Megan Douglas approaches Adum with a big grin and then looks unsure what to do next. She laughs at herself and then throws her arms around Adum giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek "Hi."
Adum Brate cannot believe how tense he is. But when she walks off of the ferry and kisses him on the cheek, he smiles at her. "Welcome to Alexandra." and kisses her full in the mouth.
Ryan Yamada Ryan snickers and then says cheekily "Better not try one of those on me buddy."
Megan Douglas returned the kiss and then stepped back "Oh Ryan, you don't know what you're missing." she teases.
Adum Brate looks over at Ryan. "You nevr were as much fun." he snorts. He laughs. "I thought I would give you the dime tour instead of driving to my house. I have to stop at Zilpha's about the cake, anyway." he tells them. He can show off his town a bit.
Ryan Yamada fishes in his pocket and holds out a dime "Take us to your leader." he says dramatically.
Megan Douglas pats her pockets and then coming up empty she just offers her sweetest smile "You had me at cake."
Adum Brate laughs and takes the dime. "The mayor isnt on the tour." and he takes Megans hand and begins to walk, soon he has his arm around her. "This area is for the tourists." he explains the stores. "The Mariner by the Beach is through these trees. The Blue Door, and Perkatory." there isnt too much oddly. He stops just past a tattoo parlor at the foot of an incline.
Ryan Yamada grins "Perkatory, I like it...nice town."
Megan Douglas sniffs the air as they get closer to the bakery "Oh I like this town...I really like it."
Adum Brate chuckles and waves to someone inside. "It is. But I grew up here, so I am biased." he heads them up the hill and soon they are close to the bakery smell. Outside of the bakery is a small gray haired woman who is at least 65 maybe 70. "And this is Zilpha. She baked cookies for my mother and for me growing up." he smiles at the little old lady, who seems to be waiting ... but there a lot of people unashamedly looking for a peek at the Chief's guests.
Ryan Yamada smiles warmly at Zilpha "You must be the most popular lady in town. Pleased to meet yo Ma'am."
Zilpha Ainsworth smiles and reaches to touch Adum's arm. "He grew up ... they always do." she says sweetly. And this must be the best friend from the Mainland." she looks at Ryan like a grandmother might. "Oh they like me fine." and she turns to Megan. "And you must be Megan." she almost coos. "Oh so pretty, Adum." she looks at Megan. "Adum wants me to bake you a chocolate cake, but I had to see you to know why hes been so happy lately." she nods. "And now I think ... double chocolate with chocolate chips and a nice chocolate fudge frosting. Does that sound alright, dear?"
Megan Douglas's eyes go big and bright and she smiles like a kid on Halloween "That sounds divine. Thank you so much Zilpha.." she gives Adum's hand a little squeeze after hearing the report of the baker noticing his happiness.
Adum Brate blinks. "I think I just lost a tooth." he chuckles. Keeping his arm around Megan, he assures the old lady. "She makes me VERY happy Zillpha. Honest." he assures her.
Ryan Yamada Ryan grins at them all "Definitely running tomorrow but worth it all I'm sure."
Zilpha Ainsworth noods. "I hope so. The last one almost killed you." she nods sadly. "Oh I wish I could get my hands on that little tart!” she turns waves. "Give me a few hours and I'll have it delivered, dear." she turns and heads back into the store murmuring. "Almost killed him ....."
Megan Douglas inhales sharply at Zilpha's words about the last one almost killing him. She spontaneously reaches and turns his head her way and plants a lingering peck on his lips if he allows it.
Adum Brate accepts the kiss and returns it. "On with the tour." he doesn't linger on Zilpha's words.
The greenhouse flower shop. The 10 Alarm.. courthouse." he turns the corner. "The police station ...."
Ryan Yamada nods to the officers "Hi there." and then says slyly to Adum "Don't try to put me to work....you look like you have lots of good folks here."
Megan Douglas smiles a bit shyly to Adum's crew and says a quiet "Hello."
Francis Sharp hops down from the open hood. "And thats a tune up." she announces. She is small and thin and unless you're paying attention you'd think she was a he. Butch without a doubt. She sees Adum approaching. “Chief. They made it, I see." even her voice is butch. "No, We got it. Chief Brate doesnt take many days off. I'm Sharp. Frank Sharp and this nose belongs to Sam Wright." she moves to shake hands .. and its just like a man.
Sam Wright moves in to shake hands as well. He does have a huge honker. "Nice to meet you." he says, shyly. "I'm the rookie." he confesses, as if he needed to.
Adum Brate watches them. "They''re good men, for sure." he agrees and nods to them. "Got to be going." he waves his goodbyes and they pass the firehouse, where a light man with dark hair waves back before getting back to a pile of papers. They climb another incline and enter a more residential area.
Ryan Yamada sighs "I already like Wright better than Nault....Any relation to the Cedar Point Wrights?"
Megan Douglas muses "None of ours have that nose. But they both seem nice..."
Adum Brate thinks. "I don't know. I'll have to ask him. He's a good kid. Eager to learn. But that NOSE." he shakes his head. "They're great." e turns the corner. "I'm guessing you already recognize my fathers work, eh?"
Ryan Yamada looks around "Bit of home in both places. Nice digs Chief. Making the big bucks is good." he teases.
Megan Douglas looks around as well, taking it all in and then looks curiously at the house. It's bigger and nicer than anyplace she's ever lived herself.
Adum Brate heads down the block to the one at the end with a larger lot than the others. "Well, I inherited the house and the land. By the way, thats where *I* went to high school."
