Mo opened her lips to answer Nick's request, but another guy went first requesting another beverage. So she turned her head, found out that it was the guy named Holden. He looked extremely charming, even with such expression on his face. Exhaustion. Reminded her of her mother when Mo was younger, she came home from work every evening with the same expression. It wasn't an expression which caused by hectic day or activities, more like it was caused by some kind of burden. She didn't know what had happened to this guy, but she believed him about his saying that it was a long day for him. She replied with a bright smile directly to him. Mo let go of her clinging to Jason and walked to the shelf he directed her to. Walking behind him, she said, "Vanilla? I know whats better for you. Much. Better."

She took a bag of espresso and put some generous amount into the coffee maker and let it brew. She also heated some water to brew the chai tea bags she found at the same shelf with the coffee, and prepared some thick milk. Jason sure had prepared everything thoughtfully, you can find almost everything you need to make good drinks there. Mo walked out to the minibar and took a bottle of whiskey back to the pantry with her. Few minutes later, the coffee had finished brewing and the water was heated into a perfect temperature. Mo poured hot water into a jug and put some tea bags into it and let it set for a while, then poured the tea into a mug and mix it with the thick milk she had prepared earlier. She then mixed strained espresso, generous amount of brown sugar, and a half of a shot glass of whiskey into a mug and stir it well, and topped it with cream and some chocolate powder. She found some chocolate too so she made it into hot chocolate and prepared enough for everyone including herself, topping it with marshmallow as well.

"Pipping hot chocolate for everyone! Get your ass here and take one for yourself!" She called to the entire room cheerfully before adding, "Served with mini mallows!" She giggled. She took two mugs which are quite different from the others, the two special orders.
"Here's a special Latte for Mr. Batman, extra creamy." She smiled, handed a mug full of Latte to Nick, then served the 'special' drink made for Holden. She took a mug of hot chocolate and sit next to him, "And Irish Coffee for you, prince charming." She giggled, trying to lighten up the mood a little for him. "Well I was born in Japan and lived there until I was two years old. Then my mum brought me back here. I can't remember much about that place, but I can't forget the warmth in my grandparents' home. I miss that place a lot."
Her thought floated a little. Her memories sure is blurry, but the feel she got from that traditional family was unforgettable. Realized that she dozed off for a while, she shook her head and back on the ground. She looked back to the guy next to him and smiled, "Go ahead and take a sip. It's a traditional recipe. Just a hint of liquor won't make you dizzy, not even tipsy. It will warm you up. Right here." She reached her hand and touched the guy right on his chest, feeling his heartbeat, and smiled warmly to him.

"But you guys might know that I work in a coffee shop. And my coffee isn't free." She said, suddenly stood up and walked towards Nick then dragged him back to the counter. She grabbed their arms, standing in the middle, and said, "After you guys finished your drink, you have to help me out with that." She flicked her head to his luggage she left near the door. "I'll take your help on setting up my room as the payment for your drinks. Deal? It's a deal then" She smiled playfully. She sat back down and enjoyed her chocolate, really happy with her bright idea. She was always good with boys.

Anna rolled her eyes when Jason ruffled her hair. She was too late to swat his hand away, so she could disallow him to mess with her already untidy hair. With more seemingly half-assed attempts she tried to tame the mess of dark waves. Before she could finish her poor attempts though, Jason had started with the introduction. Once he pointed towards her she made a little hand gesture. It was a small flick of her middle and pointer finger up. She didn't bother looking around to attach names onto faces yet. She'll just ask Jason again later. Besides its not like she's going to talk to them much. Her work hours were definitely different compared to the others. 2 days on, then 4 days off to herself. She'll probably be holed up in her room too, so it was highly unlikely.

The bonfire immediately caught her attention, rewarding Jason with her head snapping in his direction. Nobody knew it but she was sort of an extreme pyromaniac. She'll have plenty of fun on her own just throwing random things into the fire. Hopefully she won't start a new one beside the original fire and somehow cause an wildfire that burns down half of Miami or something else severe and extreme...The possibilities are endless with fire. She was reluctant about the beach though. She was terrified of the ocean, or large pools of water in general. With a bit of hidden excitement and ever growing reluctance she agreed with a nod of her head.

