#and all of valeros just went 'we know and we love you'
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Chapter 4
Jani
The first night at the hotel had been at least busy, he had arranged to have dinner only with David Lee Roth and ended up taking as a gift Jon Bon Jovi and his talented producer.
And what a gift, Bon Jovi was simply the band that inspired him to start singing, even before joining Warrant, he was already covering the band in bars, the first time he saw Jon he looked like an idiot, he was speechless, if it wasn't for his bandmates to help him react, he would be paralyzed until now.
But Jon hadn't been the only gift of the night, Thais Valero, a strong name for a girl with delicate features, after she introduced herself as Lizzy, and said she liked the nickname more than her actual name, Jani decided he liked it too.
The way she seemed to care about nothing, nothing at all, was simply impressive. Lizzy had a lightness when talking about things and had no silly modesty about anything, if she wanted to tell people to go fuck themselves, she would, as she did to David and Jon several times during the dinner.
Jani found himself comparing her to Bobbie Brown, his ex, he noticed that Bobbie was always more pruned, knew the right time to talk and do anything, Lizzy didn't, Lizzy seemed to be moved by emotions, the girl's rationality seemed to be almost zero and Jani found himself liking her even more because of that.
He walked around the room and decided he was not sleepy, so it was better to go out for a breath, but first he thought of stopping by the hotel bar and getting a bottle of whiskey, that would help him to think better.
- Do you guys don’t drink anything else? I think I'm going to have to replenish my stock of Jack Daniel’s. - the bar man said when Jani asked him for a bottle of his favorite whiskey.
-Why? Did anyone else ask for one of these?
-Several people, I mean, more than I can count.
-Oh ok. - Jani said with a smile picking up the bottle. - See you.
-Jani. - the bar man called and he looked at him still smiling.
-Yes?
-Could you sign my copy of Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich?
-Of course. - Jani said smiling, the boy took the CD out of the backpack and held it out to him with a pen. - what's your name?
-Rick.
-Ok Rick. - Jani said when he finished writing. - here it is.
Rick stared at the CD, there it was written: for a nice guy who let me take a bottle of Jack Daniel’s on a night that I really needed to drink a little, thanks for understanding Rick. All the best to you. Jani Lane.
-Thank you, man.
-Rick you just saved my life, but can you do it again?
-Say it.
-Do you know where I can smoke around here? - Jani asked, he was eager to light a cigarette too.
-I would advise the terrace.
Jani just nodded and with a smile went on.
He went straight to the terrace, Rick had said he could smoke there, so that's what he did, as soon as he pushed the access door he already lit a cigarette, was taking his first drag when he realized he wasn't alone.
Shit.
Tommy
The moment he decided to smoke a dope on the hotel terrace without the other guys he found himself walking toward a girl
She was there. Facing the immensity of the city of Los Angeles when he approached her.
Her hair danced against the night wind and the way she seemed focused on doing nothing was making Tommy intrigued, should he come over or go around and go away?
He opted for the second option, held the bottle of whiskey tighter and turned around, but while doing so, he ended up bumping into some cans that should not be there and attracting her attention.
She turned quickly, looking frightened by the noise he had made, also who wouldn't be frightened? Seeing her scared eyes, Tommy felt like a complete idiot, he and his stupid mania of bumping into everything.
-Who’s there? – she asked trying to see him through the dark.
Its was her. The girl Sebastian Bach was arresting sooner. The girl who was always out and about with Jon Bon Jovi. What was her name?
-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. – he said suddenly.
-Tommy Lee? – she asked at the moment he got a little closer.
-Me. Really, I’m sorry, I was leaving, I didn’t want to scare you and…
-Why are you leaving?- She asked. - am I such a bad company?
-No of course not. – he said quickly before she thought it was true. - is that I thought you wanted to be alone, so ...
-No, I don't want to, I just came here because Rick said I could smoke here.
Tommy finally looked at her hand and noticed that there was a cigarette lit there.
-Rick. - Tommy said with a smile. - the bar man.
-Yes himself, nice guy.
-He is.
The two just stared at each other, Tommy thought the way she looked him in the eyes strange. Several people have complained when he did this, Tommy had the habit of looking deep into everyone's eyes while talking, it was something he couldn't control, it was as if doing this he was looking for the person's heart, they’re essence. Nikki used to look away and fight with him when he did this, because, after all, he really had some things to hide.
But that didn't, she looked back at him in exactly the same way and for the first time Tommy felt trapped in someone's eyes, for the first time he was tasting his own poison and finding it fascinating.
-What about you? Did you come to hide here or something?
-I did. From the holtel’s smoke detectors. – Tommy replied finally raising the cigarette in his hands.
The girl smiled, nodding for him to approach, unsure he took a few steps until he finally stood beside her.
-It's so beautiful, don't you think? - she said simply facing the immensity of lights in front of her. - looks like a rug studded with diamonds.
Tommy looked at the lights in front of him, yes it really did.
She suddenly looked tired of looking and sat down, Tommy did the same, sitting next to her.
-Whisky? – he asked.
-I have my on bottle, but thanks.
The way she was smoking, the way she was drinking Jack right from the bottle… That girl, she was a different kind.
-I think I know you. – he started.
He saw her somewhere before that corridor that day. But where? Was she the girl on Def Leppard’s video?
-You do?
-Weren’t you on the new Def Leppard’s video?
-No, that’s not me. That’s Tawny Kitaen.
-Oh…
-But I think I know YOU. – she replied.
-Really?
-Yeah, I saw you on MTV a lot with your band… Whistesnake, right?
Tommy laughed. The way she said that. The revenge on her yes just because he had mistaken her face for another woman’s….
-Fuck, you’re mean. – he said with a big smile. – and I think I love you.
Lizzy
-So you’re used to go out with that asshole. – Tommy started.
-Sebastian you mean?
-Yep.
-Yes, I used to date him.
-Man, that dude looks like a lady.
-Have you ever seen yourself I the mirror?
-Ok, two one. – he said with a childish smile. – you are getting me hard tonight. So, why did it end? Who fucked up whom?
-It was a mutual thing. - somehow Tommy made me want to talk. - nobody cheated, but we couldn't be together, you know? I almost never had a good time with him, it was just fights and more fights and they weren't normal fights, Sebastian is a heated person, I am also so it didn't work out, we were hurting ourselves with words and gestures until one day I decided I didn't want that and I finished.
-He accepted it?
-He tried to throw himself out of the fifth-floor window. - I said as if that was the most normal thing in the world. - it was a mess, police, band, fans a bunch of people going in and out of the hotel, well, I couldn't think straight so I left. From that day on, I didn't see him again, that is, until this afternoon.
-And what did you feel?
I shrugged my shoulders.
-I was happy that he was alive, that's all.
Tommy looked at me and took another sip from the whiskey bottle, I smiled.
-We’re going to get drunk this was.
-Who cares? - He said smiling in my direction.- do you have a bed time?
-No. do you?
-No.
-So let’s get wasted.
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Lightning in a Bottle
Also on Fanfiction.net and A03
Chapter 7: Follow the Music
Olive finished the climb and her big brother clapped his hands, as she climbed down.
"That was great...you're going to be ready for the big climb this summer in no time," he complimented her.
"Thanks," she said distractedly.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
"It's fine, Lance…" she answered too quickly. He sighed.
"Olive…" he prodded. She rolled his eyes.
"I'm fine...really good actually. And my Mom is...well, over the moon is probably under selling it," she said. The man smiled thinly.
"That's good...I'm happy for her. But how are you doing with having your dad back?" he asked.
"And your brother, who is now five years younger than you," he added. She sighed.
"It's great...but just weird," she admitted.
"Olive…" he prodded.
"Okay...I sort of told my Dad I couldn't spend time with him, because I wanted to do this with you instead. And now…" she lamented.
"You're feeling guilty," he surmised. She nodded.
"Olive...if your Dad is the guy that you and your Mom have told me he is...then I don't think he'll hold this against you," Lance said.
"I know he won't," she agreed.
"He's a very lucky man to have you...and your Mom," he said, with a note of sadness in his voice. Now she felt even guiltier. At one time, she had hoped her mom might move on with him and now she was glad that she didn't. She felt badly for him, because she knew he still liked her Mom and had been holding out hope.
"It's nothing you did, you know," she blurted out.
"Mom...she just could never move on and it wasn't you," Olive said. He smiled.
"I know...what she and your Dad have seems pretty special," he replied. Olive hoped that he would move on and find someone too.
"Ready for another climb?" Lance asked. She nodded and attached her harness again, ready for more practice.
~*~
David came out of the unemployment office that afternoon. He had a few leads and had submitted his resume to several colleges and Universities already. For now though, he was going to go home and browse the market for something he wouldn't hate entirely in the meantime. Suddenly, he heard that same music that he had heard earlier that morning. He followed it, until he heard it coming from a small, makeshift kiosk among a few others near Time Square. It looked old fashioned and he noticed many wood carvings. There were also some modern items too and there were signs advertising repairs for things like small appliances and antiques alike. But most remarkably, he recognized this man as someone who was on the plane and at the hanger last night.
"Excuse me...but what is that music?" David asked. The man showed him a small music box.
"I made it for my boy...when he was very small. He loved it and always had it with him...but he cannot have it where he is now," the man cried.
"Where is he?" David asked.
"Prison...but he didn't do what they said he did!" the man exclaimed. David furrowed his brow and for some reason, couldn't bring himself to walk away.
"Tell me about it...maybe I can help," he said. The man's eyes widened.
"You would do that?" he asked. David smiled.
"There has to be a reason that I heard that exact music in my head this morning and I know what my wife will tell me when I tell her. I'm David Nolan," he introduced himself.
"Marco Booth...you will really help me?" he asked in surprise.
"I'll try," David said, as Marco began to explain his son's situation.
~*~
Emma closed the file and saved her work on her computer. She had finally gotten through the mountain of paperwork from the rescue of those two girls. She felt a shadow on her though and looked up to see a woman giving her a cold look. She sighed, vaguely recognizing her as Milah. Milah Rogers.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"So...it's really true," Milah mentioned.
"Yeah…I'm getting that a lot lately," Emma said, as she turned to face her.
"Let me guess...you're here to warn me to stay away from Killian," she replied.
"I...I just need to know if I have anything to worry about," Milah said.
"Not from me...he chose you," Emma replied.
"Only because you were gone," Milah countered.
"Yeah...well, I didn't choose to be gone, so I don't know what you want from me. But I'm not after your husband," Emma assured.
"He hasn't gotten over you...not really," she whispered.
"That's not my problem. I didn't ask for any of this, but I have to deal with it. So do you," Emma replied, as she got up, got her things, and left for the day.
~*~
Margaret held her son's hand, as they exited the toy store.
"Wow...thanks Mom. This is great!" he said, as he admired his new Lego set.
"Well...I know how boring the treatments get so I thought we could get you a new set to play with," she said.
"Is Dad meeting us at the hospital?" Henry asked. She nodded.
"He'll be there and then maybe we'll get Ollie and have a spaghetti night," she suggested.
"And board games?" he asked. She smiled.
"Of course...your Dad and I can smoke you two in Monopoly," she teased.
"That's so unfair. You and Dad do know that Monopoly isn't a team player game, right?" Henry teased back. She chuckled.
"True, but with this family, everything is a team effort," she said, as she noticed a woman that they were passing on the street stop and looked at them in awe. It got scarier, as she followed them and put her hand on Henry's shoulder.
"He is risen!" she cried out.
"He is risen!" she called out louder. Margaret pulled her son away from the crazy woman's grip and tried to ignore all the stares now that this woman had drawn attention to them.
"Mom…" Henry said.
"Just keep walking quickly, sweetheart," she said, as she hurried him to the car.
"He is risen!" the woman called again.
"Why is that woman saying that? Is it because of the plane?" Henry asked, as she made sure he was buckled in, before putting the car in gear and driving away.
"I think so...some people are getting crazy over this, honey. That's why your Dad and I want you to never go anywhere by yourself...at least not yet," she told him, as she took a deep breath, just as she knew her husband would tell her to do in these situations. Panic attacks were nothing new to her. She'd been having them since her mother died and up until the last five years, David or Emma had always been there to talk her through them. When they were gone, Ollie got her through them, but Margaret hated leaning on one of her children like that.
"Deep breaths, MM...copy my breathing," she could hear him in her head and she slowly calmed down for the moment.
"Are you okay, Mom?" Henry asked. She gave him a smile.
"I'm fine honey...let's go get your treatment done for the day," she said, as she made a turn that would take them to the hospital.
~*~
"So...you went to Jamaica five years ago to do a job?" David asked. Marco nodded.
"I fix very old things and antiques. Everything here is so modern now and computerized. But in other parts of the world, there are still places where skills like mine are sought after. It was a payday that was going to set me and my boy for a while," he explained.
"But then the plane disappeared," David said. He nodded.
