2020-10-14 - The Little Things

It is the middle of the day. Sun streams through the window and onto the co-sleeper snuggled up against the bed. The quickly growing baby girl known as Morganna sleeps with that sunbeam washing across her belly and legs. Wrapped in a simple purple tie-dye sleeper she is also wrapped in kitten. Flerken curls around her with her head resting on her belly. The baby is just a bit bigger than the kitten though not by much. One little hand lays curled in the calico's fur. Little smiles cross Morganna's lips as she sleeps.

Kailey stands over the bassinet with her phone out. Taking video of the epic cuteness with a big grin. She'd texted Everett just a minute earlier, - You have to come see this! Flerken and Mew are being adorable!-

Glancing at his phone, the proud father smiles at the picture, the right corner of his mouth uplifting ever so slightly. His green eyes flick from the screen and across the table from him. The smile is quickly forgotten after examining the expression he meets.
"What?", Everett asks with his deep voice. Tucking the phone under the table and following it with his eyes to steal another peek. The same eyes quickly flicking up to challenge the man sitting opposite of him before his thick fingers begin to hunt and peck a reply and while he does, he's spoken to.

"Oh, nothing. I just recognize that smile," the man replies, uplifting his chin while he eyes where the phone vanished to. "Who is it," he asks, "some hot piece of ass?" He leans back, using his right hand to straighten his pale tie while both his other hand and the man behind him, similarly dressed for business, keeping his hands crossed in front and keeping his eyes on the large man looking at the phone. Until moments ago, they had a stoic stare-off.

"Mmm," Everett replies. Distracted. "Something like that."

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : she's adorable whose baby is that?

Kailey finishes the video. Which is complete with Morganna making a little whimper. The nine month old kitten reaches up and gently pats the baby on the cheek. You can hear the purr that starts loud and clear. A second later Morganna smiles a gummy grin in her sleep and settles down.

Kailey swipes to the text message from Everett and smirks. Attaching the video she types out her message. Looking amused at her own reply she moves to finish putting the laundry she had brought in away.

(TXT to ) Kailey : Not a lot of green eyed and black haired boys around...could be Aidan's. 😉

"Look. We don't want to get in your way anymore then we want to. Especially seeing as how busy you are, and everything," the seated man continued after his brows frown for a second. He throws a glance towards the larger man over his shoulder then back towards Everett who still isn't paying attention. "If you want me to say it plainly, then I will. We know who you work for. Either you cut us in, or there's going to be a little trouble. Especially around a place like this?" adds the man, leaning in so he can still be heard when his voice hushes. "Would hate to see something happen when there are kids in here. Eh?"

Everett's phone emits a soft purr while his muted smile returns. He still hasn't lifted his eyes upwards, not yet. Not away from the video that begins playing the moment his phone pings its arrival. Both men hang on, waiting on Everett while he resumes typing after a small chuckle and then seizes on the seated man's mistake. His empty hand reaches up, suddenly and without warning. It would be a mistake to grab the man's clip-on tie, and Everett's hand cups the back of short sandy hair. The table thuds with the sudden introduction of face to table surface. Hard enough to unsettle coffee cups from their saucers. When the bruiser behind the now struggling man begins to move, Everett only shoots him a glare; a visual warning that he could be next. Or things could get worse.
Leaning low, so he can whisper, Everett ignores the attention he's gotten from those he works with, keeping his attention on the man still standing while he whispers. His other hand reaches down, into the suit and pulls out a brown leather wallet from the inside of the man's suit jacket. "You listen to me. If you, or your friend show up here again, when your mother finds out what I do to you, she will cry. Get the fuck. Out of my store. And if anything happens to mine, I'll know who did it."

The thick wallet is dropped on the table on Everett's side with a dull thud just moments before Everett releases the man's head and sits down. Only then does Everett flash a look towards the kitchen, gauging the reaction of the man who serves as his cook and manager, before he looks back. The upset, however brief, has brought a hush to the family store.

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : aiden huh? he sgoing to busk for diapers

Kailey has no clue what is going on at Sweet Retreats. That is probably for the best. She wouldn't hesitate to lay a heavy burden of guilt and self-hate on them for those threats. Instead she finishes tucking the cloth diapers into the drawer before picking up her phone to read the text. "Heh. Busking for diapers," She giggles to herself.

