Post by Adam Byrne on May 25, 2016 8:38:02 GMT
Location: Judy's Airport Diner
Characters: Willow Dunne, Adam Byrne, Sam Thomspon, with special cameo by Cadence Fox!
paradise and sin: All. Damn. Day. There'd been something -- his phone blowing up at all ends, making it damn near impossible for him to concentrate on any god damn thing, and put him in a foul ass mood. Seemed to be par for the course with Adam Byrne these days. Things had gone exactly as he figured they would with the situation at the Pink Pony -- and it was leaving a shit storm to be cleaned up. No actual owner for a Network investment was not entirely a good thing, and so he had been forced to spend a good portion of his day, and into the evening under the pink and purple lights of the sleaze bucket with Mederos, trying to piece together a plan of action, at least temporary. By the time he was set to meet with Tomas to discuss Samantha and her smart mouth, he was running late as shit, fouling his mood even more so. Now, a bit later, he departed from the Puerto Rican dealer, to make his way home. His stomach seemed of a mind to remind him he'd not taken a moment to fill it today, and knowing whatever his sister might make would be burnt to a crisp, the GMC's wheels at a diner off the highway in mid-Marathon. The place was lit up light a beacon as the sun dipped it's way low into the Gulf, and by the looks of things with the parking lot and the patrons seen through the big picture windows, not that busy. Bell above the door announced his arrival, and the hulking man selected the furthest booth from the door; sliding into the side that kept his eye on just that. Wasn't long until he had a cup of steaming black before him, and an order in for some pancakes and a heap of bacon. Man liked a good brinner. -d-
Daria Daynes: Willow was not one to pester Adam on a whim. In fact, it was not at all uncommon for the man who was her direct boss in the Network to hear nothing from her for days on end. She was not a co-dependent sort of woman. She knew her job, she knew her place, and she functioned under the radar of most people. This; however, needed to be brought to the big guy, and so she had pestered him. He had shocked her getting back to her fast as he did, too. Shouldn't have shocked her. Her habit of not bothering him tended to elicit rapid response on the rare times she did. She knew he was going to the diner, and she took the time to get out of her 'at work' persona to change into something more casual. Today that meant shorts and a tank top that showing the 'high class promoter' had a good bit of her own ink. Nothing to tune of Adam's, but much more than most would expect on her. She parked her convertible, and headed into the diner. He was not hard to find, and so she made her way through the crowd toward his table. Despite knowing he was expecting her, she still asked, "You mind?" Her accent light, almost melodic. -d
paradise and sin: Expecting her, yes. Still only earned her a grunt, and a gesture with his chin to the empty seat across from him. Dark eyes took their time in their perusal of her features; alone they seemed like they wouldn't work. Mouth too big, eyes a little small, nose too perfect, jaw too defined. But all together on her face they seemed to work together just fine, and he was a man who could appreciate pretty things even if that was all he did. Appreciate it. "Sit," he finally said, lifting up the mug his coffee came in to bring the lip of it to his own for a sip. The big man sat back, stretching one arm across the back of the seat, and relaxing some to get comfortable. It'd been too long a day, and it showed in the weary lines of his features, and the light scruff on his face that was a sure sign his day had started too early too. A white tee stretched across his chest, and dark washed denim fit his lower half. All that was missing was the leather jacket to complete the James Dean staples. You could take the boy out of Belfast, but you wouldn't catch him dead in a freakin' man tank top. -d-
Daria Daynes: Willow was far from a classic beauty. She was not egotistical about her looks, either. She knew there were men who found her to their taste because they made it clear. She tended to keep men at arm's reach most times. She did enjoy a good view as much as the next woman, and there could be no debate that Adam provided just such a view. She was far more subtle in her appreciation of it, though. She slid into the boot with graceful ease, and she nodded to him. "Thank you." She smiled. Not the practiced smile most often seen when amid a crowd, either. The smaller one that was, in truth, far more genuine and warm. She glanced up as the waitress came to take her order, "Tea with milk, no sugar." She told the waitress. Once she was on her way, Willow set her hand on the table and gently slid it toward Adam. When she lifted her hand it was a small thumb drive resting under the rim of his saucer. She, in turn, stole his napkin and mopped her brow with it as if warm. "Was a hot one today." She mentioned as the waitress returned with the hot water, teabag, and small little pitcher of milk. Cute little thing, that pitcher was, too. When the waitress was gone, "Productive event I had the other day." She told him softly, "Some excellent fishing maps located." -d
virtues or vice: As yet, Detective Fox has been operating under the assumption that no one in the Monroe County precinct could be trusted. Either they were crooked or they were apathetic, neither stances dignified much in the way of respect in her estimation. Suffice it to say that she had made few friends on the force in her couple of months here in Marathon and seemed perfectly comfortable keeping it that way. She did acquire something more valuable than a friend at the moment and that was a source. Surveillance accounted for a large chunk of her occupation and a lead had brought her earlier to the Pink Pony. She had been parked in an unmarked Mustang with her sights on the place until Adam had taken his leave and followed not long after he drove off in the GMC. She tailed at what she presumed to be a safe distance and when he parked at the diner the Mustang drove on by, before making a U-turn a couple blocks up and returning when she guessed he'd had enough time to go inside. She parked across the street and watched the diner from afar for some glimpse of him though the windows before reaching into the glove box for the little something she had for him and no, it wasn't some pretty pieces of sea-glass she'd purchased in one of those tourist shops. It was a little black box with a magnetic case. Her attention flickered briefly down at the tracking device to turn it on before watching for a moment to make use of it.[d]