Looks like she's not getting that beer. A sigh smacked against grit teeth, the white barrier fortunately muffling it greatly. She didn't bother getting up herself to get it though. She remained on the couch, about as ready as she'll ever be to go back to her room and catch up on her sleep. Her mother's words stopped her though. She had promised to make friends in Miami, and stop being the total shut-in she was. This has to count as socializing. Her eyes looked up at the ceiling, and her chin followed suit. Her mouth opened slightly, and her tongue began to lick the top row of her teeth. A habit she somehow formed. Her teeth quickly caught her tongue in the act, and stopped the annoying habit.

Her mind began to wander again, to a better more quiet place. Then a voice ripped her back into harsh reality. Slowly her head turned towards Sunny, head coming down to eye level with the other girl. Suddenly her eyes widened, but the iron facade hid the mortified look she was too close to reveal. Anna's eyes began to shift awkwardly trying to find the right words to say. Fuck! What was her name again?! Moments passed, and each one felt like lifetimes to her.

"It's uh.. It's Anna, actually." Anna corrected awkwardly, taking Sunny's hand into her clammy one and tried to give it a nice firm shake. "It's nice to meet you too...?" She raised her eyebrow slightly, hoping to get a name and not to make herself look like an absolute fool. Hopefully she could pass it off that she isn't good with names, and not some asshole who's too cool for everybody.

That elicited a slightly confused eye-squint. Prince charming. That wasn't new to him. Taking a light sip from his freshly brewed drink, he let out a small sound of approval and set it down. Hot, but delicious and it held a great aftertaste. Continuing to drink, he made a sidelong glance to Momiji and then Nick, smiling to acknowledge that he was indeed listening. However, he couldn't say he continued to listen as his attention-span slightly shortened and his head turned to look at other groups. Eyes landing on the clock, he took another sip and turned back to Mo, who'd suddenly put her hand on his chest. Arching a brow, he averted his attention back to her with a nod, not sure how to take that. It wasn't that he didn't like to be touched, he just felt the action in itself was a tad odd.

Holden shrugged it off as she spun around to take a hold of Nick's arm and then tugging at his. Simply giving her a small look was enough to show Holden didn't quite approve of the idea she'd come up with, but nodded regardless. Not like it would hurt to help out a bit, though he knew of other, better ways to help out with that coffee thing—mainly paying her in actual money. He couldn't complain, though, since making friends was what all of this was about and kind of required when living with other people who weren't tied to you through genetics. There'd always be problems in regards to family, but the fact that everyone was related to each other kinda stopped any homicidal thoughts from forming; however, there was no barrier to guard against the contempt that could form between two perfectly normal strangers. It'd be wise to get on everyone's good side, not only because it was the right thing to do, but because it'd benefit everyone in the long run.

"I'd be happy to help," he mumbled into his cup as he downed the rest of the drink. He hissed at the heat stinging the back of his throat, but smiled regardless as he turned toward Momiji, "I still need that sugar rush, but it really helped. Was delicious too." Slipping his arm from out of Momiji's grasp, he stood up to straighten himself and stretch a tad. Patting Momiji's shoulder, he let his hand drag over to dig into Nick's hair and give it a quick ruffle. He let a chuckle out, mumbling, "Batman," as he moved toward the luggage near the door.

Noticing the conversation on the couch, Holden gave a smirk as he rounded behind it, waving slightly as he nonchalantly greeted the two, "Evening Anna. Nice to meet you, Sunny." Indirectly helping people was something he prided himself in, at least somewhat. Not like he did it all the time, especially since the opportunity pretty much shoved itself out in the open. Holden scoffed at his own musings, shaking his head as he bent down to grab the luggage near the door. The heft of it was slightly surprising, but Holden made do and shifted it over his shoulder. With a gesture up the stairs, he called out to Momiji and Nick, "Let's get this done before the bonfire starts, eh?"