"My boy, he was only thirteen, and went into the foster system. But he is a good boy! He got a job and was saving money to open his own repair shop. My boy...he knows how to fix anything, even all the new fangled contraptions!" Marco boasted. David smiled.
"You have children," Marco said knowingly.
"Twins...or they were. Henry was on the plane with me. Olive came home with her mother and she's a teenager now," he replied.
"Then you know...you know what this is like," Marco said. He nodded.
"I do...let's head over the jewelry store where he worked. Maybe we can find something out there and then...I'll call my sister. She's NYPD. Maybe she can get us into Rikers, but no promises," David replied. Marco shook his hand profusely.
"Oh thank you...thank you!" he exclaimed. David patted him on the back and they made the short walk to the jewelry store on the next block.
On the window of the store, there was red writing that stated "Going out of Business." They walked in and saw what they assumed was the owner and a young man.
"Excuse me...we're here to talk to you about August Booth," David interjected.
"You mean the little punk that has run me out of my business?" the shop owner snapped.
"Please...he is my son and I know he did not do this," Marco pleaded.
"Yeah sure...just get out," Mr. Valero snapped, as he went into the back room.
"You have to forgive my father...this business was his life. I'm his son Blake," he said, introducing himself.
"Then you worked with August," David deduced.
"Uh yeah...he was a good guy or so I thought. Hard worker...but then this happened," Blake replied.
"My August is a hard worker and he did not do this!" Marco repeated.
"I'd love to believe that, but the evidence doesn't lie. We caught him using a fake ID to get hired on and there was no break in," Blake argued. David nodded, knowing they weren't going to get any further here.
"Thank you for your time," David said, as he led Marco out.
"What am I going to do?" Marco asked in despair.
"Let me call my sister. It might help if we get August's side of the story," David suggested, as he dialed.
"Hey Em...I need a favor," he said.
"What's up?" she asked.
"I'm trying to help another passenger. His son is in Riker's and he's innocent," David replied.
"Do you know how many guys in Riker's are innocent, David?" she asked in exasperation.
"Em...please, the kid was just thirteen when the plane disappeared. Can't you at least see if we can get his father in to see him?" he asked. He heard her sigh.
"I literally just got my badge back today, but I'll see what I can do," she said.
"Thanks Em," he said, as he hung up the phone. While they waited, they left the jewelry shop and walked across the street. David bought them two coffees and they sat down on a bench. He got a text and Marco was clearly anxious.
"Is that her?" he asked.
"Oh no...it's my wife," he said, as he quickly texted back.
"She was with you last night...she was not on the plane," he mentioned. He smiled.
"She wasn't...but she supports me in everything and we do everything together," he replied, with a scoff.
"Except the plane. I stayed behind with my sister, because she was trying to squeeze out a couple more hours away from home. But Margaret...with her, it was like falling right back into place without even skipping a beat," he said.
"You are a very lucky man...you have a beautiful family," Marco replied, as he saw the picture of the four of them on his lock screen. David smiled.
"I am...and that's why I'm going to do what I can to reunite you with yours," he promised, as Emma texted him back.
"She got us in," he said, as they stood up.
"Let's go," David said, as he led him to his car.
~*~
Margaret smiled, as she talked to her husband on the phone, while Henry was having his treatment.
"You don't have to apologize, my love. I am so glad you are helping this man visit his son. Your son is just fine and will be happy that his dad is helping others in need," she assured him.
"I still can't believe how lucky I am. I tell you that I heard music in my head and it led me to another passenger and the word crazy never crossed your lips," he said.
"And it never will. You're such a good man and helping this man is the right thing to do," she replied.
"I feel that too...but I should be home in time for dinner. Want me to pick something up?" he asked.
"No, that's okay. I promised Henry spaghetti and board games," she replied. She could hear him smile through his words.
"That sounds amazing. I'll pick some ice cream up on the way home to go with it and then you'll tell me what happened with you today? Henry texted me about some weird lady?" he asked.
"Oh yeah...I was going to text you about that too, but I think it's better explained in person," she said.
"You're okay though?" he asked. She smiled.
"I'm fine, promise," she assured.
"Okay...I'll see you tonight. I love you so much," he said.
"I love you too, be careful," she replied, as they hung up the phone, just as she saw Emma come in.
"Hey...I wasn't expecting to see you until tonight. How was your first day back?" Margaret asked.
"Stupid," Emma grumbled, as she collapsed into a chair beside her.
"Oh no...what happened?" Margaret asked.
"Well, I got cleared for duty and Graham decides that it's a good idea to make me Killian's partner," Emma replied. Margaret winced.
"That has to be awkward," she agreed.
"Yeah...and I'm not the only one that thinks so. I got a visit from Milah," she said.
"Oh my Gosh...why?" she asked.
"Why do you think?" she asked in return.
"She thinks Killian's feelings for you are still there and now that you're back...she feels threatened," Margaret deduced.
"Yup…" Emma replied.
"What did you tell her?" Margaret asked.
"I told her that she doesn't have to be worried about me. He married her," Emma replied.
"And she accepted that?" Margaret asked. Emma snorted.
"Of course not...that would make my life easier," she joked.
"Em…" Margaret prodded. The blonde sighed.
"She implied that he probably only chose her, because I was gone. What the hell am I supposed to say to that?" Emma asked. Margaret squeezed her hand.
"I don't know, sweetie...I can't imagine the position you're in. I wish I could do more for you," she said. Emma smiled at her and rested her head on Margaret's shoulder.
"You do...you're always here for me," she replied.
"Always," Margaret said.
"Since I was six...wow, that's wild," Emma replied. Margaret giggled.
"That was a day...I'm surprised you remember it. You were so little," Margaret said.
"You were too, but then you met David that day too so I know you remember it," Emma teased. Margaret smiled, as she bit her bottom lip and recalled the memories of that day with fondness.
~*~
"Please…" Emma whined, as she gave her older brother puppy eyes and he sighed.
"Fine, one more time. But I'm getting tired, Emmy," David said, as he lifted her up one more time. She grabbed the monkey bars and he walked her across them, while she moved her hands. He put her down and they ran over as their mother called them. They noticed she was talking to another woman and a little girl, which made them curious.
Mary Margaret clung to her mother's leg, as they arrived at the playground. This was not their normal neighborhood, but Eva didn't like the playgrounds in their rich, uppity neighborhood. The children that played there were not being instilled with the values that she wanted her little girl to have. She didn't want her daughter growing up thinking that money and class were what mattered most about a person, so they ventured out today to the neighborhood where Eva had grown up instead.
"It's okay snowdrop...there's lots of other children that will love playing with you," she assured her shy daughter.
"She is darling…" another woman mentioned from a bench and Eva smiled.
"Oh thank you...I'm Eva and this is Mary Margaret, my pride and joy," she said. Ruth smiled at the tiny raven haired girl.
"Hello Mary Margaret...that's such a beautiful name. I'm Ruth. Those two are mine," she said, as she pointed at the two blonde children.
"They're beautiful too. We are hoping this playground will be better than the last one," Eva said.
"Oh I'm sure mine would love to play with Mary Margaret," Ruth said, as she called them over.
"David...Emma, this is Mary Margaret," Ruth said.
"Hi…" David said, a bit shyly.
"Hi…" Mary Margaret said, also shyly.
"Hi...I'm Emma. Your name is pretty, but long. Can I call you MM?" Emma asked.
"Uh...sure," Mary Margaret replied.
"Wanna do monkey bars with me?" Emma asked, as she took her hand and dragged her onto the playground. Eva chuckled and sat down beside Ruth.
"I'm not big enough to do monkey bars," Mary Margaret said.
"Me either. David helps me sometimes," Emma replied.
"Uh...yeah I can help you," David chimed in and she smiled.
"Okay," Mary Margaret said, as he lifted her up so she could reach the bars.
"I thought you said you were tired," Emma complained.
"Well, I'm not anymore," he retorted in annoyance, as he helped Mary Margaret with the monkey bars.
~*~
They chuckled at the memories.
"He was already smitten," Emma teased.
"Well, he wasn't the only one. I mean that curly blonde hair he had and the baby muscles...oooh…" Margaret gushed.
"Yeah, yeah I do not need to hear stories about my brother's muscles," Emma complained, as her phone rang.
"It's the station...I gotta take this," Emma said, as she stepped away. Margaret smiled and relished all the memories they had, as she waited for her son's treatment to be over for the day.
#Snowing#SnowxCharming#Snowing AU#Emma Swan#Henry#Regina Mills#Mr. Gold#Rogers#Manifest#with a Once twist#romance#adventure#family#AU#lightning in a bottle
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New Releases
At YallWest this weekend, I went to a panel where Maya Motayne spoke about her new novel Nocturna, and I got so excited, so adding her novel to my ever increasing TBR list. Which of these will you be adding to yours?
Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
10 00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest K-pop star on the scene, and she’s just performed her hit song “Heartbeat” in Hong Kong to thousands of adoring fans. She’s about to debut on The Tonight Show in America, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. But right now? She’s in her fancy hotel, trying to fall asleep but dying for a hamburger.
11 00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid job that he keeps secret from his parents. On his way out of the hotel, he runs into a girl wearing slippers, a girl who is single-mindedly determined to find a hamburger. She looks kind of familiar. She’s very cute. He’s maybe curious.
12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads
Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju
Simon Pulse
Perpetually awkward Nima Kumara-Clark is bored with her insular community of Bridgeton, in love with her straight girlfriend, and trying to move past her mother’s unexpected departure. After a bewildering encounter at a local festival, Nima finds herself suddenly immersed in the drag scene on the other side of town.
Macho drag kings, magical queens, new love interests, and surprising allies propel Nima both painfully and hilariously closer to a self she never knew she could be—one that can confidently express and accept love. But she’ll have to learn to accept lost love to get there. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
HarperTeen
Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.
Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.
— Cover image and summary via Goodreads
Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic #1) by Maya Motayne
Balzer + Bray
To Finn Voy, magic is two things: a knife to hold under the chin of anyone who crosses her…and a disguise she shrugs on as easily as others pull on cloaks.
As a talented faceshifter, it’s been years since Finn has seen her own face, and that’s exactly how she likes it. But when Finn gets caught by a powerful mobster, she’s forced into an impossible mission: steal a legendary treasure from Castallan’s royal palace or be stripped of her magic forever.
After the murder of his older brother, Prince Alfehr is first in line for the Castallan throne. But Alfie can’t help but feel that he will never live up to his brother’s legacy. Riddled with grief, Alfie is obsessed with finding a way to bring his brother back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic.
But when Finn and Alfie’s fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power—which, if not contained, will devour the world. And with Castallan’s fate in their hands, Alfie and Finn must race to vanquish what they have unleashed, even if it means facing the deepest darkness in their pasts.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki & Illustrations by Rosemay Valero O’Connelle
First Second Books
Laura Dean, the most popular girl in high school, was Frederica Riley’s dream girl: charming, confident, and SO cute. There’s just one problem: Laura Dean is maybe not the greatest girlfriend.
Reeling from her latest break up, Freddy’s best friend, Doodle, introduces her to the Seek-Her, a mysterious medium, who leaves Freddy some cryptic parting words: break up with her. But Laura Dean keeps coming back, and as their relationship spirals further out of her control, Freddy has to wonder if it’s really Laura Dean that’s the problem. Maybe it’s Freddy, who is rapidly losing her friends, including Doodle, who needs her now more than ever. Fortunately for Freddy, there are new friends, and the insight of advice columnists like Anna Vice to help her through being a teenager in love.
Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell bring to life a sweet and spirited tale of young love that asks us to consider what happens when we ditch the toxic relationships we crave to embrace the healthy ones we need. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads
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god Sionri is SUCH a little shit
fun as hell to write. but in real life he would be the most irritating person in the world to talk to
#delaney speaks#this man really went 'i am never going to be direct about anything ever in my life'#and all of valeros just went 'we know and we love you'#nothing this man says is honest and he'll take 20 words to say something he could have said with 2#also there's the fact that he actively acts stupid and vain to trick people
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Juan Ramon and Ramon Family headcanons
Juan Vicente Ramon was the sole heir of the Ramon family line that had been ruling Córdoba for centuries. Though the line had been fraught with family infighting and rivalries, by the time Juan was born it had petered out to a general rule of firstborn gets to be king or queen, no exceptions. But in order to be careful, Juan’s parents, Valero and Soledad only tried for one child and never wished to give him siblings.
Being the sole heir, Juan was trained from a very young age to focus on his duties as prince and eventually king. It was a bit of a Victorian upbringing where Juan was taught to repress any “excessive” emotion like panic or anger in order to appear as a perfectly placid royal and being forced to memorize countless protacles, etiquette rules, cities, noble titles, all the works. There was a bonus that unlike Avalor, Juan also had an extensive knowledge of Córdoba’s culture including magical creatures that reside in the kingdom and the benefits/dangers they present.