Megan Douglas glances self consciously at the school and then winces slightly and starts snooping around the house. She never did graduate, just dropped out and started working as soon as she was 18.
Adum Brate lets them in and chuckles as Megan does exactly what he'd told her to do; make herself to home. He moves into the kitchen. "You want anything, man?" he asks Ryan, half wondering what they thought of the place.
Ryan.Yamada puts his bag down by the couch "Nah I'm good. When do we burn stuff? I actually brought something...not related to Alison, just something I need to...let go, if that's OK?"
Adum arches his brows. Ryan Yamada needing to get rid of something? He'd never have guessed. "Sure man. Its going to cleanse us all then." he glances up his stairs. "Ahhhh my dearest peanut bladder." he chuckles at Megans curiosity.
Megan yells back down "Hey! I resemble that! Just stashing my backpack and seeing if you have any ladies panties in your drawers! So far so good! I'll be right down..."
Ryan laughs at Megan and heads for the back door "Good luck with her man. I'll meet you outside."
Adum laughs. "I am a one woman man, and you know it. Stop snooping or you'll ruin your birthday and Christmas surprises!" he laughs and nods as Ryan leaves. He jogs upstairs. "Alright which room ya in?" he demands. Theres is the bathroom and three bedrooms. His bedroom, then the one he uses as a home office ... both have doors leading to a upper porch. Then there is a completely empty room. The boxes he brought back from Cedar Point went straight into his back yard, not even entering the house.
Megan quickly shuts the bedside table drawer but isn't as quiet about it as she could be "I'm sorry. This is kind of a thing in my family. My mom did it when we were kids. Tams became a cop because of it and she goes through everyone's bathrooms. I just became a brat." She admits with a coy smile.
Adum laughs softly and moves over to her. "I only use my handcuffs at work." he tells her and moves to his armoire. He pulls out a blue silk necktie and tosses it to her, if shes paying attention. But he doesn't out and SAY he would use it as anything but a fashion accessory. Then he comes back to her. "So this is my bedroom. Investigate anything you want. Run a background check on me and dust my house for prints. I don't mind. I've nothing to hide and wouldn't hide it from you, even if I did."
Megan catches the tie and runs her fingers over it. She looks up with quite a smouldering expression and then drapes the tie over the headboard causally. She walks up to Adum and runs her hands up his chest before circling them behind his neck "I trust you and I've got nothing to hide from you either."
Adum smiles down at her. "Good. Then we're off to the start I always dreamed of." he will bend down and kiss her softly and then break the kiss and head out of the room. "Ryan is waiting. He'll think we're doing something sinful." and he heads downstairs, laughing .. in an incredibly good mood.
Megan kissed back eagerly and then followed, giggling "I should mess up my hair, tear a whole in my tights and let him wonder then. Poor Ryan.." she hops the steps in twos and catches up, following him.
Adum is shaking his head as he comes out to his back porch. He begins by setting the already pre prepared grill ablaze and then approaching the pile of logs that will be the bonfire with the box of kitchen matches. The three boxes are nearby with the clothes Adum wore in Cedar Point tossed on top of them. Kneeling he begins to light the corners and finally steps back to watch them as the bonfire begins to burn.
Megan watches Adum and then gives him some space and goes to stand by Ryan. She knows how much he needs to do this and doesn't want to distract him from getting to it. She turns to smile at Ryan and notices his holding what looks like a letter.
Ryan sees Megan approach and look at the letter in his hand and then nods and roughly shoves it in his back pocket. He focusses in on Adum, and why they came out there in the first place.
Adum watches as the firs begins to get a good start and moves to get the clothes he was wearing in Cedar Point. "I'm of two minds about burning this now that we've found each other." he tells Megan. "But I wore with IT than with you so ... in it goes." and he tosses it on. "You remember those school notes?" he asks her. He didnt see Ryan with the envelope, so he doesnt ask after it yet.
Megan pats her jacket "I found some but not all. It'll work. You first though Adum. We're here for you." she smiles at him encouragingly.
Ryan shoves his hands deep in his pockets and nods "Yeah go for it man." His expression is serious and he stares into the fire as he speaks.
Adum nods and goes to the boxes. The first one is all clothes, some t=rather expensive looking, and they feed the fire, making it grow in the dusk. He rummages through the second box, making announcements just before tossing them in. "Wedding pictures. Every picture left with her in it." he goes into the box again and comes out with more pictures. His hands shake, slightly. "The son I thought was mine." he says softly and sends them also into the inferno. He swallows hard and his head drops in the growing darkness.
Megan has a sharp intake of breath and walks over to Adum and gently puts her arms around him, standing to one side of him. she doesn't say anything because she knows some things just don't have words of comfort.
Ryan comes around to Adum's other side and just puts a hand on his shoulder "I'm sorry..." he says quietly, his own eyes shining a bit in the darkness.
Adum breaks down in the firelight, letting his friends comfort him. It is several minutes before he regains control over himself. "Sorry about that." he says gruffly. He's not much of a crier, and has never cried in front of a woman that wasn't his mother when he was a boy. "That ... it was hard." but it was done and he does feel cleaner ... lighter.
Megan runs a hand through the side of his hair that's facing her and kisses his wet cheek "I know. That's why you're not alone with this."
Ryan moved his hand from Adum's shoulder to his back and gave him a little pat.