He couldn't take another sip of his beer before Mo squeezed him almost to death it felt like. He laughed, returning the hug. "Yo, Mo" He said. It was a dorky little phrase he said, but he couldn't help but smile at it every time he said it.. "Good to see you too! you and I gotta catch up and tell me all i missed in the past few years." He said to her. He wanted that to be for everyone though. And as others tell their stories, he'll gladly tell his. Hard work in college (when he wasn't getting in trouble with Nick and Holden), sweet talking a few high-ranking attorneys, and knowing when to spend his money lead him to this apartment, and his closest friends in it. He took another sip of his beer, laughing as he heard the conversations between Holden, Nick, and Mo, and Sunny trying to get to know Anna. He was glad she was out and about, and getting to know people. Nick and Roberto were talking near the balcony. So far it was going great.

He was about to make his way to get some hot chocolate when his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. He looked to see a blocked number. Curious, he answered the phone. "Jason Hunt." Jason answered, picking up one of the mugs with Mo's delicious smelling drink inside it. As he gave Mo a thank you nod, the person on the other line responded. "Hello Jason... It's so good to hear your voice, sweetheart." A very familiar voice said, stopping Jason in his tracks. "Mom...?" Jason asked, his mind full of confusion. He never had anything against his mother. He loved her, but during his childhood, she mostly sided with his father every time they had an argument...

"How... how did you get my number?" Jason asked, making his way up the stairs now so he could be somewhere quiet. "I asked one of your coworkers... It wasn't hard with all the talk about 'the newer and handsomer Hunt is here to stay' all over the news..." She said, seeming to be proud of Jason. "Is everything alright?" He asked. She hesitated. "its about your father... he needs your help in a case..."

Nick realized that Holden wasn't really flirting with Mo this was his way of getting to know someone. When Nick first met Holden in college Nick was convinced that Holden was trying to steal Nick's girlfriend at that time Jennifer. He wasn't but if Nick knew than what knows now he would've told Holden, "She's all yours! I don't need this crap!" All that being said Nick had just met Mo and she didn't know thing one about him Nick knew he needed to back down a couple notches and to get to know her to before he tried anything. There was no denying though (to anyone with a pulse and 3 active brain cells within the area code) Mo had gotten Nick's attention at the very least.

Nick didn't just drink his chai-latte he inhaled it. After the first couple drinks he looked at Mo and said, "I gotta admit this is the best chai-Latte I've ever had. it's perfection in a cup." He raised it slightly and said, "You have a gift." Nick overheard Holden's questioning of Mo and began filing away the information. Then came the moment of "Mo's payment" and when she grabbed his arm luckily Nick had just finished his latte or it would've been all over the place. The touch was completely unexpected but Nick didn't mind it, and like an idiot he found himself smiling. Nick replied, "I wouldn't exactly be a super-hero if I didn't help out whenever possible."

Holden had a habit of busting Nick's chops about his Batman/Sci-fi, borderline, obsession, but it never got personal and when Holden had crossed the line he usually apologized about it within a couple of hours. Only one person on the planet fully understood the deeper meaning behind Nick's devotion to the comic-books and all things sci-fi Holden made his crack about "Batman" and Nick said, "Hey I've had this shirt since our sophomore year in college and it's my favorite one and still fits me." Nick shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well technically it still fits me. I'm determined to buried in it."

Nick took another look at Mo and said, "Seriously thanks for the coffee it really was awesome, and I'll be sure to stop by your coffee shop. Maybe someday I'll take you by where I work. WXQR 95.5 I start the midday shift in two weeks."

Holden then asked for help with the luggage and Nick said, "Right away Prince Charming." With that Nick grabbed another piece of Mo's luggage and said (as the bag was slightly heavier than he expected), "What's in here a weight set?" He shook his head slightly and said, "Still totally worth the chai-latte." Nick made his way up the stairs and said, "Oh by the way which room is yours?"