paradise and sin: Small talk on the weather, that's what they were doing? His brow went up a notch. "Hot every day, Willa. It's Florida, y'know." The Irishman even tsked at her, figuring that the Aussie would be well used to hot climates -- while it'd taken him months to get use to the swelter, after over a decade spent in near constant chilly drizzle. Drawing his hand in allowed decorated fingers the chance to roam across the stubble at his jawline, and scratch into it some when she finally got to the point of why she'd come to meet him. "Well I do love a good fishin' trip. Let's see the spots then." The waitress wasn't gone long though, coming back 'round to deliver the stack of flapjacks and the pile of bacon; prompting Adam into sitting straight and going for his fork to prepare things the way he wanted them. Butter, syrup. Napkin over the lap, knife and fork in hand. The sort of thing that came from a good upbringing, and so had his been. Where had his Gran gone wrong, hm? And where had his own senses failed him -- not picking up on that tail, or even the fact they were being watched at this very moment. -d-
Daria Daynes: They were more private than they usually were which left Willow feeling free to gasp slightly when he informed her they were in Florida. Her eyes widened along with the gasp. "Here I thought we were having a historic heat wave in Alaska." She joked. What she did not do was roll her eyes. Her father had told her rolling eyes could turn a joke into an insult faster than a croc would grab a swimmer. She dipped the tea bag in and out of the hot water, and she extended one finger to indicate the thumb drive she had left by the saucer of his coffee cup. "They're on that. I knew you'd want them." She leaned back, her voice dropped low enough only he would hear it. "Harbor Patrol's planned routes for the upcoming holiday weekend, in detail." She winked at him before drawing the tea bag out to wrap on her spoon in the thread, wring it out, and then set to the side. She added the milk to her tea. She was used to hot, but she was not being paid to be all social butterfly right now. Right now, she was less inclined to the small talk. She just wanted to get the thumb drive to him so any prying eyes would not see the exchange. Did she know about his tail? No. She was just freaking paranoid half the time. -d
virtues or vice: She waited a few minutes, her heart kicking up into a higher gear as she pulled a nondescript baseball cap from the passenger seat and put it on, tucking her short hair all the way up under it as best she could. A cursory glance in the rearview mirror showed her the effect. Considering the stifling heat here, even after the sun had taken its leave of the sky there was little more she could do to disguise herself without making herself look more suspect. A hoodie and sunglasses would have served her well enough up North but here and now they would have served the opposite affect. She got out of the car and gave a quick look at the bloody horizon before pulling the brim of her hat down low to cast at least half of her face in deep shadow. The tracker was hidden in her palm as she walked down to the intersection and crossed the street. She ducked her head to avoid the gaze of other pedestrians along the sidewalk as she approached the diner. The GMC was no more than a few yards away by then though the walk seemed to get longer with every step closer towards it she took. While Cadence was possessed of a healthy dose of courage she is by no means under the impression that she's invincible, and right now she was playing with fire. She walked casually, pretending to look at her phone though her eyes flicked over to the diner every so often. Finally she dipped behind the GMC and took a knee, pantomimed tying a loose shoestring as a couple walked by only to lean over the moment the passed and slap the tracker up on the inside of the rear bumper.[d]
Spots on a Peach: ~Of all days to be asked to pull a double! And it wasn't like Sam could have said no, being only her second day. In all, it did help...gave her plenty to do and keep her mind occupied from the break in at the motel, and had it not been for the series of texts earlier in the afternoon, it all would have worked. But the day had come to an end and Sam was forced back into the real world...While the Dive would have been a perfect place to lose herself in a bottle of whiskey, now having to ration the little cash she had left became priority, and at present that meant food more than booze. This time of night anything within walking distance was already closed up, thank god for diners! There was a bit of hesitation about heading the few blocks up and over to Judy's...the last time she'd been at a diner she got to watch a guy get his head blown off, one could only hope that history wasn't gonna repeat itself...hunger won out. Her pace was on the lethargic side of things, trudging more like it, little aches and pains with every step from having been standing a majority of the day. Alas, the goal line was in sight! Another few minutes and Sam found herself traipsing through the parking lot and right in through the front door. The whole look about her was disheveled, a pair of low top chucks with the laces untied on the left foot, jeans that were now stained at several different spots along the leg and along the sides where she'd used them to wipe her hands off, the once bright white cotton v-neck carried its own share of bloody stains...shoulda worn the damn apron. Hair was given little consideration, far more unkempt than usual and even her expression seemed devoid of its spark thanks to the bloodshot eyes complete with dark circles. A little grumble spilled from the girl she waited for the waitress to come over and seat her, almost incessantly glancing back over her shoulder and towards the door as if she were expecting someone to come barging through it.~(D)
paradise and sin: Well, looksie here, Miss Discreet -- he'd not witnessed the way she'd set down the thumb drive, but he saw it now and palmed it from the table to push it into the front pocket of his tee there over the barrel of his chest. Using knife and fork, he cut into the soft pancakes that didn't quite require the knife, but he used it anyway. The first bite went in easy, and he grunted a half-laugh at Willow's joke. It was a clear sign he was tired. He might not have normally laughed at it at all. Adam Byrne, Perpetual Party Pooper, everybody. "I'll take a look," he spoke after chewing away the bite in his mouth, "and we'll plan accordingly for the weekend. Saw yer flyer for the festivities. I'll try and make an appearance." The bell above the door sounded again, and Adam's gaze lifted -- and darkened, along with the rest of his features that melded into a scowl. "This bitch right here," he muttered to himself, and sat up some -- loudly and purposefully clattering his silverware against the side of his plate -- not in a ``hey, look at me, wench`` sort of way, but just to garner some attention in general. -d-
