Post by Torrence Paige on Aug 3, 2016 11:35:03 GMT
As was usual to her for the past year now, Sunday was Tori's inventory day. She used to do it early Monday morning before any of the customers came in, but she found that this caused her a lot of time management trouble so she had to adjust.
She smiled at the old couple passing her by as she grabbed the key from her purse and unlocked the door to her shop. As she closed the door, she accidentally slid the open-close sign to OPEN. The smell of coffee and old pages greeted her, a smell she loved and welcomed everyday. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the smell remind her of memories in New York when she was child. For some reason, she was missing her family more for the past few weeks. She'd tried calling but remembered that they were out of the country until Tuesday. They'd asked her to go with them to London, but she just wasn't comfortable leaving the shop for a week and a half, and so she declined. No matter. They'd promised to come to Glenhaven in a month's time. She'd just have to wait.
She opened her eyes, finally, and walked to the back of the shop where the reading nook was. She turned on the coffeemaker and walked through the door to her back office to go find her inventory folder. As she came back to the reading nook, she heard the front door open.
"Sorry, we're closed", she immediately called out, walking over to the front of the store to check who it was.
torrence jean paige
you felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space no one there to catch you in their arms
Oftentimes, his work had a habit of following him home. Given he worked as a stripper, this quickly got old. He'd been shamelessly stalked before, it was actually a pretty common occurrance, and he had ways of dealing with it. That's what he was doing now, too, walking the opposite way from where he was supposed to go if he wanted to go home, making as many turns as he could while trying to blend into the crowds. He wasn't above making a u-turn and screaming at the poor man to sod off, but considering he'd kicked another client in the balls not too long ago, he felt it might not be ideal to scream at another one. Man, he wanted to, though.
Instead, he threw himself into the first open store he could find, closed the door quickly after him, and turned the sign back to say ”Closed” before ducking under the window to make sure he couldn't be seen from outside. That oughta do it. He turned his attention to the woman, but didn't get up from his hiding spot. ”With all due respect, maam, so am I. Sucks when people don't respect your schedule, doesn't it?” he said, smiling apologetically.
Post by Torrence Paige on Aug 4, 2016 12:21:07 GMT
"Oh. Uhm, hi" was all Tori was able to say before the man who entered her shop immediately closed the door behind him and moved the sign from OPEN to CLOSED. Then, it dawned on her why he thought the shop was open.
"I must've changed the sign to 'open' when I came in", she mumbled to herself as the man smiled at her apologetically.
"With all due respect, maam, so am I. Sucks when people don't respect your schedule, doesn't it?” he said.
Tori stuttered, as was usual when she was meeting someone for the first time. She was a bit of an awkward girl when caught off-guard. Usually she was good with people---well, she was good at faking being outgoing, anyway, especially to new clients. But when caught off-guard like this, she wasn't too well on her feet.
"Oh. Well. Wow. Yeah, I guess. Yeah. I guess it would suck", she said, fidgeting with her inventory folder, not really sure if she should ask him to leave.
torrence jean paige
you felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space no one there to catch you in their arms
He took note of the uncomfortableness, although he wasn't sure he was in any situation to do something about it. If the guy even knew where to look for him, he'd probably have caught up by now. No way was he going outside anytime soon. He thought for a while, before deciding he may as well explain himself. “Yeah, look. Sorry to barge in, but I got a pretty nasty case of stalker after me, and I'd really prefer it if I could just chill out down here for a while until I'm somewhat confident I've lost him. Aight?” he asked, pulling out his best kicked puppy-look. Looking helpless was one of his many strengths.
Of course, he was exhaggerating for effect, the guy was persistant, sure, but seemed harmless enough. He just couldn't be bothered to tell another grown man how to behave if he didn't want to freak people out. Maybe he should just start an education instead, he'd probably reach more people that way.
Tori listened as the guy explained his dilemma, then nodded slowly.
"Uhm, yeah, I g---I guess you could stay for a while", she finally said with a shrug. "I, uhm, I made coffee. Come on inside", she invited, turning and heading to the reading nook.
Out of eyesight from the guy, Tori bit her lip in anxiety. She wasn't too good with new people. That was when she realized she'd forgotten to introduce herself.
She turned to him with an outstretched hand. "I'm Tori!", she exclaimed. "By the way", she said as an afterthought.
He seemed hesitant to get up, but decided hiding on the floor for however long wasn't really an option either, before finally rising from his impromptu hidingspot under the window. The promise of coffee was reason enough, so he followed her, keeping in mind that he seemed to have shocked her slightly, and perhaps it was in his best interest to tone himself down a bit. “Thanks. I'm Jake.” he said, looking around. Being around books made him feel stupid for some reason. He snapped out of his distraction, changing his focus from the shelves back to the woman to shake her hand. Man, when was the last time someone had introduced themselves to him by shaking his hand?
“This your store? It's cosy.” Back in Mississippi, he'd have made a mental note to come back here if he ever found himself without a place to sleep. Some people didn't notice if you hid good enough, worth a shot. Of course, he didn't need to do that anymore, but still. Couch looked comfortable as all hell, at least in his tired oppinion. Still, that was what the coffee was for.
Post by Torrence Paige on Aug 9, 2016 16:46:09 GMT
"Nice to meet you, Jake", she said with a slight smile. The slight smile wasn't because she didn't really mean what she said. It was more that she was still quite disoriented from having this man suddenly show up to her Sunday plans. No matter. She was going to be hospitable, as much as she could. He seemed like a nice enough guy. No reason to make him leave.
She pointed to the couch as a gesture to ask him to sit, then nodded at his question. "Yes, and thank you! I try to make it as homey as possible so that people would come visit more often. With the sudden surge of electronic books, people seem to have forgotten to appreciate physical books already", she said.
She was suddenly aware that she was being too talkative for her own liking so made a beeline for the back of the counter and took 2 mugs from the shelf. "Sit down and just rest. Do you take your coffee black? Or...what would you like on it?", she asked, her back to him.
torrence jean paige
you felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space no one there to catch you in their arms
He sat down on the couch when offered, and gave her a huge smile. “Well, you did a great job. Hell of a lot better than my apartment, anyway. And I figured movies would be what killed the books, but that might just be me being lazy..” he probably hadn't picked up a book since he quit school. Didn't really do it then, either, to be honest. But that might not be the best thing to say to the owner of a book shop who had just let him in even if the store is closed. Man, was he going to have to buy something now?
“Black is fine. I don't believe in mixing caffeine and sugar. Seems like a recipe for disaster to me.” Funny thing to come out of the mouth of a person who had no problem mixing speed with alchohol, but she didn't need to know that, now did she? Suddenly, he almost felt bad simply for existing in a book shop, like his very presence brought the place's fanciness down. “So, why a book shop?” he asked, leaning forward slightly to listen. He realised putting the attention to her might not be what she wanted at this point, but, for once, he felt slightly embarrassed about himself. He felt like an obscene idiot surrounded by all these books, the nice interior, and their owner. Like a bum sitting on a professors couch, or something. Should he have not sat down straight on the couch or something? Lucky for him, hiding his own insecurities was part of his job, so he kept smiling joyfully while waiting for the coffee.
Post by Torrence Paige on Aug 10, 2016 12:51:28 GMT
She shrugged as she poured coffee into the mugs and brought them out to the reading nook. She put both mugs on the coffee table, then went back to the counter for some coasters.
"Well, yes. Movies may also have a part in that, actually", she replied, putting the coasters under each of the mugs, then finally settling on the lounge chair opposite from him.
She took one of the mugs and inhaled the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, before finally taking a sip and letting the warmth envelope her throat and travel down to her tummy. She had always loved having coffee, but not for the caffeine effect. She simply loved the smell of it, and the warmth of it. She found it quite comforting.
She replaced the mug on the table and shrugged. "Well... even as a child, I've always loved being around books. I read a lot. So, when I finally decided to open a business, I figured I may as well enter into a field I'm passionate about. It doesn't always pay well. But, I get by pretty okay", she replied with a small smile.
"And you? What do you do?", she asked.
torrence jean paige
you felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space no one there to catch you in their arms
Holy cow, she had coasters. Since when were coasters so intimidating? Apparently not too concerned with not making a fool out of himself, or perhaps just realising it was bound to happen no matter what he did, he emptied half the mug in a few big gulps, being extra careful to set the mug more or less in the middle of the coaster that had been placed in front of him. He nodded at her story, looking around at the books again. ”So you get to decide what you put here? That's pretty cool. You can decide what people read. Although I guess if there's books on the internet now, that wouldn't work out... man.” he commented, seemingly thinking aloud. Yeah, a book shop probably wouldn't work out for him. At least now he knew.
He thought for a while, discarding the idea of trying to tell his story like she just had. He hadn't exactly dreamed of being a stripper from a young age. Nor did he have to go into disturbing detail just to be able to justify being thrown back out on the street later. Stripper wasn't as bad as hooker, after all. And California seemed nicer than Mississippi in this regard, too. Still, the setting he found himself in didn't make him feel quite as shameless as he usually did. ”Stripper.” he answered finally, rising the mug to his mouth again while keeping his eyes on her, looking oddly neutral considering he'd had a huge smile plastered all over his face from the moment he'd walked in. So, basically it took a store full of books, coasters, and a friendly blonde to make him shut up and chill down. Good to know.
Post by Torrence Paige on Aug 11, 2016 15:42:19 GMT
"Oh", was Tori's initial reaction when he mentioned that he was a stripper. The surprise on her face was evident, she could feel it. And she realized she must've seemed judgmental, and rude. She hated to be painted as such, so she tried to salvage the situation.
"Sorry. That must not have been the reaction you wanted. I'm guessing most people react that way when you tell them that because... well, you don't look like a---well, not that I'm saying there's a certain look... or like stereotype...", she trailed off, realizing that she wasn't doing anything to save the situation at all.
She took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm bad at meeting new people, I'm sorry. You caught me off guard today. I don't mean to sound as rude as I may be sounding right now...". She was frustrated by how she was behaving. "Can I just backtrack and start over?", she asked, and without waiting for a response, she launched into a much better version of her reaction earlier, "So, you strip? I actually find it interesting. Not too many people are confident enough to do such. It takes a lot of guts. Props to you, Jake". She hoped that sounded genuine, because it really was. She was just an awkward girl, and it usually showed.
As she spoke, an amused smile grew bigger and bigger on his face for every word she managed. Well, yeah, this was pretty much the standard reaction. At least when he didn't get rudely kicked out. By the end of it, he actually broke out laughing, partly because the whole situation intimidated him slightly, probably, but still. “... I'm sorry... I just.. that's pretty much the standard reaction, yeah.” he managed finally. “Every part of it. Including the nice but ultimately untrue compliment at the end. Hah! Ever been to a strip club? Place doesn't exactly reak of confidence. Although I apreciate the thought. Couldn't dance for shit when I started. Probably still can't. I make up for it with excellent customer service.” he answered, obviously not dedicated to making this easier for her at this point. There was something about creeping people out like this. Maybe it just felt good to get confirmation that what he did wasn't considered normal. Or maybe it was just pure, classic attention-craving. He did have a bit of that, after all.
He thought for a while, taking another sip of his coffee, before continuing. “Never been told I don't look like a stripper, though. Is it the lack of boobs? Cause it ain't that kind of strip club. Some of the strippers get all buffed up and shit, but like... as long as you've got an ass and no limits, or at least can act like you don't, it's really not that challening.” he shrugged. Man, this conversation got a lot easier, and funnier, when you could say “stripper” instead of “hooker”. He should have thought of this sooner.
Post by Torrence Paige on Aug 14, 2016 6:41:30 GMT
Tori didn't know what to make of Jake. He seemed like the type of person who would be as frank to you as he needs or wants to be. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He was slightly making her feel uncomfortable, but at the same time she was curious about him too. She's never met someone who stripped before. She wanted to know why he did it. Although she didn't think it would be a good idea to ask him that, straight to his face. They were still strangers at this point, after all.
"Sorry. Like I said, I'm just really bad at introductions. I didn't mean to sound so prejudiced about looks and whatnot", she apologized again. She took another sip of her coffee, then sat back and thought about what exactly to reply.
"If you don't mind me asking... how does stripping actually...I'm not sure how to phrase it", Tori began. "Uhm, how does it go? Like, do you have work hours? Training? Sorry, this might be weird to discuss...", she trailed off. Her curiosity and her awkwardness were making a bad combination.
torrence jean paige
you felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space no one there to catch you in their arms
He smiled, trying to hide some of the amusement. Considering her hospitality, he felt like kind of an ass. Still, he hadn't exactly done anything other than tell the truth. If he wanted to really freak her out, he would have gone into more detail, despite not being asked to. But no. He was too thankful for the coffee. “You'll have to do a lot worse to offend me.” he assured her instead, taking another sip of his mug.
“Well, I only ever worked at the club I'm at now, so I can't really speak globally, but.. the training is different for each new employee. I had to sit through some twink telling me about the laws, which, lets be honest here, no one gives a crap about anyway as long as there's not a uniformed officer around. For example, I'm not legally allowed to touch the customers... intentionally.” he said, winking. Man, he had barely thought about those rules since he started. Should probably look them over again. “I guess the work hours are like any other job, only... reversed. I work nights, anyway. And some of us are allowed to work double shifts.” Telling her how long those were would probably go against the aforementioned laws he'd been educated on, so he settled on... not talking about that just now. He hadn't actually admitted to any illegal activity, and he wasn't going to, either.. intentionally.
“You should come by sometime. Betcha'll learn something or other that's hard to come by in books.” he smiled, reaching into his pocket to bring out a card and hand it to her. Was he doing this too much? Still, it was always fun to watch uncomfortable outsiders walk into a gay strip club. Had to amuse himself somehow during those double shifts, especially if he wasn't supposed to touch the customers.
Post by Torrence Paige on Aug 14, 2016 15:01:02 GMT
Tori listened as he explained the ins and outs of his job. Or at least he tried to. There were still some vague points, but she felt like if he didn't elaborate on them on his own, then she shouldn't ask anymore.
She took the card he handed her and read it. "Would it be really bad if I said I was surprised you actually hand out business cards? I don't know why that surprises me... should it not?", she asked, pocketing the card.
She wasn't sure how much of his job she could ask about anymore, so she decided to change the subject. "Well, anyway, uhm... are you a local in Glenhaven? I mean, did you grow up here?", she asked. Being a "migrant" herself, she was always curious whether there were people who actually lived here since they were born.
torrence jean paige
you felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space no one there to catch you in their arms