#Charlotte Byrd

[thereadingcafe]

[sandythereadingcafe]

REVIEWS:

HIGHEST BIDDER / BIDDING WARD (Highest Bidder 1 & 2) by Charlotte Byrd at The Reading Cafe:

' a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, dysfunctional family dynamics'

[whosyourfavevoicedby-polls]

[battlestar-royco]

the token teenage girl in her rebellious phase is always considered the most annoying character on any tv show even though she's almost always right or at the very least justified

[andithil]

A very happy Galentine’s Day to my rarepair partner in crime, @alivingsaint! This commission comes from the lovely and talented @bandaidfingers--thank you again so much!--and if anyone is interested in their own dreams coming true lmao, the sale’s on until the 15th. And you get stickers. Stickers! Highly recommend.

Anyway, this is Marty Byrde (Ozark) and Chip (Flaked). In this crazy AU of ours (or at least, the most recent iteration ahem), Marty divorces Wendy’s ass the moment they’re clear from the money laundering game and tries to start fresh in Venice, CA. He meets Chip and helps him legitimize his stool business while they become friends and slowly fall in love and eventually, painstakingly, reveal to each other the true extent of their storied histories and learn to heal together. It’s fun and sweet and a little angsty but THE HEALING. It’s so good cries.

(also we just really like smushing the dummies together okay DFKJFK enjoy.)

[sillydames]

this fucking show (ozark) dude. they CANNOT go from ben screaming and sobbing about going to the facility and wendy crying while watching him to charlotte comforting jonah on the trampoline :( this show is so smart but so heartbreaking sometimes

[mannytoodope]

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Sapphic Books Coming Out July 2024

Contemporary 💖 Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd 💖 The Loves of Her Life by Haley Donnell 💖 The Coin by Yasmin Zaher 💖 Making It by Laura Kay 💖 The Black Bird of Chernobyl by Ann McMan 💖 About Last Night by Laura Henry 💖 Together We Fall Apart by Sophie Matthiesson 💖 Lover Birds by Leanne Egan 💖 Forbidden Girl by Kristen Zimmer 💖 Cash Delgado is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia 💖 One Last Summer by Kristin Keppler 💖 Rainbow Allies by Nancy Churnin 💖 Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin 💖 The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford 💖 StreamLine by Lauren Melissa Ellzey

Paranormal/Horror 💖 Carmilla, Vol. 2: The Last Vampire Hunter by Amy Chu & Soo Lee 💖 The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington 💖 I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy 💖 So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky

Fantasy 💖 The Princess and the Thief by Mary Lynne Gibbs 💖 A Wolf in Stone by Jane Fletcher 💖 The Second Son by Adrienne Tooley 💖 Daughters of Chaos by Jen Fawkes 💖 Queen B by Juno Dawson

Historical 💖 A Thousand Times Before by Asha Thanki 💖 A Lethal Lady by Nekesa Afia

Mystery/Thriller 💖 The Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani 💖 Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher by Katie Siegel 💖 The Devil You Know by Ali Vali 💖 Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor 💖 The Meaning of Liberty by Sage Donnell 💖 Undercurrent by Patricia Evans

Sci-Fi 💖 Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Newly Named OCs

thank you thank you thank you @cecexwrites for talking me off the edge of a metaphorical cliff and helping me figure all of this out let's go

Upcoming Plot Bunnies (not going to share details now bc I'll post their asks once I make headers)

Vanya Baker – Gilmore Girls, x Max

Lillie Ledger – Bridgerton

Theodosia Byrd – Bridgerton, x Benedict

Samira Devlin – Supernatural

Archie Quinton – Doctor Who

Zenais Rosier – Harry Potter, x Pansy

The Society

Claire Tomkins ( Olivia Holt ) — Elle’s twin sister, thinks Campbell is a sketchy ass bitch

Luca Clarke ( Froy Gutierrez ) – poly Sam & Grizz OC, chaotic rich football player and leads the guard after Grizz goes on the expedition, hates Campbell

Camryn Clarke ( Madelyn Cline ) – poly Hallie OC, Luca's step sister and best friend, also Harry's best friend, rich bitch wild child

Jurassic World (blame Cece)

Joss Murphy ( Madelyn Cline ) – Lex's daughter, head empty

Courtney Krill ( Kristine Froseth ) – Vivian's younger sister, waitress on the island, x Matthew Steele

