2020-10-06 - Back to Business

The bar is once again open, even if it's not exactly fully restored. There is still plywood over a few windows and the roof patching job isn't yet complete either but it's good enough to serve customers and Easton's not about to let it sit idle for any longer. There is hardly a crowd but at least a few people have made it out to grab a bite to eat or a few pints. Easton is back behind the bar, even though he should technically still be resting his leg and recovering. He's got on his usual black dress shirt over jeans. The only capitulation he's made towards rest is a stool behind the bar that he occassionally sits on to get of his leg. As he tries to tell yet another customer that Clint Eastwood, the actor, is still alive and well Easton starts to regret volunteering to be the one behind the bar. He expected the need to say that there was a family emergency a few hundred times, but he has no idea where this survivalist tv show stuff came from.

Vic makes her way in for her shift, in jeans and her Smurfs tee in honor of Easton's return. The woman has gone back to her natural blonde hair color after an extended hospital stay. She shrugs out of a light canvas jacket that was keeping the drizzle off of her, and eyes the bar owner as she makes her way towards him. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" she asks with an arched brow and pursed lips.

There are some weird things he's probably been hearing about her as well. That her ex-fiance is a serial killer, that she's in witness protection, you know, cute things like that.

"Probably." Easton shrugs off any thought of bed rest, he spent nearly an entire weekend sacked out on a couch that should be plenty. Besides it's not like he's going back into combat, he's just tending bar. He does take her comment as a cue to sit down though. That much he can manage to do. He has a pint of amber ale tucked behind the bar that he takes out and sips. At least it's not whiskey straight from the bottle.

Easton has asked around about Vic with a few regulars, just trying to figure out how she was as a bartender in his absence, not trying to pry. The stories that he got back were ... a lot. But he's already been introduced to some of these new folk tales thanks to Ravn and others giving him the heads up so he's not looking to put much stock into any of this, just yet.

"How was the summer season? You didn't actually kill anyone in the bar did you?"

Vic snorts as she rounds the bar and ties an apron around her waist. "I behaved. I didn't even yell. I gave people the correct drinks even. I just glared menacingly at people who were being bad customers. Because I wasn't about to let anyone upset Bennie. That woman is made of sunshine and rainbows for fuck's sake." There's a little protective streak Vic has for Bennie and Ravn, the two people in town she considers to be genuinely nice.

"We had karaoke a couple times. I even worked those, and the fourth of July party. God help me, I wore a patriotic bikini top, because your girlfriend could convince eskimos to buy ice cubes from her." She grunts at that.

Easton can't help but grin at Bennie's ability to charm both Ruiz AND Vic, the two possibly most cantankerous tough nuts in town into being suddenly protective of her while he's been gone. It's extremely cute. He laughs and says, "You working karaoke night is almost worth having karaoke night in my bar." It's something he would have tried to hold out against, but that battle is already lost and if he can salvage some joy out of it, then so be it. The news of a patriotic bikini top cause his eyebrows to raise. "Wow.. I mean obviously she can get me to do whatever she wants but we're in trouble if she learns she can turn that power on others."

And Easton would love to keep it light, chat about Bennie, about pouring drinks, whatever. But there's things to discuss and no one at the bar close enough that he's worried about saying thing.

"So." He looks at her with a look of clearly he's about to say things, "The big F nearly got whacked, there's a whole new pack of assholes in town and I'd love to know where my bar and the casino falls into that picture. If you know.." He hasn't asked about Bennie yet, if there's danger that she's going to get dragged into this, but he's headed there.

Vic nods at Easton and folds her arms across her chest, her expression enough to ward regulars away from the conversation. They know when Vic Grey is in a mood, and they've learned not to pester her at those times. "Felix turned the local Gray Harbor stuff over to Joey Kelly, you were here for that much I think? That was why I was sent here, to back Joey up if he needed it. But yeah, this Reyes clown has tried a lot of shit. We're still standing, but it's a bad situation, Marshall."

She leans back against the bar, but there's a tension in her entire body belying her calm. "Bunch of his goons tried to gun Monaghan down in the Casino parking lot. Killed Andre. They forced de la Vega to work for them or watch his loved ones get hurt or killed. Broke Joey Kelly's heart when he broke up with him so to speak. But I know Javier well, he may be playing the long game here." She shrugs a bit, jaw tight. "Burned a business to the ground, two of Kelly's low level employees died of lead poisoning to the head, someone tossed a molotov into Greg Sumpter's trailer in Huckleberry and nearly took my trailer with it."

