jacobklee

[jacobklee]

How could he ever forget? The mirror reminded him daily... his mother reminded him daily that he was not getting any younger, especially when she tried to ask for more grandchildren. Hell, Harper Lee! Wasn't Selvi enough? "When have I ever forgotten?" Jacob shook his head. He was well aware that the clocked seemed to tick faster for him... was that even an expression like that? The mention of food, however, made Jaocb forget everything he had been complaining about. From his future knee pain to the possibility of going grey. All he could focus on now, was on the sudden wave of hunger that flushed through him and made him groan in return. "Yeah, we should go grab something to eat. You want to head over to Basic Kneads? I could go for pizza." / @elliot-chapman

"Don't remind me," Elliot moaned with a roll of his eyes. He was very much aware of the fact that years were creeping up on him and he was not getting any younger. "But you are oder than me, just in case. you forgot." It was one card he held over his friends after all and he was never going to not use it when he had the chance to. "We'll be remembered in history for being so charitable. I'm sure of it," he announced, tapping his friend on his back. "I'd definitely love a beer. And maybe grab a bite? I'm kind of starving."

[jacobklee]

That slight discomfort had settled on his shoulders again, so Jacob tried shaking it off by stretching up his back and shifting his shoulders a little. He appreciated her, though. Actually, this was the first time he had spoken this openly about his depression to someone who wasn't Sage, Elliot or Maya. Even his mother didn't get to see this side of him, because he knew how much Harper Lee would worry and the woman was far too old to keep on worrying this much. "Thank you, Carissa." He told her as he looked deep into her dark hues, allowing himself to get lost in those deep pools for a moment. "I appreciate it." Even if her words hadn't really been welcomed in his ears. "Although... I think I'm far too attracted to you for us to be just friends."

Because attraction didn't only mean romantically. He wouldn't keep on sleeping with her if he wasn't sexually attracted to the woman standing beside him, and Jacob was still somewhat of an old school man... it was weird for him to see sole friendship in people he had slept with, regardless of gender.

As she continued speaking, Jacob couldn't help but chuckle again. "You know you're younger than me, right?" By a year, but still... younger. It didn't matter, though. He liked knowing they had similar thoughts about life, also similar expectations. "But I agree. I think there's something about being forty, having a kid, having done a lot of what I've done that makes me think I'm not cut out for playing games anymore, you know?" Not that he was ever into playing games growing up, but Jacob in his twenties had more room in his life for indulging silly or petty little games than forty-year old Jacob.

Once they were up in the air and Jacob's arms were safely around her, he couldn't help but smiling as she leaned back onto his chest. Her reply to his joke was met with ease too, and he just wanted to steal a kiss from her lips, but figured it was best to wait. "Damn... Mei really wanted me to hit the jackpot with you, didn't she?" Because... was this woman even real? Smart, beautiful, hot... how was she still single? Were people really daft in Providence Peak to walk out on a woman like that? And, speaking of his cousin, Jacob nodded before giving a few steps back so that Carissa could also step away from the ledge of the basket. "Sure, your phone or mine?" And then, once the decision had been made, Jacob positioned himself beside the wedding planner and wrapped one arm around her waist. At her countdown, he waited until she'd reached 1 to press his lips to her cheek to steal a spontaneous reaction from her in the picture. / @carissacho

the last thing that carissa wanted was for the man to feel pitied. she wanted jacob to be able to lean on her when he felt like he was having a hard time. carissa hoped that he didn't take it in the wrong way. she glanced up at him as he spoke, "i just wanted you to know that i'm here for you whenever you need it. even if we decide that we're only meant to be friends." a big part of her didn't want that though. she enjoyed jacob's company and the fact that mei set them up had to mean something right? "of course it's for you."

if they were going to do this, she wanted to get to know him for real. it was important to her that if they were going to cross this line, change things into a more romantic manner, that they genuinely gave it a chance. "it's just that, you know, at my age i'm not looking for fun anymore. i prefer to have something more serious." she was ultimately looking for a forever. she just wasn't sure at what point she'd find that. "that's all you can do." she offered a small smile. "i know it can be discouraging sometimes but i just try to remind myself that there's someone out there for everyone.

