orangetoughguy | log post II

[The answer is not many. That's because Larry keeps on a-movin' all day. And if he's not moving he's with Lucky and if he's still not doing that he's playing guard dog.]

We got a buffet.

[Which is willy-nilly and 100% edible. Normally the old man would be trying to load up for the kid but this is public, he's a grown man and however courteous a friend can be there's no reason to pack his plate when he's right beside you.]

Dewey's got a head of blond hair all slicked back. Kinda got that Greek look to him.

[Larry tilts his head away from them to a pool table...which is being used for all kinds of shit. They're playing cards at it, drinking and yep, someone whipped out a mirror. Right there. Classy. The smell of weed has just now started to perfume the air.]

[They got a buffet sure but some of that food Freddy doesn't even know what it is. Stuffed wrapped in stuff, small portions so as to not offend the visiting ladies. Big meats to appease the men. Oh hey taquitos. Freddy loads up on these without even thinking about how it makes him look. He'll chew on one while looking at other foods too. The kid don't belong.]

He don't look thirty.

[It's just a casual remark, no judgment, especially when said thirty year old could bounce him out any time. It's after spotting Dewey that the kid focuses on the table. Damn.]

I gotta hand it to you you got your work cut out. [In an effort to not jinx Lawrence Dimick he doesn't say he's surprised a fight hasn't broken out yet.]

He don't look like a lotta things.

[A junkie. A guy who's worth all of this mess. Even though the old man's attending his birthday party doesn't mean he'll have to like or support it. There's a paycheck in here somewhere. The positives outside of seeing Freddy are difficult to scrounge up, but they are here. Job security, safety.

Larry doesn't mind the way Freddy is lightening up the buffet. Someone needs to. Besides, the tacos are gone. It makes the ol' bear even more sour.]

I know.

[His eyes are moving around the room and coming back to rest on the kid before roving again.]

Ready for that drink?

[Uh oh. A cigarette girl comes on in.]

Now who's this? [She'd like to know, and she doesn't mind the taquito in the kid's maw either. Yep, she's expecting an introduction.]

Edited 2011-07-08 18:13 (UTC)

[Crunch crunch crunch. At least the food's good.]

Uhff huhff. Yesh pleash.

[Freddy sounds with his maw half full, giving another smile, when she comes along. Uh. Green eyes stare for a brief moment before the kid forces down all that tortilla and beef. He clears his throat; time to put on the orange rind.]

Orange.

[He offers her the hand not holding the plate. Two things Freddy assumes are he goes by White all over this place and by being a color himself it'll end any curiosity she might have about their relation to each other.]

[The old man is half turned away when he sees her. Road block in the form of a brunette with a bob holding her tray of wares. With a gigawatt smile he takes the wheel.]

Erin. Hey. This here's a buddy of mine.

[Arm goes around the kid and pats his shoulder, carefully so that he doesn't disrupt that plate of food. Erin smiles and bats her eyelashes a few times before continuing to looking over Orange with her blue eyes. White has to relinquish hold for appearances sake.]

Great to meet you.

[She doesn't quite take his hand, just holds it.]

You gonna stick around?

[It's funny, fucking hilarious but the old man is just not in the mood.]

[Already Freddy's thinking he's doing a shit job because he's gesturing for a lovely woman to shake his fucking hand. Look things weren't all that different before he fell for Mr. White okay? At least her gigawatt smile doesn't blind the kid.]

Oh yeah. I got my reasons.

[These green eyes are smiling without even having to show any teeth. And for emphasis, he gives that woman, all curves and oozing buxom brunette, a look over from head to toe and back up again.]

[Erin is enchanted by green eyes. Larry clears his throat. He moves past both of them to the table, trying to play it off like no thing at all, because it is.]

Still workin', honey? [The old man keeps it light, suggesting. Ahaha. That snaps her out of it. Hand disengaged, but the mood isn't dampened.]

Yeah. Boy, I thought we were gonna try and do this much later. Some people can't fucking wait. [Both hands on her cigarette tray. She sighs and gives White a nudge.] Keep him occupied for me, will ya?

[Really? Shit, he must have stepped on a crack or who knows what.]

Can't promise that. He's got a mind of his own.

Trust me you don't need the insurance.

[Of needing White to make Orange stay. That much is a given but Erin doesn't need to know that. Freddy gives her a wink of that apparently enchanting green eye and even trades money and tip for a pack of smokes. His current one is half empty anyway.]

Right. [She's going. Going. Gone. Larry stops noshing and looks at the kid. Even though he'd like nothing better than to get the fuck home, the best part is right here charming the shit out of a woman who won't get to know how great he is.]

What'll you be drinking?

[Sometimes Freddy's too dumb to realize when he's done something right and sometimes Freddy does realize it then starts looking smug as fuck. At this moment it's the latter.]

Surprise me.

[He says around a taquito before crunching down.]

[Larry loves him dumb or smug.]

This-away.

[He points then walks.]

There's some good, good shit on tap. Stuff you'd never heard of. There's this Dark Lord stuff, it's like liquid candy.