Adum gets himself together and straightens. "Thanks .. I'm okay now." he moves to the two empty boxes and tosses them onto the bonfire. Then he goes to the last box. "Two tablets, iPad, iPhone, Alison's external hard drive. and ... god damn her!" he pulls out another armful of clothes, looking at them for the first time in a couple years. "Clothes I bought for the baby." he tosses them on the pile. "God what a seeping cunt." he stares into the fire at all the things burning. He scoffs. "I really actually DO feel better. I hadn't really expected that to work." he turns to his friends ... his friend and his ... girlfriend. "Next?"
Megan watches the last things go in with various reactions. Her eyes go wide at the electronics and as he burns the baby clothes she feels her own cheeks suddenly soaked with tears. When Adum says next she wipes at her face, takes a deep breath and shakes her head "I'm good to wait, but I think Ryan might have something..."
Ryan had his own reactions to the things burned, including exclaiming "Holy fuck!" At the electronics. At the baby clothes he closed his eyes as they went in as if he was having a hard time watching. When Megan put him on the spot he pulled the letter back out of his pocket and began turning it over in all directions in his hands nervously.
Adum does feel cleansed. He looks over at Ryan and softly speaks. "Wanna tell us about it?" his one saying it was just fine if he didn't. He reaches for Megan, half afraid she is going to think him wishy washy, but he needed her even if he was feeling better.
Megan pulls Adam back into her arms with a little squeeze. She looks worriedly at Ryan "It's Ok, it's us...no matter how bad it is..."
Ryan starts pacing in front of the fire slowly like a nervous animal. Finally he begins to speak "Her name was Natasha. I met her because she called in a B&E when I was on the West Van PD. She was house sitting and was a pilates teacher in Kitsalano by the beach. We hit it off instantly but I was working. So I started taking her pilates class to see her again. At the end of the session Nat asked me out. She was incredible...we were so happy." He starts to hesitate and stumble at this next part " Out of the blue one day, she just ends it all....no real explanation... Just a vague it's not you it's me." Ryan's voice cracks "She sent me this letter a few months later. She had gotten pregnant and didn't want to tell me because she had already chosen to terminate....." At this point Ryan breaks down, openly sobbing and continuing " I would have supported her choice but I wish she hadn't had to make it alone..,. I'm not some asshole stuck in the 50s who wants to try to make a woman have a baby she doesn't want.... I didn't know what to do with it,,, I've never written back..."
Adum listened and sighed deeply. What was there to say, really. But he agreed that Ryan needed cleansing on this subject and he hoped he could get it. He nods towards the fire and, to back up the nod, uses a hand to motion to the fire. Its something that has to be let go.
Megan let go of Adum to walk over and give Ryan a hug. She turned him so his hand holding the letter was closest the the fire "Go on, do it."
Ryan hugged her back with one arm and nodded while throwing the letter in. Then he wrapped the other arm around Megan and buried his face in her shoulder, letting the rest of his tears out quietly.
Adum joined them and took his place, enveloping both of them in his embrace.
Megan frees up one arm to put around Adum as he joins them. Ryan does the same and then eventually is the one who breaks the group hug. He takes a deep breath and says "Thanks guys....I needed that." He gives Megan a little playful poke "Your turn in the hot seat?"
Megan lets go of the both of them and laughs "You know if I was really working on letting stuff go we could be here all night. I gotta lot of shit, but I'll focus on Alison....and well some related stuff to what you guys did...." She reaches into her inside jacket pocket and pulls out a medium zip lock bag of old notes on loose leaf plus what looks like some printed out old emails. Walking over to the fire she glares at the papers as she opens the bag and shakes them out "Bitchface" she says as if addressing Alison "You fucked me over like I never imagined a friend would. Worse, you fucked over the man I...." she hesitates on this one and then purses her lips for a second, looking sideways self consciously at Adum, before shifting her gaze back into the fire and saying clearly "love." She watches the flames shrink the old notes and emails to ash with a look of satisfaction. Afterwards she looked at the guys each in turn with sadness and empathy "I don't have anything to burn for this one, but saying it out loud might help me let it go." She looked back to the fire as if channelling her oncoming words into it "We've all lost children....." She took a steadying breath "When I was 18 I had an abortion. I did tell the guy, just so you know. He was a major asshole about it and told me to leave him the fuck alone and get rid of it. Tams took me and she was actually really nice, which helped. I didn't want the baby either, but it was still hard." She took a moment, watching some sparks go up from the fire and continued "Three years ago I was seeing this guy from the docks. He was a shitty boyfriend and it only lasted a month but that's all it took. I had a miscarriage but I hadn't known I was pregnant until they told me at emergency. I thought I had some kind of cyst or something rupture in me.....it hurt like crazy. I didn't want a baby then either but knowing one died in my body made me ache from a place I didn't know existed. I never thought I wanted kids before then...now maybe I do...if I can ever get my shit together and do it properly one day." Her shoulders tensed and she rolled her head back with a small sob and then folded her arms protectively around her body.
Adum listens to Megans words and he smiles very slightly to himself. So it wasn't a one way thing ... for a change. And then the rest and he closes his eyes a moment. So much pain. For all of them. He moves and puts his arms around her, leaning in and kissing her ear. "For the record." he murmurs. Not a whisper .. not trying to make sure Ryan can't hear, but he may well. "I love you too." he kisses the top of her head and straightens. "Well, Megan, lets start with Sparkles and work our way up the food chain." he suggests. "Uncle Ryan can babysit for us." he looks in the fire again. "Yea .... clean ...." and he clears his throat, turning and heading for the house. "Let me get those steaks on. You guys want something to drink?" he isnt changing she subject ... he's just moving on.
