"Turn that damn music down, Matty! Can't even hear myself think out here." Bobby yelled it up to the boys' rooms as loud as he could and was rewarded with an angrily slammed door in reaction. Hey, at least the sound was quieter through the door.
Whether it would be quiet enough for Sam to do his homework with any kind of focus was a different question, but at least Bobby could also close the door and check on who had just walked into the shop.
"I swear, Rufus, if you think I'll toss you another freebie--" He cut himself off, because that wasn't Rufus right there. Bobby hadn't expected anyone else to come by this time of day in the middle of a week, but this was someone else.
Fancy black suit, shiny black shoes, he even thought he caught a whiff of a cologne that was probably more expensive than his entire life. City guy, for sure. What the hell was someone like that doing in their neck of the woods?
"Evenin'," Bobby said, looking at the guy. It was awkward, feeling this outclassed in his own place. "What can I do you for?"
"Hello." Michael was on his phone, texting Gabriel to try and negotiate with him to watch Raphael and not let Lucifer do it, when the owner of this charming place came out. He sent the message and slipped his phone away, smiling at the man. "My car died a couple of miles back and kicking it isn't helping. My phone can't sustain a long call to my AA services, I'm down to 10% battery so... here I am."
He would have had more battery but he had to be on the phone for work calls, then his brothers, then his business partners, then his stupid brothers again. And the signal out here was absolute ass.
"You fix cars, right?" He assumed so, based on the place and the state of things. "I'll pay you handsomely if you can get mine working by tonight. Whatever you're thinking, handsome? Double it."
That was a whole lot of handsome right there. Being paid handsomely already sounded farfetched, being called handsome by a guy, much less a guy like that? Yeah, Bobby's eyebrows went up to where his hat was and seemed to want to stay there. "I can have a crack at it. I'm guessin' you left it on the side of the road? Can't be leavin' it there overnight, the vultures will be all over that."
Especially with the kind of car he assumed a guy like that had. "I'm gonna go and tow it. Do you wanna come with?"
He turned before the guy could answer, opening the backdoor again to yell out. "MATTY! Come down here!"
"Yes, it's about twenty minutes back that way. I did put the steering lock on but I'm not confident my tyres will survive the night." So yeah, he would appreciate a tow or something. When the man yelled, he pulled a face and took a step back, assuming Matty was his son or something. Guy his age, looking like that? Probably a nice wife and kids, voted republican and played country music. Maybe he should watch the flirting but he could never really control himself.
A sullen teen came down the stairs - oh. More diverse than he expected the family to be, definitely latino.
"What's up?" Matty looked away from Bobby and at the guy waiting in the shop. "Huh. Shiny shoes. I bet those won't stay shiny for long around here."
"You ain't supposed to be talkin' like that about folk, Matty. Mind your manners." There, great parenting moment. "I'm gonna go out with the truck to tow a broken down car. I'll lock up and you ain't lettin' anyone in while I'm gone, you hear me?"
He owed John, the paranoid son of a bitch, that much. Always keeping an eye on his sons. "Keep an eye on Sammy. Dinner's when I'm back, so don't fill up on junk. And let your brother finish his homework! Wouldn't hurt you to do some studyin' neither."
Definitely done his duty here. He grabbed his keys and turned to the city guy, flashing him a smile. All right, no. He just kind of gave him a nod while his lips quirked a miniscule amount and headed for the door. "I ain't gonna make you promises on how fast I can fix it, but I'm gonna get your car here safe and sound, no issue."
He headed out the door, holding it for him, and then walked over to his trusty - and rusty - truck. "Rare we get any of your kind this far out. Got that accent and everythin'."
"I'll let the nerd finish his study session. And I got this, I'll keep an eye on things!" Matty yelled after him, proud that he was left in charge as he watched Bobby and the weird guy for a second before walking back inside.
Michael walked up to the rusty truck and eyed it up with great dismay. Well, wasn't that just a piece of shit. And it was even worse inside. There was random crap everywhere, drinks cups and trash, all manner of tools in the back. It smelled like hot plastic and metal - probably because of the shitty weather. Not that he was planning to remove any layers.
