Blowing off Steam

[deb]

Name of Thread: Blowing Off Steam
Characters Involved in Thread: Kate Cliff - Jess Nichols
IC Month Thread Occured: July
Brief Description of Thread: Jess and Kate meet up after Jess returns from her vacation.

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As she pulled into the driveway Jess had to wrinkle her nose, from the road she could see the floral curtains standing out against the windows like some kind of battle flag. It was the whole reason that she was never comfortable with staying there as the house seemed to be one big floral disaster that came out of a bad 50’s sitcom or something like that, then again her mother seemed to think that she was June Cleaver with a Smith and Wesson in the nightstand drawer too. Cutting off the engine she popped the trunk and checked to make sure that the covered trap was still in tact and no one had bothered it, she had a second bike that she kept down there for those times she was around and while she hadn’t ridden it in a while she felt like doing just that and she was hoping Kate had ridden her bike.

Getting out of the car and grabbing the bags from her mother she shook her head, the woman tried to do too much and one of these days they were going to see her on one of those Life Alert commercials because she had fallen and couldn’t get up. Muttering to herself Jess ran her fingers through her hair before she went to the front door preparing herself to enter the floral colored nightmare that lay inside, when the door opened on it’s own. She smiled at Kate before she looked back at her mother and then was almost bowled out of the way as she made one of her grand entrances sweeping Kate into a hug.

“Katie honey you look good,” Lucy started, and from behind her as she sat the bags down Jess rolled her eyes. “Are you being a good girl, giving that son of mine a hard time.”

Taking the moment as her mother smothered Kate with affection, Jess checked her phone which was surprisingly clear of messages for the first time in days. It wasn’t like she had wishful thinking but she did, she kept hoping just maybe but it never happened again and she was starting to think she had been right in her thoughts that it was nothing. Furrowing her brow she sighed, trying to keep her mind from drifting much than what it already was but it was hard to keep all her thoughts in check when everything seemed to be moving at warp speed and there was nothing she could do to slow it down.

“Alright Mom, Kate and I are going to go grab some lunch or something and then I’m going to go see what happened at the garage but I’ll be back in a day or two alright,” Jess explained as she leaned over and kissed her mother on the forehead before she smiled at her. Reaching into her bag she pulled out her purse before she went through it making sure he wallet was in there. That was when she came across the business card and for a moment she had to stop and think, which was when it dawned on her. Randy had been the guy she had met at the grocery store, it might have been worth giving him a call maybe get some lessons, a better gun. Maybe, at this point she wasn't sure what she wanted to and between jetlag and her own seething emotions she didn't think she needed to be around anyone that didn't know her.

Her mind was wondering again and finally she cleared her throat. “You ready to go Kate?”

[mavrick]

Kate took the onslaught that was Jess’ mother with veteran aplomb. Kate had lost her mother young, so she had taken to the few female mother figures she’d been exposed to since. Lucy was a good woman, and Kate hugged her back sincerely. She laughed when she commented on Seth, who she hadn’t seen since arriving in Charming, but she said yes anyway.
“Of course, who do you think you’re talking to?” she said with a laugh before being unhanded.

It had been a stressful few days to say the least. Being told to stay put, being busted trying to leave, hearing what had happened to Jess’ garage and the chance she’d been killed or kidnapped… Kate hadn’t slept. Add onto that, the fact that just about all of SAMCRO was in the Hills, it left Kate with nothing but Crow Eaters to keep her company… and she fucking hated Crow Eaters. A wave of relief had washed over her when Jess had finally rung her, and she’d been snoozing on the Lucy’s lounge for a couple of hours before waking to the sound of Jess’ car.

When the opportunity permitted, the short blonde hugged Jess tight, with no intentions of letting her go without a fight. Jess meant the world to her, had been there for her during her darkest days. The thought of her not being around anymore scared her to death. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said, the sound half muffled by Jess’ shoulder. “I was going grey worrying about you, I’d smack you if I wasn’t so relieved.”

[deb]

Watching as her mother seemed to be pacified by what she had been told and the promise that Jess wasn't going to remain in the Indian Hills longer than a few days Lucy appeared to be far more contended than what she might have been otherwise.

Hugging Kate back she lifted an eyebrow as she watched her for a few moment before she smiled. "Now you know me well enough to know that I'm far too mean and evil for anything to actually happen to me," she offered as she grabbed her bag and shifted it over her shoulder. She was starving and it wasn't as if they could actually stand there and talk in front of her mother which was why Jess was so ready to leave.

"Come on let's get out of here before she starts telling us stories about when i was a kid and made Seth eat worms or something just as unslightly as that," she mused.

[mavrick]

Kate and Jess made their way through Charming to one of the local diners. They entered, took their seats at a booth facing each other and a waitress came over and gave them menus. Kate was starving, but she was also broke. She’d been stealing food out of her sister’s refrigerator, but a couple of nights previous they’d gotten into an argument, and Kate had been crashing at Teller-Morrow since.