Megan's tension visibly softens at Adum's touch and words. She smiles through the last of her tears and leans against him saying jovially "Sparkles would like that...so would Tams." When he offers a drink she replies "A glass of water would be great."
Ryan smiles at his two friends, looking happy they both found happiness together. He nods at Adum about the cleansing of the fire, looking lighter himself too. "Cat Uncle Ryan would love a beer dude."
Adum nods and motions to his porch. "Bean bags or the table. Your choice." he calls as he enters the house. He gets the steaks out and sets them on a tray. Three thick rib-eyes. He takes them out and sets them on the grill and returns to get the beer and water, plus a soft apple cider for himself. He brings them out to Megan and Ryan and hands them their drinks, then sips his own. "Annnnnd ..... that's my house. Now you know."
Megan chooses a beanbag and kicks off her sandals, curling up with her bare feet on the edge. She takes the water and smiles "Thanks." After a sip or two she says "I like your house Adum."
Ryan glances at the steaks "Nice." and then accepts the beer "It's a good one man." He laughs a bit "OK since we're all spilling our guts I have more...but this one's funny. So I didn't date anyone for awhile after Nat. I kind of hermited and started getting into this online game Medieval Realms. It's kinda like World of Warcraft meets Skyrim....you probably don't know what I'm talking about but it's online, you have a little avatar and you go on quests either alone or in teams with other players. There's castles and dragons and shit." He stops to take a sip and then puts down the beer on a nearby table "So I met this..." he makes quotations with his hands "girl" in the game and we kind of...well.... you know....but in text. It happened a few times and "she" tells me she's from Vancouver and so I tell her I'm from "near there". She asks to meet IRL......" he clears his throat and chuckles a bit. In the darkness the colour rising in his cheeks can't be seen "Turns out SHE is a HE, not really my thing but I tried not to make him feel too bad. His name is Chris and he was kind of hopeful I was gay. It was awkward at first but we're still friends. He's a good guy...and small world. He has an ex-boyfriend who lives HERE, a firefighter named Gareth. Dunham's the last name. Do you know him Adum?"
Adum smiles at Megan. "Thanks." and he listens to Ryan's story as he watches the steaks. At the great reveal about the male girl, he laughs and nods. "I know Gareth, yea. We went to school together. He's a great guy. He'll flirt with everyone, even me. But he figured out I was just not with anyone and I wasn't gay. But I'd say we're friends. One of those people who don't know the whole story about my coming back." he looks at Ryan, who he knows knows that Callahan personally took the gun out of Adam's mouth.
Megan looks suspiciously between Adum and Ryan after the look that passed and then said with a small frown "Is this some kind of cop thing?"
Ryan laughed and then returned Adum's look knowingly and then suddenly focussed on his beer bottle as Megan asked her question.
Adum made sure the steaks were doing alright, then came up on the porch and sat beside Megan, pulling her close to him. "You know I left Cedar Point pretty abruptly. During the divorce shit. Just quit my job and came here." thats when they sort of fell out of touch because the phone with her number in it had been left there ... and was now burning in the bonfire. "It was the day the DNA results came out on Danny, saying I wasn't his father." he inhales deeply. "That ... I was raw meat. I wrote my resignation and left it and my shield on Callahan's desk. And I drove here." he licks his lips. "I did NOT leave my service piece with Callahan. Because the news about Danny ... it was just too much after all the other shit. Anyway, I came back here and sat in the living room staring at the gun. Put it in my mouth and pulled the trigger .. but nothing happened .... so I tried it again ... and again .. nothing. I was about to pull it a THIRD time when Calahan literally kicked my front door in. Saved my life." he sighs and shrugs. "Now you know what Zilpha meant when she said Alison almost killed me .....
Megan's initial reaction is to freeze, her face going ashen in horror. Slowly the horror becomes anguish and she lets out a sob and grabs Adum in a hard hug, clinging to him as if for dear life. Her breath comes fast and broken between sobs. She finally catches it and just whispers "I fuckin hate her..."
Ryan sighs quietly and inwardly agrees with Megan. He'd known all this and processed the brunt of his reaction at the time but it's still upsetting.
Adum hugs back. Holds her as she holds him, and hope it will always be like that with them .. able to comfort each other. "You can still see the hole in the ceiling in the living room ... and the floor of my bedroom. The gun went off that third time, but I turned my head when the door got kicked in and .. didn't even graze myself. My ears were ringing for a while, but I was alive." he sighs. "I fucking hate her too. But ... now ... now its alright. Me and you, Megan." he tightens his grip.
Megan holds on tight until her sobbing calms. Adum's comment about the bullet hole was not calming at all so it took a few minutes. She leaned back and reached for his face, tracing from his cheekbone around the curve of his jaw to under his chin with her pointer and middle finger. Looking a bit fierce she says "If you EVER feel like hurting yourself again you have to to tell me so I can get my ass on the next ferry and hold onto you until it goes away. Promise me?"
Ryan had taken his beer and walked off a bit to give them privacy while they were holding each other and Megan was sobbing. He glanced up and saw her speaking to Adum again but still watched from closer to the shrinking bonfire.
Adum holds her just as tightly. "I promise." he tells her. "But now ... Megan I haven't been this happy in YEARS. SO I'm not goin noplace." he caresses her face and kisses her tears away. He begins to get up, taking her with him. "Come on ... lets get dinner on the table, eh?" he kisses her again. He calls over to the bonfire. "Come on Ryan. You can set the table or bring out the salad and mac and cheese from the oven." hed set it in there from the fridge, so it should be ready now. "Time to eat your beloveds cooking, no matter how bad it is." he already knew he was better than either of them.
