In which an old friend shows up.
[Cowritten with simpledoc. Randall = ramblinmann. Backdated a bit.]
Randall was enjoying a night off at the bar once again. He was sipping his beer, talking to Anna when she got a chance, and conversing with the other employees and regulars. He was starting to be known there, and he kinda liked that.
Coley had been in the city since that morning, and he'd been all around taking care of things and visiting people. Now that he was finally ready to sit back and relax, there was only one place he intended to go. He'd figured out from Mama what bar Anna was working at, and had made her promise not to spill to Anna that he was going to be in the city. He was a surprise kinda guy.
He parked his bike and hopped off, then started walking to the door. He hadn't seen her in forever, and he was very excited to. He walked in the door and looked around a bit, then moved over to the bar. There were several people between him and Randall, and Coley spotted Anna nearby. She hadn't seen him yet, so he called out to her.
"Got anything for a road-weary old biker?"
Anna spun around with a snap at the sound of the voice, and a bright grin stretched across her face. She finished with the customer she was dealing with, before hopping over the bar and running around to throw her arms around his neck. "You're here!"
Coley laughed and grabbed hold of her, hugging her tightly. "I am!"
Randall peered up from where he sat and raised a brow.
She leaned into the hug, keeping him close before she pulled back and gave him a grin. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged and let her go. "Keep meanin' to get back to the east coast, head north to see my folks. Couldn't not stop in the city, could I?" He was still grinning, and he looked her over. "You really look great, Anna."
"Yeah, well, so do you!" she said with a nod. "It's been a really long time."
"It has. Too long." He kept watching her with a smile, then shook his head. "I don't know what it is, but you seem to be glowing. You must be pretty happy here."
"Glowing?" she raised an eyebrow a bit, before looking down at herself. "Well, I am happy here, but I dunno about glowing. You make it sound like I'm pregnant or something." Which she wasn't. Oh, she really, really wasn't. Not that it would be a bad thing, just -- not right now.
He laughed. "I didn't mean pregnant. I just mean..." he shrugged. "You look happy. I like seein' you happy." He slid his arm around her shoulders. "Breathe."
And Randall was still watching this with interest from his stool as he drank his beer. He wasn't getting the wrong idea by far, but he was getting curious.
She laughed a bit, giving him one last squeeze before starting to head back around the bar. "I'll get you that beer."
"Sounds great." Coley found a stool near Randall and settled in on it.
She made her way around the counter and pulled out his favorite brand before placing it in front of him with a nod. "So tell me! Where have you been lately?"
"Well I stopped through to see Mama, then casually made my way across. Stopped a few places along the way to camp out. Before heading out I was up in Alaska for a few months. Before that Washington State." He took a long sip of the beer.
"Alaska? Seriously?" she shook her head slightly. "That's pretty far."
"Not for me, I've been on the West Coast for the better part of a year. And Alaska? Is gorgeous. I'll hafta show you pictures before I head to my parents'."
"Definitely," she nodded, before smirking slightly. "So how is my family anyway?"
"They seem to be good. Same as I remember them. Mama said I'm to give you a hug, make sure you're eating well, and meet your new boyfriend and make sure he's okay."
"And how exactly, does she know about the boyfriend?" Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.
He shrugged. "How should I know? Though the twins did say something about me intimidating the guy if need be. And they mentioned Jen. Must be a grapevine?"
"Possibly," she said with a sigh, before gesturing over in Randall's direction. "Randall, this is my friend, Coley. Coley, this is my boyfriend, Randall."
Coley looked Randall's way and broke into another grin. He got up and moved closer to Randall, holding out his hand. "How's it goin'?"
Randall smiled and shook the guy's hand. "Good. It's nice to meet one of Anna's male friends for a change."
"Hey, you met Dean," Anna said with a bit of a look.
Randall gave her a look. "I wasn't exactly with it then," he reminded her. "I met the other guys, too, but the only friends of yours that seem to stick around me are Miranda and Nellie."
"And that's because they're Miranda and Nellie," Anna sighed, shaking her head. "To be honest? A lot of my closer friends don't live in this area. They're out in Colorado."
"So I hear," Randall smirked. "So where you from, Coley?"
Coley had watched the conversation, then raised his brows when he was brought back in. "Originally upstate. Moved down here to the city for college and stayed. Until the past couple years."
Anna wandered off to deal with another customer and decided to let the two of them talk.