carissa allowed jacob to help her into the balloon once it was their turn and smiled to herself, hands gripped the side of the basket as excitement settled in her stomach and she glanced back at jacob to make sure that he was getting on alright. not only was she thrilled for the ride but she was thrilled to have jake by her side.

the woman's smile widened as his arms came around her and his body secured itself behind hers. she leaned back slightly, enjoying both the view and the way the other's arms felt. she turned her head slightly to look at him, "what if i told you i like cheesy?" she cooed softly and shifted her hands to rest on top of his, squeezing them gently as she did so. "should we, you know, take a picture and show mei that we did it? the blind date, i mean."

[jacobklee]

— SETTING: spring extravaganza ; the petting zoo at frederick farms — AVAILABILITY: closed starter for THALIA CLARK | ( @thethaliaclark )

Jacob once again, had Selvi for the day, which, of course he could never complain about, and as he mentally got himself prepared for his impending blind date on Sunday, he took Selvi out for another stroll around the petting zoo at Bighorn Hills. Maybe Maya would end up meeting him there if she was free or something? He didn't want to bother his sister though, especially since she'd already spared some of her time to come hang out with him and his daughter.

After attaching the seven-month-old to the kangaroo straps around his chest and placing her diaper bag over his shoulder, Jacob made his way towards the petting zoo, smiling at Selvi's nonsensical babbles as she saw the horses at a distance. His smile managed to get even bigger as he noticed a familiar face nearby. "No way... Thalia? Thalia Clarke, is that really you?"

[jacobklee]

A Shop for Killers 킬러들의 쇼핑몰 (2024) — ep. 6 | jeong jinman

[jacobklee]

As he felt her arms move around him, Jacob couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable about it. Was she pitying him? Did she think it was one of those situations where a hug would help? And then... just as quickly as the discomfort arrived in his chest, it dissipated through his body. He liked it, actually. He liked that he was being embraced in his weakness, that his vulnerability was being welcomed instead of pushed aside, and more than that, he liked that Carissa wasn't afraid of holding him like that in public, despite them having done exchanges like these so much in the past, either in his or her places. "What's that for, hm?" He asked, his voice as smooth and as gentle as a whisper as he returned the hug, by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and then kissing the side of her head. "Is that for me?"

He took all of her previous words into consideration: I bet you're a good listener, I'd never ask you to choose between your daughter and me, and he appreciated them. Above it all, Jacob appreciated how honest Carissa seemed to let her words be, despite how daunting first dates usually were. "Yeah, I don't think they're bad things to want either. It might not be what everyone wants, but at least, we're on the same page about them." The taller man nodded, keeping his arm around her shoulders, despite the little comforting moment having already passed. "I thought I had found it with someone else, but it didn't work... so I just kept looking, I guess." Jacob added with a shrug. He wasn't going to stand there and talk about his failed relationships, but he felt right to let her know he would keep looking until he found someone willing to share their lives with him.

Finally, they were allowed into the hot air balloon and Jacob helped Carissa go up, alongside the conductor, and then joined the younger woman. A few moments later, they were up in the air already. He saw her watching the view, and it brought a smile to his lips... why hadn't they done this before? Maybe they were not looking for anything serious when they started fooling around? Maybe...