Matthew Steele ( Tom Holland ) – bar tender on the island but wants to one day work in the research & development department, x Courtney Krill

Miles Shepherd ( Chris Evans ) – runs security on whichever exhibit Devon runs, x Devon Grady

Elijah Lewis ( Dylan O'Brien ) – head 100% empty, x Raegan Mitchell

Everest Ledger ( Tom Hiddleston ) – head empty, future oc ship but can't decide between a few options

Tanner Kane ( Brenton Thwaites ) – head empty, future oc ship but can't decide between a few options

Kai Forrest ( Josh Hutcherson ) – head empty, future oc ship but can't decide between a few options

Decker Haynes ( Dwayne Johnson ) – head empty, future oc ship but can't decide between a few options

OUAT

Ariana Galanis / Ariadne Bayern ( Nicola Coulghan ) – Bluebeard's final wife, but Bluebeard is Peter Pan. Hook rescued her from being the latest sacrifice and hid her in the Enchanted Forest, but then the curse happens

Marigold "Goldie" Thistle / Thumbelina ( Sabrina Carpenter ) – Thumbelina, fairy princess, just vibes

Kieran Iverson / Ambrose Morvan ( Aaron Tveit ) – in the Enchanted Forest he was a travelling musician/writer but Regina killed his first love, he ended up leading a band of rebels fighting against her reign, tbd what he's doing in Storybrooke, x Pearl Gale

Bridgerton

Hermione Bridgerton ( Millie Bobby Brown ) – Hyacinth's twin, just vibes

Callum Linfield ( Henry Goulding ) – head empty just vibes, x Euphemia Bridgerton

Thomasin Elkins ( Anne Hathaway ) – widow in the ton, friends with Violet & Agatha (and Charlotte?), ends up starting a flirtation with Jon Lockwood which soon turns into more

Narnia

Molly Pevensie ( Millie Bobby Brown ) – Lucy's twin, ends up back in Narnia before them in Prince Caspian, has to survive alone when there are no Narnians to help or protect her and ends up befriending Caspian

Recasts / Updates

Eulalia Rosier ( Kacey Rohl ) – Carissa Rosier's new name

Lea Aldrich ( Grace Van Dien ) – Zoe Aldrich's new name / face

Mandy Holbrook ( Olivia Scott Welch ) – Mandy Holbrook's new face

Eilwony ( Kiernan Shipka ) – Eilwony's new face

[sandythereadingcafe]

REVIEW:

KEEP ME CLOSE (MacMillan Brothers: Somerset Harbor) by Charlotte Byrd at The Reading Cafe:

'The premise is engaging and captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined and dynamic.'

https://www.thereadingcafe.com/keep-me-close-macmillan-brothers-by-charlotte-byrd-review/

[heartsleevemag]

GALLERY: The Aces

by Alycee Byrd

“On tour, shows sometimes start to feel the same....this might sound crazy, but I think Charlotte is the best show this far on the tour.” The crowd was electric last Friday night during The Aces' show at The Underground. This Charlotte, NC, stop was the 8th show on their U.S leg of their I’ve Loved You For So Long (ILYFSL) Tour. The four piece band performed songs from all parts of their discography, dating all the way back to 2018. The show setlist ranged from high energy pop hits like “Daydream,” to alternative ballads like “Suburban Blues,” which touches on their experience of navigating their queerness while living in a small town in Utah. You could feel the passion and emotional impact the band has on their fans while looking through the faces in the crowd. Their music truly touches a wide demographic of people from all different ages, races, and gender identities. Their shows are a space where you can come as your authentic self. If you have an opportunity to catch a show in your city, I would highly recommend seeing and support this all-woman group who truly puts their heart into their music and performances. Check out our highlights from the show below!