"Right" Easton agrees with beer in hand that he knew that Felix handed things over to Joey. It worked out well in that Easton never actually had to talk to Felix and could pretend that he didn't know about the situation. The fact that Vic is repeating how serious the situation is drives home how messed up it must be. Again Ruiz and Vic aren't exactly effusive in their statements. It means something.

"Aww Andre." Easton doesn't exactly sound broken up but he knew the guy in passing. The fact that Vic knows that Ruiz is under Reyes thumb or at least acting like it causes his eyebrows to lift. "Yeah, he mentioned Cavanaugh getting the shit kicked out of him." Then she confirms that Ruiz had to 'break up' with Joey. He never asked for a reason. It didn't concern him. Just like it didn't concern other people who was using his bar to funnel money. He was fine with the secrets as they were. But now things are popping up and need dealing with. "If they're stupid enough to come for the bar, they'll regret that." Once. He sounds confident, but he knows he doesn't want it to escalate.

Vic grimaces at the reminder that Cavanaugh got beaten near to death. "Yeah, Joe is recovered physically I think. Emotionally? No idea." She frowns. There's something agitating her regarding the astronaut. She nods to her boss. "That's why I kept the position here with you gone. To make sure the place wasn't targeted and, if it was, to make sure Bennie and the staff and locals got out safe." She ruminates on that a moment.

"Oh yeah, and they sent someone to try and kill August Roen in a church for helping patch up the damage Reyes' people did. I got in the guy's way and now I have a lot of sewn up holes in my lung, and metal holding what's left of my ribs together." She pulls up the edge of her tee where he can see the only scar on her front, still pretty freshly pink, from her surgery. "Fun times. I shot that fucker in the back of the head on my way to the ground though, so he only managed to stab Roen once." She shakes her head a little. "Other than that, there's been plenty of bizarre shit going down that has nothing to do with the mundane. Hired Ravn Abildgaard as a barback and I'm training him to be a bartender. Nice guy, naive mind you, but well intended. Hasn't hit on me OR Bennie at all which, in this town, is a fucking miracle because, you know, we have amazing racks."

Easton looks at her with a repressed surprise when she admits to having something that almost resembles noble intentions. His mouth opens slightly as if he really wants to make a joke about that but finally, possibly overwhelmed by her having an honest moment, he just nods and says, "Thank you. Really."

The news about Roen and the attack though cause him to stop talking and stare in horror. He slowly starts to nod, thinking about what Ruiz said about how screwed up it's been lately. He frowns and says "Yeah, I met Ravn this morning. He seems like a good dude.." The fact that he hasn't hit on Vic or Bennie gets a smirk, "Well between the two of you you do cover a full spectrum of surly to sunshine. But I didn't really get a 'into dudes' vibe either? But seriously did he at least oggle your tits in the flag bikini?"

Vic snorts and shakes her head. "He was off that night and he doesn't like the huge crowds. He has a condition, which is why he wears gloves and covers up all the time, even in the summer. Some kind of touch sensitivity issue? So, I imagine most physical stuff sucks for him. But no, not into dudes. Which I imagine is heartbreaking for half the town," she grins. "Everyone else, however, ogled copiously and I didn't even punch anyone. Aren't you proud?"

The explanation of the gloves gets a small 'oh' as Easton was wondering but didn't really feel like asking, considering he threatened to kill him and that was probably enough Easton for one day. He shrugs and says, "Probably. He's a little pretty for my taste but I could see it." As to if it's heartbreaking for half the town or not he means. "Damn straight." Easton agrees that of course people oggled her. "And I am super proud. Now granted if anyone reached out and touched I'd break their hand myself if I was close enough. But I'm guessing you'd have that covered."

"Yeah, if I want someone to fondle my tits, I'll tell then to do it. I think the regulars have all grokked that by now. It's just the occasional yachter bro I need to glare into submission," Vic quips, some of the tension seeming to leave her as they chat about everyday normal crazy. "Other than that, I sent an angry letter to that thing over on the other side changing people's memories of me. It clearly has no clue how WitSec operates. Hrph."