“So what the hell happened?” Kate asked as soon as opportunity permitted. “You obviously weren’t at the shop. And I knew you were upset about Rain, so what happened?”
Glasses of water were placed before them and Kate downed half of hers before looking back at Jess. Kate wasn’t even thinking about any gossip she might have had (usually she would), she was worried about her friend.

[deb]

Jess started to explain what had happened started with the diner and moving from there and ending with the whole thing with Seth and what had happened afterward. Her being mad at her brother was still very much present but her time on vacation had waned her anger toward Raylan Shephard enough she was at least no longer growling when she said his name. Though now she was more hurt and offended than angry about anything at all.

"So basically after Seth left and I explained what happened to Isaac he told me he couldn't do that to me and then left, he didn't even bother to stop and listen to what I had been saying about I was angry at the time and I had just lost my husband," Jess replied before she furrowed her brow and looked down at the window. She knew relationships weren't Kate's thing and they never had been but it didn't mean he friend judged her, sighing as she closed the menu sure now of what she planned on ordering she laughed softly. "The way that he turned around and walked out though makes me think Seth was right about this one and it was nothing more to him than a fling in the hills and he was going to end up going home and forgetting anyway."

Stopping she looked across the table at the blonde before she smiled at her. "Did Mom good to get out of the house though and see something pretty, but my mother has the worst taste in vacation destinations," she teased before she laughed. "She picked the Bahamas which was filled with happy couples who where all lovey on each other and I was hoping they would get swept out to sea. Then I came in and finally turned my phone on and found out that someone had decided to burn my garage down."

She was more upset about the garage than she was anything else at that moment and time and she was working hard to hold that in and not unleash a flood of tears that would have drawn more attention to herself than what Jess would have liked at that moment and time. That garage had been her life and it had been the one place that no matter what she was in contorl of what had taken place and happened there and the fact that it was gone was enough to make her want to scream.

"I'm going to go up there tonight and see if there's anything worth saving, your Dad didn't sound like their was but I need to see it for myself before I make any kind of decisions."

[mavrick]

Kate listened like any good friend would do. She had her own worries and stress, but she let Jess unload on her with no thought on herself. When she finally finished and mentioned the garage, her heart went out to her. She knew that Jess’ garage was her life, and it had been her father’s too. She pursed her lips in a small frown and reached her hand out across the table, grasping Jess’ in a comforting gesture.

“Anything you need me to handle? I know I can’t go anywhere, but maybe I can look in your mum while you’re gone?” She knew she couldn’t do much, being stuck where she was, but she had to offer. She hated feeling useless, left on the sideline, which seemed to be happening more and more often lately. The waitress returned to them and asked if they’d decided what they wanted to order. Kate politely announced she was fine.

[deb]

"Actually I'm going to need a place to stay down here and I can't live with my mother, we would drive each other insane and by the end of a week I would want to tear my hair out or hers," Jess explained before she waved the waitress of before she pulled out her purse. Digging around for a few moments she pulled out her checkbook before she ripped a few checks out and signed them. Now if this had been anyone else she wouldn't have given them the checks or her checkbook and she wouldn't have bothered with actually worrying about it, but she trusted Kate and she didn't worry that Kate was going to rip her off in the least bit either.

Making sure she had everything in order she handed the checks over before she sighed. "Find a house, doesn't have to be a big one or anything like that, just something I can sleep in that doesn't have floral everything." She explained as she looked out the window. "I have some furniture in the house in Vegas so I'll bring that down with me when I come but you know just pick up the little things that you need, like a microwave." She had one but it had shorted out before her vacation so it had to be replaced anyway. "Then if you want you can stay there, or you could move in and get out of your sister's place."

[mavrick]

Kate accepted the cheques from Jess, folded them neatly and stuffed them in the back pocket of her jeans (this was the safest place for anything on Kate, as they would be very… snug). “Sure, I can do that,” she announced as she took them, suddenly feeling like she had a purpose. That and the fact the night before Kate’s sister had kicked her out, and Kate needed a place to crash. She’d sleep on the floor if she had to, because she didn’t like crashing at the club house. Too many god damned Crow Eaters lurking around.

“No floral, microwave,” she quoted with a smile before relaxing slightly into the booth. She felt like a huge weight had come off her shoulders. The stress of everything had lifted from her, for the time being at least. In truth she had lots of bits and pieces to tell Jess, but she didn’t really think now was the time to indulge in a gossip session… unless Jess started one. There was a moment’s silence before Kate looked to her dearest friend once more.

“Men,” she said with a bit of a laugh, referring to the whole debacle with Rain. “They cause more fucking drama then they’re worth… and then call us the Drama Queens.”

[deb]

"Men are just," Jess threw her hands up, honestly she was so disgusted over the entire thing that she couldn't even begin to think about what was going on and she didn't want to think about it anymore. She was mad, she was over it now and life had gone up but she also knew she wouldn't make the same mistake twice either. "Their pains in the ass."

Taking a drink from her glass she thought about it for a few moments before she looked across the table at Kate and then smiled at her.