Still he joined her by the edge of the balloon, keeping her back to his chest while making sure she was safely between his arms while resting one hand on each side of her body, holding onto the edge of the basket. Jacob then rested his chin on her shoulder, moving his right arm around her waist, while keeping the other hand on the basket. "Is it cheesy to say I don't know if the view is more stunning or if you are?" He asked, then turning his head to plant a kiss on her neck. / @carissacho

carissa peered up at him, a small laugh leaving her lips. "we do know each other in an intimate way, don't we?" she didn't see anything wrong with it though. if she were being honest, she found it...somewhat refreshing that the two had gotten to know each other inside of the bedroom first. to her, that's where all the pressure seemed to be. at least, to her.

as she spoke and heard what the other said in response, she had no doubt in her mind that jacob was a good listening. in fact, he listened to exactly what she liked behind closed doors and she figured he took that quality into his every day life too. it was one of the many things she liked about him. then again, she hadn't found anything she didn't like about jacob despite their relationship only being sexual up until this blind date came about. she offered the other a smile and gave him a single nod, "i bet you are."

once she threw the question back at him, she listened to what it was he was looking for. she immediately found herself connecting with him in that way. she, too, was looking for companionship. she as tired of dating and feeling as though she was wasting her time. a part of her felt as though jacob wouldn't be that way, wouldn't be a waste of time. "of course. I'd never ask you to choose me over your daughter." she was understanding and patient and caring.

what she didn't know was that jacob struggled with his mental health. she wanted to offer him some sort of support but she didn't know what was okay so she decided to do what she thought was right. her arm came around his waist and leaned into him slightly as if to offer him some sort of hug. her hand smoothed over his back, offering slow circles and then smiling as he went on. everything he went on about was something she wanted too and she couldn't help but get her hopes up about the way things were going.

"those aren't bad things to want. i want the same things." she admitted softly and as he asked about a family, she nodded her head. "it's definitely something i want. it's something i've always wanted but i just haven't found someone that wanted the same things that i did."

[jacobklee]

"Yeah, I figured it hadn't..." Still, he kept a small smile on his lips as he retorted Sage's comment about Giada and her. He couldn't judge her for running back into familiar territory even if he tried. He'd done that so many times in the past with Genevieve, that it would be really hypocritical of him if he did it to his best friend. "Hey Mags, do you want to try one of the games?" He asked the curly-haired toddler, wondering if actual distraction would keep her eyes and ears away from the adult conversation, especially after Sage pointed out at her own daughter. "Let's go. Samchon and mommy are going to look for a nice game for you so they can talk." He bounced her up in his arms to get her all excited, then he threw his arm over Sage's shoulders, pulling her in to plant a kiss on the crown of her head. "Have you two talked after that, though?" / @sagefranklin

She felt like an idiot for even talking about Giada like this. They were divorced and because of something incredibly life altering at that. Gia had walked out on her. And yet, there she was, talking about her moment with the woman with her entire chest (and maybe a little bit of her heart too). It was Jacob though. If she could be honest with anyone without feeling like she as being judged, it was him, right? Apparently not. Sage couldn't help the huff of amusement that fell from her mouth at the words ms. kitty. "It didn't exactly happen like that, just so you know," She offered with an eye roll, knowing what the man was implying, but not able to tease him with the things that did happen considering Maggie was in his arms. "It'd be a lot easier if she were," the older blonde pointed out. Maybe she wouldn't have made the choice she did, maybe she wouldn't have hurt Yasemin in the process. "At the kayak race on Monday. She, uh, fell into the water and I helped her out with a pair of dry clothes."

@jacobklee

[jacobklee]

"Dude, you're fucking old." Jacob couldn't help but laugh as he playfully shoved Elliot off his balance. He was, however, older than Elliot, so his knee would probably be the ones hurting sooner rather than later... but then again, Jacob had been doing one hell of a good job keeping up with his cardio routine at the gym as well as lifting weights. Granted, he was no baseball professional, but yeah... maybe his body wasn't going to yell at him later, especially since he had a late-night-call that evening that he didn't want to reschedule. "I guess charity can thank us later when we're dead and gone." Again, he laughed. "But maybe we could go for a beer after we've caught our breaths? Sure I love my water intake, but c'mon... it's getting warmer. The weather is begging for a cold one!" / @elliot-chapman

The light breeze provided by the shade was barely enough to cool them off after that game, but it was better than nothing. As he slumped down on the ground he felt all the leftover energy leave his body. He could do one game after the other once, but it was a harsh realization that he was indeed growing older. Taking some more water, he let out a chuckle. "That can only be attributed to a surge of adrenaline. And me being way too competitive for my own good. My knee will hate me for it by tonight."