Megan closes her eyes and smiles at the caressing and kissing on her face. She allows herself to be pulled up and kisses Adum back hard, her emotions still running high. She turns and looks at Ryan after as Adum speaks "Sorry, we'll try not to be too gross..." she teases. Heading to the kitchen she sniffs the air and says back to Adum "Smells great to me."
Ryan downs the rest of his beer and then heads for the kitchen too "Too late Meg but just so you know I have my laptop and Netflix for later, and headphones. I'll put the volume real loud so you can be as gross as you want. Mac and cheese huh? Got any tuna and sirraccha sauce?" He jokes.
Adum laughs on his way into the kitchen. "Now I gotta see if I can make her scream so loud you hear it regardless." he quips. Considering, he hands Megan the plates and silverware. "You got dish duty." he winks then turns to Ryan. "No Asian food of any kind. The Mongolian BBQ burned to the ground while I was in Cedar Point. The owner is now on the mainland facing charges of arson. Insurance money." he snorts and grabs an oven mitt and pad. Out of the oven he pulls out a beautiful golden brown, oven baked macaroni and cheese. He hefts it and nods. "Ryan there’s a salad in the fridge and three dressings. Bring them and I will set this outside and get the steaks and YUM! We eat!" he declares.
Megan fumbles a bit with the dishes but doesn't drop them at the thought of what Adum could do to achieve that result. She laughs at herself "Stop distracting me if you want these in one piece." She hears the bit about the BBQ after and makes a that's not good face while setting the table. She looks cheerful again at the mention of the steaks and eyes the macaroni with a grin.
Ryan rolls his eyes and laughs and then frowns about the fire "Oh.." He gets the salad and the dressings and leans over the macaroni as he passes it "Holy shit that looks good."
Adum gathers the plates and moves to the grill, setting one steak on each plate and bringing them back, restaurant style. Then he sets one before each and sits. "Thank you. My father here could take cooking lessons from Megan here. I know the CP Fire Department probably had him listed as required reading." he laughs. "So learning to cook was self defense." he motions to the mac and cheese and salad. "Dig in!"
Both Megan and Ryan are silent while they eat heartily, except for some random foodgasmic noises like "Mmmmm!" and "Ohhhhh." in between bites. Eventually they come up for air and just stare at Adum like he's some sort of culinary god.
Adum isnt shy about enjoying his own cooking. There is a wonderful side to being the best at something in his little circle of friends. Eventually he leans back, his plate empty and sighs. "Can't. Move." he laughs and looks around. The bonfire has died down quite a bit and he watches it. "I don't think I could eat dessert ...."
Megan looks down at her empty plate like she's considering licking it. She resists the temptation, barely, and pushes it away from herself. She gives Adum an intense look and says breathily "If I had any idea you cooked like this I might have been here a hell of a lot sooner. And I can always eat cake, always..." she adjusts her denim skirt a bit to assess and nods.
Ryan leans back and slides down in his chair "Damn..." he exclaims with a chuckle.
Adum laughs and is about to speak when a foice comes from behind the bonfire.
"Ah kin see da smok from da plese station!" the voice exclaims. "Like all da ebil burn an gon!" from behind the fire comes a thin woman in purple tartan pants, a sweat shirt and a purple head wrap. She is carrying a large white bakery box. As if she owned the place, she marches up the back stairs. "Da Chief got him some kompny tanite! An I bringin da cake!" she looks at the empty dishes and smiles, nodding. "Good appetites. Hope ya done saved da room fo dis!" she pushes plates and dishes aside and sets the box down, then opens it. "Someone LUB some Megan! Miss Z don make special like dis fo jus nobody!" and she straightens. "AN I be Miss Buni Chuku. Run da beauty parlor. Dese da ones from dat See Dah Poin, Chief Adum?"
Adum smiles and sits up, helping to clear the table for Buni. "Yes, Miss Buni. These are the ones. Ryan, my best friend and Megan .. my girlfriend." he uses the word aloud for the first time.
Megan's cheeks go a bit hot and she beams at the woman "Hi Miss Buni Chuku. I'm Megan. You bring us chocolate. I like you already, and Zelpha of course." Megan's always been good at deciphering accents, being a bartender and serving tourists all her working life.
Ryan half smiled and peered at the woman like he didn't quite catch it all. He slowly nodded and then said "Sounds good...hi...I'm Ryan."
Buni smiles over at Megan, showing brilliant white teeth. "Ain no Miss Buni Chuku. I be Miss Buni ta you. An ta you." she looks at Ryan. "Ya make da Chief happy an he been needin dat long time comin nah what I hear." she looks at them both. "I gots me a cousin up in ya See Dah Poin. He be new. Look like me ..." she points to Ryan. "Sound like him. My mama brudah boy."
Adum smiles as the three start talking. If Buni liked Megan, he knew he had no worries. He stands and silently goes into the house, returning with a knife to cut the cake which looks like it could give the best system instant diabetes.
Megan looks at Buni with a warm smile and then thinks for a second "Oh Eien?"
Ryan caught that round and nodded with Megan's words "Your cousin? He works at my parent's restaurant...and the Mariner's, and I think he said the bakery..."
Megan tilted her head to one side "Tams told me the B&B Brunch too. Anna hired him....he can't be all those places?" she asks confusedly. She watches Adum return with a knife for the cake and hops a bit in her seat.
Buni laughs richly. "Ya .. da boy don know dey don like ta work up here. Mebbe it too clod day move so slow. His mama tell me he aint eben got a hunnet hour a week. But dat how dey is here. He wanna work hard, he gonna have ta habe his own biddness." she shrugs. "Ya all take care ob him. He Trini an Japan ... dat got to confuse a lot ob folks." she chuckles and sees Adum come back with the knife. "Ya all 'joy dat cake. It fo friends an lubbahs and I barely a friend and not a lubbah, so I leave ya be." she smiles and looks between Adum and Megan, nodding slowly and then turns and heads back towards the dying bonfire and vanishes behind it.
Adum watches her go. "You guys know her COUSIN?" he shakes his head and looks at the cake. With a twinkle in his eye, he suggests to Megan. "Just three slices, right?" suggesting he cut the whole cake into just three pieces.
Megan waves too late at Buni and then looks at the cake and shakes her head "Adum, go smaller...let's have some for breakfast. And yeah he comes into the Black Hole sometimes. I follow his vlog. Nice guy."
Ryan laughs at the three slices after watching Buni go "Yeah that guy's everywhere, man. My family likes him, great sushi chef."
Adum laughs, as Megan sounds like she was taking him seriously. He cuts two small pieces and one larger pieces for Megan, setting them on the plates he had brought out earlier. "I'll have to meet him someday. Havent been to Sakura in WAY too long." he sighs and sits again, his fork poised over his plate. "Why chocolate?" he asks, thinking he may have heard something about it being aphrodisiac, but not sure.
Megan takes a bite and holds up a finger with her eyes closed, indicating she can't answer just yet. As she chews her expression is positively erotic. Finally she swallows and opens her eyes like she's been in some sort of trance "Sorry, what?" she says with a giggle. Digging her fork in for another bite she says "Some people say chocolate has the same effect as sex. Like someone could get the same pleasure from one or the other. I'm really about having it all when it comes to both of those...." she trails off with a smirk.
Ryan's having some sort of intimate moment with his fork too as the first bite goes in his mouth. After a loud "Mmmm!" he says with a mouthful "Mmdorphims!" while pointing the fork at Megan in the air.
Adum takes a bite and he can't deny it is good. Ne nods in agreement and swallows. "It IS fantastic." he agrees and wipes away a mock tear. "If I lose my woman to chocolate ... how will I ever face anyone again?" he bemoans.
Megan keeps kicking her feet under the table and making happy little noises. In reply to Adum she says "You could roll in it?" teasingly.
Ryan snickers "Ok Megan, you did say you'd try not to be gross? Take pity on the deprived. This cake is all the endorphins I'm getting."
Adum takes another bite. "Depends on who is going to lick it off of me after." and he looks at Ryan and points his fork at him like an excited teenaged boy. "Oh! Oh! I get to say it instead of hear it!" he looks intently over the table at his friend. "Go get a girlfriend!" he pauses. "There’s no one you're interested in? You're as bad as me. At least I could use my duties as an excuse to be a hermit."
Megan waits until Ryan is giving Adum a mock glare and tries to catch Adum's eye while she very intentionally licks her lips.
Ryan mock glares and gives Adum the finger and then sighs and folds his arms, his plate now clean "There's a woman I find interesting, but I'm not totally sure she's interested. Her life's been a bit messy, she also might not be ready to think about it. But we run together sometimes." he shrugs and smiles.
Adum glances at Megan and catches the licking of her lips. He leans forward and thinks pure thoughts as he listens to Ryan. "Funny ....." he says, slowly. "Up until you got to the running, you were describing me and Megan." he smirks. "I was interested in her and didnt say anything. She was interested in me and apparently I missed all the signs because I am an idiot." he glances at Megan, prepared for a punch. "Her lifes been messy, not that mines been nothing but smooth sailing. And now ... I mean .. I'm not sure either of us has actually considered if we're ready for a relationship .. it is just happening .. anyway." he taps his fork on his plate. "But I can't tell you what to say to let her know you're interested or to find out if SHE'S interested. I think you need a woman for that." and he looks pointedly at Megan.
Megan pretends to pout but suspects Adum's lack of reaction might just be his poker face super powers as a long time cop. She turns her attention to Ryan too though and looks desperately curious "So who is she?"
Ryan smiles sheepishly and pulls out his phone. He opens his YouTube app to a video that's he's clearly recently watches, because it's still the last one. He hits play and slides the phone across to rest between Adum and Megan.
Adum watches the video, glad for the distraction because if hed have to move from the table, Megan would know his reaction to her lip licking. "Wait ... I've heard that song ... in Buni's ... she plays a lot of that kind of music I normally would never listen to." he nods. "A celebrity in Cedar Point? And she runs with YOU?" he sounds mock disbelieving. "Is she hiding from the mob or something?" he teases.
Megan sways a bit and enjoys the song and then says "Wow, she's gorgeous.....but I've seriously never seen her. Do you keep her in a box under your desk when you're not running? Nice voice too..."
Ryan looks momentarily exasperated with them both and then says seriously "This doesn't leave this room. She's been hiding out in Cedar Point from an abusive ex. He messed her up pretty bad....that's why I'd never assume she wants another guy right now. I'm not going to pressure any woman who's been through that shit. In fact I'm happy just to be her friend if that's what she needs."
Adum arches his brows. In his head are all his police records, although he does tease. "We're on my back porch, numnuts." but he does cant his head, thinking. "That makes sense. Is she hiding out in the open, or ... no wait .. Megans never seen her, right?" he looks to Megan for confirmation. "So wherever she is she doesn't leave THERE .... except to go running with you." he feels he can lean back now. "Is this guy after her? Does she need surveillance? She's American, right? I have some friends in the FBI ... we're so close to the border we wind up catching each others garbage from time to time cause Alexandra could really be a great place to hide." he offers his help not only as a fellow peace officer, but as Ryans friend. "He got a name?"