Daria Daynes: They were just going to have to avoid bloodshed and mayhem without her. There was nothing for it. Willow had places to be. She nodded to Adam when he said he would try to make an appearance. She was sliding out of the booth now that business had been attended to, and tea had been drank. "That would actually be nice. See if you can wear a smile. They're in fashion these days." She winked at him before she stood up. Willow, out of the prying public eye, had some sass and smart ass, but all kept in delicate balance. She was a medium fish in a giant pond, and she knew the ropes very, very well. Respect she had, had been earned. She was not in a hurry to lose any of that. She to her feet, dropped the three bucks to pay for her tea, with tip, onto the table. She did not expect Adam to foot the bill, after all. "See ya around." She told him. She noticed Sam, and yeah, she nodded to the woman. Yep, Penny was a good nickname for Sam, She was always turning up. -d
virtues or vice: How fortuitous that one of the Network's newest little proteges and incidentally a person of interest to Cadence walked right on by her in the parking lot while she was compromising Adam's vehicle. Millennials. They must've been born with blinders on. Once the device was secure she finished tying her shoe, stood and walked on towards the next intersection. Her hands searched the pockets of her thin denim jacket, beneath which he badge and handgun were concealed, and produced a crumpled pack of cigarettes and a blue Bic. A seemingly casual glance was given over her shoulder before she put the coffin nail between her lips and lit up just as the orange hand on the crosswalk turned into a white, walking man. Easy enough. She took what appeared to be a leisurely stroll around the block, which was really just a meandering route back to the Mustang to keep from arousing any suspicions should she have drawn the eye of some bystander of other. When some few minutes later she returned to the car, she was quick to fire it up and pull off. Later gators.[d]
Spots on a Peach: ~Thankfully, no one came bum rushing through the door, but where one window was closed, another door was slammed in your face. Still waiting for the waitress when the intentional clatter of silverware was more than enough to steal her focus. Sea greens drifted right on over to the source and shoulders slumped when Adam appeared...fuck. Why was it that man seemed to be everywhere!? Slender brow arched when Willow stood and made her way for the door...shit. The upturned head would receive a meek smile, and just to avoid the inevitable, Sam actually bothered speaking to the woman.~ "Next time your around, remind me. I got a joke you'll like." ~And that was that, there was
going to be no waiting for her own table, nor for Adam to actually call her over. Opting to simply trudge her way over to his table and flop herself down onto the side of the booth Willow had just vacated...hell she even tried to head things off at the pass by speaking up first.~ "Look, I'm sure Tomas already talked to you. But you can hear it from me directly, after I left last night...I got back and my room was trashed." (D)
paradise and sin: Smart ass. The comment about him wearing a smile earned her a narrowing of green-brown gaze, and he used his chin to gesture her to get her ass outta here. Let the man eat in peace, already. "Be careful, love," he responded, and set himself up to watch Samantha. Either she was about to make the best, or worst, decision of her life by coming to sit at his table, and his face gave away neither answer to that when she did. Dropping in uninvited and .. actually surprising him for once. He figured he might have to stare her down a bit before she started talking, but look, there it was. Immediately. And while she did, his knife and fork were taken back into hand, and idly he cut into the pan cakes again -- but rather than spear his bite, he jabbed at the air with the fork in her direction. "Oh, we'll not be speakin' on that, until you've had a chance to hear it from the man you accused first," Irish vocals were firm in that, and the soft breakfast food was stabbed into, and brought to his mouth for a stoic chew. -d-
Daria Daynes: Willow noticed Sam who probably did not realize Willow's connection to the Network. It was far from an advertised, public known deal. She would be absolutely ineffective if the world knew what she was really about. Willow glanced over her shoulder when Adam phrased his goodbye just like that, and she glanced to Sam. What the Hell, why not make it look like she caught them another kind of act? She was out of smacking range, for now, anyway! "I'll do my best to remind you." She said to Sam before she turned, put her fingers to her lips and blew Adam a kiss with a wiggle of fingers in a wave. She spun back to the door as Sam began moving. "you saw nothing." And she headed for the door to make way to her little convertible. Had Sam interrupted a meeting or a tryst? Who knew! -d
Spots on a Peach: ~Of course, the shitty part about the whole initiative thing was that it meant she probably wasn't gonna get a chance to flag the waitress down for her own order...food had been the only damn reason she'd come in the first place. Form sunk just a little lower in the booth, but it was mostly just for the sake of comfort...sitting felt amazing. But when Adam, who had first appeared like he was just gonna go right on and keep eating, jumped into the conversation, she did her best to sit back up a little, even fidgeted a bit~ "Well, I accused you first..." ~Tomas had just had the luck to be the one to text her first.~ "I told him...it seemed awful convenient that it happened after you asked me to be somewhere. He assured me...in not so many words...that you both shit cash. So I could look elsewhere. You'll excuse me for being paranoid, call it an occupational hazard." ~A bit of the flame was back, not directly intended for Adam, he just had all the luck of proximity.~ "Fine, y'all didn't take it. But someone did...someone took seven grand in cash from me." ~She had to all but stop herself from smacking the table.~ "Tell me, how pissed would you be if someone stole from you?" (D)
