kit-mcgrady

[kit-mcgrady]

"Second favorite one? What's the first favorite?" Kit was always invested in hearing people talk about things that made them proud. He'd discovered his own passion that way: hearing his dad talk about working on the ranch and hearing Margot's older brother talk about rodeo. It was a special thing, passion, and he couldn't fathom the creations Eli had probably done. "Oh man, it's the worst! I mean, we get used to it as much as we can, being out in it all day, every day... But there's nothing like that first cold front."

"I appreciate it, Deveaux, but I can't let you do that. I don't do handouts, never have." He could figure it out, financially. Worst case, he'd borrow some money from Aslan or one of the guys at work. He wanted to make sure Tito had a good birthday, and he wasn't going to let Eli bear the burden of that. "You know she called me Curly Fry first? She came by, delivering cupcakes for someone's birthday party back in first grade, and she said 'well there's the curly fry!' and I said 'no, ma'am, i'm just a string bean.' I just new my momma called me that all the time, had no idea what I was even saying. She laughed so hard, which made me laugh. Your Nana had a good laugh. I remember thinking if I had a grandma, I'd want it to be her." He took a minute, breathing slowly before continuing. "She was real kind to me after my parents passed."

A small smile formed as he heard kit's thanks. "Sounds good to me. I'll be in by lunchtime. I'll probably get started on the base tonight and then add the next few things here in the morning." Eli loved creating things even more so when it was for friends. Taking their own vision and making it reality. "Not gonna lie, this lasso cake might be my second favorite one. That's the best time of year. I can't wait to have the cold come in and knock the heat out of here." He jotted down the color blue and knew he'd get to use the pastel kit he had lying around.

"No, man. Free of charge. The one condition I have is that you come down to the farmers market in August and buy a few things in honor of my Nana. It'll be paid in full." Eli didn't usually do this but Elise had always had a soft spot for Kit Mcgrady. Maybe it was because he reminded her of her lost son the one who didn't make it. So he knew she'd never have him pay for something as special as a cake. "My Nan would come back and give my ass a swift kick if I charged you. She had somewhat of a soft spot for you. Used to call you curly cue." The smile on his face was melancholy. Times when the pain of losing her came in full swing. " But yeah, I'm heading down to see Beck then drop some orders out. This is the first time in a month that most of the orders are coming from the Basin.

[kit-mcgrady]

"I mean, they'd have to, right? Like how we all talk about what we want to be when we grow up? Maybe they have little piggy career days, too, where a big rack of ribs rolls in with a bag of pork rinds and their teacher gets to talk about what makes a good pig stand out from a not so good pig." Truth be told, Kit was enjoying the hell out of this conversation, if only because it was the sort of thing he couldn't say to most people. thankfully Billy didn't seem to mind. "I think the parents go before the kids in most cases, y'know? I mean, unless they're just a real good baby-makin' big, at which point, they probably got too many to count."

Billy almost shuddered as he took another sip of his beer. "Do you think they talk about it? You know, have little pig conversations about what they hope to amount to? Do you think the rest of the pigs cheer when one wins the big prize at a State Fair?" He paused, mulling over what he just said out loud. This conversation was simply the type they had, but if anyone had been listening in, he couldn't imagine their responses. "Do you think the pig parents are proud when their kids end up making a good meal? That's kind of fucked up, right?"

[kit-mcgrady]

"Do you actually do that?" Kit furrowed his brow, tilting his head to one side as he looked at Henry. "Do you really pay girls for dances? I figured the free drinks you handed out got you enough action, but if you're payin' girls to dance for you, maybe you need more help than I thought." He was only half-joking, because Kit hadn't ever once considered paying a dancer at the strip club—here or anywhere. "Come on, man, I'm at that bar damn near every day. I'm dumb, not blind. I can see you checkin' out Benny's ass as much as the next guy. It's okay, he's got a good ass, especially in those jeans of his." Kit wasn't into guys, but he could admit when someone had a nice ass, and Benny definitely fit the bill. "You pay for dances and they give you candy? Like, what, lollipops and bubble gum? The wrappers still on, right? I wouldn't trust it if they don't come sealed up, man, that's gross."