Despite this rigorous schooling and high expectations, Juan still grew up to possess a natural optimism and charm towards life, always looking on the bright side of things and actually taking satisfaction in doing a job well done. However, he also suffered from emotional isolation, bearing the burden of the crown all by himself. He felt like he couldn’t confide to anyone in his fears, and stresses because then it would appear like he didn’t know what he was doing. So after classes with his tutors, Juan would often lock himself in his room, dwelling on his flaws and his insecurities for hours at a time.
Come his teen years, Juan grew a bit rebellious. Going behind his parent’s back to hang out with the sons of the horse groomers and other palace staff. They would do such “unseemly” activities like chariot races and competitions on who could pick up the most girls. Juan almost always won these competitions because no one could beat his stellar pick-up line, “Hello, I’m Prince Juan, your future King. Would you like to be my queen?”
So in case you were wondering. Yes. Alonso did get some of flirtatious personality from his father.
Unfortunately those friendships came to an end when his parents found out. His parents firmly believed in the class divide and that Juan associating with these “lower beings” would only corrupt his fine breeding. They lectured him on how he almost put the whole kingdom in danger because of his selfish need to have friends. That disappointment and forced shame was like a dagger into Juan’s psyche. He felt like a failure, this only served to further plunge Juan into emotional isolation. He resigned himself to the idea that to best serve his kingdom that he must become unfeeling and distant, then he could be neutral and objective about every duty he had to take on.
Luckily, life threw him a curveball before he could follow through on that vow. Juan couldn’t quite break that love for racing chariots and still eagerly participated in daily races, reasoning to his parents that he was boosting morale in the subjects and showing off his athletic skill. So the race he went to following his vow, he had won for the fourth time in a row. A young duchess came up to his carriage and asked what type it was and where she could buy one like it.
That duchess was Alejandra García, nicknamed Alé, a woman who was the complete opposite of everything he had been raised to be. She revealed in having fun, she participated in plays as part of a troupe that traveled around Cordoba and some of the surrounding kingdoms. She was the highlight of comedy clubs. She seemed to have no care in the world and always lived in the moment. She was wild and Juan wanted to follow wherever she led.
Being an accomplished actress, Alejandra acted like a timid, well-bred duchess in front of his parents but once they were away from the king and queen’s critical eyes, Alejandra would drag Juan all over the kingdom. Juan loved being in her presence, she made him laugh and feel bold. But more importantly, she was always there to listen when Juan was stressed. The first time he admitted that he sat out tango dances at balls because he wasn’t good at them, he expected her to scold him for his failure. Instead she simply laughed and offered to teach him. Alejandra was the one person that Juan didn’t feel judged by and that was a rare thing in his world. Bit by bit, Juan let himself feel a full range of emotion in front of her insteading of suppressing it. He cried, he laughed, yelled, everything and Alejandra was always there.
Juan was also a good influence on her too. Alejandra could be accused of being flaky and insensitive to others- never thinking about her actions having consequences. Since Juan started becoming a bigger part of her life, Alejandra soon had to learn how to work, and work hard by his side. She had been impatient and annoyed by such tedious things such as paperwork and long diplomatic speeches but she also suffered through it because she loved the bright look in Juan’s eyes when the job was successfully completed. Over time, Alejandra learned to exercise patience and restraint, knowing that the eyes of the kingdom were on her.
The two got married just as King Valero grew sick and old, so they could prepare for a new era as rulers. This new era involved them to be more part of the subject’s lives. Alejandra openly mingled in the via mercado, shopping for herself and Juan never expressed the same disdain for his servants and lower classes as his parents had done. He even hired his old comrades and began to start a new, un-interfered with, friendship. They believed in actions defining who they were and tried to uphold an image of benevolence and golden-age wisdom to their peoples.
Unfortunately with Alejandra’s death from pneumonia, Juan lost his greatest companion and Alonso lost his mother. Alonso was only 5-6 at the time and Juan was at a complete loss on how to raise a rambunctious little boy by himself. He tried not to fall into old habits of closing himself off but he did. Juan thought he could remedy the situation by remarrying but found that he could only compare the ladies to his Alé while Alonso was left to his nannies and maids.
Juan changed his tune one day when he had to take care of Alonso during the nanny’s day off. Alonso was 8 a the time and had the same similar energy and light-heartedness as his mother. The two spent the whole day together, playing in the park. Juan made him lunch and they just had fun. It made Juan realize that maybe he can parent all on his own. He may not be able to replace Alejandra as a mother, but he is still able to be supportive and playful with his son. So Juan arranged more time for just Alonso and him, but he was still away from Alonso a lot because of kingly duties. Juan didn’t want to have Alonso trained like he was and also indulged a lot of Alonso’s carefree nature because it was so much like Alejandra. Which led to Alonso becoming the reforming but still lazy and egotistical guy we know today.
Ramon Family Headcanons
Alonso’s birth was a huge occasion. All the kingdoms from Satu to Enchancia were invited for his christening, and no forgotten invitations a la Sleeping Beauty were committed. It was their first big celebration as a “whole” family and there was a rare reversal of roles. Alejandra was the one who wanted everything to be just perfect while Juan was more about enjoying the day. There were no big incidents except for the chocolate fight between the Avalora and Paraiso ambassadors, renewing the old feud over whose chocolate was better. The walls smelt like chocolate for months afterwards. Alejandra loves to retell that story to Alonso for his bedtime playing out the parts of the two ambassadors with comically exaggerated accents and fake mustaches.
Stories at bedtime were a big thing. It was mainly Alejandra’s domain because she was the “actress” of the family while Alonso and Juan were the enthralled audiences. But Juan would join in on the play-acting fun too and show off his suit of armor. For the longest time Alonso thought his father was an actual knight and not the king.
Juan has a special love and hobby-interest in chariots and their father-son time includes repairing and buying all kinds of chariots. They have quite a collection of vintage and new ones.
Going off on the chariots, the two would take Alonso in chariot rides. Only they had a argument over whose driving was worse. Alejandra loved to go as fast as she could on scenic drives while Juan was a much safer driver, but chose routes filled with so many hills and valleys that it felt like a roller coaster even if he wasn’t driving that fast.
Their favorite game to play was hide and seek in the palace which inevitably led to the couple losing their child among the many rooms. The two would panic, send out a search party and then find him sneaking food from the kitchen pantry or peeking at the royal jewels. Then while the rest of the palace staff is still in search for the missing prince, the three would sit together, eating the stolen food or letting him dress up in all the glittering jewels.
Alonso was the couple’s wake up call in the morning. In contrast to his Let-me-stay-in- bed- for-a-few-more-hours whining teen years, young Alonso was always up early, ready to get into adventures of a brand new day. Juan and alejandra would always wake up to the sound of Alonso’s little feet running to the room and launching himself on top of them, jumping up and down until they got up.
I picture Alejandra to look like Lily James
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Ranking the best and worst bowl game gifts players will receive in 2021
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
There’s some good here, and some ... woof.
It’s a whole new world in college football. In years past the bowl game gift bag was the only opportunity players could get rewarded for risking their bodies all season long. Now, with NIL rules, athletes can finally get additional compensation for playing one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
While the glitz, glamor and importance of the gift bag might be a thing of the past, it’s still fascinating to see what happens when corporate entities need to try and decide what will appeal most to teenagers. Keep in mind that the NCAA has a rule stating that players can’t receive any gifts in excess of $550, making this an effort in maximizing shopping value as much as anything else.
The best bowl game gifts
No. 1: Valero Alamo Bowl
Gifts: $490 Mastercard Gift Card, Ice Shaker Bottle, Mini Helmet, Team Photo
This is boring, I know, but the simplicity of giving players 90 percent of their gift in a big gift card is really the perfect reward. You get a couple of little random mementos, which are nice for the event — then get to treat yourself with something good.
No. 2 : PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Gifts: PlayStation 5 and a game TBD
It’s a PS5. Do you know how tough it is to find a PS5? Keep it for yourself, or tread into the horrible side of becoming a scummy secondary market reseller. The choice is yours!
No. 3: AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Gifts: Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker, Bulova watch, Nike backpack, sunglasses, athletic shoes and sport sandals, commemorative football
My only fear here is that everything will be plastered with branding, but if it isn’t then this is an excellent swag bag. It’s full of things you kinda always need, but forget to buy. The items are decent quality too. When it comes to the “bunch of stuff” offerings, the Liberty Bowl is the king.
No. 4: Cheez-It Bowl
Gifts: $400 Amazon gift card, Fossil watch, Ogio backpack, commemorative football
I know I just said I was wary of branded items, but I’m making an exception here. Nobody wants a Bulova watch with the AutoZone logo on it, however, if you give me a Fossil watch with the Cheez-It logo and it’s so dumb and funny I love it. To counteract the dumb stuff you have a $400 gift card too.
No. 5: Quick Lane Bowl
Gifts: JBL Tune Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones, $175 Best Buy gift card, PhotoSlap life-sized photo stickers, backpack and tag, commemorative football, game merchandise
I like the mix of some nice headphones and a big enough Best Buy card that you could put a dent in a larger purchase. It’s not perfect, but we’re about to see how big a bullet some of these teams dodged.
The worst bowl game gifts
You’ll notice a common theme to all these: The gift suite. This is a kind of pop-up store set up by the organizing committee where players can pick their own gifts. In theory that’s awesome, but it put so much heavy lifting not only on the organizers to stock it with good stuff, but the potential of everyone wanting the same stuff and it turning into a mess.
I fear the unknown, and the gift suite is an unknown.
No. 1: Bahamas Bowl
Gifts: Board shorts, Ice Shaker bottle, beach towel, string backpack, lapel pin, additional item TBD
I can tell you exactly how this went down. Someone came up with this offering thinking “it’s beachy!” and at the last second a marketing exec stepped in and said “we can’t just give them this collection of crap, add something better.” So now we have the mysterious “additional item TBD.”
Some poor intern is running around trying to work out what the last item should be as we speak.
No. 2 (tied): TransPerfect Music City Bowl/ SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Gift: Gift suite
That’s it? Seriously? I really hope this gift suite is stocked to the gills with dope stuff. This is such a zero-effort attempt it’s sad.
No. 4: San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Gifts: Gift suite, fleece hoodie, short sleeve T-shirt, long sleeve T-shirt
The gift suite is back, but this time it’s brought its friends — three different shirts. These will all be branded, awful, and never worn. At least it’s something extra, I guess.
No. 5: TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Gifts: Gift suite, hat, Ice Shaker bottle, shadow kit
Another “gift suite + stuff” offering, but it’s not nearly as bad as the San Diego Credit Union Holiday Bowl’s “three different shirts” thing.
I’m assuming I’m not cool enough to know what a “shadow kit” is. Hopefully it’s neat. Google only tells me it’s an item from Fortnite.
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ruthless chapter 3
“My son is not going to just let her rule. In fact, I fear the years of peace we’ve enjoyed inside my house will be on hiatus.” Sedric grinned and I knew he was looking forward to it. Behind his polished accent and polite demeanor, he enjoyed chaos. I had an old bullet wound in my arm to prove it.
“But”—he turned back to me—“that is not your only reason, Orlando. If you minded her fighting, you would have locked her away from it all the moment she was born. The fighting does not bother you. What does?”
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Damn Irish bastard, I thought as I glared at him.
“The difference between a female and male Boss is that the female sells not only her soul, but her heart. Selena hasn’t felt anything but rage in years. She is walled-off and will stay that way if she does not marry. Even if she were to hate him, at least I know she will never be alone. She will still have a family.” Everyone she has ever loved has died, and I was well on my way, too. In return, Selena died a long time ago.
Sedric frowned, shaking his head. “It is odd. You believe that Selena needs Justin to end the loneliness, and I believe Justin needs Selena to not fear being alone. He has all the makings of a Ceann na Conairte. I knew it the very first day he was born. Neal was . . . not mentally strong enough. He doesn’t have it. But Justin? He was born for it. It is in his DNA. Even as a child he loved to leave his mark on everything.”
“But?” I coughed.
“But behind Justin’s façade, he craves to be loved, and he hates to be alone.” He frowned, hating that he had to admit the truth, and that was the truth. “He is not focused as he should be and is too compassionate sometimes. I blame his mother for that.”
“And compassion is only for the family,” I said.
He nodded. “He is merciless in many ways. But to be the Ceann na Conairte, you must not show mercy to anyone but your family. You are cold. You are distant. You enjoy the blood, the death. Justin kills, but he does not relish in it as he should. If he did, the Valero would fear him as they fear you, or should I say, the woman now acting as you.”
“I must ask you for something, Sedric,” I added, wishing more than anything to never have to speak the words that were about to break free from my lips.
“Whatever it is, say it, and I will have it done,” he said, only making the ache in my heart burn more.
Swallowing my pride I nodded. “I wish for you to walk Selena down the aisle.”