paradise and sin: It was as if he hadn't spoken at all, and with a sigh as she kept right on going, he set his cutlery on the edge of his plate. Since she was going to talk, he wasn't going to be rude and keep eating. A sip of his coffee first, a shift in the way he sat next, and a blank stare at her to follow. When she asked her question, he finally spoke. "Are ya done, then?" A brief pause, to see if she nodded, said she was, or kept going -- but assuming she'd ended her rant that he'd already informed her he wasn't going to yet hear, he went on. "There's been some changes in our agreement from last night. Not ours, per say, but in locations. You may not sell out of the Pony, it's yet to be determined. Since the new ownership has lit out of town, we're debatin' if we'll even keep the association or go on to somethin' else entirely." -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Sam was ready for a fight...albeit a verbal one, the gears had started turning again to the best of their ability, and she was loading up for another volley...but instead, she got squat, which earned Adam a blank look, followed by groan, and then one better since Sam opted to face plant the table. Forehead thunked on the surface, not out of theatrics or an attempt to cause a scene, it just seemed a far better option than yelling. For several long seconds she kept her head down, but eventually righted herself again and took one of those long calming breaths, followed by a pouted bottom lip...the Pony was off the list! And while that cut down a bit of options for coke sales to the strippers and Molly to the johns...there was a more pressing concern!~ "So then...no free drinks there, no lap dances?" ~Hell, she was broke now! Free drinks were going to be life saver.~(D)
paradise and sin: "I'll make sure we squeeze some in for ya before we offically hand over control," his voice was droll in it's response, but a soft snicker rode along with it; causing the man to lift his coffee to his lips again to conceal it. "Things are still up in the air. Might be we buy it outright, might be we bring in another to buy it. I just wanted you to know that there could be a different course of action for your selling market." Sam need not worry about the waitress not coming over, in fact she did -- with a menu for la femme. While she was busy with asking Sam what she wanted to drink, Adam slipped the woman's notepad and a pen from her front apron -- tearing off a single sheet, and quickly scribbling something on the sheet before replacing both to her apron. It wasn't until she'd gone away though, that he slid the paper across the table to Sam. It was an address, in his messy blocked script. "One of our safe houses. You can stay there until you find another place, it's currently empty. Key's under the back door mat." How cliche. -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Well, hopefully there was at least one binder she could go on before it all went away...silver lining The waitress coming over was a godsend, cause Sam was about to reach across the table and steal his pancakes. Instead, her own
Spots on a Peach: short stack was orderd, along with a glass of water with extra lemon...had to kill that tappy taste after all. All this while Adam was scribbling away, seemed they were on the same track of thoughts, Cause Sam was just about to
Spots on a Peach: start up with how she wanted to withhold taking any product. The slip of paper was given a once over before it was crumbled up and slipped into her pocket.~ "Good, if they broke in once, they'll probably do it again. I'd hate to
Spots on a Peach: lose a key next time." ~coming up short on a key of coke was never a good business strategy.~ "..and uh, thanks." ~Seemed a might better than having to sleep in her car, since the motel was probably gonna bounce her anyways for not
Spots on a Peach: being able to pay for the damn room.~ "Can I ask a question?" ~not that it was probably gonna stop her anyways~(d)
paradise and sin: Steal a man's pancakes, and come back with a nub for a hand. A few bites of one of the many pieces of bacon he ordered -- which he did push to the middle of the table to share, and he nodded his agreement on that fact. A place easily broken into once, was a place easily broken into twice. Adam was finding himself more than happy she wasn't trying to argue with him -- spouting off on taking charity and the like. He was too damn tired today to for all that nonsense, nor did he have the patience to explain it wouldn't be -- she was going to earn her keep, as well as their trust. That much was for certain. Slivering off a portion of pancakes, it was in his mouth when she asked if she could ask a question. Was that the question? "You won't get an answer to it if you don't, girl." -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Question was going to wait, because community bacon was going to have to pacify a rumbling stomach and buy her a couple of seconds of quiet. Not one, but two pieces were snatched off the plate, one in each hand, that she took
Spots on a Peach: intermittent bites from. Boorish? Perhaps, but at the moment that didn't really seem to matter. Those last few bites were spared for a moment, only because Adam had green lit the question. The bite she was working on was quickly swallowed.~ "If...uh, well...since....Since its someone else. I imagine a thing like that would require being looked into. I mean, its gotta be bad for business to have people breaking into hotel rooms and stealing shit out of cars...you'd scare away the tourists...or worse, get the attention of cops right? I mean, shit like that will eventually get someone lookin'. Anyways...if it comes to light that people get found out...can I be there?" ~Dealing for whoever didn't mean you were muscle and could go around breaking legs, but in this case it was personal.~(D)
paradise and sin: "Samantha, Samantha," with the accent that rolled along his tongue, her name came out more like ``Samanta`` than it's true pronunciation -- not to mention the way a sigh surrounded the double full name he gave her. "What did I say when ya took it upon yerself to sit at my table, girl? We'll discuss it, us three. He'll contact you with the particulars on when that is. For now, fill yer belly, then go on and get your things and settle in. Worry on revenge at a later date." He'd taken rather large bites, and found that his plate had been cleared by now, and so he was fishing out some cash to cover his meal -- and hers -- and sliding from the booth. "Keep yer phone on you," was all he said by way of goodbye, and off he went. To that frickin' hot truck. Fucking vice cops. -d-
Characters: Willow Dunne, Adam Byrne, Sam Thomspon, with special cameo by Cadence Fox!