[jacobklee]

Jacob smiled at his ex. If anyone had told him he'd be standing there with a baby in his arms he'd generated with a woman he was no longer dating, he would've probably laughed. If anything, Jacob thought himself to be an old romantic... the one to want to get married, have kids, a family of his own, and, although not in a traditional way, that's what he had created with Dilan: a family. "Maybe we should check if the shelter needs some baby clothes." Who knows, maybe there were mothers with young babies there, so Selvi's clothes would have a nice place to go. "Woah, your first wedding? That sounds great, Dil. A huge step, isn't it?" While they had dated for about a year, Jacob understood the implications of having someone planning that important day of your life, and probably, sending your assistant wasn't the same thing as going there yourself, so he was happy Dilan was getting herself back out there. "Does this mean I get to have this little muchkin with me for that day?" He wiggled his fingers towards their daughter to make her laugh, then leaned in to smooch her chubby cheeks.

It was nice seeing Dilan smile like that. It was a bittersweet sensation to think she didn't smile like this when with him... or maybe she did. Maybe his brain was playing tricks with him to put him down, as it often did. "You look so happy, Dil." He granted, with a smile. "That's good. I'm sure she can feel this too." Jacob nodded once. / @dilanxbarak

"It's the perfect time to get things organized," Dilan had been known to spring clean, though she had yet to get around to it thus far. She'd have to remember to set aside some time, perhaps during a Selvi nap or while she was with Jacob. "I cannot believe how easy it is to accumulate things for Selvi and all the clothes she's already outgrown," Dilan was shaking her head, "I need to donate the ones in good condition." She told Jacob with a smile, "Always there is work," she kept the smile, "I've got my first full wedding next weekend." In which she'd spend a considerable amount of time away from her daughter. Dilan had been planning weddings since January but it would be the first one she was attending instead of sending her assistant planner - mostly because she didn't have one anymore. "Me? I'm good," her cheeks were pushed more by the growing smile, "I really cannot complain." @jacobklee

[jacobklee]

Jacob was waiting on his sisters to join him, since his mother had insisted he'd invited them to the benefit and try spending some quality time with them in order to try and rebuild that kind of bond they used to have as children. Instead of one of the Lee women, a blonde beauty joined him instead, her growing bump reminding Jacob of when Dilan was carrying their child in her womb. "Uh, hello." Still, he smiled, adjusting himself on his seat for a split second, before he stood up. "No, not at all, please." The taller man walked behind the chair she'd asked about and pulled it out for her to seat. He didn't think Maya or the other girls would mind it anyway. "Are you enjoying the festivities so far?" Jacob asked, before returning to his seat. / @kennydavis

who: @jacobklee

where: providence peak memorial

Kennedy made it a priority to learn the heavy hitters in town. Those who had a wealth that could be helpful for her shelter and ensure that donations and money continued to be fed through the town and supporters. Summit lake was often the best place to find such individuals and her best friend who was a resident was often the one she went to for some information on who was new to the neighbourhood. Through many conversations, she heard the name of the man she was eyeing for some time, only to eventually get up and make her way towards him. "Is this seat taken?" She asked with an innocent smile despite the fact that she had some ulterior motive behind it.

[jacobklee]

Jacob easily slid his hand down hers, letting his thumb occasionally brush against the soft and warm skin of hers as they moved towards the bigger area where the spring fair organizers were setting up the hot air balloons and taking in potential riders. Carissa's little comment caused a slight chuckle to escape Jacob's lips. He tended to be that sometimes: a little too direct for other people's tastes. "I mean... I already know what you like in bed,—" Though there was always room to learn more about the beautiful woman walking alongside him, "— might as well learn what you like out of it." He chuckled. "I also know how you take your coffee, eggs and toast, too..."