Moving back over to the bed Kailey sits down besides the cosleeper. She answers the text quickly before snapping more pictures. Flerken having moved to licking the baby's short black curls. Or trying too. Cats licking hair often get it caught and sure enough one photo has the cat making a face while 'grooming' Morganna.

(TXT to ) Kailey : So if you're still at SR when she wakes up, and after she eats, we're gonna head over. I have a hankering for sea air and mozzy sticks.

The man who had been pinned under Everett's paw lifts his head, cheeks red with the rage his expression poorly conceals. "Motherfucker, you know who you're messing wh--" he starts to say while he brings himself upright in his seat and then up to stand, kicking the chair loose with the back of his knees. His companion uses one hand to open his jacket making no effort to conceal the butt of the handgun under his pit he reaches into his suit jacket for.

Everett bared his teeth with a grimace, things were going to get bad, and quickly. He waited for the gun to be drawn and for today to be the day he developed an extra hole. So soon after Kailey's trip to the hospital especially. A hammer clicked into place.
A throat cleared, faraway. Loudly. Attention getting.

The trio of them glance towards the throat-clearer. Lee stared at them, a cleaver in his right hand, braced on the chrome order window which he tapped with his fore-finger. As if that wasn't enough, when he had their attention, the cook jerks his head towards their exit. Towards Alice, the seasoned waitress. In her hand, she pointed her phone at them, looking at the camera to make sure she had the action in frame.
A soft pause descended the ice cream parlor.
Until it was broken by the sound of a chair slowly but loudly squealing over linoleum. Five pairs of eyes glanced to the only other occupied table on a late October. The man slowly getting up paused as soon as he felt the weight of ten eyes on him, then slouched to slide free from his chair without moving the seat further. Across from him, presumably his son was also paused, mid-lick of a chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cone appearing more thrilled then he ought.

Everett's phone beeped on the seat beside him but his attention didn't waiver. He pointed to the man across from, then the door, whispering still not that his volume even in a whisper helped or the faint, overhead music concealed it. "I know. Now get the f--" a glance stolen to his leaving customers, "fudge out." There was a glance towards the wallet that made Everett cover it with his paw and pull it cover to him before he nodded towards the door.

Slowly. Reluctantly, the duo retreated, giving menacing glares to the staff as they went, preceded by the last of his customers. Everett sat heavily in his chair and picked up his phone again while a voice asked his name. He snored at the text, then looked up, questioningly to Lee. "What?" the big man asked, like nothing just happened.

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : you and mozzy stix so greasy. why don't we go somewhere else

(TXT to ) Kailey : That's cause they taste so good. Fried and breaded cheese, yummo! But I'm game for going somewhere else. What did you have in mind babe?

As Kailey texts back Morganna begins to wake up. A cat is grooming her after all. She wakes up cooing and flailing to touch said feline. Mom watches them before taking yet another picture. Before Flerken decides it is time to eat. As she hops away a big old pout starts on the babies face.

"Awww no sweety. No sad-face. Mama's here!" Kailey says as she moves in to pick up her daughter. The pout vanishes with a happy burble. A big smile for Kailey as she is carried to the changing station. Kailey choosing a tie-dye diaper cover from the selection. The garage has been filled the last two weeks with her tie-dye projects. At least she is using them?

"'What?'" asks Lee, frantic, speaking to Everett through the order window. There's a gesture towards the door with the knife in his hand, "Don't 'What?' me!" He glances at Alice, who has since lowered her phone, but still on it, now leaning back against the counter.
"What the fuck was that?!" he adds, shouting, "And don't give me no shit this time. I've seen the movies. I know a shake down when I see one. Are we," he pauses, and steps away from the window. When he reappears it's after pushing the 'out' swinging door of the kitchen open, his hands empty of weaponry except the towel that hangs from the waist tie of his apron which he uses to clean his hands. Lee picks up his sentence when he sees Everett again. "Are we getting shook down?" he asks, his voice shocked, but also excited.