paradise and sin: All. Damn. Day. There'd been something -- his phone blowing up at all ends, making it damn near impossible for him to concentrate on any god damn thing, and put him in a foul ass mood. Seemed to be par for the course with Adam Byrne these days. Things had gone exactly as he figured they would with the situation at the Pink Pony -- and it was leaving a shit storm to be cleaned up. No actual owner for a Network investment was not entirely a good thing, and so he had been forced to spend a good portion of his day, and into the evening under the pink and purple lights of the sleaze bucket with Mederos, trying to piece together a plan of action, at least temporary. By the time he was set to meet with Tomas to discuss Samantha and her smart mouth, he was running late as shit, fouling his mood even more so. Now, a bit later, he departed from the Puerto Rican dealer, to make his way home. His stomach seemed of a mind to remind him he'd not taken a moment to fill it today, and knowing whatever his sister might make would be burnt to a crisp, the GMC's wheels at a diner off the highway in mid-Marathon. The place was lit up light a beacon as the sun dipped it's way low into the Gulf, and by the looks of things with the parking lot and the patrons seen through the big picture windows, not that busy. Bell above the door announced his arrival, and the hulking man selected the furthest booth from the door; sliding into the side that kept his eye on just that. Wasn't long until he had a cup of steaming black before him, and an order in for some pancakes and a heap of bacon. Man liked a good brinner. -d-
Daria Daynes: Willow was not one to pester Adam on a whim. In fact, it was not at all uncommon for the man who was her direct boss in the Network to hear nothing from her for days on end. She was not a co-dependent sort of woman. She knew her job, she knew her place, and she functioned under the radar of most people. This; however, needed to be brought to the big guy, and so she had pestered him. He had shocked her getting back to her fast as he did, too. Shouldn't have shocked her. Her habit of not bothering him tended to elicit rapid response on the rare times she did. She knew he was going to the diner, and she took the time to get out of her 'at work' persona to change into something more casual. Today that meant shorts and a tank top that showing the 'high class promoter' had a good bit of her own ink. Nothing to tune of Adam's, but much more than most would expect on her. She parked her convertible, and headed into the diner. He was not hard to find, and so she made her way through the crowd toward his table. Despite knowing he was expecting her, she still asked, "You mind?" Her accent light, almost melodic. -d
paradise and sin: Expecting her, yes. Still only earned her a grunt, and a gesture with his chin to the empty seat across from him. Dark eyes took their time in their perusal of her features; alone they seemed like they wouldn't work. Mouth too big, eyes a little small, nose too perfect, jaw too defined. But all together on her face they seemed to work together just fine, and he was a man who could appreciate pretty things even if that was all he did. Appreciate it. "Sit," he finally said, lifting up the mug his coffee came in to bring the lip of it to his own for a sip. The big man sat back, stretching one arm across the back of the seat, and relaxing some to get comfortable. It'd been too long a day, and it showed in the weary lines of his features, and the light scruff on his face that was a sure sign his day had started too early too. A white tee stretched across his chest, and dark washed denim fit his lower half. All that was missing was the leather jacket to complete the James Dean staples. You could take the boy out of Belfast, but you wouldn't catch him dead in a freakin' man tank top. -d-
Daria Daynes: Willow was far from a classic beauty. She was not egotistical about her looks, either. She knew there were men who found her to their taste because they made it clear. She tended to keep men at arm's reach most times. She did enjoy a good view as much as the next woman, and there could be no debate that Adam provided just such a view. She was far more subtle in her appreciation of it, though. She slid into the boot with graceful ease, and she nodded to him. "Thank you." She smiled. Not the practiced smile most often seen when amid a crowd, either. The smaller one that was, in truth, far more genuine and warm. She glanced up as the waitress came to take her order, "Tea with milk, no sugar." She told the waitress. Once she was on her way, Willow set her hand on the table and gently slid it toward Adam. When she lifted her hand it was a small thumb drive resting under the rim of his saucer. She, in turn, stole his napkin and mopped her brow with it as if warm. "Was a hot one today." She mentioned as the waitress returned with the hot water, teabag, and small little pitcher of milk. Cute little thing, that pitcher was, too. When the waitress was gone, "Productive event I had the other day." She told him softly, "Some excellent fishing maps located." -d
virtues or vice: As yet, Detective Fox has been operating under the assumption that no one in the Monroe County precinct could be trusted. Either they were crooked or they were apathetic, neither stances dignified much in the way of respect in her estimation. Suffice it to say that she had made few friends on the force in her couple of months here in Marathon and seemed perfectly comfortable keeping it that way. She did acquire something more valuable than a friend at the moment and that was a source. Surveillance accounted for a large chunk of her occupation and a lead had brought her earlier to the Pink Pony. She had been parked in an unmarked Mustang with her sights on the place until Adam had taken his leave and followed not long after he drove off in the GMC. She tailed at what she presumed to be a safe distance and when he parked at the diner the Mustang drove on by, before making a U-turn a couple blocks up and returning when she guessed he'd had enough time to go inside. She parked across the street and watched the diner from afar for some glimpse of him though the windows before reaching into the glove box for the little something she had for him and no, it wasn't some pretty pieces of sea-glass she'd purchased in one of those tourist shops. It was a little black box with a magnetic case. Her attention flickered briefly down at the tracking device to turn it on before watching for a moment to make use of it.[d]