"Alright now tell me something that doesn't involve fire, Mayan's, or my being stupid," she joked before she brushed her hair out of her face and then sighed. She wanted to feel normal again after everything that had happened even if it was only for a few minutes before she had to go and look at what was left of her business.

[mavrick]

Kate felt that giddy gossiping girl rise up in her as Jess asked to talk about less upsetting news. Kate had always unloaded her gossip worthy tales on Jess for years now, so she was actually glad when she asked for some, because Kate had more than usual to tell. “Well,” she began with a grin, leaning in closer to Jess as if the topic of conversation had just become secret. “Since I got here… I’ve been a bit of a whore.” She paused and then contained the kind of laugh that would make people turn and look.

She bit her bottom lip and contained the laugh, but couldn’t contain the grin, or that evil mischief glint she got in her eyes when she’d been up to no good. Besides, it was more fun telling Jess about who she’d slept with on her trip to Charming than telling her that her sister had tossed her out on her ass and she was flat broke.

[deb]

"Well at least one of us is getting some," Jess replied, hell it was no secret she had hit a dry spell and it was no secret that it was starting to bother the hell out of her too. Really was it so hard to find someone to sleep with, Kate did it, and yet she seemed to frighten guy and send them heading back to their mommy or whereever it was that guys went too when they were frightened by breast. looking over Jess lifted an eyebrow waiting for a few moments until the waitress had disappeared again after bringing the plate of fries that she had ordered.

"well are you going to tell me with who or do I have to sit here and try and guess, which mind you will take a very very long time," she joked.

[mavrick]

Kate smiled at Jess’ joke. Though she did note that in the past six months or so, her list had substantially grown. She was going to have to get herself a ‘little black book’ shortly if she wasn’t careful. She leaned in again after the waitress deposited Jess’ fries, stole a few, stuffed them in her mouth. When she had swallowed she took a sip from her water, pretending like it wasn’t that big a deal.

“The Prince,” she stated simply, knowing full well that Jess knew that was what she called Jax. Kate sleeping with Jax had been on Kate’s ‘to do’ list for quite a while now, and she felt a sense of accomplishment now that she had that notch in her belt, even if it had been a onetime thing. It was just one of those weird things that made Kate special, her complete lack of interest in relationships, and reading nothing into sleeping with a guy.

[deb]

The look on her face was priceless, that mixture between shock and awe, and maybe trying to fantasize about what they might have looked like naked. Hey she wasn't going to deny the fact that Jax Teller was an attractive man, not her type but still attractive none the less. Tapping her chin she thought about this for a few moments before she looked across the table at Kate and then laughed, not the kind where you were making fun of someone, but the kind where you realized that you might have been thinking about something a little bit too hard and gotten lost in that.

"Sorry was picturing Jax naked and that lead into a whole other line of thought which included me picturing other things as well, and yeah you know how that goes," she offered before she grinned across the table at her friend before stuffing a few french fries in her mouth. "I met a guy, he was nice. I mean we didn't talk for very long and we exchanged business cards that kind of thing. He was cute though, and he played with guns and had a nice car," she started trailing off for a few moments before she laughed. "He seemed like a sweet guy."

Now that was saying something considering her current attitude toward men that she actually considered one of them to be kind of nice. It helped too that he was cute and he hadn't thought she was strange for making eye sex with his car inthe parking lot either, though she never had gotten what she needed fro mthe store that day. turning her attention back to Kate she lifted an eyebrow.

"So the Prince was the only one of is this one of those stories I need to be prepared to take a cold shower for?"

[mavrick]

Kate smiled at Jess as she wandered off into day dream land. She leaned back in her comfy booth as she spoke. “Oh yeah, I know how that goes.” She gave a nod of appreciation as Jess mentioned she had met a guy who had seemed nice. Guns and nice cars were not the ‘usual’ aphrodisiac, but then Jess and Kate weren’t your average girls.

She laughed as Jess asked if Jax was her only ‘cold shower’ tale to tell. “Yeah, he’s the only one,” she said with a chuckle. “But god damn Jess, there ain’t water cold enough for that story.” Kate pretended to fan herself. She could feel the heat creeping under her skin as she recollected the events between her and Jax. She knew it had probably been a onetime thing, but she was damn glad never the less.

[deb]

"Hey I'm hoping I have a story of my own to tell after going to Vegas this weekend," Jess offered as she looked over at Kate. What she was going to say next, Kate would understand. "Though I might have fun, spend a little of that money I've been sitting on," she offered before she turned in the seat and pulled her shirt to the side. "I started the other night," she added as she showed her the tattoo she had gotten.

See Kate was the one person that wasn't going to look at her like she had lost her mind completely as far as things were concerned. No she had seen what she had gone through first hand and she had known things hadn't been right since then, well not as far as her state of mind was concerned anyway.

"Anymore cold shower stories and you call me first thing, if the phones off just leave a voicemail message and I'll call you back," she added with a grin before she readjusted herself in the seat and turned back around popping a fry into her mouth.