At that question, Everett rolls his eyes dramatically, the way his daughter will one day and it'll haunt him for life. With the dismissive roll of his eyes, he skoffs, "Ppfft. We sell ice cream, Lee." Everett puts his arms on the table, still holding his phone, around the extra wallet before pulling it over the tablet top and over towards himself. "Who would want to shake us down for money? We only do seasonal work, we'd never make payments. We've be more trouble then we're worth," he adds, with an air of someone who Knows These Things. So much so, Lee's head jerks back and Alice glances up from her phone.

For his part, Everett looks back down after his phone makes a sound and he smirks. He glances up at Lee and offers, "If it'll help take your mind off of things," he puts his phone down and opens the brown leather wallet. Past the gold badge, to flip through the cash the thug makes a murmured comment under his breath, "They pay these guys shit." Withdrawing a ten, he pushes it over to Lee before closing the wallet and putting it down next to him and collecting his phone in both, big hands again. Everett looks from Lee and nods to the cash, "I'll take an order of the mozzarella sticks. To go. It's for Kiki."

Lee looks at the wallet and then money when it's pushed across the table. A gasp of dismay, but he's smart enough to know when he's being dismissed and that's what Everett likes about him. Snatching the tenner from the table, Lee points the fore-finger of that hand to Everett, and tries to be stern. "This isn't over," he states, then walks away, to Alice. Who already has her hand out for the money, ringing the order up with the other hand. When she sees the denomination, there's a glance over her cat's eye glasses to Everett who isn't looking. "You'd think they'd be bigger tippers," she comments, but returns to ringing up the order.

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : that's cuz lee makes 'em with love but i dunno. that creepy bear place? i'm sure the owner would love a crying baby in hers

(TXT to ) Kailey : Mew is a happy baby and hasn't been fussy at a place yet. Blacl Bear is okay, though bring me mozzies? They don't have em there.

Kailey has had a crazy metabolism since Morganna was born. Losing weight even as she seems to need to snack constantly. But then, baby was snacking all the time too. All those calories were burning through her for Mew. And Kailey enjoyed the sunshine from the glider in front of the window. The sunbeam had moved a little and didn't blind her as baby ate. And she texted Everett.

(TXT to ) Kailey : Anything exciting happen today?

Standing up, Everett both leaves his phone and collects the brown leather wallet along with his coffee cup. The other, that was offered the owner of the wallet still left on the table. Following moments at Lee, Everett pushes the kitchen door open and leaves his cup in the kitchen before he turns to the door that leans upstairs. Where it was once his apartment, now serving as his bachelor pad where he brings young ladies to spend private time. Past the changing booth and crib, Everett reaches where he knows his height gives him advantage to put the wallet on top of the cupboard over the fridge.
For now. For today. Can't be caught with that on him or on the premise.

Turning around, the gorilla takes a look at the room before smiling at a plushie. Then stoic mask comes back down before the big man does, knowing that his order is nearly ready. At the Kitchen, Everett locks the apartment door once more, then turns around to find Lee watching him while standing at the fryer. Brows lifted. Questioningly, without saying anything, but wanting to.
Everett sighs and rolls his eyes again, looking towards Alice who's staring at her phone, but the owner knew better. "Look," he said to Lee, "ain't nobody coming over here shaking us down for our summer money, ok?" He didn't tell them they were here for him. Tattooed fingers combed his long, black hair back while Lee just makes a throaty sound of disbelief, "Mmm-hmm," and took the greasy sticks out of the fryer, gave them several shakes before dumbing them out into a bowl, shook spices from a large spice container into the bowl while the other hand artfully tossed the sticks.
Everett shakes his head and dismissed himself from Lee's kitchen before he got thrown out, and back to his table. Picking up his phone, he typed out a reply after reading, the slow hunt-and-pecker hearing the ding of the bell and Lee announcing, "Mobster order up!" He didn't know how much more of this he was going to take before someone was going to get punched. Before hitting send, Everett takes the bag from Alice whose job was to carry the bag from the window to counter. "Thank you for your understanding, guys," murmurs Everett. Without a trace of sarcasm.
"Bring that baby by," said the grandmother before she released the bag, giving Everett a look over her glasses which he took to mean was an order. "Yes, ma'am." Lee receives a single wave of his palm, then Everett leaves.

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : i know, she's weirdly happy but maybe i can poke her until she cries. and bring you greasy cold mozzy stix? i guess sounds horrible. ill pop by as soon as he's made them. he sends his best.

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : oh you know, the usual?