[Back into motion, back into them. Focus like this keeps the old man safe. There still are people around in that specific frenzy.]

Have a seat on the bar.

[The 'tender isn't to be found but the old man is going behind it.]

"Dark Lord"? What the hell is that.

[Freddy asks, obviously interested because it makes him think of a goldschlager novelty only instead of gold leaves it's six-sided die, or a led Zeppelin label. Ahem. He's following away with a smile regardless and upon Larry's suggestion, the kid actually gets on the bar to sit on the edge. Hey everyone else is fucking around he may as well have fun too.]

I'll show you.

[Clink for a clean glass on the counter top a moment. Larry examines it to make sure it meets his standard then takes it to the tap to pour at an angle.]

If y'don't like it you don't have to drink it all.

[Clink for another glass, this one is for the old man.]

[Freddy watches the way he pours, the color and froth. It's called Dark Lord but it's not exploding in fireballs or green smoke or anything like one would expect a Dark Lord to do. Very strange. By name alone he thinks it could be made of deer's blood.]

Okay. Do I gotta tip ya?

[He even sets down a cork coaster before presenting the other man with the glass.]

Woah, I thought I was talking with Orange not Pink.

[There's a wink for you kid.]

[What. He makes a kind of twisted quirking expression because being compared at all gives him the heebie jeebies.]

I was gonna ask what kind of tip you'd want but fuck that.

[Freddy says with a poker face while lighting another cigarette, however there's a joking smile behind it, which he promptly hides by raising the glass to his lips.]

[Larry laughs a little, not a full blown knee slapper. He feels at ease enough to laugh.]

Woah. Are you saying your not gonna tip me at fuckin' all?

[Which he doesn't believe for a second. A hard stare a moment longer before he takes a drink on his own.]

It's hard to make ends meet. Fuck.

[Wow. The Dark Lord has a powerful flavor to him. Freddy has to take a moment to swallow. He's savoring the flavor okay? As for tipping, he sets the glass on the bartop and reclaims his cigarette.]

Convince me.

[Now there's a challenge. How can Lawrence Dimick convince Freddy Newendyke to tip him without the removal of his clothes? It's a good way to distract White, he thinks. Over at the pool table there's another girl taking a bump with a laugh and a smile but she looks like she's been sick for years.]

[The old bear's ears perk at the laughter but he doesn't look away.]

I take a lotta pride in what I do. I offered you the best I got in the house didn't I?

[Larry didn't say anything about the beer being the best, it could be all part of the convincing but he leans forward both palms on the bar as a real 'tender would.]

You got my undivided attention don't you? And some damn good bar food.

[....because it's being devoured at the bar.]

You're a bartender, ain't you supposed to talk to me and tell me stories or listen to my problems?

[Freddy asks, again quirking his brow to look like Larry ought to know better, as part of the charade.] Fillin' me up, that's one thing. Now you gotta entertain my mind.

[He points at his own head, the type filled with superheros and great adventures on bicycles.]

Oh sure, I gotta do that. [He loosens his tie and starts to clean a glass that's already clean with a napkin to play the part right.]

Fillin' the likes of you up is what I do.

[His eyes are down at the counter. Freddy can decide whatever it is that he means.]

Think this party is wild? There was a bachelorette party down here about two or three weeks ago.

I've been filled up a lot before. I'll be the judge of how different you do it.

[Toucan play at that game. He takes another sip, cigarette down, another bite. That plate is getting empty fast.]

Oh yeah? Here? What'd they come for. [He imagines the staff, just like the big old bear of a man he's looking at.]

It's not about how different, I think. It's about how right.

[It's a favorite game that a man can play with full concentration.]

Oh, the bride's last night out. Her girlfriends wanted to have it be memorable. The drinks started flowing and people got up and danced on chairs and the bar. It was hard to handle. They're only women in their tight short dresses and heels right?

[He's waiting for an answer there. The pause allows him to take a drink. Either against his will or because of the tilt of his head he looks toward the pool table. Two more seconds and he's back, and yes he is listening.]

[On the chairs and bar just like this kid here? He's still on the bar with his feet on a stool. Essentially this makes it seem like his back is to the old man but Freddy's twisting enough to look at Larry. This affords him both his attention on White and a general awareness of what's going on in this party.]

Uh huh. Okay. A couple chicks living it up and not giving a damn. How's that wild?

[Like that girl over there who's slowly losing her top. Right. Freddy does take a drink himself and a puff of smoke.]

Except they weren't. Before I know it, before anyone knows it, turns into a fucking playgirl club. It was like someone had alerted the male nudity police telling em they got a job to do. The girlfriends must have had a group discount or something but there was one for every girl, a baker's dozen.

[Bullshit, it's all bullshit. Larry just keeps on talking. The thread is spinning in his brain and getting more elaborate and flimsy like a spider's web. Surely, the kid has to know.]

Wherever they got these fellas from didn't have much food or something, they were lean. Probably strapped for cash like myself [Reminding the kid. Larry takes a sip] because they were ready to take it all off except for this piss poor excuse for underwear. Ridiculous.

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