All jokes aside, the tall man pressed his fleshy lips as he assessed her answer. Jacob didn't know if he was the right person to make others laugh, especially not when his dark days often cast shadows over the life he was trying to build ever since moving back to Providence Peak, so maybe, he wouldn't be the person she would be looking for after all. It was okay... it helped keeping him humble. "I've been told I'm a good listener." Because listening was always easier than talking, he knew that much. His silence, sometimes mistook for not knowing what to say, actually meant that he was paying attention to the small things. To the important things... most of all... to the unsaid things.

And, if they took their unholy evenings together, the amount of listening to her body he had been doing, with each twitch, each moan, each response to what his hands and lips did to hers, said a lot about them, too.

Eventually, the question was redirected towards him, which caused the older investor to take an extra heartbeat to think about the answer. "I look for companionship." Huh... if he were being honest, he thought he would take longer to form a proper answer. "As you know, I have a daughter... so, I'd like to be with someone who understands that she'll always be my priority." Jacob paused for a moment, gently letting go of Carissa's hand and placing it on the small of her back, in order to guide her further up along the line. "I want someone who understands that sometimes, I'm going to have bad, depressive days..." Because it was true. Depression still knocked on his door sometimes, and some waves were bearable, others were still bad... Maybe he had let go of her hand because he didn't want her to see his face as he admitted that part of himself. "I want someone who wants to grow old with me, who wants to start a family and add to my life, not subtract or divide." He explained. "I want someone who's not afraid of showing their feelings, you know? I'm too old to walk around second guessing relationships or wondering if the person I'm with is actually in love with me." He let out a sigh, knowing that he was slightly projecting his failed relationships in this little discourse.

"Ah... I babbled, didn't I?" Jacob let his hand go back to the warmth of hers, bringing her hand up to press a small kiss on her knuckles, before letting his free hand brush a strand of hair behind Carissa's ear. "How far ahead in the future do you usually plan? Do you want to have kids and all of that, Carissa?" / @carissacho

the previous situation carissa had been in had left her a little worried that things with jacob would be the same. after all, she thought that it was more than sex with zeynep. the drive in felt like a date but that's not at all what it was. the thing about carissa was that she had a hard time separating her feelings from sex and so, she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy jacob's company too. she just wasn't sure that things would ever move outside of the four walls of his bedroom and maybe things wouldn't have had they not been put in this situation.

carissa couldn't help but smile as he said he was sure. it'd been a while since she'd been on a date but she found the nerves she previous had melted away. she was comfortable with jacob, even with the shift of things. "we can hold hands." she decided and intertwined her fingers with his. she walked in step with him toward the line and laughed softly, "so you're just going to jump right in, hm?" she teased. normally, she had to endure conversation over what her favorite color was but this was a nice change.

"what do i look for in a partner?" she repeated the question, "i normally look for someone i can laugh with and have fun with no matter what we're doing. uhm," carissa paused for a moment to think about other qualities she enjoyed, "someone who listens and someone who takes my feelings into consideration." she finished with a soft shrug and looked back at him, "what about you?"

[jacobklee]

Jacob furrowed his brows, letting out a soft chuckle as he looked at his friend. "You know you're barely two years older than me, right? That doesn't sound too ancient in my book." Besides, age was just a number these days, wasn't it? With advances in medicine and all of that they saw on the news about progress and whanot? "Even if you were, the world is ending in fifty years tops. We probably won't be here to see it, thankfully." Again, Jacob chuckled, although it bore a more somber tone to it, because talking about the end of the world didn't really scream happy times to most. To Jacob, it just felt inevitable, so, he had made peace with it.