paradise and sin: Small talk on the weather, that's what they were doing? His brow went up a notch. "Hot every day, Willa. It's Florida, y'know." The Irishman even tsked at her, figuring that the Aussie would be well used to hot climates -- while it'd taken him months to get use to the swelter, after over a decade spent in near constant chilly drizzle. Drawing his hand in allowed decorated fingers the chance to roam across the stubble at his jawline, and scratch into it some when she finally got to the point of why she'd come to meet him. "Well I do love a good fishin' trip. Let's see the spots then." The waitress wasn't gone long though, coming back 'round to deliver the stack of flapjacks and the pile of bacon; prompting Adam into sitting straight and going for his fork to prepare things the way he wanted them. Butter, syrup. Napkin over the lap, knife and fork in hand. The sort of thing that came from a good upbringing, and so had his been. Where had his Gran gone wrong, hm? And where had his own senses failed him -- not picking up on that tail, or even the fact they were being watched at this very moment. -d-
Daria Daynes: They were more private than they usually were which left Willow feeling free to gasp slightly when he informed her they were in Florida. Her eyes widened along with the gasp. "Here I thought we were having a historic heat wave in Alaska." She joked. What she did not do was roll her eyes. Her father had told her rolling eyes could turn a joke into an insult faster than a croc would grab a swimmer. She dipped the tea bag in and out of the hot water, and she extended one finger to indicate the thumb drive she had left by the saucer of his coffee cup. "They're on that. I knew you'd want them." She leaned back, her voice dropped low enough only he would hear it. "Harbor Patrol's planned routes for the upcoming holiday weekend, in detail." She winked at him before drawing the tea bag out to wrap on her spoon in the thread, wring it out, and then set to the side. She added the milk to her tea. She was used to hot, but she was not being paid to be all social butterfly right now. Right now, she was less inclined to the small talk. She just wanted to get the thumb drive to him so any prying eyes would not see the exchange. Did she know about his tail? No. She was just freaking paranoid half the time. -d
virtues or vice: She waited a few minutes, her heart kicking up into a higher gear as she pulled a nondescript baseball cap from the passenger seat and put it on, tucking her short hair all the way up under it as best she could. A cursory glance in the rearview mirror showed her the effect. Considering the stifling heat here, even after the sun had taken its leave of the sky there was little more she could do to disguise herself without making herself look more suspect. A hoodie and sunglasses would have served her well enough up North but here and now they would have served the opposite affect. She got out of the car and gave a quick look at the bloody horizon before pulling the brim of her hat down low to cast at least half of her face in deep shadow. The tracker was hidden in her palm as she walked down to the intersection and crossed the street. She ducked her head to avoid the gaze of other pedestrians along the sidewalk as she approached the diner. The GMC was no more than a few yards away by then though the walk seemed to get longer with every step closer towards it she took. While Cadence was possessed of a healthy dose of courage she is by no means under the impression that she's invincible, and right now she was playing with fire. She walked casually, pretending to look at her phone though her eyes flicked over to the diner every so often. Finally she dipped behind the GMC and took a knee, pantomimed tying a loose shoestring as a couple walked by only to lean over the moment the passed and slap the tracker up on the inside of the rear bumper.[d]
Spots on a Peach: ~Of all days to be asked to pull a double! And it wasn't like Sam could have said no, being only her second day. In all, it did help...gave her plenty to do and keep her mind occupied from the break in at the motel, and had it not been for the series of texts earlier in the afternoon, it all would have worked. But the day had come to an end and Sam was forced back into the real world...While the Dive would have been a perfect place to lose herself in a bottle of whiskey, now having to ration the little cash she had left became priority, and at present that meant food more than booze. This time of night anything within walking distance was already closed up, thank god for diners! There was a bit of hesitation about heading the few blocks up and over to Judy's...the last time she'd been at a diner she got to watch a guy get his head blown off, one could only hope that history wasn't gonna repeat itself...hunger won out. Her pace was on the lethargic side of things, trudging more like it, little aches and pains with every step from having been standing a majority of the day. Alas, the goal line was in sight! Another few minutes and Sam found herself traipsing through the parking lot and right in through the front door. The whole look about her was disheveled, a pair of low top chucks with the laces untied on the left foot, jeans that were now stained at several different spots along the leg and along the sides where she'd used them to wipe her hands off, the once bright white cotton v-neck carried its own share of bloody stains...shoulda worn the damn apron. Hair was given little consideration, far more unkempt than usual and even her expression seemed devoid of its spark thanks to the bloodshot eyes complete with dark circles. A little grumble spilled from the girl she waited for the waitress to come over and seat her, almost incessantly glancing back over her shoulder and towards the door as if she were expecting someone to come barging through it.~(D)
paradise and sin: Well, looksie here, Miss Discreet -- he'd not witnessed the way she'd set down the thumb drive, but he saw it now and palmed it from the table to push it into the front pocket of his tee there over the barrel of his chest. Using knife and fork, he cut into the soft pancakes that didn't quite require the knife, but he used it anyway. The first bite went in easy, and he grunted a half-laugh at Willow's joke. It was a clear sign he was tired. He might not have normally laughed at it at all. Adam Byrne, Perpetual Party Pooper, everybody. "I'll take a look," he spoke after chewing away the bite in his mouth, "and we'll plan accordingly for the weekend. Saw yer flyer for the festivities. I'll try and make an appearance." The bell above the door sounded again, and Adam's gaze lifted -- and darkened, along with the rest of his features that melded into a scowl. "This bitch right here," he muttered to himself, and sat up some -- loudly and purposefully clattering his silverware against the side of his plate -- not in a ``hey, look at me, wench`` sort of way, but just to garner some attention in general. -d-