"That's it? That's the only reason? You don't care for the pretty girls here?" Henry asked his words falling out of his mouth quickly. "Dude I'll buy you a dance, these girls are really fucking hot." Henry could tell the coke had already started to kick in, It felt like his morning coffee but if he drank ten cups at the same time. "Benny's ass? Nah man, I don't know anything about that. What have you heard though?" The paranoia that people were talking about his sexuality behind his back had started to kick in. "Oh you like my legs?" Henry jokingly stuck one out to flex it. "If you wanted a dance from me, you should've just said so." He teased. "However you're better off going with one of the girls, if you come here enough and they like you they give you a little candy, if you catch my drift."

[kit-mcgrady]

As soon as Oliver mentioned the treasure hunt, Kit dropped his arms and gave the boy a look of pure surprise. "A treasure hunt? Here, in Blackstone Ridge?" He leaned in slightly toward Oliver, dropping his voice to a whisper that could easily be heard by anyone nearby. "Did you find it? Where's the treasure hidden around here? Was there any left?" He glanced up at Caroline, giving her a wink while he kept talking to Oliver. "Maybe we can convince your mom to let us go on a treasure hunt sometime. I bet there's something out by my house, we could see if Jelly and Pinto want to help us find it."

Oliver let out a shriek when he was being tickled, but he seemed happy so Caroline couldn't help but smile at the interaction. There was nothing she loved more than seeing her baby boy happy. Especially since he had plenty of reason not to be. "I went on a treasure hunt!" He finally revealed.

[kit-mcgrady]

It wasn't lost on Kit just how special Eli was making this entire thing. He knew Eli had plenty of business, and that Eli offering to make a recipe he didn't usually make was something special. "That'd be amazing," Kit said, hoping Eli could hear just how much it meant to him. "Really, I trust you with the whole thing, so just, whatever feels right. I'll bring the recipe in tomorrow around lunchtime for you." Kit didn't do emails or social media or technology. He would find the old recipe card tucked away and bring it by.

"His favorite color is blue, like the sky in the middle of October when the first cold snap comes through.," Kit said with a smile. That was one thing Uncle Tito and Kit had shared in common, and it made them both so excited every year when things turned cooler. Something about the crispness in the air really spoke to them both. "You put it on whatever you have to put it on, I trust you. Delivered out to The Basin? How much extra is that?"

"For you? Of course." He'd heard of those bars, under a different name but he knew how good they tasted. "Did you want the chocolates to be noticeable? I can make them smaller just so it'd be a surprise in a bite. If you have the recipe, send it over. I'll make it to the letter so it'll taste just like your mom's." Eli would really do anything asked of him especially if it was for someone who Kit held dear and near.

Eli took out an order paper and started to scribble and wrote on another one the order for a Mrs. Anderson to be taken over by Esme. While he handled Kit's order. "You got it. What color do you want the birthday greeting? It's cool if I put it on a chocolate bar instead of on the cake? Just looks neater. Sounds perfect. Do you want it delivered or did you want to come get it? I will say we do have three deliveries for the basin scheduled so if you'd rather it be delivered we can head on over to you."

[kit-mcgrady]

Kit knew that Azra needed no man, no one to stand by her size or come to her defenses. She was the defender, the protector, the bulldog in the fight... But somehow, standing in the parking lot looking into her eyes, Kit felt the old familiar feelings bubbling up inside him: the urge to wrap his arms around her and be a shield from any danger, any attack that may come her way. He'd always cared about her, that was nothing new at all. He just hadn't ever quite learned how to show it, or say it loud enough, for her to know how much he meant it. So instead, he took whatever he could get, whatever breadcrumbs she dropped for him over the years. "You were always enough," he said, mirroring the tip of her head with one of his own in the same direction. "Every single time was more than enough to make up for lost time."

It was heavy, this conversation that felt like it meant something deeper than what they were really saying, what they were doing. If he only got this one parking lot dance, then he'd take it. He'd settle for this, because it was far better than the alternative of her walking back inside the bar and leaving him alone out here to face the night. He smiled at her as she spoke before offering up a simple nod. Instead of staring into her eyes the entire time, knowing damn well he'd wind up wanting to kiss her, Kit leaned in just enough to rest his cheek against her temple before moving side to side slowly.