Roberto definitely seemed like he felt out of place. Lucas laughed when Roberto told him where he was from. It was a deep loud laugh, very hard to miss and very distinctive of him. It was the kind of laugh that made other people in the movie theater cringe complain about him to their friends and make his friends embarrassed to go see a comedy with him. It made sense for Roberto to feel out of it though. Home was really far away for this guy. Lucas himself hadn't left his home state except for college and this, much less left the country before.

"Well damn, I wish my home was like this. I just think of dirty streets, shabby old buildings, and way too many smells," he chuckled again. He gladly took the offered hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you too, man. And yeah Jason doesn't usually befriend jerks from what I've seen, even if they make look like it at first glance. But wow, haven't lived with other people huh? You get used to it. You just gotta remember to respect other people's space and quirks and stuff. I remember living with other people for the first time in college." He animatedly narrated the problems he and his first roommate had had concerning wearing shoes on the carpet and bringing back girls to the dorm, onto his hijinks in his first apartment and learning to never sleep with a roommate no matter how attractive she was. It was then he noticed, Roberto had seemed to stop paying attention.

He laughed once more at the apology. "It's cool. As long as it's not that I'm boring or something." He looked out at the view of the beach once more, gesturing toward it with his glass of lemonade. "Well that's the primary attraction right there. The water's refreshing, the hot sand. The women..." he paused and smirked, "it's something else, man. Not sure how it compares to Spain, but it's like heaven to me. There's supposed to be a bonfire later, I don't know if you heard, so that should be fun. Other than that I've only been here a few days myself. I did manage to find a decent bar on the beach. It's not really big or anything, but it's open air on the beach, with live music all the time. It's really chill, a great place to go dancing."

"Told you it was going to be the best one for ya." Mo smirked, then added to Nick, "Yeah you should drop by at the coffee shop I work in. I'm not sure when I'll start working, but my friend Bay will let me know later on." Mo's steps stopped as she heard that Nick was planning to take her to his working place. "You know I'm totally new here, and that place sounds fancy to me. Should I use night gowns or something there to pass the security guards?" Mo chuckled to her own joke, shaking her head.

That when she heard Holden called out to them, he already grabbed one of her luggage and was about to head upstairs. Nick quickly followed him and took her last luggage with a purple backpack attached on it. Both of them seemed quite surprised with the weights. Mo walked pass them, still carrying a mug with hot choco in it, and said, "What? A girl's gotta dress up well, isn't she?" she chuckled. "Besides, they shouldn't be such a problem for a Batman and Prince Charming, I guess." She then proceeded to climb the stairs without looking back to those guys. But she did noticed the cheerful girl from before, Sunny, talking with another girl who seemed a little.. distant. Yes. Distant might be a right word to describe Anna. She looked nice, though. "Hey Sunny!" She called out to her from the stairs, pointing at the mug on her hand, "I made some hot chocolates in case you didn't hear me earlier. They're on the kitchen counter. You grab one too, Anna. Chocolate makes you happy." She smiled, then ventured upstairs again.

Mo took a sip on his drink as she reached the last step. Jason was there, on phone. He didn't seem to look happy, maybe the phone call was really important? She shrugged it of and waved to him as she walked by, continued to look for her room. And she found it. She quickly opened the door then got in. The room was quite spacious, with bedroom essentials neatly placed here and there. It looked really simple, but she got everything she needs there. She had a big bed enough for two, dressing table, a wardrobe that she hoped would be big enough for her stuffs (and some more stuffs she would buy in the future), and some other knick-knacks. Mo sat on the bed after she finished looking around, planning to decorate the room a little bit more, while waiting for the boys to get in. "Right here, boys." She called out to them. "Just place my babies near that wardrobe. Thank you." She added, took another sip of her warm chocolate, hoping that they could hear her from outside.

Nick saw that Holden was also somewhat caught off guard by the weight of the luggage and said, "And she got this stuff here on her own. Wow stronger than she looks."

Nick chuckled when Mo spoke about her wardrobe and where he worked. He said, "The suit and tie I worn in there this morning wasn't gonna work. My boss told me to be myself, He knew I was uncomfortable in it and told me to lose it first chance I got and to put my earring back in by Monday morning."