Daria Daynes: They were just going to have to avoid bloodshed and mayhem without her. There was nothing for it. Willow had places to be. She nodded to Adam when he said he would try to make an appearance. She was sliding out of the booth now that business had been attended to, and tea had been drank. "That would actually be nice. See if you can wear a smile. They're in fashion these days." She winked at him before she stood up. Willow, out of the prying public eye, had some sass and smart ass, but all kept in delicate balance. She was a medium fish in a giant pond, and she knew the ropes very, very well. Respect she had, had been earned. She was not in a hurry to lose any of that. She to her feet, dropped the three bucks to pay for her tea, with tip, onto the table. She did not expect Adam to foot the bill, after all. "See ya around." She told him. She noticed Sam, and yeah, she nodded to the woman. Yep, Penny was a good nickname for Sam, She was always turning up. -d
virtues or vice: How fortuitous that one of the Network's newest little proteges and incidentally a person of interest to Cadence walked right on by her in the parking lot while she was compromising Adam's vehicle. Millennials. They must've been born with blinders on. Once the device was secure she finished tying her shoe, stood and walked on towards the next intersection. Her hands searched the pockets of her thin denim jacket, beneath which he badge and handgun were concealed, and produced a crumpled pack of cigarettes and a blue Bic. A seemingly casual glance was given over her shoulder before she put the coffin nail between her lips and lit up just as the orange hand on the crosswalk turned into a white, walking man. Easy enough. She took what appeared to be a leisurely stroll around the block, which was really just a meandering route back to the Mustang to keep from arousing any suspicions should she have drawn the eye of some bystander of other. When some few minutes later she returned to the car, she was quick to fire it up and pull off. Later gators.[d]
Spots on a Peach: ~Thankfully, no one came bum rushing through the door, but where one window was closed, another door was slammed in your face. Still waiting for the waitress when the intentional clatter of silverware was more than enough to steal her focus. Sea greens drifted right on over to the source and shoulders slumped when Adam appeared...fuck. Why was it that man seemed to be everywhere!? Slender brow arched when Willow stood and made her way for the door...shit. The upturned head would receive a meek smile, and just to avoid the inevitable, Sam actually bothered speaking to the woman.~ "Next time your around, remind me. I got a joke you'll like." ~And that was that, there was
going to be no waiting for her own table, nor for Adam to actually call her over. Opting to simply trudge her way over to his table and flop herself down onto the side of the booth Willow had just vacated...hell she even tried to head things off at the pass by speaking up first.~ "Look, I'm sure Tomas already talked to you. But you can hear it from me directly, after I left last night...I got back and my room was trashed." (D)
paradise and sin: Smart ass. The comment about him wearing a smile earned her a narrowing of green-brown gaze, and he used his chin to gesture her to get her ass outta here. Let the man eat in peace, already. "Be careful, love," he responded, and set himself up to watch Samantha. Either she was about to make the best, or worst, decision of her life by coming to sit at his table, and his face gave away neither answer to that when she did. Dropping in uninvited and .. actually surprising him for once. He figured he might have to stare her down a bit before she started talking, but look, there it was. Immediately. And while she did, his knife and fork were taken back into hand, and idly he cut into the pan cakes again -- but rather than spear his bite, he jabbed at the air with the fork in her direction. "Oh, we'll not be speakin' on that, until you've had a chance to hear it from the man you accused first," Irish vocals were firm in that, and the soft breakfast food was stabbed into, and brought to his mouth for a stoic chew. -d-
Daria Daynes: Willow noticed Sam who probably did not realize Willow's connection to the Network. It was far from an advertised, public known deal. She would be absolutely ineffective if the world knew what she was really about. Willow glanced over her shoulder when Adam phrased his goodbye just like that, and she glanced to Sam. What the Hell, why not make it look like she caught them another kind of act? She was out of smacking range, for now, anyway! "I'll do my best to remind you." She said to Sam before she turned, put her fingers to her lips and blew Adam a kiss with a wiggle of fingers in a wave. She spun back to the door as Sam began moving. "you saw nothing." And she headed for the door to make way to her little convertible. Had Sam interrupted a meeting or a tryst? Who knew! -d
Spots on a Peach: ~Of course, the shitty part about the whole initiative thing was that it meant she probably wasn't gonna get a chance to flag the waitress down for her own order...food had been the only damn reason she'd come in the first place. Form sunk just a little lower in the booth, but it was mostly just for the sake of comfort...sitting felt amazing. But when Adam, who had first appeared like he was just gonna go right on and keep eating, jumped into the conversation, she did her best to sit back up a little, even fidgeted a bit~ "Well, I accused you first..." ~Tomas had just had the luck to be the one to text her first.~ "I told him...it seemed awful convenient that it happened after you asked me to be somewhere. He assured me...in not so many words...that you both shit cash. So I could look elsewhere. You'll excuse me for being paranoid, call it an occupational hazard." ~A bit of the flame was back, not directly intended for Adam, he just had all the luck of proximity.~ "Fine, y'all didn't take it. But someone did...someone took seven grand in cash from me." ~She had to all but stop herself from smacking the table.~ "Tell me, how pissed would you be if someone stole from you?" (D)