"Me too" Easton says of the rules around fondling his tits. He smirks at the concept of sending a strongly worded letter to the Veil overlords. "I love the thought of you and a Murder She Wrote typewriter explaining the US Marshalls standard operation procedures." He takes a big gulp of beer and then brings it back to the earlier, "I should probably have a little chat with Kelly, try and figure out how to avoid us all dying in some mundane gang shoot out. Because if I survived the fuckin nightmare life for months only to catch an extra hole in my head from some idiot doing a spray and pray, I will be fuckin' pissed."

"I don't think Agatha Christie used terms like 'What the actual fuck' and 'fix this shit'. But sure, you dream that little daydream of me, Three Apples," Vic chuckles. She ponders his next words more soberly. "I'm thinking it might be wise to leave the bar in Bennie's name and control on the surface. You've really been under the radar as being affiliated with Felix, so we should try to keep it that way. The Casino might not entirely have tipped Reyes off, because Taylor is clean and owns the piano bar, so you could still be clean too."

"Considering I didn't even know that I was associated with Felix for nearly a year? I'm not super worried they're going to piece it together. Whoever did his paper was good. I only figured it out because my dad was a former associate, and I recognized a name. But with the casino that might change.." He listens to what she has to say about the piano bar and is glad to hear that Taylor is also clean. Huh, good to know. "But putting the bar in Bennie's name isn't the worst idea. It spreads it around and makes it harder to figure things out. " He stares at the beer in hand as if looking for advice as to what to do.

"How much does Bennie know, Easton?" Vic asks bluntly. She's carefully steered clear of all this stuff with the blonde, thus far. "I don't want to compromise you two either, by working here. But at the same time, my being here and me being who I am, might make them wary of starting anything here. They'd want to catch me alone, for sure."

"She doesn't. Not yet." Easton comes clean. "There's a shit ton I need to tell her. And I will." Not just about the bar, and about Monaghan. But other stuff too. He knows that he's being selfish by soaking up being back first but still it weighs on him. At the talk of Vic not being there he shakes his head, "Nothing obvious about having you as a bartender, at least as far as I know. You and Joey'd know better." He's not exactly /in/ that life, though he's been on the fringes of it for some time. "Obviously don't let them catch you alone. And if we need to boost the firepower at the bar, that's easy enough." Sure he upped it after Gohl showed up and shot the place to hell, but it's still a few handguns and one double-barrelled shotgun, if there's a reason for more guns, Easton has plenty to choose from.

"The less Bennie knows, the safer she is. But at the same time, she needs to be aware of there being a new criminal element in town that is hurting citizens." Vic seems practiced at treading the fine line between warning people, and warning them in detail.

Easton hems and haws a little at the thought of continuing to lie to Bennie. Especially if he's going to sign the bar over to her name, officially. But if it's doing it in the name of keeping her safe, well, he definitely wants to do that. He scowls and says, "We'll see. She needs to know there's a threat. And that we might get caught up in it for reasons." And he might get more caught up in it for other reasons, namely the fact that De La Vega is neck deep in it and Easton's not about to stand idly by while that happens.

"You can tell her I'm involved in the mess, don't have to give her real details, but that her and the bar could be a target because I work there. If she fires me over it, that's perfectly ok. I'm sure Kelly can get me work somewhere else." The things she is willing to do to protect Bennie and the bar. Aw. Vic gives a tourist who is approaching a steely glare and they go to find a table instead.

Nodding Easton agrees that it makes sense to use Vic as the reason there might be suspicion. He can play off putting the bar in her name by just not reversing it. He still needs to sort out the casino mess with Thorne but that's another issue altogether. "Yeah, well go figure but I do feel better having you here at the bar." The thought that maybe he can get Jay to come on full time crosses his mind. It would be great to have another bartender that he trusts if things go south. Wait, since when does he trust Vic? How did that happen!? Must be all that talk about protecting Bennie and doing the right thing, it does weird things to his tingly bits. "Okay... I'm gonna knock off early, you got the bar." He needs to talk things over with Bennie, and fine maaaybe rest his leg some, "And Vic?" He waits a beat to make eye contact, "Thank you." Because coming back to this side of her is not what he expected and it just means one less thing he needs to worry about.

Vic actually gives him a brief, but genuine smile at his thanks, and she might even blush a little bit. That kind of appreciation isn't something she's gotten since she stopped playing on the officially right side of the law. "I got it, go get some rest, boss."