2019-08-21 - Damsel in This Dress

7:14 pm on Thursday night. Harper's house. She lives in a bungalow house that has been her home her whole life. It was paid off with insurance money after her mother died. And then more life insurance paid for an entire redo of the inside when she turned 18 and her father died. It's quite contemporary. Open space for the kitchen and main living room. The hall leads to, as Jessica knows, the master suite and Harper's old bedroom which is now a guest room, plus the other bedroom which is a home office. There's some blues-y music playing inside. the windows are all closed so the A/C can do its work on the sultry August days. The question is: does Jessica let herself in or ring the doorbell?

Harper texted a few days ago.
: There's a man.

: You tried to take him out with a drink tray.
: I brought him home.
: We need to talk.

Of course Jessica will let herself in. Harper is in danger! She's been kidnapped by that giant from the bar. She eyes off the motorcycle outside, wondering if she should just call the police now. Delicately and quietly, Jessica unlocks the door and peers inside. Ruining her stealthy approach, she then yells out, "Harpo!! Are you home! Are you okay!" The journalist is wearing sensible shoes, slacks, t-shirt, and a jacket over that into which she has a hand stuffed in a pocket. "I have a gun!"

The house smells like marinara sauce. Harper is sitting at the dining table beside Everett on one end so they are at ninety degree angles to one another. It looks like the meal is nearly over. Pasta plates are mostly empty as are salad plates. Glasses of wine and ice-water are at varying degrees of consumption. Harper herself has her chin in her palm, elbow on the table as she listens to Everett tell her the story about something that sounds like involves a key character named Dog. "-- but who stabbed --" She looks up with surprise and over as Jessica pushes in through the front door and calls out to her. She is wearing a halter top, a colorful, bohemian skirt, and her feet are bare. A thin piece of leather wraps closely around her neck. "Jessica!" Harper pushes to her feet and touches a hand to one of Everett's broad shoulders as she moves toward the entryway that opens to the whole great room. "Jess, is everything okay?" That's first. Before anything else.
( outfit, not pb: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/48/e4/f3/48e4f3441e450249c562bd69715d0b20.jpg )

His smile quickly fades as the front door explodes open seemingly by itself. And then Everett's eyes go wide. Gun?! He grabs the first thing he can and throws it at the home invader, hurling the small, round and dirty salad plate and sending it towards Jessica. "Get down, Harper!" he cries, hand coiled around pasta fork as he kicks the chair from under him violently and follows the direction of the plate, murder gleaming in his eye.

"Harpo? Are you okay?" is Jessica's urgent reply, before looking confused at Harper's clothing. "What are you wear..." Incoming! Jessica shrieks in alarm as a salad plate comes flying through the air at her. She hits the deck, both hands over her head. "Run, Harpo!!" Glancing up from the floor, she sees a giant charging at her with deadly intent. Those forks are dangerous! "Christ-Mohammad" she squeaks, covering all bases before leaping to her feet and doing her best to keep her distance while looking for a weapon. "Run, Harpo! Call the police! I'll distract him!"

Harper half crouches at that commanding yell, but then the plate smashes the wall next to her dear friend and they volley threats and she stops between them, holding a hand out in both directions. "Stop, stop. STOP! Everybody who is here is /supposed/ to be here. No more threats of violence or --" A look to Everett. "-- throwing things." Harper takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. "Jessica, dammit, this is Everett Woods. I texted you. Everett, this is my best friend Jessica Flores. We've been close ever since high school. That's why she has a key. I think the two of you may have met in passing at a Girls' Night. Nobody is in danger here. We're all safe." Harper has now repeated the calm words slowly in at least three different ways. The music continues from the speakers in the room as if this were all par for the course.

He charges this way and stops. And then a lunge this way, and stops. Back and forth around the sofa, not at all comically, this is serious business -- someone's going to get pasta sauce in their fork wound, not that it hasn't occurred to him the gun hasn't been brandished. He quickly glances over his shoulder while stopping, to look at the Librarian and then Jessica. The pointed look at him causes him to interrupt, "But she has a--" until Harper keeps talking.