“It’s hot when you get like this, you know,” she teased, though Azra knew if Kit looked closely enough and could see the heat creeping past her icy defenses and warming the edges of her green eyes, he’d know she wasn’t kidding, not really. Outside of her brother, Azra didn’t know what it was like to have a man defend her, and while she, ever the feminist, would argue that she didn’t need defending, the romantic buried deep down inside of her could never deny how badly she wanted it. But that was something she kept to herself– she had appearances to uphold, after all. Azra Demirci was an ice queen– a title she didn’t even need to proclaim herself, but one she’d been gifted on numerous occasions. 

Nails scraping against the nape of his neck as she peered up at him, acting as though she might actually kiss it better the way he wanted her to, Azra wouldn't pretend that she didn't want to push him. She was just buzzed enough and wanted that human connection, but she didn’t give in…and hell, it disappointed her, but she was a woman with a desire to be chased and while it was arguable that she’d never really been able to stave off her desire for Kit, she wouldn’t be who she was if she made it easy for him– or anyone, for that matter. “Whatever you say, cowboy,” she murmured in response to him saying he’d always been that bold. Maybe that was true, maybe it wasn’t, but it was what he said next that led to a subtle raise of a brow as she silently regarded him. Part of her wanted to point out that no one had ever given her a reason to stick around. But that was water under the bridge, wasn’t it? “Fair, but I think I made up for it almost every homecoming, no?” She challenged, tipping her head to the side as she eased back just enough to gaze up at him, digging at those memories just to see if they stood out as much to him as they did to her.  Dance with me? Brows pinching together, she chuckled in what felt like only a heartbeat of disbelief. To what music? It was an entirely senseless question really, because they didn’t need any. If he’d been anyone else, she would have scoffed in his fucking face and walked away, but Kit was different and always had been. He’d been her first, but she wasn’t stupid or sentimental enough to believe that that was why she held a soft spot for him– no, it was everything after that. He’d always been so kind, so genuine, and exactly what she needed when she needed him, in whatever form the situation called for. So yeah, Azra could spare him a music-less, parking lot dance. Hugging her arms tighter around his shoulders, she closed the space between them, teetering so close that the tip of her nose lightly brushed against his, “Following your lead, McGrady.”

[kit-mcgrady]

"You were gonna say that I ask you for favors all the time," Kit said with a laugh paired with a shake of his head. It wasn't untrue, exactly, but Kit liked to think he brought something to the friendship with Aslan—even if it sure as hell wasn't money. Or fancy cars. Or nice drinks at a nice bar. Okay, so maybe Kit didn't bring much, but he wasn't certain that was the worst thing. He'd brought a lot more to the table when they were kids, and that meant Aslan was stuck with him. "Wow," Kit said, an impressed look on his face as he tapped the bar slowly. "Figuring it out, huh? That sounds real romantic. Better not get too hooked, pal, or all that gossip's going to be about you two lovebirds. Hey, when's the wedding, anyway?"

“I am helping you out,” Aslan protested, eyeballing Kit at his ‘It’s not like I ask you for much.’ “Loading pounds of shit into my small ass car isn’t going to help anyone, so let me find a truck,” he offered again, trying to present logic into a situation that was clearly lacking it. Packing shit into his car sounded like the least efficient way to help Kit out, and not to mention, a way to make Aslan’s car smell so foul that setting it on fire would be the only way to rid it of the stench. Narrowing his eyes at Kit’s threatening look, he tipped his head to the side, studying him silently before pursing his lips, “What was I gonna say, cowboy?” He teased, amusement glinting in his green eyes before the topic shifted towards Mickey. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he shrugged, clearly at a loss of how to answer him. “We’re figuring it out,” Aslan supplied, finding it only slightly ironic that he’d said very much the same thing to Azra. “She’s not a secret,” he assured him, wanting to make it known right then and there that he wasn’t trying to hide Mickey, or whatever the fuck it was that they were doing. “Her friend gave her the wrong pill, it didn’t mix so well with the booze, so I left to take care of her.” The moment he’d realized that Mickey wasn’t her usual self, he hadn’t wasted any time getting his twin to cover the bar for him while he took her home to keep an eye on her. Shrugging his shoulders, Aslan offered up a coy smile, “Wish I had more gossip for you, but I don’t.”