He set the luggage next to the wardrobe and Nick said, "One of the many advantages of being in radio I can pretty much get away with wearing anything. The station I was at before here if I knew i was the only one there a tank top, workout shorts, and sandals. Within the first hour the sandals were off. Not to mention we were set up across from a Domino's. Call them up and put on a long CD while I waited by the door."

Nick took a step forward and said, "Not to mention I have the perfect face for radio." Nick smiled at that and took a step away and said, "Truth be known..." Nick shook his head and said, "What I do isn't that hard. Just make sure you got the song going, no dead-air, hit the ads on time, assume the mic is always on, know what you're gonna say, and be yourself. Hard to believe I went to college for that."

He looked around at Mo's knick-knacks. He said, "An animal lover I gather. I had an aquarium back in Virginia 10 gallon with 6 different types, but sold it to a friend at the station. Trying to move it and all the logistics was just too much of a pain in the neck for me to deal with. Thinking of getting another one but first I need to get my room set up, and all that jazz. Then again I may just settle for getting a goldfish. I like animals too except I have one phobia." Nick shook his head and said, "It's silly it's stupid but I have what is known as Randiphobia." Nick rolled his eyes and said, "Fear of frogs." Nick started to laugh and said, "Spiders, bugs, snakes, I can't handle frogs though I shriek like a woman."

Nick looked back at Mo and said, "Now that I have not only babbled on and potentially embarrassed myself on many many levels. I'll let you get settled in. I'm gonna start putting my room together. Need anything give a knock on the wall closest to your bed. I'm your next door neighbor." With smile and slight nod of the head Nick said, "It was a pleasure. I'll see you tonight."

Nick went into his bedroom and closed the door, He leaned against it and rolled his eyes. Nick looked up to the ceiling and shook his head. Really smooth in there Dawson. Real slick. Nick closed his eyes and exhaled. Settle down Dawson settle down.

With that Nick began setting up his room. The clothes were easy. Especially since he just taped up the drawers and the doors for his wardrobe so that settled his clothes being taken care of. Just four pulls of tape and done. Nick smiled and said, "Okay now for my next trick world peace."

Nick opened back up the door and continued taking out various knick-knacks and setting them on shelves and the dresser. He came across the picture of him and his dad taken at the Grand Canyon riding the mule train into the canyon, and just 5 months later Robert was killed overseas. Nick never told anyone how his father died, or what he did for a living. He has always said that he was killed in a car accident which was partially true, because he was in a car that was attacked by a suicide bomber that resulted in his death. As Obi-Wan would note it's true from a certain point of view.

Nick touched the picture and said, "It's been 17 years and it still hurts just as much today as it did in December of '97. I miss you dad."

Nick put the picture down on the nightstand and continued getting out various items. Then he came across the two jewels in his collecting crown. The first was a framed and matted poster from 1991 that hung in his father's study until Suzanne told Nick to take it with him. It was signed by the original "Star Trek" cast and "The Next Generation." The only time all 14 actors signed an item at the same time in the same place. Nick hung it over the bed and said, "Well dad hope you don't mind."

The next item was from "The Empire Strikes Back" in a glass case. Nick and his dad loved that movie and Robert had served as a technical adviser on two Spielberg movies, and when the second movie was over Spielberg asked if there was anything he could do for him. Robert asked if he could call George Lucas about maybe a prop from "The Empire Strikes Back." for Nick's Birthday. Spielberg laughed and said he would see what he could do. Three months later a Fed-Ex box arrived at Robert's office in Langley and inside was an actual Darth Vader helmet with various signatures, and a note. The note was an apology for the helmet being so late, but it took that long to get everyone's autograph. The helmet was signed by the entire original trilogy cast and Robert knew Nick would love it. Sadly though Robert couldn't give it to Nick for his 10th birthday, because he went overseas a month before his birthday. As much as Nick loved that helmet it was the note his father left with the helmet that Nick cherished more than anything else. A note Robert wrote the night before he left as though Robert knew he wouldn't be coming home. The note was taped to the bottom of the case and Nick hadn't looked at it in 16 years, because everytime he tried to Nick would just lose it.