Introductions given, Everett continues to look suspicious, but a look at Harper, he sees it seems alright and his shoulders fall, the gorilla mutters under his breath, and rolls his free left hand from green tee-shirt down to the lap of his jeans before he offers his bare hand, "Sorry," is muttered. The pose is held for awhile, shook or not, he mutters to Harper, "Broom?"

Jessica isn't stopping until Everett does - she doesn't trust him as far as she can throw him. Or push decisively. "We met" she confirms. "And I saw him attack a woman. Are you sure you're okay, Harpo? I know about these kinds of people. You know, a cultist kind of thing. Convince you of anything while plotting to rip out your liver and sacrificting you to the Great Horny One." A beat. "I'm starting to sound like Kevin." Slowly, warily, she will calm down. No gun to brandish since Jessica hates the damn things. "Yeah, you texted me, Harpo, but it sounded like a plea for help. He could have you imprisoned in here with...marinara sauce? Have you been cooking?"

Harper looks between Everett and Jessica with her hands up like a crossing guard. Everett stops and straightens. Jessica gets back to her feet. "Well, that only ended badly for a salad plate, so I guess things are all okay." To Everett, "In the pantry." He's getting a broom so Harper is moving the rest of the way to Jessica to whisper, "We're dating, Jess. It's okay. Definitely don't be a Kevin in this situation, please." She catches at her friend's hand and tugs her gently toward the sofa. "I didn't tell him that I'd given out a key. And he's seen some harsh things. I'm sure he feels terrible about the plate. I know he wanted to meet you." She sinks to the sofa with Jessica. "I know about the Erin Addington incident. He's not violent. Not like you think." So she has to qualify it? "Please Jess," she whispers. "Give him a chance." Then she transitions over to the food question. "Spaghetti and meatballs. There's still some left if you're hungry." Yes, Harper cooked. And it doesn't smell as if anything burned. Harper casts her glance toward where Everett went to find a broom. "We hadn't had dessert. I bought some stracciatella gelato and those pirouette cookies. Can I get you some?"

The line that they've met makes him ponder. She doesn't seem at all familiar to him; she may have left more of an impression had Andre let her. Pun gloriously intended. Open cynicism comes to his face, one brow raised higher than the other does. Then his expression turns introspective. His offered handshake rebuked, Everett replaces the fork to the table and rights the chair he'd been sitting on that he knocked over in his haste, listening, but not commenting. It's when Jessica mentions his one true Lord and Master, the Great Horned One that Everett looks down and then grows a broad knowing smirk and casting a look over his shoulder to Harper. Oh, the ego on this guy.

With that broad grin, Everett silently goes to the pantry next, broom. Dustpan. It was his mess so he sets his mind to cleaning it, by then his smile faded as he tries to assemble the pieces back together inside the dustpan. Like he can make it whole again.

Jessica has heard some shocking news in her years as a journalist - 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Japanese nuclear meltdown - but nothing like what she has just heard. "You're dating?" She's struggling to comprehend this, even before parsing who she is dating. "Umm...that's great, Harpo. I'm so happy for you." The confusion is obvious on her face - Harper cooked! And also that she is dating someone who seems to be so not her type. Can he even speak much less read? Jessica looks deeply into Harper's eyes, holding her hands. "Promise me that everything is okay. And then promise me you will get me some of that dessert." A wink for her dearest friend.

Not her type is an understatement here. Would anyone put the librarian and the biker together as a potential couple? Harper nods to the echoed query of what she just said. "It's okay, Jessica. I was going to meet up with you and break it to you more gently, but -- well, now you're here. Wait and decide for yourself if you're happy for me. I don't need the blanket approval. I want the Jessica-one. And you have to get to know Everett before you decide who he is. I promise you first looks are deceiving."

Harper glances over to Everett trying to piece the plate back together. "Just throw it away, Everett. It was your turn to break something. Preferably not hurled at my best friend." Back to Jessica she reiterates. "I promise you everything is okay," Harper murmurs and leans in to kiss her friend's cheek with a tight little squeeze. She draws back. "On it. Dessert. You ready for some gelato, Everett? And we do /not/ use the c-word in this house." Harper rises from her seat and crosses the sitting space. "I demand that you to speak to one another. Nicely." And she's past the kitchen table heading into the kitchen, pulling a cupboard open to pull out three bowls.

The clatter that follows, after Everett brings the salad plate to its final resting place, is short lived and preceded with the banging of the dustpan against the side of the trash bin. Then the ape returns the broom and accessory to the pantry. When he comes back out, he's been faced with a question and looks uncertain at Harper. He pats his front pockets then back and then promptly leaves the open kitchen for the master bedroom.

He isn't gone long and he's on his phone when he is. It doesn't take long to look up the nutritional facts of what she's considering for dessert and considering the conversation about the carb load of spaghetti, Everett shakes his head twice after he lowers the phone, and then runs his empty hand through his hair to settle it back in place. "Erm. No thank you," he adds to Harper.

Jessica stands and heads for the table, lips in 'petulant child' mode, as she watches Everett leave and return. And he turns down dessert? He's not off to a good start. Being an easy conversationalist - not - Jessica stands uneasily as she considers what to say to the giant. 'Ugh' springs to mind but she's not that rude...not to people her best friend has said she is dating at least. "So...umm...how did you get together?"

Harper shoots Everett a disappointed look as he refuses the stracciatella and cookies and serves up two bowls of it with pirouette cookies. She pulls two spoons from a drawer and puts one in each dish, and grabs two napkins. She sets a dish of the gelato in front of Jessica and puts another at the place where she'd been sitting, telling Everett, "You field that one. And I want to hear syllables." Is she joking? A little smile touches at her lips as she clears the dinner stuffs from the table quickly before returning a few moments later to join Jessica at the table.

"I put three drops of rohypnol in her drink, and drug her back to my cave."
Deadpan. Everett stares at Jessica, as impressed with her as she is with him. And then there's a chink in his armor. Lips quiver. He exhales through his nose, a trembling snort, and then he grins broadly, his shoulders shaking before he covers his mouth with his right hand, his left supporting phone and elbow while he too returns to the table.

Waving a paw dismissively, Everett says, because he's on orders to use big words, "I have a promotional idea to help the community and my business. And when I went to the Library to talk to someone there to pitch it," Everett nods his head towards Harper while he pulls a chair back and sits down. "I suppose we just. Intellectually connected."

"I thought that's what happened." Jessica nods to Everett, equally deadpan. With dessert to be consumed, and a reminder by Harper's presence that she should be the better person - how hard can that be - she listens with interest to the story of their meeting. "What business do you run? And what was the promotion? That all sounds very interesting." And she totally doesn't sound like a journalist. And she even kept a straight face at 'intellectually connected'. It wasn't easy. She smiles warmly to her friend before resuming the inquisition. "I care about Harper very much. so I'm sorry if I'm being a bit cold and concerned. And sorry for almost hitting you with a drink tray...though I think we're even now."

Harper lifts a spoonful of the gelato up to her mouth and tastes it. "Mmm. The chocolate flakes really make it melt on your tongue." She chokes on her gelato when Everett gives the first description, nearly dripping it down her chin. She grabs her napkin and dab-dab-dabs. "You two need some alcohol." Harper flickers a look between the large man and her best friend. "But don't let me interrupt." Under her breath. "Or a /lot/ of weed." Another spoonful. "Tell her about the jelly beans, Everett." So she's interrupting. Everett gets a long look, then Jessica does. It would be safe to say that look holds a hopeful plea.

"I co-own the Sweet Retreat, the ice cream parlor on the boardwalk," Everett volunteers. He'd said no, but. Casting longing looks at the dessert regardless, then back to Harper. Dessert. Harper. Then the ultimate weapon in the form of widened eyes, lifted brows, flittering lashes: puppy dog eyes. Just long enough to get her attention.

His attention shifts back to Jessica, "It was a jar of jelly beans. Guess how many are in there, person that's closest gets," he lifts his right hand and twirls it in the air, "I dunno. A book wasn't it?" he asks Harper. "And I am going to give coupons for a discount for the children, it's a children's contest. Ages twelve, I thought," a look at Harper to check, "and under. For something like ten percent off whatever they purchase at my place. I want to split the profits of the event too with the Library. Maybe they can do something about the smell in the basement." Either it's the manner in which Jessica asked the question, that Harper is there and told him to play nice, or it's a topic he believes in, Everett's finally using words. Almost all of them, too.

And then he blinks with confusion. "Drink tray?" He would have never seen it coming. "Uh. Ok. Sorry for flinging crookery at you." He leans back in his chair and glances down to Harper, his arm closest to her moving over to lay on her leg, the politely company is over of an inch of less to her knee.

Jessica returns Harper's hopeful look with one that reads 'I'm trying'. They have a lot of silent communication built up over the years. Alcohol? She knows how bad Harper gets after one glass. And weed? They've had a couple of brownies in the past but nothing more. What has Everett been introducing poor, innocent Harper to? No wonder she's wearing a halter top...and is that a leash?

"The ice cream parlor? Nice. I've been there. I like to get a bucket to take home to eat on Honeybuns. Helps when things are tough" Jessica sighs before nodding to the jelly bean competition idea. "That sounds like fun. Do you know how many are in the jar or do you just pour them in and count them afterwards?" There may be some corruption to root out...or not. A smile for Harper. "Guess I know why I haven't seen you in a while. You look happy." And that's really all that matters.

Harper nods here and there at what Everett says. "And we'll do some raffles for books with that money. Give out ice cream and books to kids who come to events. Kids usually don't go to get ice cream alone. So it won't be a loss. People will connect the ice cream parlor with reading and fun." She nods about the prize for his contest. "Something involving both books and ice cream. And some bookmarks and stickers for runners-up." She punctuates the air with her spoon as she speaks. The idea of coordinating books and free ice-cream for Gray Harbor's children clearly lights the librarian up. A sidelong look at Everett, then she scoops a bite of the gelato and offers him the spoon to grab and take his own bite if he wants. "Carbs don't exist in this house. Ask Jessica. She'll tell you." To Jessica, "I don't think he saw you swing it at him, Jess. I only made the connection because he confirmed it was the Erin Addington who took the swing at him on a Ladies' Night. And it sounded too much like your story not to be the same event." And just look at him. Jessica's self-described eight-foot-tall man.

"Honeybuns is Jessica's house," Harper tells Everett. And there is no leash! Harper exchanges those silent communication looks with Jessica. She's calm. She's okay. She wants Jessica's buy-in. She glances down to the hand above her knee and takes a slow breath. She does look happy. Retrieving the spoon from Everett whether he takes a bite or not, she scoops up another for herself. "How are things with you, Jess? Last time I saw you, it seemed like there was some promise." A brow tip. "That's it?" No more questions from Jessica? Harper's stunned. Perhaps concerned.

Everett nods, his silent communication skills with looks and smoke signals, passing notes through high school about cute boys, are all very rusty. Instead, Jessica is given a sincere nod, "Ice cream is a good comfort food. Or date food," sideways glance in Harper's direction, with a smug smile. It's where he notices he's being offered a bite of her dessert and gives them both a look that says, well, if I must, and offers an open maw. Aren't they just the most nauseating?
"I suppose I should figure details like that out, though, if I were to tell you right off the cuff, I'd guess after the fact. I'm still working with the graphics for the coupons and the banner to go around the table." He looks too, at Harper, smiling broad. "Very happy. Honeybuns is the name of a home?", he looks back at Jessica, and inclines his head, "How did that happen? Isn't that the name of a snack food?" When the best friends communicate directly, Everett has the wisdom to stay out of it, and listen.

"Honeybuns is the name of my houseboat. Not sure how that name came about. Wishful thinking? But it happened, and it stuck" Jessica shrugs to them both. "I didn't actually get to swing. The security guy advised me not to before I did." At the question of 'That's it?' she once more shrugs at her friend. "I could ask him if he has a criminal record or something if you want. Tattoos of an obscene nature...but you've probably already seen them. Whether he's engaged, married, paying child support. Or I can trust you." Of course she says all this with Everett quite able to hear. "Nothing's happening in my life" Jessica sighs with a shake of her head. "That promise...I was mistaken. I mean, I can understand why I was mistaken. When you're naked, and in someone else's shower, and you kiss that someone and they kiss you. Repeatedly. I think I was justified in thinking /something/ was happening. I was wrong." An apologetic look to Everett. "Sorry, you probably didn't need to hear all that." Nauseating? Never. It's cute.

Harper retrieves the spoon she was offering to Everett for him to take the bite from and simply pushes her dish over toward him and sets the spoon beside it. She picks up one of the pirouette cookies and crunches the tube-shaped, delicate sweet. "You could ask him any of those things, yes. You're my only family. And I'd prefer you not think I've lost my mind, Jess." She smiles warmly at her friend and leans her shoulder over to bump it against Everett's much larger, higher shoulder.

At mention of 'nothing' happening, Harper frowns, and it's like a cloud has passed in front of the sunny smile she usually wears. She listens to the details. "I would have thought the same thing," she answers quietly. "So someone was just playing?" Neither name nor gender is relayed. "Those messages are pretty loud and clear, if you ask me." Is Harper going to have to speak up on her friend's behalf? Don't test her. She'll do it.

It stuck. "Honeybuns will do that," he nods softly with a bemused smile. He shakes his head and waves his free hand, "You didn't, so there's nothing to forgive. I'm sorry I ruined your ladies night." The intrigue into his past, his visible ink, Everett smiles softly. "You know I'm right here, right?" he asks them both, with a good natured chuckle.

Jessica's assessment and Everett nods, before he makes a large assumption, "Oh. Wow. Yeah. I think," his eyes look off to the side, not looking at anything at all, "that if I were in a shower, getting repeatedly kissed that it would be fair to think that something was going on too. Unless the guy is a lousy kisser." He shrugs a shoulder, "That's fine. You're important to Harper, that makes you important to me."

"We all lose our minds when we date" Jessica winks to Harper. "And we know you're here" she asides to Everett, "You're hard not to notice." A shrug about the person playing. "I don't think so, Harpo, I think it is just how they are. I invited them over for a meal on the boat and they were surprised I was dressed up for them. They have someone else in their life too. And they're trying to figure out stuff so I'm not in their plans right now. It's okay. Not sure what I expected. Mad Cat Lady is still in my future. Don't worry about it, Harpo, we moved to friendzone I think, and that's fine." It doesn't sound fine but Jessica is getting used to the single life.

"You didn't ruin the Ladies' Night" Jessica assures the giant. "We still danced and drank way too much. They were a great kisser...just nothing more."

Harper's sparkling smile reappears for Jessica despite the story she's not getting all of. "We do," she agrees, looking over at Everett. "And you are. You loom, Everett. We tend to talk about everyone in front of them. It's just a thing we do." Back to Jessica. "I'm disappointed," Harper says to Jessica. "They were giving off different vibes than that. I can vouch. As for your future, it's a long time off. I promise you it'll happen when you're not looking. You'll be doing your thing and wham, they'll be right there." Harper turns a sidelong glance to Everett when he speaks about what he'd do in the shower with the right guy. "She's my family." More than important. "Do you want some more gelato or cookies, Jess?"

The first comment is rewarded with a scoff from Everett. It does seem like an indirect comment on the two of them. But misinterpreted flattery makes him forget quickly, using his free hand to tug his shirt collar, fidget, and then run that hand through his long hair, "Well, thank you." He listens to the remainder and hmms softly. "I guess some people don't know what they want, even when the best thing in their life is right infront of them." He glances at Harper for a second and points at her when looking back, "What she said. Those were some pretty clear and heavy handed signs. Just being in a shower with someone -- and I'm just going to assume standard, regulation sans clothing that is the usual fair in those things -- and kissing, that's a message. And it's a big one." He looks away for a moment and shakes his head, "I mean, as a guy, the only reason I can think a guy would do that is if they want to play the tease game. And it doesn't seem like that's what's going on. Being in the shower with someone else while you have another person. That's uh." He turns his gaze back and makes a sour face, "That's uh, es una pena. You know?" He looks at Harper, and shrugs with his hands up to his shoulders, "What? I know you consider her your family."

"Well, technically, they weren't in the shower at the time. I was getting in the shower at their house...though they don't live there anymore. They have an interesting life. Honestly, it's better that it's clear there is nothing going on now, rather than me discovering them in bed with someone else. And not inviting me." Jessica has decided that this is the way she has to deal with the situation. "It could have been fun. It would have definitely been interesting. But they've chosen another way. Definitely more gelato needed, Harpo." Her empty bowl is offered over. "Now you can tell me all the stories of your romance. I will require updates every night, of course. Well...on the nights you're not doing other things." A knowing look between the two of them. "I guess that means I'll never hear from you, Harpo" she teases before nodding to his Spanish. "Yeah, it's a pity, but no point forcing someone to do something they don't want to do. Not the way to have a good romance. Hey, can we talk about a successful relationship instead?"

Everett's commentary draws Harper's gaze and she watches him share his thoughts on the situation with a small, fond smile. "Hear hear," she agrees. To both the shower theorizing and the fact that Jessica is family. Back to Jessica, Harper smiles and takes her bowl. "Cookies too?" She pushes back her chair and trails a fingertip across Everett's shoulders as she passes by him and heads into the kitchen to open the freezer, scooping out some more of the delicious gelato for her dear friend.

"Well, there haven't been any showers," she offers up with a grin from the kitchen. "But there are definite benefits to dating someone who runs an ice cream parlor." Who will only eat from her scoop of gelato because of carbs. "And I would never tell you this in front of him, but he might be an excellent kisser. I haven't gotten a ride on the bike yet. I apparently don't own the right kind of clothes." Yep, Jessica's getting the rundown from Harper, who puts the gelato back in the refrigerator and carries the bowl back out to Jessica and sets it in front of her with a brush of knuckles to her dear friend's hair beside her cheek. "No losing hope. We just have more information to go on, now, right?" She looks over to Everett and taps the bowl she pushed over to him. "Only two more bites won't hurt you. Finish it up."

"Jeeze," Everett murmurs, pauses and looks down and then over at Harper, quietly torrid before looking back, "Anyways, it sounds like a real problem, Jessica. And I'm sorry you're having difficulty. I know I speak for only myself, but your sister probably feels the same way: if you ever feel like you want to talk about it. That, or something else, you can always count on us. No matter what." Everett steals a glance to Harper while she passes to make certain that's acceptable, reaching out to snag on her skirt, but let go before the threat of indecency.

When Jessica asks for a change in the topic, Everett nods his head softly and with Harper getting more, Everett smiles and rolls his eyes for Jessica's benefit. The right kind of clothes being, "Llllleathah. If we take a spill it'll protect you more. And I'm not saying you can't --" he turns to Jessica, "Watch this," and turns back to Harper's back, "-- but a biker's Old Lady has to be protected."

He looks down at the bowl and then at her and then he frowns with a hint of humor, "Are you fattening me up before the slaughter? Is that what's going on here?" he asks, taking the bowl and spoon from the table and leaning back again. Small bites. Many small spoons. What a man does for love.

"Sure, throw in the cookies too" Jessica grins before getting the rundown on Harper's relationship. "You haven't washed?" she gasps about the lack of showers. "Is that an euphamism? 'Ride on the bike'? I thought the idea was to ride it without clothes. So, you can't tell me if it's six, eight or twelve cylinders? Hopefully it isn't four or less." Yes, these are the kinds of converstations they have in front of people. "Yeah, still hope. I guess I have broader options now" she snorts without humor.

"Oh, you want Harpo to dress in leather? Hmm...not sure they make cardigans in leather, but, hey, she's in a halter top at the moment so she's obviously going crazy. Leather can't be too far away." Jessica snorts at the comment about the Old Lady. "He's right, Harpo, you should always use protection. Though I think they make them out of latex now, not leather. Can even get them ribbed for your pleasure I hear."

Harper doesn't argue Everett's relatively new use of the first person plural pronoun or the application of it to sentiment, but she does call from the kitchen with an "Ugh! You're not using that phrase." He so called it. When she's back at the table and he sacrifices himself on the stracciatella altar, she smiles. "I wouldn't have made you if you hadn't used those words." Jessica absolutely gets more cookies with her gelato.

Jessica's playful mis-translation about showers draws delighted laughter from Harper. "I wouldn't know a cylinder if it ... took a shower with me." Harper's brown eyes dance long after she stops laughing. "And I would so buy a leather cardigan," Harper states flatly. "It would go with everything." A beat. "There's nothing wrong with my top. It's very summer-y." She rests an elbow on the table and drops her chin to her knuckles as she regards Jessica. The latex comment drags a groan from Harper's throat. "No. Jess. You did not just go there." Harper flushes just a bit. Where's a cookie? She reaches over and steals one of the two that she brought out with Jessica's second helping. "How's work?" Subject change!

Everett pauses long enough to say one word and then shovels the spoon in his mouth, "Hemi," looking no where but his bowl. The pink on his cheeks doesn't get any better when he points the spoon at Harper, "There's a place we haven't," testing the water of just how far he's allowed to go, "Up against the tilted walls, water cascading from above. Pinning your legs back so you can watch what I'm doing to you." Everett puts the empty spoon in his mouth upside down and wiggles his brows at Harper twice.

Then to something Harper said, as he leers openly, "No. There is ab-so-lutely nothing wrong with your top. Mm. Or middle. Or especially bottom."

Jessica may have went there but Everett went there too...and he used the back alleys and dimly lit streets. The journo stares at the talk of what could happen in the shower. Her appetite is fading rapidly. Thank goodness for that subject change. "Work is...work. The editor keeps wanting to flush the good stuff down the shower drain..." She closes her eyes in an attempt to get imagery out of her head. "Kevin hangs around Magnolia all day and night. No more making messes at his desk. Is it hot in here? I should...umm...probably go. Bit of a third wheel here. Harpo is fine. More than fine. And you probably have a shower to take." She pulls out the keys to Harper's house. "You want these back, Harpo?"

Harper starts to look concerned by the time Everett says the word 'haven't'. By the time he says 'legs' she's dropping the cookie and flinging herself at him to try to clap a hand over his mouth. "Shush, you!" She pulls her hand away with a mortified expression and says to Jessica. "He doesn't play chicken well. He just floors it and drives in a straight line. In some ways that makes the two of you very much alike." And then Everett's starting about tops and middles and bottoms and Harper blushes bright pink. "Oh my god. Everett. Stop. Please." Back to Jessica. "I'm so sorry. He's playing. This is how he plays. It's really --" Jessica pulls out the keys. "Please keep them. I don't want any of that to change." Her brown eyes are wide and her expression utterly sincere, pleading even. "Will you?"

Everett says, "Oh. Boy," Everett muffles after a moment spent with Harper's hands on his mouth. "I clearly don't know the rules to this game," he astutely observes. He waves a hand at Jessica, "You aren't third wheeling anything. I promise. You're Harper's friend, you're welcome here," at Harper's house. "No matter what. I might be a little rough around the edges," he leans against Harper, "but I mean well." He ponders, taps his chin, safe topic. "Who's Kevin?" And she mentioned editors. "You're a journalist?"

Maybe its better that the big guy is often silent when around new people. But Harper made him talk. And use syllables like a big boy."

"I hope there's a little variety in his driving" Jessica smiles sweetly to her blushing BFF. "No need to apologise. I hope that one day I will have someone talking about our sex life to everyone. I'm envious. And I'm sure he's every playful." A nod about the keys and they are dropped back in Jessica's pocket. "Nothing's changing, Harpo. Best friends for life, remember? Men come and go...then try to come again before going to see someone else where they can come and go. But we'll always be friends."

"Kevin is my co-worker at the Gazette. So, yes, I'm a journalist. That's why I don't have to ask about your criminal record, I can find out myself" she teases Everett. "But, seriously, you want me to stay and chat when you could be 'riding the bike'?"

Harper replies in agreement, "The rules are hard for boys to understand." She nods in solemn agreement to what he says about Jessica not being a third wheel. And really, it's not like the pair can't keep their hands off one another. There's a warmth between them, but, aside from the 'game of chicken', it doesn't look like they're in a rush to see Jessica go. Either of them. Harper's blush is finally starting to fade.

"If that's what you want, someday you will. Sooner rather than later. The last time we talked, I was bemoaning old kisses. Remember?" The line across Harper's shoulders relaxes when Jessica pockets the keys once more. "Always," she agrees. "Do you like the gelato?" She grins a little at Jessica's ability to do her own research, then she argues with the last bit. "Not until I buy the right leather, I think. Apparently he likes accidents. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to the broken bones." An affectionate little smile is tossed up sidelong at Everett.

Cants his head to the side and looks put upon, but pleased. His mouth opens like he's going to say something, but all that comes out is a disconcerted grunt. The comment about his playfulness and Everett's looking at Harper for her reply to that, his countenance one of amusement and this time he does comment with a dry word: "Woof."

He squirms a little in his chair, but stubbornly insists, "I said it and I meant it. If you're important to Harper, then you're important to me."

They've had this talk before, so Everett smirks at Harper, but it's with affection that he rolls his eyes. "I don't like to have accidents. I just don't want to have one and see you creamed, Pumpkin." He reaches over, and gives her nose a gentle pinch.

"There's a lot of things boys find hard to understand" Jessica grins before nodding about the old kisses. "I remember. I guess you have new kisses now. Yeah, the gelato is perfect. Sweetie, umm, when I say 'riding the bike', I mean sex. So I hope you don't get any broken bones doing that." Though she can't be sure. Pumpkin? Jessica hides her giggles behind eating ice cream. It is adorable though, and Harper is obviously happy. "Seriously, you two should have a night of sordid frolics." She finishes off her ice cream before leaning over to give a kiss to Harper's cheek. "Text me. Let me know the sordid details. Take pictures and I'll let you know how many cylinders it is."

It's probably the 'woof' that starts Harper laughing, looking up at Everett, then over to Jessica. How much wine did she drink with dinner? She wrinkles her nose after it's pinched and tips her head into Everett's big shoulder, then looks back over to Jessica. "Some new kisses, yes," she agrees. Then she lowers her voice to a faux whisper. "I knew what you meant but I was trying to let it run under the bridge without addressing it, Naughty." Yep. She called her best friend 'Naughty'. Harper starts shaking her head, "I'm sure we'll figure something out without suggestions from the audience, darling." Still to Jessica. She leans her cheek into the kiss. "I'll text you. And we'll have another Girls' Night soon. Let's just be picky about the other girls we invite. Or not picky. We can gather a posse at a bar and bring them all back to the Honeybuns." She adds as Jessica gets ready to go, "Thanks for coming by to save my life."

"Well, there's at least one bone I don't want broken," he murmurs softly. The suggestion that Harper should take pictures leaves Everett ponderous, giving her a sideways look while he thinks, glancing down and then back up her. Back to Jessica, Everett pouts his bottom lip, wrinkling his flat jaw and with his right hand, indicates with thumbnail, on his pinkie up to the first knuckle.

"New kisses? What? And have my poor virtue stolen before marriage?" He tries for incredulous. "With all your sorted and unsorted frolics. I suppose you'd use the dewey decimal system for yours," he pointedly accesses Harper.

"You can run it under whatever you want" Jessica grins with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Naughty? She wishes. "We don't have to invite anyone. Just like in the old days. And please don't try to smuggle Everett in by putting him in a dress." She stands, moving over to give Harper a tight hug. "I'd die for you, you know that." A shake of her head at Everett. "He thinks it's a bone, Harpo. Not a good start. Nice to meet you, Everett. Treat her well. She deserves to be happy." A last look at them both before she is heading off back to her Honeybun.

Harper wraps her arms around Jessica and gives her a long hug. "We've already discussed my closet being off limits, don't worry." She pauses, listens. "That will never change. To the end." Harper stands and walks Jessica to the door. They get there and Harper whispers, "Thank you, Jess." To Everett after the door closes, "No catalogs for you, mister."

With wonderment, Everett comments to himself, "How did today include me wearing her clothes, twice?" He lifts his head to look up at the vaulted ceiling as though to find his answers written there. He, too, stands when everybody else does, and offers a wave to Jessica's leaving. "She certainly does deserve to be happy." A smack follows Harper's comment to the large brute, "Catalogs about what?" he asks, in total bewilderment.