[sporadiceagleheart]

Thursday edits for angels surrounded by angels Shan'ann Cathryn Rzucek and Bella&Nico and CeCe, Candela Sol Rodriguez, Alyssa Jane West, Emma Nicole Speer, Avielle Richman, Ava Jordan Wood, Leiliana Wright, Saffie-Rose Brenda Roussos, Lily Peters, Olivia Pratt Korbel, Sara Sharif, Charlotte Figi, Jersey Dianne Bridgeman, Lucy Morgan, Mercedes Losoya, Norah Lee Howard, Sloan Mattingly, Audrii Cunningham, Judith Barsi and Heather O'Rourke, Makenna Lee Elrod Seiler, Eliahna Torres, Jackie Cazares, Mary E. Sullivan, Olivia Grace Thompson, Lester Stillwell, Alexis Brianne “Lexi” Stempien, Blake Lee Stafford, Emma Grace Stacks, Kelly Doyle Sparks, Christy Lea Sparks, Kelsey Shelton Smith-Briggs, Michael Daniel Smith, Alexander Tyler “Alex” Smith, Laura Ashley Skinner, James Asa Rudder, Ashley Nicole Romer, Jennifer Jailene Rodriguez, Angel Divine Randall, Miakailah Renee Ramsey-Franklin, JonBenét Ramsey, Kelli Shay Powell, Allyceea Mabel Brynne Ennis, Janet Carol Pierick, Patricia Sue Phillips, Pete Peterson I, Kaitlyn Nikol Pukatsch Parsons, Cheyenne Rose “Chey Chey” Newton, Emanuel Wesley Murray Jr., Maud H. Munn, Doris Denise Milner, Bruce Edward Miller, Ruby Miller, Lucille Miller, Gwenyth Marie McWethy, Natallie Elizabeth McNelly, Minnie E. McKendrick, Bradley Gene McGee, Joanne Ena Lynn, Jessica Marie Lunsford, Brittani Lynn LaFollette, Eva Gladys “Gladys” Kincaid, Elisa Izquierdo, James Alan Ray Hubbard, Catherine Violet Hubbard, Janessa Micheala “Nessie” Horner, Nina Viktoria “Tori” Bashenova Hilt, Angela Dawn Harter, Michelle Heather Guse, Lori Lee Farmer, Anna Katherine Grudziecke, Edith Clare “Edie” Grierson, Aiyana Emily Gauvin, Thomas Edwards Gallagher, Gerald Alfred Gaddy, Annie L Foster, Leah Foster Whitacre, Julie Alliot, Rowan Damia Ford, Kathy Fiscus, Mary Ruth Davis, Ettie E. Davis, Joan Angela D'Alessandro, Tessara Kate “Tessa” Crespi, Samantha Joy “Sammie” Crespi, Nina Craigmiles, Lacy Cheyenne Cook, Eleanor Emily Cook, Edward Parsons Cook, Dakoda James Clapper, Nevaeh Amyah Buchanan, Hayley Renae Reasor Briggs, Noelle Elizabeth Braun, Skylar Mark Brady, Edna Louise Blank, Celeste Elizabeth Berg, Teri Earlene Bender, Katherine Marie “Kathy” Beets, Barbara Ann Barnes, Bessie Barker, Baylee Almon, Marivel Mercedez Alvarez, Jessica Anders, Elli Grace Perez-Speer, Adilynn Holmes Speer, Anniston Noel Speer, Ciara Nicole Floyd, Nelani Ciara Koefer, Jade Nicole Simmons, Elizabeth Ann Byrd, Story Wren Worth, Abigail Elizabeth “Abby” Fedosoff, Kezia Mason, Isabella Sara “Bella” Tennant, Avery Lana Linda Brown, Sadako Sasaki, Sarah McKayla Brooks, Jessica Scatterson,Jessica Marie Bock, Layla Salazar, Emma Catherine Grace Thompson,

[freakingoutthesquares]

Material World: Pulp Photograph: Ed Sirrs New Musical Express, 10 October 1992 Transcription: Acrylic Afternoons

Where are you and what are the vibes like? We are in Norwich and the vibes are like shimmering shards of incandescent plywood.

What was the last thing you ate? Nick Banks: Chicken In A Bun Candida Doyle: Branston Pickle Steve Mackey: Cucumber (whole) Russell Senior: Earwax Jarvis Cocker: A Skoal bandit

What was the last video you rented? Girl On A Motorcycle and we still owe six pounds because we took it back late, so because of that we've had nothing since.

What was the last good book you read? Dead Babies - Martin Amis The Cement Garden - Ian McEwan One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey Woman In White - Wilkie Collins Bonfire Of The Vanities - Tom Wolfe Steppenwolf - Herman Hesse

Fave political figures? Arthur Scargill, Harriet Harman, Michael Foot.

What TV shows do you try not to miss? Open University - Particle Physics Module One.

What sports are you good at? Water, pocket billiards, table tennis, cards, arm wrestling, gambling.