There was a pause, and he searched my eyes. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. My bambina dolce5 deserved to walk down the aisle and be proud. She would argue about how proud she was of me already. How she didn’t care that I would cough throughout the ceremony, or that I needed to be pushed down the aisle, or the fact that more people would be focused on me rather than her. But I cared, and I did not want that. If I went and our enemies saw how weak I was, they would try to use that against her, against her empire.
“I will call Evelyn, and she will have everything ready in three days. You can watch from a secret room. No one will see you,” he said with a grateful nod. Offering any more than that, and he might as well carve out my heart.
“Do you not feel like we are Pandora just as she is about to open her box?” I grinned at him. “They will bring chaos like we never could, and we did it simply with the hope of bettering them for the future.”
Sedric chortled before finishing off his brandy. “Yes, in a twisted sort of way.”
“We do live in a twisted world,” I replied as the door opened to reveal Adriana once again.
“Yes?”
“Mr. Giovanni, Mr. Callahan. I am sorry to intrude, but I was told to come get you both,” she said with her head down.
“Why is that?” Sedric asked with a coldness in his voice that he hadn’t had since our conversation started.
“The Boss and Mr. Callahan apparently cleared the room in the basement so they could be alone and no one was to enter. But, a few minutes later, a gun went off.”
FIVE
“It’s a pity you didn’t know
when you started your game of murder,
that I was playing, too.”
~ Robb White
SELENA
Who in the fuck is asking to die?
I glared toward the back of the room, searching for the face behind the voice that had dared interrupt me.
My blood boiled.
Justin, soon-to-be-fucking-dead, Callahan was walking down the stairs—my fucking stairs—with his sex hair high and his green eyes sharper than razor blades. He was beautiful, and I almost regretted the fact that I would have to put a bullet in his head and then smash it through a fucking wall.
“So, this is the man behind the bitch?” Ryan laughed.
Before I could even stop myself, I brought the butt of my gun across his face and did not stop smashing it until I heard a sick pop. I beat him into unconsciousness and left him slumped in his chair, his eyes swollen shut.
Wiping the blood from my face, I took a deep breath and held the gun up for Monte before I turned back to face the fuckable idiot.
“You overstep, Callahan.”
He looked me up and down with both disgust and lust. “Do I? I believe you’re mistaken, love. After all, I just signed a very powerful document making all of this mine.”
“Did your father pay for your Dartmouth diploma? Because you don’t seem to be good at reading.” I glared at him, trying not to let the thick waves of lust that radiated off him bother me. “That paper says you work with me after our marriage, Callahan, and we are not married yet so you’re still a fucking guest in my fucking house.”
He smirked and it was sexy, dangerously so, and I wanted to kill him for it. “Be a good fiancée and tell your pets to leave, or I will put them down, sweetheart.” His green eyes assessed at me as though I was his shiny new toy.
Do not kill. Do not kill. Selena, stay calm and do not kill him.
I wasn’t going to lose my cool in front of my men. Glancing across the room, each of them stood with their hands tensed at their sides, waiting for me to give the word. Just a tip of my head would signal them to put as many fucking bullets as possible into the motherfucker in front of me.
“Monte, Fedel, take Mr. Ross and wake him up. If he doesn’t cooperate, please show him the live feed we have of his brother, whom he also failed to hide, and the bomb in his house.” I never broke eye contact with Justin. “The rest of you, leave.”
I could hear their feet as they followed my orders and ran like roaches in the daylight. The only men who didn’t move were the two I recognized as Justin’s brother and cousin.
“That applies to you two as well.”
They grinned and looked to Justin.
He raised an eyebrow at me. “They stay here.”
Taking a step forward, I stopped when he was a little more than an inch away from me. I could feel his breath on the tip of my nose, and smiled sweetly.
“Only if they’re in body bags,” I said, stepping around Justin and scowling at the two men who had yet to leave. “You have two seconds.”
They shifted their eyes toward the man standing behind me once more before heading toward the door. The moment it shut, I spun around, fist flying toward his head. It met his palm.
Grabbing my fist, he flung me into the chair Ryan had occupied. He cupped my cheek with one hand, and with the other, he held both my wrists tight.
“First, your joke?” he said, panting in my face like a lion eager for the chance to jump his prey. “Not funny.”
“Second.” He brushed his thumb over my lips. “The moment the ink touched that fucking paper, you were mine. Mine to fuck. Mine to fucking command, and mine to put in your fucking place.”
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“Third.” He kissed me brutally before pulling away. “All this is over. You sit at my side and you stay beautiful, like a lady.”
I stared at him wide-eyed. “Is that all, master?”
He grinned, but before he could speak again, I pulled my head back and smashed it against his fucking nose. His head went back and his grip on me loosened. I brought my knees back just far enough to kick in him in the crotch, causing him to release me completely.
“You fucking—” he started, but I didn’t let him finish speaking before sideswiping his legs out from under him. With my now-ruined white Gucci heels on his neck, I glared down at him.
“First,” I said, pressing into his neck, “get used to this position, because you’re my bitch, not the other way around.”
“Second, do not ever put your fucking lips on me without my permission!”
He twisted my foot and brought me down to the ground, pinning me there with the weight of his body, before I could get to my third point
Fury burned in his eyes as he breathed roughly through his nose. “My mother told me never to hit a woman, but you are pushing my limits.”
“Funny, my father told me the same thing. Would you like me to apologize?” I pushed my thumbs to his eyes, forcing his hands to let go of my throat.
We fought and struggled on the ground like savage animals before he picked me up and threw me into the nearest wall. I grabbed a chair and smashed it against his side. It went on and on, each of us trying our best to kill the other without actually killing each other.
When I landed a kick to his side, he fucking grabbed me like a ragdoll and flung me across the room. It was nothing. Instead of letting myself feel the pain, I jumped back up. My heels were now long gone, and the dress I had changed into just to meet him was torn up the sides. His suit jacket had been lost in the heat of the battle, his shirt was ripped, and his tie was barely hanging around his neck. His hair was even more disheveled, and eyes were wilder than the fucking jungle.
When my fist collided with his cheek, he drew his gun and aimed it directly at my face. He stalled when he got a good look at me. Panting like the beast he was, the lust in his eyes returned in full force.
Without a second thought, he pushed me up against the wall before attacking me with kisses. His mouth was everywhere, from my neck down to the front of my chest, back to the sides of my face, before it met mine again. He gripped my ass with one hand and my breast with the other, the one that still held his gun. I felt his hard-on pushing against my waist, trying its best to find its way inside me. His actions were barbaric, almost animalistic, like a man dying of thirst, and the only source of water was my skin.
I loved every moment of it.
But I would not let him win. I would not bow down to him. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.
He was so busy trying to figure out how to get the zipper of my dress down that taking the gun from him was like taking candy from a baby. Frantically rubbing himself against me even harder, closer, he almost just let me have the firearm.
With one great push, I forced his body to separate from mine, which surprisingly missed his warmth already. He stared at me with desperation. I pointed the gun and pulled the trigger, causing his leg to buckle. He started in shock as the bullet went through his thigh, then roared in pain as he fell down on one knee.
That’s right, hail to the Boss.
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“Third, if you ever interrupt me again, Justin Alec Callahan, may God have mercy on your soul when I send you meet to him.” I kissed him on the cheek and removing the clip from the gun, along with the bullet in the chamber, before walking toward the door.
When I opened it, my men were there with guns drawn on Declan and Neal, who mirrored their poses. It explained why neither of them had come in. They couldn’t check the door without putting their backs to the enemy.
My men all looked me up and down with proud grins on their faces.
“What would you like us to do with them, ma’am?” one of them, Antonio Franco, asked, grinning wider than the rest of them. Antonio hated the Callahans as much as Fedel did. He wasn’t as close to me as Monte or Fedel, but he was as loyal as they come. He and his father had worked for Orlando long before I took over. Getting him to fall in line had meant getting the older ones—the ones who were still bitter that I, a female, and a young one at that, was now Boss—to fall in line.
I turned to my family-in-law and smiled before reaching out to shake their hands. “I apologize for not being properly introduced. As you know, I’m Selena Nicci Giovanni, but you may call me Selena.”
They didn’t shake back. Instead they glared, their guns still raised.
“Oh, right, your brother.” I pretended to forget. “He is a little beat up and will need a doctor. But don’t worry—the shot was clean through and through. He’ll be walking in a few hours. You may check on him, and I will have Adriana show you to your rooms.”
I nodded to my men, directing them to drop their weapons—they frowned but complied—before following me toward the elevator. It opened to reveal not only my father, but also the eldest Mr. Callahan. Making me realize, once again, the Callahans were blessed with almost a little too much pretty for my liking.
My father looked me up and down before shaking his head and sighing while Sedric just stared with no expression on his face.
“Did my son do this to you?” he asked, looking at my slightly bruised arms and legs, cut lips, and messed up hair.
“It was a small disagreement.” I smiled. “And I shot him for it. If he weren’t my future husband, it would have been worse. I do hope we can be introduced properly later, Mr. Callahan, as I find your past work fascinating.”
And with that I stepped into the elevator as it reopened. It was only when the doors were closing that I saw Justin’s brother and cousin rush back into the room to collect him. I withheld my laughter.
“I’m shocked you didn’t shoot him in the kneecap for that shit, ma’am,” Antonio said as we made our way up.
I smiled. “How would I look with a handicapped husband, Antonio?”
The moment we reached the top floor, I headed straight into my room. I had it conjoined with my father’s once he became worse. I almost sighed at the feeling of the soft carpet on my bare feet. This room, my room, was my sanctuary. The day I took over, I had it remodeled to a more eighteenth-century Roman décor—paintings included.
Changing into a white and gold bathing suit, I headed toward the swimming pool. I felt dirty and downright tired, but the last thing I wanted was for the bruises on my skin to linger more than a few hours. The way to avoid that was to take a swim in ice water. It would sting at first, but a few hours later my skin, and my mind, would be good as new—clear. God knew it was fucked up now.
I could still feel his hands all over me, demanding and possessive. His lips as they bit into my neck, my ear, and at last my lips. He wasn’t just a good kisser, he was a sensual kisser. He wanted to make sure, with just one kiss, that I was wet for him and willing to give in. Had I been anyone else, it would have worked. There was no doubt in my mind that he knew what to do and how to do it. He was a force, and I wouldn’t have minded, if he hadn’t come into my house and tried to make me into his little Stepford wife.
In the pool, I shivered, but I needed to try to escape him. I couldn’t, though. He was there pushing his way to the front of my mind. I hated him. I loathed him. I lusted after him, and it made me angry with myself. Even in the cold water, as I swam I felt him pressing against me. I felt the electricity of his hands, his sensual tongue. I couldn’t deny that I wanted him.
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I would have to figure out how to have him and, at the same time, make him understand that I was not surrendering to his will. Not even close. It was my choice. It was going to be animalistic and wild and a way for me to wind down.
When I finally came back up for air, there he was, the object of all my anger, rage, and lust sitting poolside in a fresh suit with a bandage over his leg—a leg that was resting on my pool chair. Rising out of the water, I reached for my towel while his eyes raked over my body.
“See something you like?” I asked, squeezing the cold water from my hair.
He frowned. “Sadly, yes, but it’s an illusion. The moment you get close, it turns into a ruthless savage and shoots you in the thigh with your own gun.”
“If I turned into a ruthless savage, it was only because another ruthless savage stepped into my arena. If you came for an apology, look elsewhere. Now, get the fuck up,” I said.
Glaring, he got up. The moment I sat down, he grabbed my hand and I saw in his eyes that he felt whatever spark it was that coursed through us. He leaned in, catching my gaze in his own. He stopped just inches from my face before I heard a click near my wrist. Looking down, I saw that he had handcuffed my wrist and my ankle to the chair.
“After that display earlier, I believe you need a time out.” He chuckled, kissing my forehead like I was some pet or child. “You were swimming so long you missed dinner, so I did you a favor and brought you some.” He pointed to the dish that was only attainable with my free hand. “I will come to get you in the morning.”
“What makes you think I can’t pick a lock you son of a bitch?” I sneered, pulling on the damn handcuffs.
“I filled the locks with cement. You can’t pick it love, believe me, I’ve used them before,” he said, brushing the side of my face. “If you ever hold a weapon to me again, Selena, I will handcuff you fucking upside down and underwater.”
He kissed me again, this time on the mouth, and with my free hand, I slapped him across the fucking face. His head snapped to the side before he turned back to me and winked. Smug, sexy bastard. With his free hand, he slid an obnoxiously large diamond engagement ring onto my finger. He let go and grabbed a few more towels, dropped them over me, and walked toward the exit.
“Say you’re sorry and I will free you now, love, and then we can start anew.”
He was trying to break me, the fucker.
“Fuck you and the Audi you drove up in.”
Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair before shaking his head. “We will talk later, then. Eat. I wouldn’t want to bring you home to my mother sick. I will make sure the room stays warm. I sent everyone else to bed for the night. Goodnight, wife.”