[kit-mcgrady]

"You know, you're gonna have to stop callin' her that," Kit said with a chuckle, knowing better than try and clarify what things were with Margot. They'd never bothered doing that before, and Kit had a feeling it wasn't going to start happening now. "Not only because she's no one's girl, but also because someone will get the wrong idea and think I'm off limits." Kit chuckled before taking another drink from his beer, fully aware that he was more enjoying the drinking than the axe throwing. "You goin' to apologize to her? Or hope it blows over?"

"Alright, I'll be waiting on the edge of my seat, Grady Bunch." Beck was curious about whatever Kit was questioning, Beck was sure it would be fascinating. His mind worked in wonderful ways, as was proven by his colorful words about picking up shit. "Speaking of shit, I think I'm in the shit with your gal after our last disagreement. How protective of her are you, exactly? 'Cause I mighta been a little rough on her." He definitely had been, but Beck was still being just a little stubborn about admitting it. He was sure he'd apologize, eventually.

[kit-mcgrady]

"Not sure, but I'll let you know when I get there," he said with a shrug. Kit didn't even know what he wanted to ask yet, let alone how he'd ask it. That was the way things went with Kit McGrady, though. Most of the shit he said came out with little to no real thought behind it. "Sure, sure," he teased, mirroring Beck's shrug. "I think buckle bunnies like just about anything at a rodeo. They'd probably get turned on if you told 'em picking up shit was a rodeo event."

"Well how drunk you gotta be then? Ain't no need to be shy with me of all people. Spit it out." Beck wasn't really good at this either. He'd chosen this as an activity because it seemed like something fun. He'd seen this place had opened nearby and Kit had seemed like a fun person to check it out with. Neither of them seemed great at this, but they were having fun. That was what mattered.

"Who the hell said I'm scared? Just ain't my thing," Beck said with a shrug, laughing. "The rodeo rats that don't even ride are so funny. Staying on a horse that ain't bucking works your core and your thighs. That's the stuff that's actually good for fuckin'. Broncos... Jesus, man." Kit liked 'em, but Beck had always rolled his eyes at Bronc riding and barrel racing. Not always a popular opinion around the rodeo boys. "Roping impresses girls. Gets their gears going. They're like shit, if they can do that to a cow, what can they do to me?"

[kit-mcgrady]

Kit instantly knelt down, bringing him closer to Oliver's eye-level. "Did you, now? What'd you do today, Oliver?" Kit reached out, tickling the boy. "Did you go scuba diving? Water skiing? Flyin' up to the moon in a fancy rocket ship?" As he asked each one, Kit continued to tickle Oliver even more, finally letting him go and taking a breath in so he could sigh in relief. "Ollie Man, if you don't tell me, I'm gonna keep guessing."

Caroline had just picked Oliver up from day camp and realized she left some important paperwork in All Strings Attached, so she parked her car Downtown and started to make her way to the store. Oliver loved seeing the store, so he was rushing ahead of Caroline a little bit - but was sure to stay in her line of vision. He knew better than to run off. Oliver smiled at Kit when he greeted him, saying 'hello' back. "Hey, Kit. How are you doing?" She asked, giving the man a smile. "Oliver had a fun day, didn't you?" She said, before glancing down to her son who nodded his head.

[kit-mcgrady]

Kit hadn't ever been very good at standing up to Margot, so her words settled in around him like a command he had every intention of following. "It's not a lie," he said back to her before drawing in a sharp breath. Kit didn't look around, not wanting to let Margot change her mind. Instead, he lowered his lips to hers again and dropped one of his hands to her waist. He traced the curve of her ass down her thigh slowly until he could hook his hand behind it, lifting it in the same moment he stepped even closer. Kit's heart was racing, and he had a feeling Margot would know that without much investigation on her part, but he didn't care. If she wanted to give him hell for it, then he'd take it, because he was nothing if not a clown when it came to her. "I missed you so much," he said softly into her neck between a couple of long kisses he left there. "I missed this."

“Damn yourself, Kitty.” Her hip pressed against wood as a small smile cracked on her lips. She loved the way he said her name because it sounded so very different from when he called her brothers by their last name. There was always a distinction, at least to her ears. She loved it so much, it made teen Margot sad she might not hear it again when her hormonal, delusional brain used to make her scribble ‘Margot McGrady’ into an old notebook. If that silly girl could see them now, her heart would break. But the woman Margot became admired him all the same. So the way he crossed the aisle made her heart pick up pace. It probably shouldn’t be hot how he abandoned his hat, how his stride didn’t hesitate to come near her, but sanity was long lost when it came to Kit. She didn’t step aside when he walked into her, anticipating the full body contact until she was trapped between him and the hard surface of the stall door, both hands landing on his hips. Any bliss was short-lived lived but she could relish in this one forever. “It’s not an act.” Her eyes met his so fiercely, her words could easily be mistaken for a joke, but Margot had long lost confidence that Kit actually wanted her. At least not like he used to. They had lost their innocence, or maybe she grew into the person everyone always accused her of being. This would have to do. “I don’t.” He snuffed her smile with a kiss that made her sigh against his lips. ‘Welcome home’ - that’s what it felt like.

One of her hands traveled up his side and gently clutched his neck as she deepened the kiss. It suddenly didn’t matter that there hadn’t been a grand reunion when she moved back. “Show me.” Her thumb traced his jawline until she tipped his chin upward, leaving kisses on his jaw, down to his neck until she reached his ear, face buried against him as much as possible. “Tell me.” Lingering for a moment, her hand cupped the back of his head, fingertips tangling hair as she looked him in the eyes again. “It’s okay if you lie.”

[kit-mcgrady]

"Right!" Kit said, gesturing his hand in Billy's direction with enthusiasm. "It's gotta be tragic, really, to live your whole life tellin' yourself you're gonna make a great rack of ribs only to wind up sliced up in some deli by some old lady wearin' a hair net." Kit lifted his beer to his lips and sighed, thinking of it. A shiver ran down his spine before he smiled softly. "There's no way of knowing, I suppose. At least they get to grow up surrounded by their friends and family, right?"

Kit was always a good 'ol time. They grew up together, in a way. Kit was a few years older, sure. And by the time Billy started to grow up, Kit was off traveling the world, out on the rodeo circuit. Billy was knee-deep in baseball at that point, anyways. But Kit was always nice, growing up, when Billy was a nervous, young kid, and that kindness stuck with him. There was an easy friendship, now. No judgment, no posturing.

They often found themselves across a table out on Boulevard's patio. Billy finished swallowing a bite of his brisket, cracking a smile after he washed down the bite with a sip of beer. "I suppose it's a solid way to go. If I were a pig, I think I'd want to go the way of dumplings. Or maybe a good ol' pulled pork sandwich. If I found out I was something basic like a ham and cheese... I mean no hate on a classic, but that would be lame as hell."

[kit-mcgrady]

"No," Kit answered truthfully, "but you ain't gotta say it like that!" Kit laughed, holding a hand to his chest as he feigned to be hurt by Bear's words. "We can at least pretend people around here think I can hold my own fishing alongside you." The people of Blackstone Ridge weren't nearly as dumb as Kit would have to hope for anyone to buy that. "Oh shit, Wyoming? I bet that's the good stuff, everything tastes better in Cheyenne. The broncs buck harder, too, like God's country really did come to life right there in front of us. It's been too long since I was last up that way, I'll have to try and catch a rodeo soon. You should have told me you were going!"

It was more than just growing up wayward, then working the land and the ranches, he eventually morphed into a true outdoorsman. Something his grandfather crafted him into. He could track and hunt, to the point he'd become one of the best in the nation, and why he was often gone due to helping find missing people that had gone of trails and couldn't find their way back. But when Bear was home? He genuinely liked being home. Amongst his people and those that got him. Kit happened to be one of those few. They'd related once solely on being from the same place, and maybe a little persistence on Kit's part, but now were solid friends. Someone he could get on horseback with or go fishing with. When he was a kid the hesitance hadn't been anything of Kit's doing, Bear was just struggling and wrestling with demons no child should ever have to.