Megan nods in confirmation at Adum's request and listens intently.
Ryan picks his phone up again and goes to a photo of the guy from her old video when he modelled "Dion White. He's locked up but she's still a mess. He used to be her manager too. Real D-bag. She's lost a bunch of her hearing because of the guy." He pushes the phone across again.
Adum picks up the phone and looks at the photo. "He's locked up, but she's still convinced he will get out somehow and find her." it isnt a question. Hes seen it enough in his job. "America's early release programs or escape and hes looking for her to finish the job." he sighs. "Was there a trial? DId she testify? Is that why she left the country? He threaten her?" its almost an interrogation. He is not a fan of abusers.
Megan looks between the two men at the table, her gaze settling on Adum with a growing feeling of having more safety in her life. Yes, her sister is a cop too, but she's never been with a man romantically who put the safety of women at such a priority level.
Ryan holds up a hand "I've got a whole file I can email you. I've been working on it...unofficially of course, and I'd love your take on it."
Adum stands, all incriminating evidence of Megans teasing gone. "Be right back." and he goes into his house returning a minute later with his personal laptop .. a very nice top of the line machine. "Send it to my personal email. If we have to get official later ... we'll worry about it then." he opens the laptop and boots it up. Megan will see that his desktop is pretty mundane. A kitten drinking from what appears to be a cup of coffee. Two of Adum's passions.
Megan passes Adum on his way back, stops and leans over his shoulder as he settles in with the laptop and smiles at the kitten picture. She plants a quick kiss on his cheek and then heads for the stairs "Gotta pee."
Ryan walks to his bag and pulls out his laptop, booting up across from Adum and then digging through files for a few minutes.
Adum half smiles when she kisses his cheek. She probably really DOES have to pee this time. There's nothing left for her to snoop. His house was mostly empty.
Megan pads upstairs in her bare feet and uses the bathroom. She goes into Adum's room and changes into pajamas, leaving on her bra because she might not quite go there with Ryan around. But she is feeling comfortable in the house, remarkably so. He pjs are basically the tank top she was already wearing and some light cotton flowered bottoms. The bottoms are a little low waisted so the top of her lace thong peeks a tiny bit over back. The matching lacy bra shows throw a bit at the sides of the tank. She walks back to the bathroom with her toothbrush and opens Adum's medicine cabinet looking for toothpaste. The hinge squeaks as she pulls the door and water can be heard running after the squeak.
Ryan taps away and attaches a file "Your gmail is the main one now Adum?" he asks as he works.
Adum nods. "Yea. The one I started right after I came back here." and after his suicide attempt. New email. New start. He hears the water upstairs and glances up.
Megan's bare feet lightly pat back down the stairs. She has her phone in one hand and she walks up to the table, stands beside Adum and reaches across to grab her water glass from before, leaning slightly in front of his sight line. Megan turns and heads for the kitchen tap to refill the glass. She leaves the cops to their laptops and conversation and flops on the couch and starts absently scrolling through her phone.
Ryan glances up after hitting send on the email as Megan had just turned to walk away to the sink, noting the hint of thong line above the pants he gives Adum a brief smirk and is again glad he brought his headphones. "Ok sent."
Adum catches a glimpse of Megan as she moves away and exhales sharply. It was going to be a long night. He sits up and checks his email, downloading and opening the file. With a snort, he shakes his head. "He got three times as much time for assaulting the cop than he did assaulting his girlfriend." he grumbles. "I'll take a closer look at this later. Didn't you say something about fireworks, or was I imagining that?" there were already fireworks going off in his head and he'd burn up if he wasn't careful.
Megan looks down at her pjs as she hears the word fireworks from the other room "Oh shit, I forgot. Adum can I take a blanket outside? Or wear one?" She says laughing.
Ryan scowls and mutters "Bastard." About the imbalance in assault charges and then nods about the fireworks " Yeah I left them on your front porch. Are you still up for that?"
Adum glances at his back door. "I'll get you one, come out and be comd for a while. Improves my morale." he teases and shuts down the laptop. "I'm still up." he says standing and if Ryan was paying attention, he realizes it is NOT a literal thing. "I'll put this away and get the blanket. You get the fireworks and I'll meet you back out here." its full dark .. the bonfire is all but dead ... and its not too late. His neighbors won't complain about the usually dead quiet chief. Probably. He takes his laptop and heads in the house and upstairs.
Megan waits for Adum to come back with the blanket, looking pretty comfy on the couch.
Ryan walks by and lightly kicks at one of her feet "Don't doze off Meg. That's my bed. I think your man would be pretty grumpy if he had to share his with me."
Megan giggles "And here I thought you told that gamer guy you weren't gay?"
Ryan scoffs and goes to grab the fireworks, taking them to the back from the outside after to save negotiating the two doors.
Adum took his laptop back up to his office and then went to get a blanket. he unfurled it on the way back downstairs and stood over the couch, looking down at her. "Oh, well .. if you want to sleep there ..." he swung the blanket around his own shoulders. "I'll have Ryan sleep in my bed and I will crash on the couch in my office." he wraps the blanket around himself and leans down to kiss her softly. "I only brought one. You're gonna have to share with me." he says as if this were not likely to be her first choice.
Megan pretends to pout but then says "But I want your bed....with you in it." She pretends to sigh and then kisses him back while grabbing both sides of the blanket, trying to pull it open and at the same time yank him down on top of her.
Adum smiles and bends further, allowing the blanket to open, but not allowing himself to fall. He kisses her again quickly. "Not yet. We have all night, love." he chides her. "And I have plans for you, alright." he offers her his hand and will pull her up, turning her back to his front and enveloping them both in the blanket. "Fireworks with Ryan before you get your own sparks." and he will frog march them both out of the house and into the back yard where he will stand, pressing against her ... keeping her warm. "Sun goes down and you really feel the cold." he says casually, adjusting his arms around her so they were JUST missing her chest.
Megan kisses him back and gets up with a laugh "I wasn't actually trying to do it on the couch before we went outside. But I"ll follow your rules and plans if it gets you off to boss me around. " she giggles as she's marched out, happy for fireworks and curious for what he plans after.
Adum stands i his back yard, looking at the smoldering pile of trash and components He was pretty happy with the evening. And it seemed as if fireworks ... literally and figuratively .. would bring a good end to the evening. He looks at Ryan. "You know Ryan, I could probably get one of the firemen to come take these out on a boat if you want." he offers. He really didn't want to move. Part of him was exhausted and part of him was so keyed up he wondered if he'd sleep in the next week.
Megan leans contentedly against Adum while he and Ryan talk.
Ryan has an impish grin as he sets up fireworks. " No way man. I love this. Only lost my eyebrows once.."
Adum holds Megan, content with her in his arms. So different from before. He snorts. "Well, we have a good doctor. But if you burn my house down, you're buying me a new one." he shakes his head, hoping for the best.
Megan laughs "Ryan you're such a pyro."
Ryan lines up the fireworks in order a safe distance from his friends, the house, trees and hydro lines and carefully lights the first one. He dashes away as it starts to fizzle. It's a simple horsetail. After it dissipates he runs back and lights two peonies at opposite ends of the line. They sparkle and blink in the sky with a magical mauve tone. Following that is a spider, spitting and spindling it's legs to the ground. He ends with a duo of bright red chrysanthemums and looks deeply satisfied with his work as he breathes the cool night air infused with the after scent of burned out fireworks.
Adum watches. He has the largest personal property plot on the island, so there is room for Ryan to work. He looks up and smiles at the display. Once its over, he looks at Ryan, noting some applause from the house next door. "That was incredible, man." he praises. "No shit."
Megan smiles at Ryan "I didn't know you knew how to do fireworks. That fuckin rocked."
Ryan grinned at them both "Thanks. My family always did a few when we went camping. Garrett and I got back into it the last few years to show Tristan how. "
Adum nods and smiles. "You're great." he shivers a bit. "I think we'd better get back inside. Seems winter isn't over yet, damn it." he laughs. "Thanks for coming .... BOTH of you." he .. they got a lot accomplished he thinks. He felt as if he were on the beginning of a new life. A second chance.
Megan huddles against Adum and nods "I'm glad you invited us." She turns her head and lightly kisses Adum's cheek before stepping away from him and trying to steal the blanket if she can to run into the house with it.
Ryan looks over at Adum as he starts to clean up "It's good to hang out again. Let's not let too much time pass before the next one eh? I'll be in in a sec. You kids go on ahead... " he chuckles at the end.
Adum takes the kiss and is then robbed of his blanket. "Hey" he calls after her, but he is laughing. Shrugging, he turns back to Ryan, folding his arms. "Thanks again, man. I'll make up some hot chocolate and start a fire for ya. Packages hot chocolate. I've cooked enough today." and he heads back in laughing. There, he ignores Megan as if he is angry, but cuts a nice sized piece of chocolate cake, puts it on a plate with one fork and sets it aside. Then he begins to boil water for the hot chocolate.
Megan still has the blanket wrapped around her and tiptoes up behind Adum trying to cuddle up to him, opening the blanket up a bit to warm his back and sides but not put it in the range of the boiling or cake. She looks curiously at the cake but doesn't say anything, just leans the side of her face against his back if the cuddling takes.
Adum leans back into her, accepting the cuddling and encouraging more. "Thought I might bring you some cake and feed it to you in my bed." he murmurs, turning and taking her in his arms. "Sip hot chocolate ... all the stuff I've always dreamed of and never done." he looks down at her. "Before my alarm clock goes off and I have to go into work after this most awesome dream." there is part of him that thinks .. maybe this is just one hell of a vivid dream.
The pupils of her eyes dilate "You want to mix chocolate...with sex? Jesus Christ I fucking love you Adum." she says laughing. She slips into his arms, still keeping the blanket around them both. She leans in starting to kiss his neck on one side from his collar bone up to his earlobe.
Adum groans and is saved by boiling water. He pulls away from her. "Since you think my thing is bossing women around." he looks at her mock sternly. "Up to bed with you, woman. I will be there with your tray, shortly." he even points to the stairs, like his mother did when she grounded him, as if he didn't know which direction to go in to get to his room. His blue eyes twinkle with mischief and mirth.
Leaving a cup of hot chocolate for Ryan, Adum then put the cake and other cups on a bed tray and took them upstairs. What followed was much eating of cake, followed by uses of silk neckties that Adum's workplace subordinates would never have imagined he could think of on his own. He had no idea if Megan woke Ryan or not .. and he didn't care. There was not even shame in his voice when he told Megan that there was no need to reciprocate .. or rather that the sounds of her pleasure put him over the edge in fine fashion. In the sense of sexual intercourse, they had not made love and yet it was the finest love making Adum, at least had ever experienced.
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