Which public figure do you most despise? Sebastian Coe (he gives Sheffield a bad name - he stood for Parliament because he couldn't run for toffee).

Fave TV shows of yesteryear The Spirit Of Dark And Dirty Water Double Deckers Hope And Keen's Crazy Bus Banana Splits Cheggers Plays Pop Any public information films

Most embarrassing records in your collection Ours, because our mothers insist on playing them when relatives and insurance salesmen come round.

Name three great songwriting partnerships Chinnichapp, Bacharach & David, Peters & Lee.

Fave punk rock records Candida: 'Another Girl Another Planet' - The Only Ones Jarvis: '1 2 X U' - Wire Russell: 'Pretty Vacant' - The Sex Pistols Steve: 'Bingo Master's Breakout' - The Fall Nick: 'Roadrunner' - Jonathan Richman

Fave historical figure Vlad The Impaler and the Whore Of Babylon.

Worst lyric you've ever heard "Kick yourself in the head/Pretty soon you will be dead..." ('Get A Life' - Julian Lennon)

Who's overrated? Wim Wenders, Jacques Poos (Foreign Minister of Luxembourg), Bob Dylan, Graeme Hick, John Barnes.

Who's underrated? Fellini, potatoes, Donovan, Momus.

Who's sexy? Jarvis: Jan Francis Steve: Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg Candida: Jack Nicholson Russell: Ingrid Pitt Nick: Sue Carpenter

Punchline to fave joke "Elvis Parsley"

Where would you like to retire to? Jarvis: Whitby Russell: Scarborough Candida: Shetland Steve: Galway Nick: Cardigan Bay

Name a record that can make you cry Nick: 'Honey' - Bobby Goldsboro Candida: 'Romeo And Juliet' - Dire Straits Steve: 'Blue Afternoon' - Tim Buckley Jarvis: 'Always Coming Back To You' - Scott Walker Russell: 'She's A Lady' - Pulp

When were you last drunk? When we dressed up as a bottle.

What was the last dream you can remember? Candida: Eating live cockroach sweets Russell: That Rotherham was a major international conference centre Jarvis: Sticking up toads at the top of my gran's cellar steps Steve: Being dressed in women's clothes at a disco

Three records guaranteed to make you dance 'French Kiss' - Lil' Louis 'Groove Is In The Heart' - Deee-Lite 'Disco Inferno' - Trammps

What was the first record you heard? Nick: 'Mr Tambourine Man' - The Byrds Candida: 'Love Is Just Like A Merry-Go-Round' - Sandie Shaw Steve: 'Itchycoo Park' - The Small Faces Russell: 'The Ring' - Wagner Jarvis: 'The Strange World Of Guerney Slade' - Max Harris

Fave fabrics Dacron, Trevira, Courtelle, Lycra, Dralon, Velour, Towelling, Darron, Suedette, Moleskin, Velvet, Sharron.

Motto "That which does not destroy us makes us stronger"

[ssahotstuff]

Lie To Me

Characters(aside from the reader)

Aaron Hotchner

Marty Byrde (readers boss)

Wendy Byrde (Marty's wife)

Charlotte & Jonah Byrde (Wendy & Marty's kids)

Ruth Langmore (readers best friend, works for Marty

Darlene Snell (a side character, temporarily has custody of Zeke, which is Mason Young's son. Mason is not a character in this story however he is mentioned once or twice.

Maya Miller (fbi agent, one of the good guys mostly)

Frank Jr. (pre penis shot injury/I'm tweaking his character and giving him a redemption arc. He and Ruth have butted heads in this universe but that's all it ended up being.)

Some Plot & Backstory: This takes place in the Ozarks. The readers boss is Marty Byrde, who launders money for the Navarro Drug Cartel. Hotch is leading an investigation to take Marty down, and the reader has no idea she's going to be stuck in the final cross fire, forced to choose between love and loyalty. The reader has no knowledge or involvement in Marty's crimes (I do change some details to better fit but Marty do be laundering money in this, I just don't go into too much detail)

Warnings: The reader is 24, Hotch is 40 so age gap, cursing, mentions of food, drinking, smut, penetration, unprotected sex, oral m&f receiving, fingering,

Word count: 2.4 k

This is part one! I hope you enjoy it because I've all but thrown my life aside to work on this lmao

You were inclined to believe that everything happened for a reason. So when Marty Byrde was the first person to be nice to you after you moved to the Ozarks, you quickly fell under his wing, and didn't think anything else of it. He gave you a job, running a restaurant and lodge he owned called The Blue Cat, after being in town a month. You quickly built a mutual trust with him when you became his daughters tutor, and your friendship grew from there. You were close to his whole family, but you saw the most of Marty.