When he pulled up in front of Kit's place, dust flying around the truck as he got out, he walked over to help with the gear and ended up smiling a bit as the barter was already finding it's way out. "You really think anyone's gonna believe that?" His finger pushed up on the brim of his hat as his blue eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. "You should come by and I'll cook us up the trout I caught last week in Wyoming." Yes, a real invitation but also a point teasingly made.

[kit-mcgrady]

"What made you want to open one?" Kit realized he'd never asked Spencer that question, and it suddenly felt like an offense not to know the answer. Some friend he was, right? Spencer led the way and Kit happily followed, not letting himself get too caught up in the books they were passing. He'd heard people talk about not judging a book by its cover, but Kit saw some pretty distracting covers, so he wondered how well that statement stood up. "Oh shit," Kit said as soon as Spencer pulled out the two books, looking at them both closely. "I had no idea they made these kind of things," Kit confessed, reaching for one of them gingerly. "Can I... take a look? I'll be real careful, I swear."

Kit was one of the first people to befriend Spencer when they were little kids. It was one of the summers he and his parents were visiting, and at 8 years old, Kit approached him and asked him if he wanted to be friends, like it was the easiest thing to do in the world. Spencer almost missed being that young and carefree. He was glad that they were still friends as adults, though.

So he was honestly delighted that Kit had showed up to the bookstore. He was pretty sure that the other man had never even stepped foot inside before. "Hey, man!" he greeted with a smile. He then slightly raised an eyebrow at him, laughing a little. "Yeah, I suppose it's crazy," he said. "Never thought I'd own a whole bookshop when I wasn't a big reader growing up." He nodded as he listened to what Kit was looking for, a smile already forming on his face. "I think I got something that Tito would like. Come on." Gesturing for his friend to follow, Spence led him to the section with photography books, specifically the area with photo collections. He picked out The New Black West by Gabriela Hasbun. "This is fairly recent, like published in the last few years, and honestly quite beautiful, but if you're looking for something classic..." He grabbed Through the Lens of Jerry Gustafon: Rodeo Photography, 1970-1976. "What d'you think?"

[kit-mcgrady]

"Let him, I'll kick his ass out here all over again if I need to," Kit said softly, his gaze shifting toward the guy was standing before it flickered back to Azra's face. Holding her this close, there was no way he could look anywhere else—especially when she was touching him. He could've lowered his hands, could've put them on her hips and pulled her close, but instead Kit was enjoying to closeness he'd gotten so far. Wrapping Azra in his arms made him feel more like a superhero than any rodeo ever had.

He sighed happily the second her fingers worked their way into his hair. If they weren't standing in the parking lot of a bar, he'd probably go so far as to moan softly at the feeling, but Kit knew how to read a room now and then. Kit merely nodded when she asked if that was all before his eyes fluttered shut, ready to catch Azra's lips with his own. Her voice in his ear was too close, causing Kit's brows to furrow together. Not gonna work. He'd tried, at least, even if it hadn't worked. "Maybe I've always been this bold," he said when he met her gaze evenly. "You just never stuck around long enough to find out for yourself." He paused as he took her face in, the glow from the bar sign reflecting in her eyes. "Dance with me?"

Shock doused her features in a low, yet electric glow as Kit pressed in close and touched her. Briefly, she wondered if he knew what sort of memories his hands on her waist kicked up, or if this was just booze talking. It wasn’t like she could blame him either way. Head tipping to the side as he took it a step further, lacing his hands together at her back, Azra lifted a brow, forever caught off guard whenever Kit did something to remind her that they weren’t teenagers anymore. Any awkward fumbling was gone, replaced by a firm confidence she’d first seen years ago. Azra glanced at the scant space between them, disapproval twisting on her lips as she hooked her thumbs around his belt loops, hauling him that much closer before peering up at him, “I don’t know if I’d get too handsy,” she warned, tossing a look back behind them, back towards where that overly forward piece of shit was still lingering off to the side outside the bar, “he might think all that bravado was only because you wanted me for yourself.” She wasn’t entirely sure why she’d said it, or even if she really wanted him to confirm or deny it. Either way, it wasn’t like she was making any moves away from him though, happily swept up in that blanket of safety and warmth that his touch had quite literally always provided her.  Following his gaze with her own, she couldn’t help but smirk at his question of kiss it better. Hands moving to his biceps with a squeeze, she slid her palms up over his shoulders, interlocking her fingers around his neck. She toyed with his curls, absentmindedly of course, as she glanced up at him, “That’s all?” She pondered aloud, acting as though she was actually giving into his little request as she leaned in closer, just enough for the tip of her nose to brush against his, then once against his cheek– her lips never quite touching his. Hugging her arms tighter around his neck so that she could haul him in close and bring her lips to hover next to his ear, Azra chuckled softly, “Not gonna work.” No, Azra Demirci had always required a little more chasing than that. She eased back, though still remaining in the circle of warmth his arms created and grinned, unable to hide her amusement, “When did you get so bold, Kitkat?”