The fun machine... now that stole a genuine laugh from Jacob's lips. "If you're the fun machine, am I supposed to be the fun police? First you call me boring—" He didn't, obviously. "—and now you're saying you're more fun than me? Damn, that therapy is doing wonders to your self-esteem, isn't it?" Again, he teased, all in good spirits. If anything, Leon was more fun than him, as Jacob didn't go out as much these days as he used to. "You're a fucking teething baby, loud and cranky." Jacob shook his head, a hint of a laugh still lingering on the back of his throat as he gently nudged his friend with his shoulder, the mention of Selvi actually making the younger man nod before sipping on his drink. "She's good. I have her tomorrow, so, if you're really nice to me today, I might repay the favor by brightening your life with that kid's laugh. She'll be enough to bring more people around." He said before another sip of his beer was downed. "And you? How are you?" / @leonwozniak

"if you're old, i'm ancient, dude," leon teased, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he observed jacob's antics, the beer hidden behind his coat. he didn't comment on it, opting instead to take a casual sip of his own beer, his gaze briefly locking with that of a mother guiding her little ones home. it wasn't against the law, was it? if they sold some, they were alright to drink it in public.

"i'm always having fun, i'm the fun machine," leon deadpanned, his eyes scanning the vibrant lights of the amusement park before turning back to his old pal. all of this did make him feel ancient, indeed. "and i never get yelled at, because i'm as sweet as a baby." he paused, scrutinizing jacob's expression for any signs of fatigue. "speaking of babies," he continued, his tone softening slightly, "how's the little one?"

[jacobklee]

Jacob let out a short-breath chuckle at his friend. The weather being this warm meant the older man drank twice as much water as he usually did, which not always was a bad thing anyway. Waiting for Elliot under the shades some trees cast on the green grass, Jacob allowed his gaze to run across the crowd of people that was starting to swarm away from the pitch. "Thanks, man." He drew in a breath, easily uncapping the bottle Elliot had handed him and taking a few sips, before he was finally okay to carry a decent conversation. "Me? What about you? We wouldn't have hit that home run if you hadn't pitched that ball as great as you did." / @elliot-chapman

Characters: Elliot Chapman & Jacob Lee (@jacobklee) Location: Baseball Charity Game, Claret Park Closed Starter

Their team was still celebrating the win over a bunch of guys from the hospital's imaging department. A win they definitely worked hard to achieve, but heck had it been a tight game till the end. He slammed down on the grass next to Jacob, handing him a water bottle as he popped open his own. "Damn. It might take me a bit to get my breath back. You were great out there."

[jacobklee]

"Excuse you?" From what he could tell, Jacob could do so much more than hopping. His mind and spirit were old, but his body tended to be in good shape considering he still kept a healthy routine by going to the gym and eating healthy. "You want to bet who's got more chances in hopping away with my daughter? Because I'm sure you'll lose." Hoon told her matter-of-factly, before motioning his hand towards the fences keeping the animals of the petting zoo safe from the crowd of bypassers and children. "Nah, I'll kick them right back if they kick me. But then again, they'll probably be too busy eating your hair or some shit." As he again, shrugged, Kyung Hoon adjusted both his sister and his daughter within frame and took a couple of pictures of them while he called out to Selvi, to get the baby's attention and make her smile at the picture. "Here. You're welcome." He handed Maya's phone back and pried his daughter away from the younger woman's arms, hearing her giggle as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. "Aigoo... missed appa already? I know, I know..." He mumbled against the side of her head, planting small kisses upon her skin. "Auntie Maya is the ugliest, I know." He chuckled, while stepping away from Maya, as if not to get smacked by her. "Where do you want to go next?" / @mayxlee

"Don't listen to him, my love, it's because he can't hop anymore, he's old," Maya cooed at her niece, smiling softly as Selvi reached with both her hands for her face. "See, us girls have secrets you don't know about," the brunette teased, before glancing over at her brother, giving Hoonie that 'I told you so' look. "Over here is just fine, maybe one of those goats will kick you in the head for being mean to me," she responded, narrowing her eyes at him before smiling brightly at the camera. She made sure she held Selvi securely enough while also showcasing her cuteness in that costume. It was incredible how fast she was growing, her measurements already different from a month ago. "Make sure we both look pretty, this is going to be my screensaver."