paradise and sin: It was as if he hadn't spoken at all, and with a sigh as she kept right on going, he set his cutlery on the edge of his plate. Since she was going to talk, he wasn't going to be rude and keep eating. A sip of his coffee first, a shift in the way he sat next, and a blank stare at her to follow. When she asked her question, he finally spoke. "Are ya done, then?" A brief pause, to see if she nodded, said she was, or kept going -- but assuming she'd ended her rant that he'd already informed her he wasn't going to yet hear, he went on. "There's been some changes in our agreement from last night. Not ours, per say, but in locations. You may not sell out of the Pony, it's yet to be determined. Since the new ownership has lit out of town, we're debatin' if we'll even keep the association or go on to somethin' else entirely." -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Sam was ready for a fight...albeit a verbal one, the gears had started turning again to the best of their ability, and she was loading up for another volley...but instead, she got squat, which earned Adam a blank look, followed by groan, and then one better since Sam opted to face plant the table. Forehead thunked on the surface, not out of theatrics or an attempt to cause a scene, it just seemed a far better option than yelling. For several long seconds she kept her head down, but eventually righted herself again and took one of those long calming breaths, followed by a pouted bottom lip...the Pony was off the list! And while that cut down a bit of options for coke sales to the strippers and Molly to the johns...there was a more pressing concern!~ "So then...no free drinks there, no lap dances?" ~Hell, she was broke now! Free drinks were going to be life saver.~(D)
paradise and sin: "I'll make sure we squeeze some in for ya before we offically hand over control," his voice was droll in it's response, but a soft snicker rode along with it; causing the man to lift his coffee to his lips again to conceal it. "Things are still up in the air. Might be we buy it outright, might be we bring in another to buy it. I just wanted you to know that there could be a different course of action for your selling market." Sam need not worry about the waitress not coming over, in fact she did -- with a menu for la femme. While she was busy with asking Sam what she wanted to drink, Adam slipped the woman's notepad and a pen from her front apron -- tearing off a single sheet, and quickly scribbling something on the sheet before replacing both to her apron. It wasn't until she'd gone away though, that he slid the paper across the table to Sam. It was an address, in his messy blocked script. "One of our safe houses. You can stay there until you find another place, it's currently empty. Key's under the back door mat." How cliche. -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Well, hopefully there was at least one binder she could go on before it all went away...silver lining The waitress coming over was a godsend, cause Sam was about to reach across the table and steal his pancakes. Instead, her own
Spots on a Peach: short stack was orderd, along with a glass of water with extra lemon...had to kill that tappy taste after all. All this while Adam was scribbling away, seemed they were on the same track of thoughts, Cause Sam was just about to
Spots on a Peach: start up with how she wanted to withhold taking any product. The slip of paper was given a once over before it was crumbled up and slipped into her pocket.~ "Good, if they broke in once, they'll probably do it again. I'd hate to
Spots on a Peach: lose a key next time." ~coming up short on a key of coke was never a good business strategy.~ "..and uh, thanks." ~Seemed a might better than having to sleep in her car, since the motel was probably gonna bounce her anyways for not
Spots on a Peach: being able to pay for the damn room.~ "Can I ask a question?" ~not that it was probably gonna stop her anyways~(d)
paradise and sin: Steal a man's pancakes, and come back with a nub for a hand. A few bites of one of the many pieces of bacon he ordered -- which he did push to the middle of the table to share, and he nodded his agreement on that fact. A place easily broken into once, was a place easily broken into twice. Adam was finding himself more than happy she wasn't trying to argue with him -- spouting off on taking charity and the like. He was too damn tired today to for all that nonsense, nor did he have the patience to explain it wouldn't be -- she was going to earn her keep, as well as their trust. That much was for certain. Slivering off a portion of pancakes, it was in his mouth when she asked if she could ask a question. Was that the question? "You won't get an answer to it if you don't, girl." -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Question was going to wait, because community bacon was going to have to pacify a rumbling stomach and buy her a couple of seconds of quiet. Not one, but two pieces were snatched off the plate, one in each hand, that she took
Spots on a Peach: intermittent bites from. Boorish? Perhaps, but at the moment that didn't really seem to matter. Those last few bites were spared for a moment, only because Adam had green lit the question. The bite she was working on was quickly swallowed.~ "If...uh, well...since....Since its someone else. I imagine a thing like that would require being looked into. I mean, its gotta be bad for business to have people breaking into hotel rooms and stealing shit out of cars...you'd scare away the tourists...or worse, get the attention of cops right? I mean, shit like that will eventually get someone lookin'. Anyways...if it comes to light that people get found out...can I be there?" ~Dealing for whoever didn't mean you were muscle and could go around breaking legs, but in this case it was personal.~(D)
paradise and sin: "Samantha, Samantha," with the accent that rolled along his tongue, her name came out more like ``Samanta`` than it's true pronunciation -- not to mention the way a sigh surrounded the double full name he gave her. "What did I say when ya took it upon yerself to sit at my table, girl? We'll discuss it, us three. He'll contact you with the particulars on when that is. For now, fill yer belly, then go on and get your things and settle in. Worry on revenge at a later date." He'd taken rather large bites, and found that his plate had been cleared by now, and so he was fishing out some cash to cover his meal -- and hers -- and sliding from the booth. "Keep yer phone on you," was all he said by way of goodbye, and off he went. To that frickin' hot truck. Fucking vice cops. -d-