[kit-mcgrady]

"One of the guys from the ranch got shitfaced and needed a ride home," Kit admitted, looking at Henry after watching him wipe his nose. He wasn't one to judge anyone for their vices, but he also never fucked with hard drugs. He'd only gotten high a handful of times off weed. "You here cause Benny's ass ain't doin' it for you tonight or what?" He was definitely joking, mostly just playing up the jokes he heard other people make at Henry's expense. Kit didn't care who got with who, so long as he never ran out of options himself. "Surprised they haven't hired you to start dancing here yet with those legs of yours."

When Henry ran out of options on Tinder his next stop was usually the strip club. He has been known to be very generous with his tips, and will usually pay extra for a private room, which is exactly what he did tonight. All he wanted was to be close to someone, even if the touches were light and brief, at least someone was giving him some attention.

Another thing Henry did a lot at the club? Cocaine. He never brought it himself, but when it was offered to him, he struggled to say no. So when the stripper who had just given him a private dance offered him some, he agreed to it.

With his nose freshly powdered Henry made his way over to the bar, approaching the one person he recognized. He put a hand on Kit's shoulder shaking him a little. "Hey don't worry buddy, your secret is safe with me." Henry sniffled wiping his nose quickly with his thumb and index finger. "What are you doing here anyway?"

[kit-mcgrady]

"Oh shit," Kit said with a fond look on his face, his eyes trailing off toward the wall across from them. "My mom used to make these seven layer bars, they had like... chocolate and coconut on 'em. Think you can make something like that? Tito used to eat those a bunch, I bet he'd love that. I can try to find her recipe maybe, if you think that'd help... I'm sure you've got it, though, you seem like the kind of guy who has a lot of recipes."

Kit watched Eli sketch out the cake and his eyebrows somehow stayed lifted, clearly impressed. "Damn, even that looks good, Eli. I think we could probably spring for a smaller cake for him so he can have his carrot cake shaped like a lasso, then we can do the seven layer bars so everyone can have something. Does that sound like it'd work?"

Eli smiled softly and shook his head. He wasn't real great with compliments. He still felt like this bakery was still nan's even though he had lead it into the new age and all that was left of her were the old school pictures of a young Elise Deveaux and her little bakery that could. The fact that the townspeople still thought of this little bakery and loved it, that was something he'd always credit to his Nana. "You single handedly inflate my ego. You're too kind." Eli motioned to the back where the drinks were stocked for the employees and his kids. "Want something to drink?"

The reaction was not an uncommon one. Eli had gotten that one a few times but still was patient enough to walk Kit through it. "Not all the time. Sometimes when they have a very specific vision. Or lau sends them over from the winery so they need a pastry that is unique for their special event. Okay, that's a start. See, you're not completely guiding me in blind. Forty people or so, so then I'd suggest either sheet pan desserts which include; brownies, cookies bars or chocolate caramel tarts. Which can be catered to whatever flavor he likes the most. There's also slab pies , that just means they're baked in jelly roll pan and cut into pieces like a cookie bar. It serves a crowd without the mess of cutting into a cake. They usually serve sixteen people but I can make it so it can feed everyone. What's his favorite flavor or kind of cake?" he asked to get a better gauge of what he could do. "I can," he laughed softly. "Took me a long ass time to master that but I can craft it. Basically I have a cake like this," he drew up a single layer cake which could be converted into a lasso with the name written woven between the rope. "It'd look like this but a little less messy." Eli was a nerd about this. He loved what he did and was actually good at it.