@jacobklee

[jacobklee]

Jacob couldn't help but roll his eyes at the woman's interjection and attempt to joke when he asked about Gia. Of course he knew how the duo had eaten each other's faces off, but what he didn't understand was how the two had allowed themselves to get to that point. "Right. Things just happened." He made a face at the blonde, furrowing his brows at her. "I mean, obviously you've accidentally fell face flat on ms. kitten, yeah?" He asked obviously not believing his friend's retell of that story, while at the same time having to measure his words so that even a toddler as smart as Maggie wouldn't really understand what was going on there. Jacob, however, was in no place to judge the blonde... he just wanted to understand the implications that had led her to go straight back to Gia's arms, since they seemed to have burned their bridges to the ground.

See, not hating being around Gia was exactly what he feared. The tempting arms of comfort, of well-known waters tended to be too inviting for people to resist, especially the ones who had already lost so much. Jacob understood that. That was the reason why he kept going back to Genevieve, despite the woman twisting and turning up his insides and messing with his head the way she did. "It's not stupid." Jake replied with a simple shake of his head. "You two were married once. She's not some random woman who walked into your bar." Yet, he was cautious as he continued speaking. "And have you two spoken ever since?" / @sagefranklin

She couldn't help but grin at her best friend's antics with Maggie, the toddler herself giggling even more at them. Her day never failed to be brightened by the other, even when it felt like the world was crashing down all around her. It was like some weird seesaw for them. He helped her feel better, she helped him feel better, and so on for over thirty years of their lives. Sage wasn't sure what she'd do without him. "Okay, okay, fine," She finally declared, lifting her hands up in a way that showed she'd been caught. "Wouldn't want the fun police to arrest me anyway." A soft chuckle of amusement fell from her lips, fading almost just as quickly when he started questioning her about Giada and suddenly, Sage wished she'd never said anything at all. Maybe the fun police could arrest her and lock her away so she'd never have to. "I only found out... maybe two weeks ago?" Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember just how long it'd been since Gia showed up in front of the home they used to share.

"Do you really want to know what happened there?" The older blonde questioned, her furrow raising just slightly in amusement. Even his correction hadn't helped his question sound any better. "She, uh, came into the bar... I don't think she even knew I owned it. Things just... happened. I didn't mean for them to happen." A groan fell from her lips, remembering the fallout afterward; the fact that she couldn't explain what had happened but knew that she wouldn't have gone back in time to change it was enough of a reason for her to be honest with Yasemin. "But I didn't hate it. Being with her was like... I don't know, almost like finding something I didn't even realize I lost? Is that stupid? I mean, we're divorced and she left and there was... kind of someone else."

@jacobklee

[jacobklee]

Jacob smiled, too. He would get them some lemonade once they were done feeding some animals... or at least, once Selvi had spent some time with them, hopefully, without any tears left to spare. At least, the animals didn't feel as threatening as the guy dressed up as Santa did. "It really does." The older man nodded, wiggling his fingers at his daughter, trying to steal a laugh from her. "I've been okay. Mostly trying to get things organized at the house." He'd been some spring cleaning and getting rid of things he didn't need anymore. "And also, there's work." Which was also, fine. Nothing ever that stressful happened in the world of finance—well... at least, nothing he could actually control. Should he tell her about the blind date later that week? He understood now when Dilan told him about Erol and her, because now he felt slightly uncomfortable, but at the same time... a blind date didn't mean marriage and kids, right? So he kept that information to himself. "What about you? How are you?" / @dilanxbarak

"I think she would, too," it would be a new experience for their daughter - so only really didn't know how it would go. She hoped, better than their Santa experience which left Selvi in tears. Not that she could be blamed. "Lemonade sounds wonderful," she smiled with the thought, "it's such a beautiful day out, that really ties it all together." She went on before looking at Jacob and their daughter, "How have you been?" Dilan felt as they hadn't had any proper time to catch up. @jacobklee

[jacobklee]