Nick felt a single tear roll down his cheek and he quickly brushed it away. He then put the helmet on a shelf and said with a bow, "Lord Vader we are honored by your presence." Nick smiled and decided he had enough of getting things together for now. Nick went back downstairs and racked up a set on the pool table and began taking shots.

"I don't work with Satan."
"He's your father, Jason."
"Pssh! i think you pronounced 'jackass' wrong."
"Jason!"

Jason and his mother were bickering, Jason tried to keep it down so he wouldn't ruin the mood of everyone here, but he was starting to get heated. "You know, fathers remember to pick up their sons at a dentist appointment when they are 10. They are supposed to give them birthday presents that isn't a newspaper with him winning a case as the front page just so he can rub it in my face that he's getting money. They also don't leave a god damn family for weeks without telling them that it was for a case in Europe!" He exploded. "So no. I'm not going to be helping him in a case. I'm not going to talk to him about the case. I'm not going to even talk to him. And you can tell him that if he really wanted me to help him, he would have called himself!" He said, loosening his collar. It was silent for a while. "Mom... I'm sorry... but i won't forgive him... I won't forget all the shit he has done to you, and to me, and to innocent people who shouldnt have lost cases against him... goodbye." And with that he hung up.

He probably broke his mother's heart... It hurt him... but if she was going to side with his dad, he wasn't going to bother. He let out a large breath, running a hand through his hair. He made his way in to the master bedroom. He was told that the honor was all his the day he asked everyone about room arrangements. It was styled as a beach house style. fishing nets were hung on the wall, mounted fish of the ones he caught which weren't much. Pictures of Holden and Nick in college, laughing at a joke Nick said right before the picture was taken. school pictures of him with Mo, or Sunny, or Lucas, some of his older friends. He had a few pictures with Rob during a celebration party after he cleared his name, but Anna rarely took pictures with him. He usually cussed him out when he tried. He loves his friends to death, all of them.

The large bed was in the back center, a television on the opposite wall. He had some posters of his favorite bands, or autographs of famous actors or athletes from his attorney days. It felt like a teenager's room, but also a young bachelor's. He made his way into the closet,setting down the coffee on the counter before he went in, and changed in to a purple v-neck, some beige shorts, and some gray skater shoes. He then walked down the stairs, trying to get the look of anger off his face, hoping no one heard him scream, which probably was a lost cause... He finally took a sip of the drink Mo made. She was a genius at making brilliant creations like this. He decided to sit on the couch, leaning his head back, and looking up at the tall ceiling, trying to forget the phone call so he can get back to being with his friends with a happy attitude.

Holden followed silently behind the two, hefting the bag as he climbed the stairs. When Mo showed them the room, he smiled politely and set what he had carried down where she directed. Holden didn't much look around, focusing on the two with a light smirk. It all reminded him of those good ol' college days, even if they weren't that far behind him. Nick had a tendency to get carried away with his talking, especially to people he fancied. He hadn't the intent to even get near Mo, seeing as he had his own preferences that really didn't entail... women. Most people didn't guess it at first, to which he smiled and said it really didn't matter. Well, it didn't matter to him. it did matter to the people who thought that they were being so conspicuously hit on. Of course, he'd shrug it off and both Jason and Nick would laugh their asses off. Luckily, they did so after said person was out of hearing range 'cause, of all people, they didn't hold back and he could never help but smirk.

After setting down the luggage, Holden moved toward one of the walls as Nick continued talking. He gave it a knock, hearing the clear hollowness of the entire partition. It elicited a deep sign and Holden turned around, pressing his lips into a thin line as his eyes shifted toward Mo and Nick. When Nick finally finished, he wiped away the scowl and waved a hand toward him with a slight smirk, fingers pointing in Nick's direction as he left.

"He doesn't know when to stop talking," he explained, apologizing quickly afterwards, "It's... something he does, I guess."