You'd met several people now that you could consider friends, one of them being a girl named Ruth Langmore. She was Marty's business partner at a few other places he owned, and she'd quickly become one of your closest friends. The two of you didn't talk much--you had a relationship kind of like you and Marty. After a long day, the three of you would assemble at the Blue Cat and drink a couple of beers, just blowing off steam.

You were closing things up for the night half an hour early because the boats had stopped coming in and things were quiet on the lake. It wasn't until the bell rang signaling someone's arrival that you realized you weren't alone. A man in a black polo shirt stood on the other side of the bar, his stern facial expression making him look more than unapproachable.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

He didn't bother moving, he just took a look around, standing in place.

"You don't look like Marty Byrde," he said, taking a seat at the bar as you stood in front of him, your bar towel over your shoulder.

"That's because I'm not. I'm Y/n, I run the place for him."

He nodded, scanning the menu before he sat it down, looking to you.

"I'll just take whatever your favorite is," he said finally, pointing to the beer cooler behind you, "You can pick my beer too."

You handed him a bottled beer and decided you'd make him one of your famous inside out burgers. It was something Marty let you put on the menu because people asked for them so often. All of the ingredients were on the inside of the burger, giving you a totally different flavor experience. You brought him his food without explaining what it was and let him take a bite, a satisfied hum escaping his lips when he realized your twist on the normal burger.

"This is what everyone told me to get," he told you, taking a sip of his beer. You cleaned up around him, staying close just in case he had any more questions.

"What did you need with Marty anyway? I can probably get him over here," he shook his head, finishing his bite before he answered you.

"No, it's okay. I'll be seeing him later. What all do you know about him? He a good guy?"

You were confused on why he was asking but you gave him your personal opinion on Marty, telling him how much he'd helped you since you moved there and that you trusted him.

"Why are you asking?" You finally asked him why he was so curious about Marty, but the stranger simply shrugged you off and told you that it wasn't important.

"You seem like a good girl. You sure you want to be involved with a guy like Marty?"

You stopped what you were doing to stare at him, unsure of what he could possibly mean. Marty was harmless--he'd done nothing but good since he moved to town, always trying to help people out.

"What do you mean?"

He looked you up and down, trying to decide what he thought about you. It made you feel exposed--you didn't know him, but he was handsome. You felt insecure under the scrutiny of his gaze, crossing your arms over your chest as you waited on him to say anything.

"You're sweet. Just be careful, okay? I just came into town, so I'm sure I'll see you around. I'm Hotch," he held out his hand and you shook it, wondering what was bringing all the new faces to town. You'd moved there for the scenery and the opportunity; your cousin originally had lined you up a job working at Marty's casino, but he felt you were a better fit at the Blue Cat.

"You may be the most elusive man I've ever met," you chuckled as he tried to pay for his food. You wouldn't let him, since he was the last customer of the night, but he left you a $20 dollar bill anyway and showed himself out. When you finally closed things up for the night, you cracked the top on a beer, waiting for your usual visitors. When Marty showed up, he seemed more tense than usual. He went for the liquor instead of a beer, taking a shot quickly as he joined you behind the counter.

"I need to ask a favor," he looked at you, his face more serious than you'd ever seen it.

"Anything," you told him, and he placed his hand on your shoulder briefly before signing heavily.

"I'm not asking you to lie, but there may be some people that show up asking questions about me."

You went ahead and explained what had happened with Hotch, but he didn't seem too worried about him; he didn't recognize the name. He was however worried about a group of men from Kansas City that may want to know things about him. He warned you that they were dangerous, and that it was best if you didn't know any more than that. He didn't think they'd come to bother you, but he wanted to prepare you just in case.

"What's this about?"

He took another shot before explaining that they were supposed to be his partners in the casino but the Snells had beat them to it. He was worried about the casino, about them showing up to cause trouble there. You hoped Hotch wasn't a bad guy; he hadn't seemed bad at all. In fact, you found yourself wanting to know more about the man that thought you were sweet.

"You're fine, I promise."