You know... she was right. While Jacob had not spent that much time around Atlas or any of the members of the Williams family, it didn't take an expert to see that Maggie's genes were mostly Sage's. Maybe her personality was similar to her father's? Again, that he wouldn't know. "Hey, hands off my niece!" Again, he teased, helping Maggie swat her mother's hand away from her rosy cheeks. "I got you baby girl, samchon got you." Jacob smiled at the little girl, kissing the top of her head, and then looking over his shoulder when the blonde girl mentioned a horsie, so of course, Jake motioned his head towards the petting zoo, hoping Maggie would be distracted enough with the animals while the adults talked. "Wait... Gia? Why am I only now hearing about this?" He furrowed his brows while looking at his friend. "You? You slept with Gia?" Jacob blinked a few times, as if it would help him ensure he'd heard it right. "Shi—woah, Sage... that's... how, though?" And as soon as the question left his lips, Jacob rolled his eyes at himself. "You understood what I meant. I meant why? What happened there?" / @sagefranklin

Sage smiled triumphantly, even if deep inside she knew that the other was still stewing about whether or not he'd find someone to love. She wasn't really one to speak, not after how her epic love had ended; childless and a mess full of grief and regret and so much anger. "You'll get there, I promise. There's no timeline on something like this." Maybe she was talking to him or, just maybe, she was giving herself some advice. Though she wasn't sure any amount of advice would help with the situation she managed to get herself into. "Please, have you looked at her? There's no one else she could've gotten those adorable looks from." Sage teasingly reached forward to gently squeeze Maggie's cheek, her nose crinkling as she made a silly face toward the other. The toddler laughed and swatted her hand away almost immediately. It was clear to almost everyone who she came from and no doubt it was definitely from the elder Franklin. Outside of the curls Maggie may have inherited from her father's side, everything else was straight off of the production line at Franklin Inc. "I thought I did," fell out of her mouth before she could stop it, ending with a roll of her eyes and the smallest huff of air. "Then, uh... Gia showed up back in town." Showed up. Pissed her off. Then they somehow managed to get to the banging portion of that, successfully derailing anything she'd even dreamed of building with Yasemin. "I kind of slept with her... in the back alley of the bar."

@jacobklee

[jacobklee]

He understood where her question was coming from. If he were assessing this situation from a logical point of view, there were several variables that could make it potentially dangerous. Sex between them was good. Hell, sex between them was almost perfect. So what happened if this date ended up being horrible and they ended up losing a good sex partner? A fun morning after?

But what if things worked out? What if this date was a good one and they ended up enjoying each other's companies with their clothes on?

Jacob's hand wrapped loosely around her throat as he stared into her deep, dark hues. "I'm sure, Carissa." He nodded leaning down, as if he were going to kiss her lips, but shifted to plant a kiss on her cheek instead. He dropped the hand from her throat and offered that arm for her to take... but he stopped halfway through it. "Do you want to hold hands instead?" Because... you know... they had seen each other without any clothes on, what difference did it make if they held hands or if she took his arm? Once a decision had been made, Jacob started walking towards the hot air balloon area. "So..." He stopped, seeing a small line head of them. "What are you looking for in a partner?" / @carissacho

carissa didn't expect to be the type to go on blind dates either but she was glad that she decided to give it a try, especially not that she knew jacob was her date. for one, the two had spent a decent amount of times with each other and two, she enjoyed his company. "it's okay. i know what you meant." she reassured and offered him a small smile.

his compliment made her feel as though each other his others one did and she couldn't help but smile a little bit. after all, jacob was charming enough and she didn't think he'd need to be set up either. each time the two of them met up for a night alone in the sheets, she was shocked that he was single but she felt lucky to be in his company and even more so now.

"i wouldn't mind going on a date with you. actually, i'd love to." carissa answered, her eyes peering up at him, "as long as you're sure that you really want to." this was a step she wasn't sure the two of them would take and honestly, maybe they wouldn't have if it hadn't been for mei. who knew?