“Fuck you, fiancé,” I said, leaning back in the chair.
I was fine until he turned off the lights and shut the door. He didn’t know. No one knew except for my father. I had an irrational fear of the dark. Even though there was still the dimmest light from the pool illuminating the small area, I could still feel the fear creeping up my spine.
There was no way in hell I was spending the night here. Sighing, I tried to calm myself before pulling the chair and myself to the edge of the water before jumping in.
I was going to get out of this tonight, even if I had to break my hand to do so. Hopefully, the chair would break against the walls first.
Either way, he would not win.
SIX
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“Murderers are not monsters,
they’re men.
And that’s the most frightening thing about them.”
~ Alice Sebold
JUSTIN
“Have I taught you nothing?” my father asked, his voice a pitch above a whisper as I read the files on the desk before me.
“No father, actually, you have taught me quite a lot,” I replied before I took another drink of Orlando’s horrible brandy. “Why do you ask?”
“Do not be coy with me boy. What happened between you and Selena today was unacceptable. You beat your wife—”
“She is not my wife yet,” I said, smashing my hand against the oak desk and rising from the chair. “This woman, this Selena Giovanni, is insane, borderline demented, and she took a swing at me. It escalated, and then she . . . she shot me through the fucking leg!”
Sedric glared, his eyes blazing as he stepped forward. “As she should have. You had no right to interrupt her. If the tables were reversed, what would you have done?”
I would have killed the person slowly.
“You cannot possibly be on her side. You should be on my side.” I almost wanted to laugh at the thought. “Imagine if it had been Mom, or Coraline, or Olivia. What would you have said to them if you saw them act as Selena did?”
“What are you? Four? I am on the side of the family, as you should be. It was not your mother, or Coraline, or Olivia. It was Selena. Selena, who will become your wife in less than seventy-two hours. Make peace with her.”
Seventy-two hours? “Why in the hell are we getting married in three days?”
“So you don’t kill each other before the week is out. The press has been notified, and by morning, the world will know. Every gossip column, every news outlet, and every damn mafia member in the world will know the Giovannis and the Callahans are one. This means you two will have to pretend so fucking well, you fool yourselves that this isn’t just some arranged marriage, or so help me God, I will set you both on fire.” The fact that my father, Sedric Callahan, had just raised his voice and cursed in the same breath was proof enough he was serious. He had set a man on fire before . . . two actually.
Taking a seat once again, I turned and stared at the roaring fire that lit Orlando’s office. This day had not gone how I planned, and while my bones were aching for sleep, my mind could not stop racing.
“Son, do I approve of what Selena does? No. I do not, and that is because of the simple fact that I was raised differently. And by a man much more controlling than myself. The strongest survive, however, and the key to survival is to evolve with your environment. We have made so many strides. No longer are we just uneducated thugs with guns. We have evolved, the mafia has evolved, and now it’s your turn. Selena Giovanni is your evolution, embrace it and make peace.”
It was only when the door shut after him that I allowed myself to relax. I filled my mouth with the horrible brown liquid in my hands, but even that didn’t help my mind drift from the beautiful, dark-eyed woman who was to become my wife.
Our moment in the basement made my blood boil and other parts of me ache. She did not fight like a woman, but like a trained man, and the way she had looked—like a lioness about to rip apart her prey—made me want her even more. I almost had her on that damn wall, and she had wanted it. I had felt her nipples respond to me as they pressed against my chest through the thin material of her dress. Her eyes were begging, and her lips had parted for me as she held back moans of pleasure. Even her olive skin warmed beneath my hands. I would have taken her against that wall many times over and given her the pleasure we both hungered for, but instead, the wench shot me. She fucking shot me. I’d been so shocked and horny that my mind couldn’t even comprehend what had happened. My thigh was burning like fire when she kissed my cheek and walked away. With that one shot, she had proven that breaking her was not possible. She would never convert to what I needed her to be. She was a ruthless savage, and if you cannot break a ruthless savage, you need to figure out how to tame them.
I needed to make Selena understand that she was not above me. That she did not give the orders. That she did not move mountains or cause tornados to rip through the sky.
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I had worked too long and too hard to let anyone stop me, least of all her. I would have rather died than give up my fucking claim to this family. When I found out what my father did for a living, I saw how people created paths for him as he walked in crowded buildings. I watched as governors, senators, bankers, and fucking judges alike kissed his feet. I knew what I wanted to do. Some people, like Neal and Declan, were simply born into the family, but I knew I was born to rule the mafia. It was beyond my fucking calling, it was in my blood. It was what pushed me daily, and the only person who ever stood in the way of that was my father.
I should have taken over on my twenty-first birthday. I looked forward to that day, but not so I could drink legally—I had been drinking since I was fifteen—but because I had wanted to hear him say it. I had wanted to hear my father tell the world that I was to take over the company, but instead, all he did was give me an island and pat me on the back. His explanation was that it is not the time. He was the damn Ceann na Conairte. He made the fucking time, and the rest of us followed it. Selena was eighteen and legal at that point, so it wasn’t as though he was waiting for her. But each year after that, I waited, killing anyone who dared to get in my way, and now to have to deal with my wife-to-be? It was fucking bullshit, and I never saw it coming.
“Today has been interesting, dear cousin,” Declan stated, walking in and heading straight to the bar. Forget crack, we Callahans were addicted to brandy and drank it like it was water.
“Interesting does not even begin to cover what happened today,” I said. “My fiancée shot me with my own gun.”
Declan grinned, the little fucker, before taking a seat on the couch. “How did she manage to disarm the greatness that is Justin Callahan? I have seen you draw, load, and shoot your gun in three seconds flat.”
I frowned, knowing that he knew and simply wanted to hear me say it. Sometimes I wished he would go fuck himself.
“She looks like a sweet little lamb from afar, but when you get close, you find out she skinned and ate the damn thing just to use it as a coat. She’s a beast.” I glared at the fire, remembering similar flames in her eyes as she shot me. It was like she had figured out how to make hell reflect in her gaze.
“I like lamb,” Declan said.
“Shut up, you dick.” I threw my glass at his head, but he dodged it, allowing it to shatter against the wall.
He only laughed. “Does this pent up frustration I feel radiating off you have anything to do with the fact that you want her so badly? That’s how she got the gun. You were feeling her up and—”
“And she took it from me and shot me like a dog. Yes, cousin, that’s how it happened.” I did not want him thinking about her firm ass in my hand or the bullet hole, which was now in my leg.
“And yet, you still want her, you sick fuck.” He drank. “I don’t blame you, though, she is—”
“Finish that sentence and it will be your last one. Cousin or not.” Already I was reaching for my loaded gun.
Raising his hands, glass still in his left, he nodded with a grin. “You are possessive. I wonder what your future wife thinks about that.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck what she thinks about it, and what would Coraline have to say about your words over Selena?” I asked, knowing full well how pussy whipped he was.
“She would be pissed off, so much so that I hope she shoots me in the thigh. We’ve never had that kind of foreplay before.”
I cringed at the thought of it. “And I’m the sick fucker?”
“No more than you,” he replied, stretching. “Where is the queen anyway? She wasn’t at lunch or dinner. I think I’ve seen everyone but her since then.”
Walking over to the bar, I grabbed another glass.
“Oh, sweet Mary, mother of shit, what did you do?” Declan asked, rising from the chair.
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“My mother would have your tongue for speaking like that,” I replied, knocking back a glass before pouring another.
“Not before taking yours for what happened today. I should have known you would retaliate.”
Rolling my eyes at him, I walked over to the desk and gathered my files. “I handcuffed her to one of the chairs in the pool house and left her some dinner. I’ll get her in the morning.”
“You can’t be serious, Justin,” he said, causing me to turn to him. He should have known better than to doubt me.
“Okay, you’re serious.” He frowned. “But you can’t leave her there all night. If this was how she was with a good night’s sleep, imagine how irritated she is going to be in the morning. Do you want her to be like that for your mother?”
He had a point, but I was fucking pissed.
“I’m not going to do it.” If I released her, it would be as though I was saying she was right. That she was Boss. I wasn’t going to bow down to her.
“You hard headed son of a—”
“Mr. Callahan.” Adriana, the ugly duckling, came in, already dressed in an ancient nightgown as though she had come out of the fucking middle ages.
Declan held back his laugh by filling his mouth with brandy, while I just turned to the poor, time-confused girl in front me.
“Yes, ugl . . . Adriana?” I asked.
She glared at me as though she knew what I almost said. “The Boss wanted me to ask you what time you will be departing in the morning?”
Declan spit out the drink in his mouth, coughing like a dying man before laughing hysterically.
I stared at her for a moment before stomping out of the room without answering. I had made sure all her men had been far away. There was no way she should have fucking been able to get out of those cuffs. They were designed by me and made with reinforced steel. Bursting into the indoor pool house, I froze.
“Oh, my dear cousin, you have met your equal, and it is funny as shit to watch,” Declan muttered, standing right beside me as I stared at the broken chair, now resting in its watery grave.
It looked as though a monster had ripped its legs and arms off. Seeing as how I only handcuffed her to one of each, it baffled me. The food was still uneaten and the towels all rested at the bottom of the pool as well.
“I’m going to bed,” I told the grinning fool who was my cousin.
“Sleep with one eye open, cousin, and your hand on your gun. She may just kill you tonight,” Declan said as I walked back to the room I was given for the night.
When I entered, there sat my reinforced steel cuffs in tiny pieces all over my now shot up bed. On top of that, a fucking note by hers truly, in her precise handwriting, with a bullet taped to it.
I came to visit you honey, so we could finish what we started in the basement, but you and your cousin were busy giggling like schoolgirls. Oh well, I hope you have a good night. About the bed, well . . . you can understand right, sweetheart?
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Lance Totally Brought His Cellphone to Space, so Here’s Him Showing His Space Family Photos of His Family Family (WIP, OC-heavy)
Lance gave a whoop of excitement, plopping onto the couch between the two Alteans and opening the picture gallery on his precious cell phone.
“Alright, get ready to meet the McClains!” first he pulled up a photo of himself and a cheerful older woman. She shared his skin color, with only slightly darker hair. He was taking a selfie with her and showing off his Garrison acceptance letter. Both of them had tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces.
“That’s my mom, Florina. Don’t let the fact that she’s tiny and seemingly delicate fool you – she’s stronger than an ox, and twice as tenacious! She was so proud of me for getting into the Garrison…” Lance trailed off, staring into the image of his mother’s face. Allura put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“I’m sure that she’ll be just as proud when she finds out you’ve been defending the universe.” Lance smiled at her and switched to a photo of an older man with an impressive mustache relaxing on the water, held afloat by an oversized inner-tube in the shape of a pink flamingo. Coran gasped in delight.
“HIS MUSTACHE ALMOST LOOKS LIKE MINE!”
“I know, right?! That’s the first thing I thought when I met you! That’s my dad, Clyde. He used to be a boring, ordinary office worker, but then he found out he had heart failure and only had about four months to live and took a trip to Cuba, which is how he met my mom, and they fell in love! Oh, and uh then he got a new heart, so don’t worry. He’s all good now, and a stay at home dad and grandpa.”
The next photo he brought up was of a young man who looked almost the exact same as Lance, with slightly rounder facial features. He was wearing a doctor’s coat and had a stethoscope around his neck, and was standing with crossed arms and a barely concealed smile in front of a colorful building with a “GRAND OPENING” banner strung across it.
“That’s my oldest brother, Gerardo. We call him Jerry. He hates it. He’s a doctor, and that’s the community clinic he opened in the poorer section of town with some of his friends from med school. He’s the golden child of the family, which you’d think would make him a stuck-up brat.”
“…but?”
“But nothing, he’s got the longest freakin’ stick up his ass, and it’s hilarious. Whenever anyone gets sick he freaks out and goes into doctor mode. His husband Camilo is the only reason he hasn’t keeled over from stress yet.”
Swiping left, Lance brought up a selfie of a muscular woman who, again, looked like Lance but slightly different, flexing to show off her muscles. Shiro and Allura almost choked, while Matt enthusiastically yelled “I WOULD PAY THAT LADY TO KICK MY ASS!”
“Oh my god, no. That’s my oldest sister, Mónica. She’s in the construction business, and the family fix-it expert. When she and her girlfriend and datemate – she’s in a poly relationship, it’s really cute actually – anyways, when they couldn’t find a bed big enough for all three of them plus their two giant dogs, Mónica just built them one herself. I’m convinced he could bench-press Shiro.”
“That’s hot.”
“That’s my sister.”
“Still hot.”
Rolling his eyes at Matt, Lance pulled up a photo of yet another look-alike, but with longer hair and wearing flawless makeup. He was wearing a fancy blue suit and posing dramatically for the camera.
“This beautiful asshole is my brother Dimas. He started out as a makeup artist but eventually his boss begged him to become a model. He agreed, but on the condition that he could still do makeup. He taught me everything I know about beauty and cosmetics!”
“He’s hot.”
“You just said that about my sister! Also, he’s ace. I don’t know if he’s aro, but he’s ace.”
“…still hot.”
“OH MY GOD, MATT.”
The next picture showed a woman who yet again looked vaguely like Lance, but this one had long hair tied up in a bun, and glasses on her face. She was smiling with a little girl who looked somewhere around ten years old, give or take a year or two. The little girl liked strikingly like the woman, but enough like someone else to not look like Lance.
“That’s my sister Sarina and her daughter, Paloma, who is my youngest niece. She also has two sets of twin boys, and on top of that she’s a second grade teacher.”
“That’s…a lot of kids.”
“Well, she is the token straight of the family. Gerardo and his husband have a set of triplets they adopted, though, and Mónica is considering getting married to one of her partners so that they can cheese the system and legally adopt. Only problem is that she doesn’t want to make whoever isn’t part of the marriage feel left out.”
“My god, why are there so many kids?!”
“Pidge, we’re Catholic.”
“Ooooh, yeah.”
“I don’t get it.”
“It’s a stereotype, Keith. Don’t worry about it.”
Leaving Keith to remain confused (while Shiro tried not to die of laughter beside him), Lance pulled up a photo of another look-alike, but this one had vitiligo and bore an almost rose-shaped mark over their right eye, which was also a slightly different color. They were squatting and drinking a child-size juice box next to a large marble sign that read “CUBAN ACADAMY OF LAW” in English, with Spanish underneath that presumably said the same thing.
“This living meme is my enby sib, Indigo. I sometimes call them Indy or Inigo Montoya. Y’know, for pop culture references. Anyway, they’re in law school. They’re gonna be a super cool, badass lawyer and debate the shit out of some people.”
“Alright, this is the last one for now,” Lance pulled up the final photo and the room became silent in awe. The picture was of a slightly younger Lance, hair gelled and wearing a fancy (if a little old and very obviously a hand-me-down) tuxedo, standing beside a sister who might as well have been his clone. She had long, curled hair, and was wearing an elegant ball gown the same color as her and Lance’s eyes. They were in front of a podium, and she was holding a large trophy.
“That’s Linnette. She’s only older than me by a year and a couple days, so we’ve always been close. She’s a professional ballroom dancer, and her partner is her fiancé now. This picture was from before they were paired, when I would sometimes be her partner. Mom couldn’t afford to send me to pre-school and send Linnie to dance class at the same time, so I went to the studio with her. I’m not nearly as good as her or her partner, Valero, but I think I can still dance a pretty sick waltz.”
“You won a trophy together.”
“Forget that, you have six siblings?! You’re the youngest of SEVEN kids?! I can barely handle Pidge!” Matt gasped dramatically, earning him a swift (but light-hearted) bunch in the side from said sibling.
“Yeah, the joke is that I was born because my mom couldn’t stand having an uneven girl-to-boy ratio. To be fair, though, my mom is the middle child of thirteen. Big old farming family, so lots of kids.” Everyone gawked at Lance’s nonchalant response. Coran even spat out his Nunvil.
“THIRTEEN?!”
“Okay, it’s technically twelve. Uncle Lance died when she was a teenager.”
“So you’re named for him, I’m guessing?”
“Mm-hmm. Mom says he was the bravest person she had ever met. I always wondered why she saved the name for me instead of just giving it to her first son, or even second, but she said it just didn’t feel right for any of them.”
“Well it’s certainly a fitting name. Though…my goodness, your family is certainly quite large. Alteans rarely have more than one child at any time, so families are typically quite small.”
“Man, no wonder you’re so homesick.”
“Wow, Keith, don’t pull any punches.”
#this is basically me writing about my hc for lance's family#wip#slight langst?#you better bet your ass that lance has some angst about being the only one of his siblings who is named after someone else#i made lance one of 7 because my ex-father is one of 7#and i made his mom have a shit ton of sibs so lance could have lots of aunts and uncles and cousins
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The Flying Pan in Salcedo Village Makati offers hearty delicious breakfast items as well as Filipino food with a modern flare.
Why we love The Flying Pan's hearty breakfast food
IN THIS ARTICLE
Our experience at The Flying Pan
We discovered The Flying Pan during our random walks in the Salcedo Village area. We were just newly-renting in Makati and we were still excited with the thought of having casual and leisurely dinners in the business district. All of a sudden, we were loving Makati at night.
You see, when we were still commuting from Makati to Novaliches on a daily basis, we would always eat our food express when we eat out in Makati unless we wanted to be home by midnight.
Anyway, what drew us to The Flying Pan were the quirky name and the relatively small interiors which was not intimidating at all. It was a homey ambiance, accentuated with soft lights, that set the mood for a cozy dinner.
The Menu
The Flying Pan’s menu is an eclectic mix of European and Filipino food. It’s actually quite interesting and also exciting to see those food choices. Even so, the items on the menu were not too diverse to the point that we would not know where to begin or which to taste first.
If you are interested to know the items on offer before deciding to visit The Flying Pan, here is the line-up included in its menu:
Wings 200
Adobo wings
Buffalo wings
Inasal Wings
Lemon Pepper Wings
Binagoongan Wings
Starters
Sweet and sour shrimp poppers (P305)
Calamari (P230)
Garlic mussels (P155)
Beef sisig (P235)
From the garden
Nicoise Salad (P230)
Caesar Salad (P245)
Chef’s Salad (P260)
Monique’s Salad (with grilled chicken and dried cranberries, French beans, and blue cheese) (P250)
Tummy warmers
Lomi (P225)
Creamy tomato soup (P150)
French onion soup (P180)
From the pizza oven
Three cheese (P290)
Sisig pizza (P330)
Smoked salmon and arugula (P375)
Smoked fish and red egg (P245)
Shrimp and garlic pizza (P320)
Oodles of noodles
Mi Goreng (P205)
Linguini with smoked salmon, spinach, and capers (P325)
Fettucine with bacon, mushroom, and roasted tomato (P270)
Frutti di Mare (P260)
Linguini with garlic longganisa, fresh tomatoes, and basil (P260)
In the hand
Salcedo burger 2.0 (P415)
Flying pan club sandwich (P375
Longganisa burger (P340)
Reuben (corned beef with Swiss cheese on rye bread) (P465)
Hangover burger (P500)
Korean fried chicken sandwich (P325)
Filipino all day
Angus beef tapa (P415)
Homemade chicken tocino (P310)
Cabanatuan pork longganisa (P360)
Chicken adobo flakes (P290)
Pork sisig (P345)
Danggit (dried rabbit fish) (P295)
Franco’s breakfast (Angus Sisig hash with fried egg and garlic rice) (P410)
Specialties of the house
Corned beef and cabbage (P440)
Porchetta (P390)
Crispy binagoongan (P310)
Soy and ginger miso salmon with wasabi fried rice (P465)
The best fish and chips (P340)
Just chicken in
Chicken inasal (390)
Piri piri chicken (P390)
Hainanese half chicken (P490)
Nasi goreng with fried chicken (P255)
Off the grill
Slow roasted Angus beef belly (P580)
Mushroom steak (P695)
Barbecued spareribs (P460)
Vegetarian
Chickpea burger (P220)
Pasta primavera (P260)
Shakshuka (P200)
Dessert as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are also available in the menu.
What we ordered
It was our first time at The Flying Pan so we scanned the menu thoroughly. We came here for dinner but we were drawn by the breakfast food selection.
Thai Shrimp Salad
We ordered Thai Shrimp Salad (P240), Franco’s Breakfast (P410), crispy pork binagoongan (P310), and extra rice. We also had a salad
There were just a few diners during the time we went to The Flying Pan so our food arrived quite fast.
We started with the Thai Shrimp Salad, which was good. The greens were fresh and crisp, and the shrimps were plump and sweet. The light dressing also went well with the vegetables and seafood — it definitely did good in whetting up our appetites.
Franco's Breakfast
But among our orders, we were excited to try The Flying Pan’s Angus sisig in the Franco's Breakfast plate and it did not disappoint. It was delicious, flavorful, and really tender.
The Angus meat was perfect with the fragrant garlic rice and the fried egg. This Angus sisig is absolutely something that I could have any time of the day. You really cannot go wrong with breakfast food.
Pork binagoongan
The Flying Pan’s pork binagoongan, meanwhile, was served interestingly different because the meat was hidden among slices of vegetables. It did not look like the typical pork binagoongan at first but upon closer inspection, there were generous servings of meat underneath the slices of green chili and tomatoes.
Pork binagoongan is also one of our favorite dishes so whenever it is available in the menu, we would always try it. The Flying Pan’s version of this Pinoy dish is hearty, slightly crunchy, and savory. You cannot not have plenty of rice with this.
The verdict
All in all, we had an awesome meal at The Flying Pan. We have read varied reviews about this restaurant, almost half of it was negative. It was good though that we had a different experience.
The Flying Pan was not crowded when we went there so our food was served immediately. Our server was attentive and was very good in giving suggestions.
The food was delicious and enjoyable to eat. As for the price, we found it to be commensurate to the quality of the food. In the end, The Flying Pan is one restaurant that I would recommend for its food and ambiance.
The Flying Pan is located at Ground Floor, Citadines Building, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati. For inquiries and reservations, you may call telephone numbers (+632) 8556-8100 and (+632) 8869-1963. They also accept orders for pick-up via Angkas, Lalamove, Mr. Speedy, and Joyride.
Also read: Finding our comfort food at Sultan Mediterranean Grill: a review
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Canadian becomes first Monday qualifier to win PGA TOUR event since 2010
Corey Conners earns first PGA TOUR victory at Valero SAN ANTONIO -- At Kent State University, Corey Conners majored in actuarial studies and as the PGA TOUR media guide points out, he "is a bit of a math genius," the type of guy who kept his own stats long before his strokes gained were recorded by ShotLink. But don't ask Conners to explain his final-round scorecard, one of the all-time rollercoaster rounds you'll ever see, at the AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio. "It was crazy," said Conners, who made 29 birdies for the week. "I couldn't even tell you what I shot on the back nine." The number geek inside him is going to love looking back and seeing 10 birdies circled, four squares for a string of bogeys on the front nine and just four pars en route to shooting 6-under 66 and a 2-stroke victory over Charley Hoffman for his maiden TOUR title at the Valero Texas Open. The pride of Listowel, Ontario, was the last man to enter the field, surviving a 6-for-1 playoff in a Monday Qualifier to become just the fifth player in TOUR history to go from earning a spot in the field on Monday to champion on Sunday. When Conners arrived a week ago, his clubs didn't make the flight and so he didn't get to play a practice round at The Club at Sonterra, where 73 players attempted to earn one of four spots into the field. It was just another manic Monday for Conners, who for the third time this season made it through the pressure-cooker that is Monday qualifying in six attempts. All he had to do was drain a 20-foot bender for birdie on his final hole to shoot 67 and make the playoff and then can a 6-foot birdie putt to advance. But as his good friend and fellow TOUR pro Mackenzie Hughes noted, "It's not like he's a Cinderella story. He's got TOUR status and had nearly won this season out here." Indeed, Conners had. But he finished No. 130 in the FedExCup standings in 2017-18 as a rookie, and was relegated to playing this season out of the No. 126-150 finishers (category 32a) on the prior season's FedExCup points list. It made it difficult to find any rhythm. Until this week, Conners's season could best be summed up as feast or famine. He finished second at the Sanderson Farms Championship in late October, a week after getting married to Malory, and T3 at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. But he also had missed the cut in four of his last five starts. With an attitude of nothing to lose, Conners capitalized on his opportunity, opening with 69-67. He chipped away at a 4-stroke deficit at the midway point of the tournament with a 66 on Saturday to trail overnight leader Si Woo Kim by one stroke entering the final round. He also impressed his fellow playing competitor Jordan Spieth. "I thought his game was fantastic," Spieth said. "He came out firing." He continued to do just that on Sunday. After a two-hour weather delay, Conners bolted out of the gate with birdies in four of his first five holes to claim a four-stroke lead. He looked unstoppable, but there was still a lot of golf to be played and by the time he walked off the ninth green with his fourth straight bogey, he trailed Hoffman (15 under) by one. Conners made only one par -- at No. 2 -- on the front nine. "I'm usually pretty good at making pars," he said. But there is a long distance from the ninth green to the 10th tee. It's so far, in fact, that players are required to take a cart. Sitting next to his wife, he used the time to hit the reset button. "I just tried to think back to the last few days," he said, "all the great shots that I've hit and just say, 'Hey, you can do it, just stay aggressive and trust yourself.' " Afterwards, his wife reminded him that she'd given him a pep talk too. "Stay confident," she said. Conners reeled off three birdies to start the back nine, including a 34-foot birdie putt at No. 12. "At that point, I thought, 'We're going to do this, just keep your foot on the pedal,' " he said. Up ahead, others were charging too. Kevin Streelman got hot and made birdie at four of the final five holes to shoot 8-under 64 and post 14 under. His sixth-place finish is his best result this season. But he was soon eclipsed by Ryan Moore, who started birdie-eagle and matched Streelman's 64 for the low round of the day and the tournament. Moore signed for 17 under and finished alone in third. Kim was unflappable for three days but came unglued after his 9-iron splashed in the water at the par-3, third hole and he lost the lead. He carded an even-par 72 and finished T-4 with Brian Stuard at 15-under 273. Conners tacked on birdies on Nos. 14, 16 and 17 to shoot a tournament-record 20-under 268, but noted that the 10-foot par save at No. 15 was critical. TV cameras caught the look of relief on the face of his wife, which soon went viral on social media. "I know her emotions are pretty crazy," Conners said. "She was cheering hard for me. It was awesome to see." Fortunately for her, Malory Conners had James and Kristen Steele of Boise, Idaho, to keep her company. The Steele's originally were the host family for Hughes when he played in the Albertsons Boise Open on the Web.com Tour. When Hughes graduated to the PGA TOUR, Conners took his place. The Steeles flew in for the weekend to watch their two favorite Canadians play. It was only fitting that Hughes, who first met a 12-year-old Conners at the CN Future Links before becoming teammates at Kent State, was waiting at the 18th green with a beer for his friend. Fellow Canadian Nick Taylor and his wife and honorary Canadians Joel Dahmen and Adam Schenk joined in the celebration. Conners finished with a par, just his fourth of the day -- "That's got to be the fewest pars I've ever made," he said -- as he toured the second nine in 30. "I thought shooting 3-under par on the back nine with a one-shot lead might be good enough, but I got beat today and it just happens," Hoffman said. "My hat's off to him. He played his butt off." As soon as Conners pumped his fist in jubilation as the final putt fell, Hughes gave Malory the cue and she dashed on the green and leapt in her victorious husband's arms. "I think the first thing she said is, 'Is this real?' I said, 'Yeah, it's real. We did it,' " Conners said. Conners became the fifth international winner on the PGA Tour in as many weeks and the first Monday Qualifier to win since Arjun Atwal at the 2010 Wyndham Championship. As PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan said at the trophy ceremony, "This is a life-changing moment for you and it was really great to witness it in person." Instead of heading home, Conners is now headed to Augusta, Ga., the last man to punch his ticket to the Masters, where he competed as an amateur in 2015 and missed the cut. He also has a TOUR card through the 2020-21 season, which means no more manic Mondays. "Which is pretty awesome," Conners said. "I won't be feeling as much pressure on Mondays, I'm sure."
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Inter 1 Milan 0
Football, like the sea, giveth and taketh away.
For 91 minutes yesterday it gave us an interesting if not somewhat boring game. But at least we were gonna get a point. But then we didn’t.
First of all I gotta give credit to Icardi for a great finish and Vecino for improbable whip on that cross. Icardi read it’s path perfectly while Musacchio and Donnarumma got it wrong. Sucks to be us. Great day to be a snake.
Second, the ratings.
DONNARUMMA 7 I’m not gonna be prisoner of the moment and act like he was horrible. He wasn’t. Actually for 91 minutes he was almost perfect. He made saves, he passed extraordinarily well and came off his line to clear danger multiple times. When you’re a keeper though one mistake can be catastrophic. He knows that and he’ll be fine. I’ll give him about 20% blame on the goal.
CALABRIA 8 Last year in these fixtures Perisic ate him alive all game long. This time it was the other way around. Calabria won that battle cleanly. So much so that Keita came on to try to stir things up. He failed too. Then Gattuso subbed him off. Why? I have no idea.
ABATE F As soon as he came in we all knew. The only one that didn’t was Gattuso.
MUSACCHIO 6.5 I’ll also give him about 20% blame on the goal as well. Had a typical Musacchio game helping Romagnoli deal with Icardi. Not great but not terrible by any means. Let’s be clear though. Icardi was Romagnoli’s matchup. Musacchio should have never had to deal with him alone.
ROMAGNOLI 6 He’s damn near MOTM until the goal. That tackle on Icardi cutting through the box in the first half was Nesta-esque. So beautiful. So later on why he came 30 yards from Icardi to deal with Vecino on the touchline I have no idea. The ONLY thing Vecino can do from there is whip in a cross. That’s it. So as Romagnoli you have 2 choices. You either stay at home with Icardi and draw Vecino in, hoping help arrives as he approaches which it probably would have OR if you are actually gonna leave Icardi (WHICH HE NEVER SHOULD HAVE DONE) you better get your ass out there and make sure that cross never comes in. Foul Vecino if you have to. Get a yellow. Knock it down with your hand. Whatever. That ball can not come in the box though. Instead he did neither. Vecino took one look at Romagnoli approaching and and he must have thought it was his birthday. Did Romagnoli actually leave Icardi??? Hallelujah! He whipped that cross in as fast as he could and Icardi made us pay. SHIT SHIT SHIT. That’s 3 massive mistakes this year for him now in only 8 league games. Unacceptable for our captain.
RODRIGUEZ 7.5 Has anyone else noticed how good he is? Good God. He didn’t have quite the game that Calabria did but it was close. Time and again he bails us out while we try and play the ball from the back. All year long. He can put in a cross. He made one insane long ball to Suso that was truly a thing of beauty. I’m not pinning any blame on him for the goal. He went after Candreva. You can NOT give Candreva any room to make a cross. Mission accomplished. Candreva made no such cross.
KESSIE 6.5 Maybe not his best game but he was asked to do a ton. Early on he was sitting super deep as Inter pressured and at other times he was the highest player up the pitch. I do think he needs a slightly more defined role though. His freedom and his work rate is great, but at times he can be sorely out of place.
BAKAYOKO F Are you shitting me? Really? AGAIN?????
BIGLIA 8 MOTM for us. As long as Gattuso is hellbent on playing the ball from the back and possessing the ball deep in our own end he will remain our most important player. Without him we simply can’t do that. Loved that he stood up and barked at Naingollan after that little bitch stopped on Biglia’s ankle then acted like HE was the victim. Suer Biglia got the yellow but thye replay showed the truth. Odd VAR wasn’t used to sort that out, huh? Biglia is a quiet dude but that moment woke him up. It was also nice to see karma bite Naingollan as HE was the one that left injured. I can’t stand that guy. Unfortunately, i think we do better in time if Naingollan stays on. Valero is a better all around player.
BTW, under rated moment of the match was Biglia limping around, watching Bakayoko take off his bib and get loose, then realizing he HAD TO STAY ON.
JACK 5 During my preview I stated the following about Jack:
Will we get GOOD JACK who is responsible defensively and carefully selects his runs going forward like he did against Sassuolo and Chievo?
OR
Do we get BAD JACK that runs around like a chicken with his head cut off, abandons Biglia to get picked apart and crowds the space in the 18?
Somehow we got neither. He did nothing. Jack was invisible other than making a couple awful plays either conceding possession deep in our end or giving away corners. Thank God Rodriguez played balls out.
SUSO 7/5 He won the early battles against Asamoah but as the game went on Asamoah wore him down and made him vanish. I was actually shocked how well Suso tore him apart early but asamoah won that battle for sure.
HIGUAIN INCOMPLETE He just never got the ball....
CALHANOGLU 5 He can share the FOTM award with Jack. 4 shots all off target. His passes led to nothing. He let himself get pushed around by Vrsaljko way too easily. He’s a bully and if you let yourself get bullied he’ll eat you alive. Calhanoglu shrank.
CUTRONE INCOMPLETE At half I tweeted that Gattuso was just killing time til about the 70th minute when he’d put on Cutrone, go 442 and we would attack. This had to be the plan, right? The first 2 things happened. The 3rd did not. I have no earthly idea why. Instead Cutrone played as some sort of defensive LW and LM? Your guess is as good as mine.
GATTUSO F
He brought on Cutrone and tasked him to defend.
He brought on Bakayoko and Abate to kill off a game.
He brought on Cutrone and tasked him to defend.
He brought on Bakayoko and Abate to kill off a game.
He brought on Cutrone and tasked him to defend.
He brought on Bakayoko and Abate to kill off a game.
He brought on Cutrone and tasked him to defend.
He brought on Bakayoko and Abate to kill off a game.
He brought on Cutrone and tasked him to defend.
He brought on Bakayoko and Abate to kill off a game.
Repeat
Repeat
Repeat
Has this result sunk in yet?
Me neither,
Lisi
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the Meat Life 2017-2018 Bowl Preview – the New Year’s Six and the Best of the Rest
The bowl season started this weekend! Although I’ll be watching a lot of these games, I’m only really focused on the New Year’s Six matchups and a handful of the other ones. My bowl philosophy is that these bowls should mean a little something, it doesn’t make sense to me to have teams make it to a bowl game just because they are 6-6. I would much rather the number of bowl be cut in half, to about 20 bowl games ideally. That way we are seeing a lot of the better teams playing these things. But that’s my take. Football is football, so I’ll still be watching, nonetheless. So in this entry, I’ll go over my must-see bowls --- we’ll look at the New Year’s Six and four others to watch.
Outside the New Year’s Six – The best of the rest:
Camping World Bowl – Thursday 12/28 – 4:15pm CST ESPN
22 Virginia Tech Hokies (9-3) vs 19 Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-3)
Contrasting styles with Va Tech’s stingy defense versus the high-flying Oklahoma State offense. If things get tight and slow down, that falls in the Hokies favor. But if things break down and turn into a shootout late, look at the Cowboys to prevail. VT QB Josh Jackson has been solid most of the year, but I don’t expect him to keep up with OSU QB Mason Rudolph.
Meat Prediction: OSU 41-31
Valero Alamo Bowl – Thursday 12/28 – 8:00pm CST ESPN
13 Stanford Cardinal (9-4) vs 15 TCU Horned Frogs (10-3)
This bowl game has been a fun one in recent years. Remember last season when Oregon was up 31-0 on TCU at half and the Horned Frogs stormed all the way back to tie it at 31-31 at the end of regulation? TCU went on to win in 3OT. This matchup looks to be a little different, featuring strength versus strength. Stanford’s Heisman finalist RB Bryce Love goes up against one of the stingiest run defenses in the country in TCU. Look for Love to test the TCU front led by SI All-American DE Mat Boesen. Although both teams can score, I think this will be on the lower scoring.
Meat Prediction: TCU 24-21
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl – Thursday 12/28 – 8:00pm CST FS1
18 Washington State Cougars (9-3) vs 16 Michigan State Spartans (9-3)
Who would have thought a Mike Leach-coached team would have an improved defense? The Cougars made great strides on defense this season putting them in the thick of the Pac-12 hunt late into the season, despite Leach’s hot and cold streak with QB Luke Falk. Michigan State bounced back from a rough 3-9 season last year to turn it around and scratch and claw to a gutty 9-3 record that included at upset of then top ten Penn State. As admirable as the Spartans’ effort has been this season, I can’t see them getting past Wazzu.
Meat Prediction: Washington State 31-17
Citrus Bowl presented by Overton’s – Monday 1/1 – 12:00pm CST ABC
14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-3) vs 17 LSU Tigers (9-3)
If you are more inclined to the old school style football of ground and pound offense and stout defenses, this may be the bowl game for you. You’ll get to see the exciting runningback matchup of Notre Dame’s Josh Adams and LSU’s Derrius Guice. Look for both teams to try to control the clock with the run game in this one. I’ll give the QB edge to the Irish though, with Brandon Wimbush bringing an element of mobility and rushing. Wimbush has had four 100+ yard rushing games this season, including a 207 yard rushing night against Boston College.
Meat Prediction: Notre Dame 27-20
The New Year’s Six:
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic – Friday 12/29 – 7:30pm CST ESPN
8 USC Trojans (11-2) vs 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2)
For those itching for a traditional Rose Bowl matchup, this is it. Only it’ll be in the DFW rather than LA. Both teams had grievances against the playoff committee excluding them from the playoff. Both have a chance to prove they belong. USC features future NFLer QB Sam Darnold, who had a rough start to the season and was a turnover machine until his offensive line finally got healthy. They go up against the most Jekyll and Hyde team in college football this season in Ohio State. While QB JT Barrett has looked like an All-American at times, he and the Bucks have also looked like the Cleveland Browns (the most glaring being the embarrassing 55-24 loss to 7-5 Iowa). Look for this to be a good one.
Meat Prediction: USC 38-31
Playstation Fiesta Bowl – Saturday 12/30 – 3:00pm CST ESPN
11 Washington Huskies (10-2) vs 9 Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2)
Lots of Pac-12 versus Big Ten love in these bowl games. They could rename this bowl matchup the “What Could Have Been Bowl.” Both teams had playoff aspirations as late as early November. Both their chances unraveled. But, a chance at redemption against a quality opponent arises. Both have great defensive teams against the run, and both feature spectacular runningbacks. Washington has the speedster Myles Gaskin while Penn State has the Swiss Army Knife half-season Heisman frontrunner Saquon Barkley. This may come down to the QB matchup, were I’ll give the edge to the Nittany Lions Trace McSorley over Huskies Jake Browning.
Meat Prediction: Penn State 31-27
Capital One Orange Bowl – Saturday 12/30 – 7:00pm CST ESPN
6 Wisconsin Badgers (12-1) vs 10 Miami Hurricanes (10-2)
Another “What Could Have Been Bowl” perhaps. Wisconsin’s only loss was the Big Ten Championship to Ohio State in the infamous “Turf Game.” Miami fluttered at the end of the seasons with back-to-back losses to Pitt and Clemson in the ACC Championship. This will be great to see the ground and pound game of Badger RB Jonathan Taylor (1847 yards, 13 TDs rushing for the season) against the opportunistic Turnover Chain gang of the Canes defense. Both QBs in this matchup, Wisconsin’s Alex Hornibrook and Miami’s Malik Rosier, are great off the play-action and Rosier has the mobility to make something happen in the run game as well. I see the athletes of Miami pulling away late in this one.
Meat Prediction: Miami 23-17
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl ��� Monday 1/1 – 11:30am CST ESPN
12 UCF Knights (12-0) vs 7 Auburn Tigers (10-3)
UCF’s Scott Frost’s farewell bowl as he gets set to take over at Nebraska. Auburn has got to be burning up that instead of being in the playoff they are playing a Group of Five team in their bowl trip. But this is a UCF Group of Five team that is undefeated and has been described by some pundits out there as “Oklahoma-lite” --- prolific offense led by QB McKenzie Milton with a defense just good enough to let them hang with teams. Auburn has gained much balance on offense this season behind QB Jarrett Stidham and RB Kerryon Johnson with one of the best defensive fronts in the SEC. But it’s hard not to ignore the history of Group of Five teams being the more focused group in these New Year’s Six bowls, with Boise State (2014 season) and Houston (2015 season) able to pull the upset the first two years of this format. I think it might be more of the same here. Look for the shootout, and UCF loves a good shootout to send Scott Frost out on a high note.
Meat Prediction: UCF 44-41
Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual (CFP Semifinal) – Monday 1/1 – 4:00pm CST ESPN
3 Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) vs 2 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1)
I don’t like picking or predicting Sooners games. They usually don’t end well if I confidently pick them. This game scares me only in the sense that the last time Oklahoma was in the CFP in 2015, they were shutout in the second half against Clemson where the first half showed much promise. While Georgia doesn’t have as dynamic a QB as Deshaun Watson was for Clemson in their freshman Jake Fromm, the Georgia offense still presents a bit of a challenge from the run game with the Bulldogs’ RB rotation of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. And the Bulldogs defense has the Butkus Award-winning LB Roquan Smith leading a stout front-seven. Still, there is no reason to think that Oklahoma Heisman QB Baker Mayfield can’t lead the offense to score 30+. RB Rodney Anderson’s name has been cleared and has been the hottest, most productive back in the second half of the season. And Mayfield has TE Mark Andrews, and WRs “Hollywood” Brown and CeeDee Lamb, and multipurpose FB Dimitri Flowers among other weapons. It’ll be up to the young Sooners defense led by Walter Camp All-American DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo to step up and slow down the Bulldogs offense. This should be a good game. I just can’t bring myself to make a pick.
AllState Sugar Bowl (CFP Semifinal) – Monday 1/1 – 7:45pm CST ESPN
4 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) vs 1 Clemson Tigers (12-1)
The CFP Rematch III. The two teams that faced each other in the last two national title games square off again, this time in the semifinal. Outside of a close road loss at a 4-8 Syracuse, Clemson has certainly looked the part of a defending champion. DC Brent Venables’ front seven is probably the best in college football. QB Kelly Bryant, while not as dynamic as Watson, has led the offense. Meanwhile, Alabama seems to have looked shaky at times against stiffer competition, particularly in the Iron Bowl loss to Auburn. The playoff committee may have seen them as better than Ohio State in direct comparison, but outside of Ohio State’s blowout loss to Iowa, I didn’t see their argument. Is Bama’s defense good? Yes. The Tide and the Tigers possess the top two scoring defenses in the country. But can Bama’s offense keep pace with Clemson’s? Bama QB Jalen Hurts, while taking good care of the football (only 1 INT all year) has not been as productive or as explosive as last season. Vegas has Alabama favored, but I don’t know. I just don’t see it. Maybe it’s my hater glasses but I don’t see it. And as much as I think Bama is a better matchup for a potential game for the title against the Sooners, I can’t see Clemson losing this game. It’ll be close though.
Meat Prediction: Clemson 23-20
I’m going to wait for the semifinal matches to actually play out before picking a national champion. My preseason pick for national champ got eliminated the first week of the season, so we won’t go there.
Enjoy the bowl season! I’ll check back in with you guys before the College Football Playoff National
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New Post has been published on OmCik
New Post has been published on http://omcik.com/trump-has-made-americas-poorest-white-town-hopeful-again/
Trump has made America's 'poorest white town' hopeful again
Donald Trump is already a hero to many in eastern Kentucky.
“I voted for Trump 100%,” says Barbara Puckett, a 55-year-old mom, who lives in the small and friendly town of Beattyville. “It’s the most hopeful I’ve been in a long time now that he’s in there.”
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Trump won 81% of the vote in Beattyville. People here love that Trump doesn’t “sugarcoat” anything. They feel he understands them, even though he’s a billionaire.
“Donald Trump’s got all the money he’ll ever need,” says Steve Mays, judge-executive for the county and life-long Beattyville resident. The 49-year-old says he’s never been more excited about a president than he is now. “Trump will be a president for the common man.”
What Trump will do for the little guy is on everyone’s minds in Beattyville. The town earned the unfortunate distinction of being the “poorest white town in America” from 2008 to 2012. Depending on which metric you look at, it still ranks among the most impoverished in the country.
“This whole area’s been neglected,” laments Mays, who hopes Trump will visit the region. He wouldn’t be the first president to stop by. Beattyville isn’t far from the dilapidated cabin where President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty in 1964. Locals feel the area has been in a “slow decay” ever since.
Beattyville residents want jobs, especially ones that pay more than the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. They think if anyone can bring jobs back, it’s Trump.
Related: Trump supporters care about jobs, not voter fraud
Amber Hayes, 25, stands on the main road in Beattyville, Kentucky. She hopes President Trump can bring jobs back to the town.
Hope Trump will bring the jobs
“If you got a job here in Beattyville, you’re lucky,” says Amber Hayes, a bubbly 25-year-old mom of two, who also voted for Trump. She works at the county courthouse, but is paid by the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP), a form of welfare.
Coal, oil and tobacco made Beattyville a boom town in the 1800s and much of the 1900s. Locals like to bring up the fact that Lee County — where Beattyville is located — was the No. 1 oil-producing county east of the Mississippi at one time.
“Growing up in the ’70s? Yeah, this was the place to be,” says Chuck Caudhill, the general manager of the local paper, The Beattyville Enterprise. He calls the town the “gem of eastern Kentucky.”
Today, the town is a ghost of its former self. The vast majority of Beattyville residents get some form of government aid — 57% of households receive food stamps and 58% get disability payments from Social Security.
“I hope [Trump] don’t take the benefits away, but at the same time, I think that once more jobs come in a lot of people won’t need the benefits,” says Hayes, who currently receives about $500 a month from government assistance. She’s also on Obamacare.
Related: Trump vows 25 million jobs, most of any president
Time for a coal revival?
The coal and oil jobs are almost all gone, but already there’s buzz Trump is reviving the industry.
Donna Coomer is the manager of a busy Valero gas station in the heart of Beattyville. She knows the names of most people who come in and makes small-town chatter with folks. Mere days after Trump’s inauguration, she heard coal trucks were rumbling again.
“Someone told me this morning that in eastern Kentucky the coal trucks are already out and about,” Coomer told CNNMoney, beaming. She voted for Obama but feels he was just a good talker who did little for Kentucky. Trump got her vote this time. She’s praying for the new president.
It will be hard for Trump to revive the coal jobs, even if he does scale back environmental regulations on the industry. Top coal executive Robert Murray recently told CNNMoney coal employment “can’t be brought back to where it was before the election of Barack Obama.”
After the energy jobs evaporated, Beattyville was kept alive by a private prison and a clothing factory, Lion Apparel, that made firefighter suits. Then those jobs went away during President Obama’s tenure.
All that’s left are a few grocery stores, gas stations and small businesses. And drugs.
Related: Most Americans not benefiting from Dow 20,000
A town struggling with drug addiction
Barba Puckett, left, and her husband of 39 years are barely getting by in Beattyville, Kentucky. But they can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Rugged explorer Daniel Boone made this part of Kentucky famous in the late 1700s around the time of the Revolutionary War. The rolling hills and forests are still as picturesque as when Boone found them. Rock climbers come from all over the world to tackle the area’s peaks and natural bridges.
But today it’s also easy to come by heroin and cocaine in Kentucky’s hills. Almost every family CNNMoney met in Beattyville had been impacted by drugs.
Puckett and her husband are currently raising a great niece and nephew because their biological parents are drug addicts. The situation is so common in Beattyville that the local elementary school runs a support group for grandparents raising grandkids.
Caudhill estimates that 40% of kids in the area don’t live with their birth parents because of drugs.
“We need help. Eastern Kentucky is beautiful, but it needs help,” says Patricia “Trish” Cole. Her son died of an overdose when he was 27. Pictures of him are all around her living room. She’s normally quick to smile, but she gets choked up when his named is mentioned. She has a tattoo on her chest that reads: “Can’t keep your arms around a memory.”
Cole saves lives as an EMT for the local ambulance company. She estimates 80% of the ambulance runs she makes now are for drug-related issues. The day after her son died, she had to go get a young man who overdosed out of a closet.
Cole is one of the few people in town who voted for Hillary Clinton. She’s skeptical a billionaire will remember her people, but she’s willing to “give him a chance.”
Related: Fear robots, not China or Mexico
Is a ‘Trump Turnaround’ possible?
Patricia “Trish” Cole is a grandma and EMT with a big smile. She is one of the few in Beattyville, Kentucky who didn’t vote for President Trump, but she’s willing to give him a chance.
Harold Shouse thinks about the new president every morning around 4:30am. That’s when he and dozens of others in Beattyville stop at the gas station for a coffee before driving an hour or more to work in Winchester or Lexington where there are more jobs.
Shouse has worked construction all of his life. He was a mason for the county government in Beattyville for about a decade but never got paid more than $11.25 an hour.
“Most people who live in this area are in same shape,” Shouse, a Trump supporter, says.
Shouse drives far for a $32-an-hour wage, but he wished there were decent jobs closer to his beloved hills. He and his wife bought a cedar cabin on top of a hill. They raised three daughters there and seven dogs. He’s a big fan of Trump’s idea to improve roads and bridges. If Trump does that, he thinks more businesses will come.
“We’re an hour from the closest interstate,” says Cole, the EMT who is also out on the roads daily. “The roads here are bad. We have two lane roads.”
The internet is another problem. Cell reception is hit or miss, and many homes and schools only got decent internet access in the past year or two. The local government is trying to find people jobs they can do at home on computers, but that requires reliable internet.
People in Beattyville hear about the low 4.8% unemployment rate in America, but they don’t see jobs returning in their town.
Trump has promised to create 25 million jobs, the most of any president. Experts say that will be nearly impossible to do nationally. But there are even more challenges to bringing jobs back to places like eastern Kentucky, which struggle with drugs, a remote location and many families on government aid.
Related: Waiting for tax reform? It may take longer than you think
Harold Shouse, far right, and his wife Leighandra (left), with one of their daughters in their kitchen.
Beattyville’s best hope
From the outside, it’s easy to wonder why people in Beattyville don’t just move somewhere else.
But out of all the people CNNMoney met in Beattyville, only one wanted to leave. The rest are drawn to the beauty of the place and the friendly community.
“I’m country to the core,” laughs Puckett. He husband of 39 years nods beside her.
Judge executive Mays puts it this way: “We’re perceived as a hillbilly, backwoods, all this and that. But we’re a good people.”
If there were simple solutions for eastern Kentucky’s economy, they probably would have been done already. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn helped build Habitat for Humanity homes in Beattyville in the late 1980s. It was another small effort that has helped, but not fundamentally changed, the region.
President Trump talks about substantial change. That’s what has people in America’s poorest white town fired up.
“I believe he wants to take care of us, the little people,” says Coomer, the gas station manager. “I think he’s going to quit giving money to all these other countries and take care of America. I truly do.”
–CNN’s Poppy Harlow, Haley Draznin and Jeff Simon contributed to this report.
CNNMoney (Beattyville, Kentucky) First published February 6, 2017: 7:36 AM ET
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