Ruth came in and Marty filled her in, since she was working at the casino. She'd already dealt with Frank Jr. once, and she wasn't afraid to do it again. Those were her exact words.

"What's got you all starry eyed?" She looked to you, which made Marty take a closer look at you, a smirk on his lips.

"Yeah, you're awfully smiley."

You shrugged because you weren't sure what to say; the small compliment had made your day, and something about the way he looked at you when he left made you think he didn't exactly want to go.

"It was just a good night," you lied, and neither of them pressed the issue further. You all had your nightly beer and went your separate ways, and when you arrived home, you noticed someone unpacking into the empty house across the street. It was too late to go knocking to find out about them, but their blacked out SUV was nice.

You fell asleep quick, anxious for the day to come, thinking of Hotch, the mystery man.

✨✨✨

It had been a week and you still hadn't caught a glimpse of the new neighbor. You were headed to the Blue Cat for the day, hoping to get a clue about them from the outside of their house. You were still unsure if it was a man or a woman, but you were definitely curious.

The day went by quick, boats coming in like crazy since you'd started a Facebook page and actively promoted it on the vacation sites and got it the traction it deserved. Marty's daughter Charlotte helped wait tables after school, and his son Jonah would often hang out while she worked. She had just walked in and he sat at the bar, working on his computer. You spent a lot of time with the two of them; you were close, like family.

"You haven't stopped smiling since we showed up," Jonah commented, looking up from his computer to look at you.

"Been a good day," you told him, but secretly, Hotch was on your mind. You wondered what he was up to, if you'd see him again.

"You're working a double. Usually you'd be miserable at this point."

You shrugged, knowing if you told Jonah anything, he'd keep it a secret.

"I just... a guy came in the other night," you weren't sure what else to say. Your fixation on him was a strange one that you couldn't explain.

"Different than any other guy that comes in here?"

Charlotte had overhead your conversation and was peeping in to throw in her opinion since you wouldn't come right out and say it.

"She liked him, Jonah!" She whispered excitedly, putting her hands under her chin as she looked at you expectantly.

"Tell me about him," she gushed, and you rolled your eyes, but there was no one else around, so you told her all about him--you left out the part that he was asking about Marty, but you told her how handsome you thought he was. You also told her that he'd said you were sweet. She blushed, grabbing your hand.

"That's so cute! Oh my gosh, you get hit on all the time. Ruth and I have been wondering what your type is," she admitted, your love life a popular topic of conversation among your friends.

"I don't have a type, but if I did, it's him."

You didn't have to wait long to see him, because he walked in about the same time as before, long after Charlotte and Jonah had went home. He sat at the same barstool and asked for the same thing, only this time, Dave, the cook was still around, so he could make it while you talked. You cracked open a beer to drink with him, his eyes crinkling up as he grinned at you.

"Been a good day?"

You nodded, looking at the overflowing tip jar. Charlotte had already counted out her half and it was still full; you'd been making especially good money lately since the weather had started to get warm.

"It's been a great day. It's still warm outside, makes me want to have a fire," you thought about using the pit in your backyard, inviting Ruth to drink there instead of the Blue Cat. You shot her a quick text asking if she wanted to do that instead, leaning against the bar as you talked to him.

"I just moved into a new neighborhood so I'm not sure how my neighbors feel about fire pits," he answered, his suit tailored perfectly for him. You'd liked his polo before, but this look was a good one; you loved his Gucci tie, his gray dress shirt against his black blazer. He looked delicious, and it was hard not to stare.

"My neighbors are really cool. Someone new just moved in, haven't talked to them yet, but the rest of them are nice."

He thought for a minute before asking where you lived. You told him the general area your neighborhood was in before he smirked, and you turned around to get his food, sitting it in front of him.

"You've talked to them more than you realize," he chuckled, and you smiled back at him, baffled that he was your neighbor.

"No way! I almost came by last night to introduce myself but it was late," you tried to multitask, cleaning while he ate.

"You should've. I was just unpacking some stuff. I can't believe you're my neighbor."

It was a pretty wild coincidence, and you couldn't wait to tell Charlotte. Ruth had confirmed she'd be at your house later, so you told Marty too, and he told you to just grab some beer from the freezer there so you didn't have to buy any.

"I won't be around tonight, I'm doing some stuff for work, but I'll see you around, I hope," he said as he tried to pay, doing the same as last time, leaving a generous tip for you instead. You let Dave go home for the night and finished things up, grabbing beer and heading for your house. You had a fire made by the time Marty arrived, taking a seat in a lawn chair as he cracked open a beer.

