Caritas, Saturday Evening

[newroutines]

Mike was his regular, adult self. But he had been listening to the radio (and also walking around town, where there were way more teenagers out and about than usual, even for an island that revolved around a high school), so he knew what was going on.

So for a while at the beginning of his shift, he'd considered making a sign that reminded everyone that they served minors at this joint.

But then he'd decided against it. 'Cause he was a responsible adult, or something. So he was just making sure the bar was stocked with all those little paper umbrellas and shit like that. Wasn't that what teens liked? He could always claim he was too old to remember.

[ooc: Open, no OCD.]

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[gobrookeyourself]

And of course there was Brooke now that her player was home sidling up to the bar because it was better than sitting alone on a Saturday night.

"Hey, hot stuff, how about a vodka cranberry?"

She didn't know him. She just talked like that to bartenders.

[newroutines]

Okay, Mike kind of paused at the sight of her. And also the fact that yeah, no, he couldn't tell yet whether she knew him or not. "Uh, sure thing, baby girl." Which was also something he had a habit of saying to women regardless of their personal status with him. "You want a paper umbrella in that? 'Cause we got, like, a ton."

Because of him.

[gobrookeyourself]

"Vodka crabmnberry's Not really an umbrella drink, and I'm not on vacation," she said. "I'll tip more if you wear one, though."

[newroutines]

"Well, shit," Mike said, pausing in his drink-making effort to grab one of the little umbrellas - a pink one, naturally - and stick it very daintily behind his ear, "how's a guy supposed to resist an offer like that?"

He was a profoundly ridiculous man, and a Brooke at any age should know that.

[gobrookeyourself]

"It's a good look," she said, smiling a little. "You realize this is opening the door to trying to find out what I can get you to do for tips."

[newroutines]

"Not a whole lot of the more interesting stuff," he replied with a mock solemn shake of his head as he was finishing her drink. "That's gonna have to wait 'til you're older."

So, like Monday or something.

"But I don't have a ton of shame, so you can probably figure a few things out."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Okay then," she aid. "Shirt off."

She didn't know Mike yet. They did not matter.

[newroutines]

Well, there was an easy one. Possibly because Mike was easy. He peeled off his shirt, then slid her drink over to her.

"Anything else?"

[gobrookeyourself]

"Drink first," she said, raising it in salute before taking a sip. "You're new."

[newroutines]

"Nope," he replied, resting his hands against the edge of the bar. "I am all kinds of old."

[gobrookeyourself]

"And what kind of old are we talking about?" Brooke asked.

[newroutines]

"Well, I'm like twice your age, so that's one kind," Mike told her. "Also I've been living on this mindfuck of an island for... way over five years now." A beat. "So I'm also the kind of old where it doesn't faze me that my girlfriend can waltz in as a way younger version and not have a clue who the hell I am."

Hell of a way to use that word about her for the first time.

[gobrookeyourself]

Brooke squinted at him. "Uhhh. You sure about that?" she asked. "Not that I wouldn't hit that, but I'm pretty sure I'd know if I was hitting that."

[newroutines]

Mike shrugged.

"I figure you'll remember by Monday."

[gobrookeyourself]

Brooke paused. "Are you sure you're not the one having the weird thing happen here?"

[newroutines]

Another shrug would do, right?

"I mean, I'm pretty sure. But it's Fandom, so there's no way to be like a full hundred percent sure, ever."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Huh," she said, and downed the drink before peering over the bar. "How much clothes do you have on?"

Welcome to teenage Brooke.

[newroutines]

Yeah, that seemed to check out. Mike laughed - but also shook his head.

"Too little to risk taking anything else off and getting in trouble for indecent exposure in front of a minor."

[gobrookeyourself]

"But I'm your girlfriend, right?" she said, shrugging. "So..."

[newroutines]

"So, you can come to my house once you're all grown up," he said, "and I promise there will be very little clothing involved."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Excuse you, I am plenty grown up." Brooke would laugh about that later when she was the right age.

[newroutines]

"Maybe, but not enough for me." Except to serve alcohol to. "Sorry. Gotta wait a couple years before you can get more than a preview of this show."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Who says I was going to try to do anything besides see what I could get you to take off behind the bar?" She really had just been curious there, since one of them was either Fandom-compromised or a crazy person.

[newroutines]

Mike shrugged. "The shirtless is the preview, anything else is the show." So he'd really just been reiterating a previous statement. "I used to be a stripper, so I know these things."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Wait, you used to be a stripper and now you're shy about talking it off? Also, I'm dating a stripper?"

Jackpot, Future Brooke!

[newroutines]

"Yes, no, and yes, in that order."

Because he wasn't shy about anything. Ever.

[gobrookeyourself]

"And yet you still have pants," Brooke tsked.

[newroutines]

"Yup." And he wasn't even sorry! "Haven't seen ID to convince me otherwise."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Which I would t need here since you guys serve everyone," Brooke countered.

[newroutines]

"Good thing I wasn't talking about refusing you a drink, then, right?" Miike quipped right back at her.

[gobrookeyourself]

"Good," she said, downing the drink. "If you're going to be no fun then you can at least get me another one of those."

Sure he'd taken his shirt off, but she had to still try.