"That's cool," Randall nodded. "I've been in the city for awhile myself, I really love it."
"Hard not to," Coley agreed. "I just missed traveling, so I decided to get back out there."
"And is that how you know Anna?"
"Yup," Coley nodded. He took a sip of his beer and looked Randall over. "So I guess I'm supposed to ask you if your intentions are honorable."
Randall cracked a grin. "They are. ...most of the time."
Coley let out a laugh at that. "Okay, honesty, I like that."
Anna just continued to watch them out of the corner of her eye, keeping close in case they needed her back.
Randall chuckled. "Anything else her family wants to know about me?"
Coley glanced Anna's way and met her eye, then looked back at Randall. "They're good people. I think you're fine as long as you treat her well....and like to eat. They're not kiddin' when they rave about Mama's food."
"I've heard stories," Randall nodded with a laugh.
"I drove a few hundred miles out of my way on the way here just to drop in. I mean, I wanted to see Mama too, but...let's face it. Livin' on the road, you don't always eat so well."
"Her shepherd's pie is to die for," Anna nodded as she returned their way.
Randall tilted his head to her. "I think you like to tease me with stories of her food."
"Well, you'll just have to get the time off to go to Colorado with me sometime," Anna pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Hey. Just tell me when." Then he paused. "Actually, it'd be a good idea to wait until I have a car again, then you can just say when."
"Sounds good," she said with a nod.
Coley kept quiet, smiling as they talked. When both went quiet, he glanced at Anna. "Come on, Anna. Tell me what you've been up to."
She shrugged. "Not much. Work, mostly."
"What, haven't hit the lottery yet?"
"I, sadly, am not a dreamer," she sighed.
"Maybe not," he grinned. "But we like you anyway."
"Which is the important part," Anna laughed.
"Indeed," Coley nodded.
"So where are you staying?"
"With an old buddy of mine," he nodded.
"Well don't be a stranger," Anna said with a nod. "I want to see you before you leave."
"Of course," he nodded. "Coffee tomorrow maybe?"
"Perfect," she grinned.
"Go ahead, get back to work. I'm sure your guy here can keep me company." And there was a playful grin. "Now let's see...stories of Anna.."
"Oh, you got nothin'," Anna shook her head, before heading back down the bar again.
Coley turned to Randall again. "So, tell me about yourself."
Randall was enjoying a night off at the bar once again. He was sipping his beer, talking to Anna when she got a chance, and conversing with the other employees and regulars. He was starting to be known there, and he kinda liked that.
Coley had been in the city since that morning, and he'd been all around taking care of things and visiting people. Now that he was finally ready to sit back and relax, there was only one place he intended to go. He'd figured out from Mama what bar Anna was working at, and had made her promise not to spill to Anna that he was going to be in the city. He was a surprise kinda guy.
He parked his bike and hopped off, then started walking to the door. He hadn't seen her in forever, and he was very excited to. He walked in the door and looked around a bit, then moved over to the bar. There were several people between him and Randall, and Coley spotted Anna nearby. She hadn't seen him yet, so he called out to her.
"Got anything for a road-weary old biker?"
Anna spun around with a snap at the sound of the voice, and a bright grin stretched across her face. She finished with the customer she was dealing with, before hopping over the bar and running around to throw her arms around his neck. "You're here!"
Coley laughed and grabbed hold of her, hugging her tightly. "I am!"
Randall peered up from where he sat and raised a brow.
She leaned into the hug, keeping him close before she pulled back and gave him a grin. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged and let her go. "Keep meanin' to get back to the east coast, head north to see my folks. Couldn't not stop in the city, could I?" He was still grinning, and he looked her over. "You really look great, Anna."
"Yeah, well, so do you!" she said with a nod. "It's been a really long time."
"It has. Too long." He kept watching her with a smile, then shook his head. "I don't know what it is, but you seem to be glowing. You must be pretty happy here."
"Glowing?" she raised an eyebrow a bit, before looking down at herself. "Well, I am happy here, but I dunno about glowing. You make it sound like I'm pregnant or something." Which she wasn't. Oh, she really, really wasn't. Not that it would be a bad thing, just -- not right now.
He laughed. "I didn't mean pregnant. I just mean..." he shrugged. "You look happy. I like seein' you happy." He slid his arm around her shoulders. "Breathe."
And Randall was still watching this with interest from his stool as he drank his beer. He wasn't getting the wrong idea by far, but he was getting curious.
She laughed a bit, giving him one last squeeze before starting to head back around the bar. "I'll get you that beer."
"Sounds great." Coley found a stool near Randall and settled in on it.
She made her way around the counter and pulled out his favorite brand before placing it in front of him with a nod. "So tell me! Where have you been lately?"
"Well I stopped through to see Mama, then casually made my way across. Stopped a few places along the way to camp out. Before heading out I was up in Alaska for a few months. Before that Washington State." He took a long sip of the beer.
"Alaska? Seriously?" she shook her head slightly. "That's pretty far."
"Not for me, I've been on the West Coast for the better part of a year. And Alaska? Is gorgeous. I'll hafta show you pictures before I head to my parents'."
"Definitely," she nodded, before smirking slightly. "So how is my family anyway?"
"They seem to be good. Same as I remember them. Mama said I'm to give you a hug, make sure you're eating well, and meet your new boyfriend and make sure he's okay."
"And how exactly, does she know about the boyfriend?" Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.
He shrugged. "How should I know? Though the twins did say something about me intimidating the guy if need be. And they mentioned Jen. Must be a grapevine?"
"Possibly," she said with a sigh, before gesturing over in Randall's direction. "Randall, this is my friend, Coley. Coley, this is my boyfriend, Randall."
Coley looked Randall's way and broke into another grin. He got up and moved closer to Randall, holding out his hand. "How's it goin'?"
Randall smiled and shook the guy's hand. "Good. It's nice to meet one of Anna's male friends for a change."
"Hey, you met Dean," Anna said with a bit of a look.
Randall gave her a look. "I wasn't exactly with it then," he reminded her. "I met the other guys, too, but the only friends of yours that seem to stick around me are Miranda and Nellie."
"And that's because they're Miranda and Nellie," Anna sighed, shaking her head. "To be honest? A lot of my closer friends don't live in this area. They're out in Colorado."
"So I hear," Randall smirked. "So where you from, Coley?"
Coley had watched the conversation, then raised his brows when he was brought back in. "Originally upstate. Moved down here to the city for college and stayed. Until the past couple years."
Anna wandered off to deal with another customer and decided to let the two of them talk.
"That's cool," Randall nodded. "I've been in the city for awhile myself, I really love it."
"Hard not to," Coley agreed. "I just missed traveling, so I decided to get back out there."
"And is that how you know Anna?"
"Yup," Coley nodded. He took a sip of his beer and looked Randall over. "So I guess I'm supposed to ask you if your intentions are honorable."
Randall cracked a grin. "They are. ...most of the time."
Coley let out a laugh at that. "Okay, honesty, I like that."
Anna just continued to watch them out of the corner of her eye, keeping close in case they needed her back.
Randall chuckled. "Anything else her family wants to know about me?"
Coley glanced Anna's way and met her eye, then looked back at Randall. "They're good people. I think you're fine as long as you treat her well....and like to eat. They're not kiddin' when they rave about Mama's food."
"I've heard stories," Randall nodded with a laugh.
"I drove a few hundred miles out of my way on the way here just to drop in. I mean, I wanted to see Mama too, but...let's face it. Livin' on the road, you don't always eat so well."
"Her shepherd's pie is to die for," Anna nodded as she returned their way.
Randall tilted his head to her. "I think you like to tease me with stories of her food."
"Well, you'll just have to get the time off to go to Colorado with me sometime," Anna pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Hey. Just tell me when." Then he paused. "Actually, it'd be a good idea to wait until I have a car again, then you can just say when."
"Sounds good," she said with a nod.
Coley kept quiet, smiling as they talked. When both went quiet, he glanced at Anna. "Come on, Anna. Tell me what you've been up to."
She shrugged. "Not much. Work, mostly."
"What, haven't hit the lottery yet?"
"I, sadly, am not a dreamer," she sighed.
"Maybe not," he grinned. "But we like you anyway."
"Which is the important part," Anna laughed.
"Indeed," Coley nodded.
"So where are you staying?"
"With an old buddy of mine," he nodded.
"Well don't be a stranger," Anna said with a nod. "I want to see you before you leave."
"Of course," he nodded. "Coffee tomorrow maybe?"
"Perfect," she grinned.
"Go ahead, get back to work. I'm sure your guy here can keep me company." And there was a playful grin. "Now let's see...stories of Anna.."
"Oh, you got nothin'," Anna shook her head, before heading back down the bar again.
Coley turned to Randall again. "So, tell me about yourself."