"Seen anymore of that Hotch guy?"

You were surprised he remembered. You told him that he'd came back tonight, but he hadn't asked about him at all.

"Sounds like he came back to see you," he pointed out, and you were able to avoid his comment because Ruth was showing up.

"Tell me again why you thought a casino in a town of drunks was a good fuckin' idea," she grumbled as she sat down next to you, opening her beer and taking a swig.

"It's where the money is," he said matter of factly, turning back to you.

"What's going on with you? Jonah said you were so cheerful, and that you made like $600 tonight."

Ruth was looking at you too, smirking at you with a wild look in her eye.

"I just like my job," you told him, and he scoffed, pushing you playfully.

"Is it a guy?" Ruth asked suddenly and you felt your cheeks go hot from the fire and the question, turning to look at her.

"I don't know what to say. He's just so handsome, but he's like, way out of my league. He had on a Gucci tie," you frowned, knowing that he was probably into women his own age, women with their lives together, college degrees and homes they owned.

"It's this Hotch guy, isn't it?" Marty said, his tone slightly accusatory.

"Yes," you admitted, and he groaned, rolling his eyes at you.

"Of course it is. Some guy starts asking questions and you fall head over heels for him," he was a bit more teasing now, but you could tell he wasn't quite sure how to feel.

"Like I said, he's out of my league."

Ruth shook her head, grabbing another beer.

"Don't say that. You could have anyone," she countered, and Marty nodded.

"It's true. This guy is not coming to the Blue Cat just for the burgers. He's coming to see you," you decided to tell them what you found out today, just to see how they reacted.

"He lives across the street," you said, and Ruth smiled wide, clinking her beer against yours.

"Well, if that ain't perfect, I don't know what is."

[brittlebutch]

got tagged by @rynsfandomsfun for a 'spell out your name or url with songs' meme!

B- Bamboo Bones by Against Me! R - Rich Girl by Daryl Hall & John Oates I - I am... all of me by Crush 40 T - The Anthem by Good Charlotte T - That Which Binds Us Through Time: The Physical, Chemical, and Biological Nature of Love; An Exploration of the Meaning of Meaning, Part 1 by Wyld Stallyns L - Little Miss Strange by Jimi Hendrix E - Early Sunsets Over Monroeville by My Chemical Romance B - Black Dog by Led Zeppelin U - Upside Down & Inside Out by OK Go T - The Trooper by Iron Maiden C - Cuckoo Song by Cosmo Sheldrake H - House Burning Down by Jimi Hendrix

I'll tag @sameteeth @star-byrd @occasionallygiveadamn if y'all want to do it, and anyone else who thinks this looks like fun!!

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Sapphic Books Coming Out July 2024

Contemporary 💖 Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd 💖 The Loves of Her Life by Haley Donnell 💖 The Coin by Yasmin Zaher 💖 Making It by Laura Kay 💖 The Black Bird of Chernobyl by Ann McMan 💖 About Last Night by Laura Henry 💖 Together We Fall Apart by Sophie Matthiesson 💖 Lover Birds by Leanne Egan 💖 Forbidden Girl by Kristen Zimmer 💖 Cash Delgado is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia 💖 One Last Summer by Kristin Keppler 💖 Rainbow Allies by Nancy Churnin 💖 Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin 💖 The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford 💖 StreamLine by Lauren Melissa Ellzey

Paranormal/Horror 💖 Carmilla, Vol. 2: The Last Vampire Hunter by Amy Chu & Soo Lee 💖 The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington 💖 I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy 💖 So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky

Fantasy 💖 The Princess and the Thief by Mary Lynne Gibbs 💖 A Wolf in Stone by Jane Fletcher 💖 The Second Son by Adrienne Tooley 💖 Daughters of Chaos by Jen Fawkes 💖 Queen B by Juno Dawson

Historical 💖 A Thousand Times Before by Asha Thanki 💖 A Lethal Lady by Nekesa Afia

Mystery/Thriller 💖 The Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani 💖 Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher by Katie Siegel 💖 The Devil You Know by Ali Vali 💖 Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor 💖 The Meaning of Liberty by Sage Donnell 💖 Undercurrent by Patricia Evans

Sci-Fi 💖 Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard