owned the bar. They just thought he was the bartender. It might not please his mother, but Nate didn’t mind. He looked over at Jocelyn. “What about your parents?” he asked, hoping he wasn’t wrong to ask. It could be a sensitive subject, but he hoped they were supportive for her sake. “They cool with you coming home?”
Jocelyn had quite a few friends here and there that had parents like Nate's. The desire to see their children succeed, but only at the things they chose for them. She supposed she got lucky in the parental department, even if Jocelyn felt like she had failed them. "Yeah, they're happy," she said with a small smile. "I don't have any brothers or sisters so I think they felt kind of... abandoned, I guess, when I moved across the country. It's just, this place had some bad memories for me and I needed some space from it. But they were happy to see me, especially now that I'm home for the holidays and all that. They don't have anything to brag about, but I'm home so I guess that's something." Jocelyn wasn't sure how long she would stay, but right now it felt indefinite at least. "What is it that your mom wanted you to be doing?"
Nate wondered if it was appropriate to ask about those bad memories, or if it was better to ignore them. He knew who she was, just like he knew who Sage was, and while he didn't know the whole story, he knew there was more to it than what was reported. He had the feeling it wasn't something any of them wanted to talk about, but he was also curious. "Did the space help?" he asked, since that was maybe light enough that she didn't have to delve into it if she didn't want to. "My mom would've been happy with anything that required a suit, a haircut, and a few less tattoos," Nate grinned. "I got a business degree, so I think she saw me doing something corporate, but the thought of spending all my time behind a desk just doesn't appeal to me."
She didn't know Nate terribly well but even she found it difficult to imagine him in a suit and tie. At least for a corporate job. Jocelyn thought he would look pretty slick dressed up. "So instead you spend your time behind a bar," she pointed out with a smile. "Which is much more interesting, if you ask me. I can't imagine the kind of people you talk to on a daily basis. Actually, I'm probably friends with some of those people, so I guess I can imagine it. As for the space between me and Point Pleasant? It helped for a while. But I think I started to feel homesick, and circumstances aligned just right to make it so I could come back. Having Jacob and Sage here helps. Most of my other friends all left town and they haven't returned, so..." She shrugged softly. "It's really not so bad being back. I'm not looking forward to the worst of the Maine winters, but at least I'm used to them."
"It's not a bad life," Nate smiled, speaking about living behind the bar. She was right, it was full of interesting people with interesting stories. People like her and Sage. Everyone had a story and people liked to talk when they drank. It helped that Nate seemed like the kind of guy who you could open up to. He knew more than most people would ever believe, in part due to his easy smile, but also due to the magic weaved into the bar itself. "Nobody looks forward to Maine winters. They'd have to be fuckin' insane," he chuckled. "But this is nice. Cold, but I like the crisp air, the scent of roasted nuts and all the lights. If we could just stay in Christmas, I'd be good." It was January and February that made him miserable. With the holidays left behind, all there was to look forward to was spring.
"Yeah." It could just stay Christmas. But it wouldn't, and that was kind of depressing. She hoped Jacob came over Christmas day so he wouldn't be alone. Unless he was with Connor, but that guy was a doctor so maybe he had to work. Ugh. The last thing Jocelyn wanted to do was start thinking about post-Christmas blues before it was even Christmas. The wind ruffled her hair a bit and she shivered before smiling at Nate. "I should probably get going. You'll let me know when you want to come by for brunch, right?"
“Sure,” Nate smiled. “Can I get your number?” He should probably get going too, he should have been back at the bar a while ago, but he’d been enjoying her company. Now it sounded like he might see more of her, so perhaps they should both get out of the cold for now. They could pick this up later, over Eggs Benedict and coffee.
"Oh! Right." Jocelyn laughed and reached into her purse with her free hand to pull out her phone. She unlocked it quickly and offered it over to him. "Why don't you put your information in there and I'll send you a text so you have mine." It was so much easier that way. He was gorgeous, but Jocelyn had to admit she had been enjoying their conversation too, so if nothing else, it would be nice to have another friend in town. Nate was pretty chill and easy to talk to, which was a relief.
"Sounds good," Nate smiled as he entered his information into her phone. He knew there was a chance she might not text him, but this left it in her court, which was just as well. Then he didn't have to worry that she was offering brunch out of politeness. "Here you go," he said, handing her phone back. "Let's get through Christmas and we can pick a day."
Jocelyn took her phone and thumbed in a quick 'Hello' with a smiling emoji before sending it to Nate. She fully planned on texting him after Christmas, and maybe she would stop in Dragonfly too. To see Sage, of course, but Nate was a bonus. "Got it," she said, slipping the phone back into her purse. Jocelyn brushed her windswept hair away from her face and smiled. "Good luck with Christmas, and your family and everything. Hopefully it won't be terrible."
Nate grinned when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, feeling really good about the whole encounter. If she just wanted a friend, that was cool, but Jocelyn was gorgeous, friendly, and she didn't seem to play games, which was an added bonus. There was still that line where he had to figure things out, but she didn't seem like the sort to string him along, be it in a friendship or something more. "You too," he smiled. "Have a good night. We'll talk soon."
"You too." Jocelyn lifted her hand in a small wave and took a few steps backward before turning to head back to her car. She fought the urge to look back at him in the hopes that he was walking away too and she could check him out privately, but Jocelyn managed to keep her focus ahead, given how many people were on the pier. Unable to help herself, she smiled, finding that all in all it had turned out to be a pretty good day.