"I'm driving to pick up one of my brothers and this was the fastest route. I don't usually come out to your parts either. I tend to like to have everything I need near my apartment, you know? If I can't get a massage and a good brand of whiskey within five minutes, it's hell on Earth." Michael wasn't ashamed of how city-living he was. He could afford it and he liked it.
He did up his seatbelt and braced himself, looking at the redneck next to him. Not a bad looking guy but the hat was filthy. Couldn't he afford a new one? "I'm glad you like the accent. Remind me to whisper beautiful little Britisms in your ear when I need a discount."
And then he winked. Well. His survival instincts are garbage apparently. Hopefully he could pass himself off as just European.
Bobby felt his face grow hot, as it tended to when he got flirted with blatantly enough that he realised what was happening. Hadn't occurred that often throughout his life so far. Right now he was realising for the first time that his reaction to a man flirting with him was the same as a woman doing it. Go figure.
He wasn't sure what to make of that, so he simply started the car and got them on the road. The best thing for a man to do when he didn't have anything wise to say was always to shut the hell up.
He supposed he shouldn't be quite that silent though, might seem creepy. "I ain't got good whiskey, but it's enough to get by on." Some nights more than others. Though he tried to rely on it less now the boys were around.
"I suppose when you have kids, full time work and weather like this - why not drink whatever helps? I'm not judging." Michael promised the guy as he watched the sun bleached grass fly by. He couldn't help but think a car with air-conditioning was a must around here but apparently Bobby disagreed.
He pulled his phone out and checked but he was down to 8% and no text from Gabriel. His brothers were useless in a crisis. He huffed in annoyance and pocketed his phone again.
"I'm Aleister, by the way. It's a real pleasure. You're saving my arse. Big time."
"I ain't got kids. They just--" They lived under his roof, ate the food he gave them, got to school on time cause he drove them and he even let Matty and his terrible band practise on his property. He'd sat up the other night to help Sam with a science fair project. Bobby blinked and pressed just a little harder on the gas pedal. "Damn. I got kids."
When had that happened? "Nice to meet ya, Aleister. I'm Bobby. Don't thank me yet, your ass might still be stuck here overnight."
Or longer, though he wasn't about to speak that into existence. As he made out what he assumed was Aleister's car in the distance, he slowed down, whistling. "Car's sleek like you, eh? Fancy."
"And you didn't even realise? How'd the wife pull that one on you?" Michael mocked, just wondering if Bobby did have a wife or not. He assumed he was still very straight but he could have fun at least. With an amused huff, he checked his phone once more and then looked ahead. "Oh yes, it's new. Aston Martin Victor. Very good car otherwise but today, for some reason, it started thunking then the hazards came on and now it won't even come on."
As they pulled up, Michael got out of the car and walked over to his nice, slick and broken car. It was so unfair. "Overnight, not a problem, if I need to then I have to. I'm just hoping it can be fixed by tomorrow, I'm supposed to pick someone up in Colorado. They're on the no-fly list so..." He couldn't really work out any other way to get Raphael to him.
Except pick the little bastard up himself. Alas. "If not-- you happen to rent cars?"
"I ain't got a wife." That was easier than going down the mental road, even for a second, of Karen. Especially Karen in relation to children. "Buddy of mine just dropped his kids on me."
Bobby realised how that sounded and he shrugged. "He's a jackass." At the very least.
He got out of the car to have a look at the other one, mostly to get started attaching what he needed in order to tow it. No use inspecting it right now, better to do that back at the workshop. "I ain't a rental business, no. But I got some fixed up heaps of junk that are road safe and would get you there and back all right, you can have them for less than a rental fee."
He bent down as he attached things, careful not to damage the paint job on that beautiful car. "Don't worry. I know my ways around cars, even nice ones. I ain't gonna scratch up a beaut like that. I know I ain't look it, but you can trust me."
Only people he ruined. Not cars. He was good with those.
"I think despite how you may appear, you're a gentle touch. I like that in a man. Depth, they call it." Michael teased lightly as he watched Bobby attach the tow to his car and secure it. Well, a single redneck who hadn't tried to deck him yet. If it wasn't for the kids, he'd consider his odds of getting laid but in a house like that, no damn chance.
"I have to drive for around 5 hours, I'm not sure if the scrap will have long enough legs but let's see." Hopefully it could be fixed fast. Otherwise, he was genuinely considering trying to get Raphael here by another means. "There's a town or a city nearby, right? Any chance it has a bus stop?"
Whatever he could do to solve this mess, he would. Unlike his brothers, apparently. Once Bobby had his car, he returned to the truck and pulled out his phone to check responses. Nothing.
"Think we got a bus stop, yeah. Ain't sure of the schedule, you'd have to ask around. But you ain't lookin' as if you'd ever ride a bus." Bobby felt the need to say that. And then he felt the need to clarify. "Ain't an insult. More the opposite."
Which he supposed would mean he was complimenting the strange guy that had been flirting with him. Better not to linger on that. Instead he focused on securing everything and then he got back into his truck, starting it. "I got phone chargers back at my place. I can help you out with that, at least."
"Here's your car keys back." Michael looked tired and he was. Six hours in the car, a lot of them with Raphael, he was not in the best of moods but he didn't want to hurt his chances at scoring with the hot, sexy redneck so he tried his best to smile. "There's still a teen in the back but you can keep that if you fancy?"
He was pretty open to just leaving him there for as long as it took to fix his car. Teenagers were more malleable. He could sleep there and live there. "But thank you, it drove fine." It had no aircon but that was another issue.
"Think I'm about full up on teens around here." Bobby turned his head to yell. "SAMMY! GO PLAY HOST!"
Sam came down, looking confused. Bobby simply pointed. "Boy in car through there. Go play marbles with him or whatever it is kids do these days."
He did know it wasn't playing marbles, he didn't care to learn what it actually was. There were more important things to focus on.
Such as the fancy man. Aleister, back at his place. "Can I offer you a drink? I'll even find the whiskey that's not local dreg." He couldn't promise it'd be much better, but hey.
"Don't take anything he offers you. Don't touch his hands. And watch your pockets." Michael warned Sam, wondering if he should really let Raphael alone with another boy but he had a whole ride home of Raphael and he really needed a break. He just wanted to flirt with the unattainable redneck. Was that so bad?
"I'll take it. I think I lost brain cells sitting in the car with him. What is wrong with these damn kids?" He knew he sounded old but he didn't care. Seriously, what was up with kids? With their phones and their awful music.
"Sammy's a good boy, for the most part. He's too damn smart though, that's annoying. I look forward to those student loans." Because, yeah, of course he was sending the boy to college. Sam already studied the brochures to decide where to apply. And now Bobby was a little worried about the influence he might have just exposed Sam too, but whatever. He could handle himself, he dealt with Matty all the time.
"Kids are still the worst though. I don't get any of it. Their hair products alone. And they take forever in the bathroom." What was wrong with them? Bobby rolled his eyes as he finished pouring their drinks, handing a glass to Aleister and sitting down on the couch. He gestured. "You can sit down if you wanna."
"Sure." Michael sat down and took the glass, sipping slowly as he took a beautiful second to destress. He just wanted to be back to his normal life. Work, home, the bar, one night stands and nothing of consequence. He didn't want to deal with Raphael. "I'm hoping his brother will take him. The kid in the car. Hopefully it all goes smoothly, he's out of my hair and I resume to never dealing with kids again."
He wasn't really a kid person and even less a teenager person. "I don't have the skills or the patience to handle their sort. They all want something and I don't have the bloody time." He was just way too busy for this. "I don't have the love either. Kids want that. I don't got that."
"Yeah... Think that's what went wrong with their dad." Bobby looked around, making sure that Matty wasn't lingering anywhere. Wouldn't do to have that boy overhear him talking badly about his beloved dad. "He didn't have any love left after his wife, their mother, after she died. He just wanted to make them into little soldiers."
And he had gotten way further into that than he should have ever allowed to happen. Bobby shrugged. "I reckon I won't be rid of them for a long time now." John would have to pry them from his cold dead hands, if he ever deigned to show up again. "But I ain't as busy as you probably are."
"Some parents just don't love their kids. I think it's more normal than people want to think. It's a shit deal, I suppose. They scream, they cry, they want everything from you and then end up hating you anyway." He knew his mother had no love for him so he just sort of assumed it was normal. Some parents didn't like their kids. "You're a good man, much better than me. I think that's the real issue. Time, you can make time, I just don't want to."
Michael knew it was bad of him but he wanted to keep his life and he didn't want to keep doing this sort of thing. "I already raised by brothers. I took care of them. I still do. I pay bail, I give jobs, I pay for schools and -- there's a limit to what I can give." He didn't know if he loved his brothers but he certainly knew what he was supposed to do for them. "I did enough for my family, I don't want to anymore."
"Ain't anyone got the right to ask you to do more than you've done. Sounds like you're doin' right by your family." Even if they might not necessarily agree with that. "I'm an idjit for taking those two in, I know that. But ain't anyone else in the world left for 'em, so they're stuck with me."
And Bobby wasn't sure he could do right by them, but he was prepared to try. "I never wanted kids. Never thought I should--" He broke off, shaking his head. "Y'know. That chance of ruining people. I'm good at that. Much better with cars, don't you worry."
"It seems to me like you're good with people and cars. Most would isolate themselves in your situation if you really, truly thought it. Stay here with your cars, being one of those off the grid types. But you're taking in teens and not a single person at the motel had a bad word to say about you. It sounds like people quite like you. Seems like you do a lot for them." And Michael hadn't met anyone (outside of a cult) that gathered such high praise for how they helped and how they did business.
"I trust you with my car. About as much as I trust that if you had any confidence in yourself, you'd have slept with every woman in town." Michael smirked at Bobby. "I met a few gals with quite the crush."
A few what? There was that familiar feeling again, his face heating up. He was beginning to associate it with Aleister so much that soon he was simply going to permanently be blushing around the man for no reason.
"Bullshit," Bobby mumbled, shaking his head and nursing his drink, "They probably just wanted to get an in with you by agreein'."
Which kind of drew attention to how Aleister had kept hitting on him before again and Bobby couldn't even say for sure himself whether he had done that on purpose or not. He coughed and adjusted his hat. "Can't go around sleepin' with anyone in a town like this. People talk."
"No, I think even on my best behaviour, they're pinging me." It might also be because he wasn't a country boy and it seemed to put them on edge, it might be because he was European too but he liked to remind Bobby, in non-subtle ways, that he was gay as all hell and looking for a man. "I guess you're right though. You can't go sleeping around a small town like this."
He sipped his whiskey and then looked at Bobby with a grin. He made it too easy. "Guess you'll have to sleep around outside of town."
With a pointed look, he raised his eyebrow playfully.
"Never done that either," Bobby replied, thanking his wits that he had anticipated a line like that, which kept him from humiliating himself with another blush. Not that the blush from before had faded. Not that it didn't deepen anyway, given the grin and that eyebrow raise.
What was happening? Things like this did not happen to him. They happened in movies or television shows and no on any he would ever let himself get caught dead watching. "I reckon it's easier done in the city, yeah? Got a lot of people there. No wonder you're itchin' to get back."
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Whether it would be quiet enough for Sam to do his homework with any kind of focus was a different question, but at least Bobby could also close the door and check on who had just walked into the shop.
"I swear, Rufus, if you think I'll toss you another freebie--" He cut himself off, because that wasn't Rufus right there. Bobby hadn't expected anyone else to come by this time of day in the middle of a week, but this was someone else.
Fancy black suit, shiny black shoes, he even thought he caught a whiff of a cologne that was probably more expensive than his entire life. City guy, for sure. What the hell was someone like that doing in their neck of the woods?
"Evenin'," Bobby said, looking at the guy. It was awkward, feeling this outclassed in his own place. "What can I do you for?"
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He would have had more battery but he had to be on the phone for work calls, then his brothers, then his business partners, then his stupid brothers again. And the signal out here was absolute ass.
"You fix cars, right?" He assumed so, based on the place and the state of things. "I'll pay you handsomely if you can get mine working by tonight. Whatever you're thinking, handsome? Double it."
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Especially with the kind of car he assumed a guy like that had. "I'm gonna go and tow it. Do you wanna come with?"
He turned before the guy could answer, opening the backdoor again to yell out. "MATTY! Come down here!"
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A sullen teen came down the stairs - oh. More diverse than he expected the family to be, definitely latino.
"What's up?" Matty looked away from Bobby and at the guy waiting in the shop. "Huh. Shiny shoes. I bet those won't stay shiny for long around here."
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He owed John, the paranoid son of a bitch, that much. Always keeping an eye on his sons. "Keep an eye on Sammy. Dinner's when I'm back, so don't fill up on junk. And let your brother finish his homework! Wouldn't hurt you to do some studyin' neither."
Definitely done his duty here. He grabbed his keys and turned to the city guy, flashing him a smile. All right, no. He just kind of gave him a nod while his lips quirked a miniscule amount and headed for the door. "I ain't gonna make you promises on how fast I can fix it, but I'm gonna get your car here safe and sound, no issue."
He headed out the door, holding it for him, and then walked over to his trusty - and rusty - truck. "Rare we get any of your kind this far out. Got that accent and everythin'."
So fancy.
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Michael walked up to the rusty truck and eyed it up with great dismay. Well, wasn't that just a piece of shit. And it was even worse inside. There was random crap everywhere, drinks cups and trash, all manner of tools in the back. It smelled like hot plastic and metal - probably because of the shitty weather. Not that he was planning to remove any layers.
"I'm driving to pick up one of my brothers and this was the fastest route. I don't usually come out to your parts either. I tend to like to have everything I need near my apartment, you know? If I can't get a massage and a good brand of whiskey within five minutes, it's hell on Earth." Michael wasn't ashamed of how city-living he was. He could afford it and he liked it.
He did up his seatbelt and braced himself, looking at the redneck next to him. Not a bad looking guy but the hat was filthy. Couldn't he afford a new one? "I'm glad you like the accent. Remind me to whisper beautiful little Britisms in your ear when I need a discount."
And then he winked. Well. His survival instincts are garbage apparently. Hopefully he could pass himself off as just European.
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He wasn't sure what to make of that, so he simply started the car and got them on the road. The best thing for a man to do when he didn't have anything wise to say was always to shut the hell up.
He supposed he shouldn't be quite that silent though, might seem creepy. "I ain't got good whiskey, but it's enough to get by on." Some nights more than others. Though he tried to rely on it less now the boys were around.
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He pulled his phone out and checked but he was down to 8% and no text from Gabriel. His brothers were useless in a crisis. He huffed in annoyance and pocketed his phone again.
"I'm Aleister, by the way. It's a real pleasure. You're saving my arse. Big time."
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When had that happened? "Nice to meet ya, Aleister. I'm Bobby. Don't thank me yet, your ass might still be stuck here overnight."
Or longer, though he wasn't about to speak that into existence. As he made out what he assumed was Aleister's car in the distance, he slowed down, whistling. "Car's sleek like you, eh? Fancy."
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As they pulled up, Michael got out of the car and walked over to his nice, slick and broken car. It was so unfair. "Overnight, not a problem, if I need to then I have to. I'm just hoping it can be fixed by tomorrow, I'm supposed to pick someone up in Colorado. They're on the no-fly list so..." He couldn't really work out any other way to get Raphael to him.
Except pick the little bastard up himself. Alas. "If not-- you happen to rent cars?"
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Bobby realised how that sounded and he shrugged. "He's a jackass." At the very least.
He got out of the car to have a look at the other one, mostly to get started attaching what he needed in order to tow it. No use inspecting it right now, better to do that back at the workshop. "I ain't a rental business, no. But I got some fixed up heaps of junk that are road safe and would get you there and back all right, you can have them for less than a rental fee."
He bent down as he attached things, careful not to damage the paint job on that beautiful car. "Don't worry. I know my ways around cars, even nice ones. I ain't gonna scratch up a beaut like that. I know I ain't look it, but you can trust me."
Only people he ruined. Not cars. He was good with those.
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"I have to drive for around 5 hours, I'm not sure if the scrap will have long enough legs but let's see." Hopefully it could be fixed fast. Otherwise, he was genuinely considering trying to get Raphael here by another means. "There's a town or a city nearby, right? Any chance it has a bus stop?"
Whatever he could do to solve this mess, he would. Unlike his brothers, apparently. Once Bobby had his car, he returned to the truck and pulled out his phone to check responses. Nothing.
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Which he supposed would mean he was complimenting the strange guy that had been flirting with him. Better not to linger on that. Instead he focused on securing everything and then he got back into his truck, starting it. "I got phone chargers back at my place. I can help you out with that, at least."
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He was pretty open to just leaving him there for as long as it took to fix his car. Teenagers were more malleable. He could sleep there and live there. "But thank you, it drove fine." It had no aircon but that was another issue.
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Sam came down, looking confused. Bobby simply pointed. "Boy in car through there. Go play marbles with him or whatever it is kids do these days."
He did know it wasn't playing marbles, he didn't care to learn what it actually was. There were more important things to focus on.
Such as the fancy man. Aleister, back at his place. "Can I offer you a drink? I'll even find the whiskey that's not local dreg." He couldn't promise it'd be much better, but hey.
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"I'll take it. I think I lost brain cells sitting in the car with him. What is wrong with these damn kids?" He knew he sounded old but he didn't care. Seriously, what was up with kids? With their phones and their awful music.
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"Kids are still the worst though. I don't get any of it. Their hair products alone. And they take forever in the bathroom." What was wrong with them? Bobby rolled his eyes as he finished pouring their drinks, handing a glass to Aleister and sitting down on the couch. He gestured. "You can sit down if you wanna."
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He wasn't really a kid person and even less a teenager person. "I don't have the skills or the patience to handle their sort. They all want something and I don't have the bloody time." He was just way too busy for this. "I don't have the love either. Kids want that. I don't got that."
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And he had gotten way further into that than he should have ever allowed to happen. Bobby shrugged. "I reckon I won't be rid of them for a long time now." John would have to pry them from his cold dead hands, if he ever deigned to show up again. "But I ain't as busy as you probably are."
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Michael knew it was bad of him but he wanted to keep his life and he didn't want to keep doing this sort of thing. "I already raised by brothers. I took care of them. I still do. I pay bail, I give jobs, I pay for schools and -- there's a limit to what I can give." He didn't know if he loved his brothers but he certainly knew what he was supposed to do for them. "I did enough for my family, I don't want to anymore."
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And Bobby wasn't sure he could do right by them, but he was prepared to try. "I never wanted kids. Never thought I should--" He broke off, shaking his head. "Y'know. That chance of ruining people. I'm good at that. Much better with cars, don't you worry."
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"I trust you with my car. About as much as I trust that if you had any confidence in yourself, you'd have slept with every woman in town." Michael smirked at Bobby. "I met a few gals with quite the crush."
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"Bullshit," Bobby mumbled, shaking his head and nursing his drink, "They probably just wanted to get an in with you by agreein'."
Which kind of drew attention to how Aleister had kept hitting on him before again and Bobby couldn't even say for sure himself whether he had done that on purpose or not. He coughed and adjusted his hat. "Can't go around sleepin' with anyone in a town like this. People talk."
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He sipped his whiskey and then looked at Bobby with a grin. He made it too easy. "Guess you'll have to sleep around outside of town."
With a pointed look, he raised his eyebrow playfully.
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What was happening? Things like this did not happen to him. They happened in movies or television shows and no on any he would ever let himself get caught dead watching. "I reckon it's easier done in the city, yeah? Got a lot of people there. No wonder you're itchin' to get back."
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