Turning around, he let his eyes roam Momiji's room, scanning his surroundings. He didn't take to much in, but nonetheless nodded and made a quiet noise of approval. Again, he averted his attention back to the woman sitting on her bed, eyeing her quietly with an arched brow. "I should let you get to settling in, then," he finally spoke as he turned around, "I've got an agent to call. Something about a quarterback." With a large grin, Holden waved and exited, nearly running into a frazzled looking Jason on his way out. He'd deal with that later, he actually did have someone to call.

With his phone to his ears, the buzzing of the other end catching his full attention, Holden cursed at a slight stubbed toe on his way downstairs—he had shoes on too. How? Dammit. But, Holden shrugged it off when a voice crackled to life on the other end.

"Karen Daily," she called out, breathless on the other end, "How... how can I help you?"

Holden didn't quite know how to take that, "Did I call at a bad time? I can always—"

"No! Nonono! I was just," there was clattering on the other end while she spoke, cutting off a tad with a distant curse before coming back even wearier, "I was just on the elliptical. Uh, who is this?"

Rounding the corner at the bottom, Holden moved into the kitchen, frowning at Jason's body language as he flopped onto the couch. Upon entering, he leaned against the counter alone and talking in a hushed voice, "Holden Bishop—"

"Wait, like, a Bishop or...?"

"The Bishop—one of the Bishops, actually. The youngest, really. Does it matter?" he asked as his nose scrunched up at the mention, but his tone staid steady.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. Was there anything in particular you wanted? A meeting? Do you intend to sponsor?" she rattled off questions quicker than he could follow.

Holden let out a sigh, smiling in spite of himself as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "Dinner, Saturday, actually," he cut her off.

"With—wait, with who again?"

"Your client?"

"Wilson?"

"Do you have another?"

"No, I'm sorry. It's late."

Holden chuckled into the cellphone as reassured her, "It's fine. So, is that a good day?"

"Um, of course. Yes. I'll write it down, Mr. Bishop. This is a professional meeting right?" she inquired.

"Both."

"Both?"

"Both," he ended the call there and moved back toward the couch, having found a glass of wine to replace the drink Mo made.

He plopped down beside Jason and beamed at him, trying his best to alleviate his obvious worries. "So, I think I may have just booked a date for myself come this weekend, eh? Wait... what's today?" he mused, following Jason's gaze upward. Talking about himself wasn't out of selfish indignation, but to get Jason to forget about whatever he was talking about and focus on something else, anything else. It was obvious whatever happened upstairs pained him and in his talking to Mo and during Nick's spiel, he'd caught the heated yelling coming from outside. He knew what kind of yelling that was, as he was all too accustomed to it and he'd just been through it on a phone call probably not too unlike his own, though the recent events, especially the recent phone call and warm beverage, had all but made his conversation with his mother disappear.

Holden was ready for the night and Jason should be too. If Jason wasn't gonna let his mother ruin his night, then Holden would grant him the same courtesy, though mostly because they were pretty damn good friend.

"Come on," he grinned, patting Jason's chest as he brought his glass of wine to his lips, "We're gonna have a shit ton of fun down on the beach and no one's going to ruin that, no matter how much their recent suit cost or how many husbands they married, remarried, and divorced again, right?"

Nick was enjoying his time with the pool table. There was no style or flow to his game Nick's objective was to sink the ball by any means necessary within the rules. It wasn't pretty and Holden referred to him as the luckiest slop player whoever lived, but it served Nick well in all the years he had played. Nick had been playing since he was 5 years old on his grandparents pool table and at times that pool table was his salvation. He couldn't begin to count the number of nights he'd go over to his grandparents house and shoot on that table for hours after a fight with his mom or his sisters.

Nick looked over at the couch as Jason sat down after his blow-up on the phone, and Nick knew Jason long enough and well enough to know there was only one thing that could get Jason to lose it like that; his family. Over the years Nick had pieced together some of Jason's family history and it wasn't pretty. Nick didn't pry mainly because he was afraid that would mean Nick would have to share about his family too, and that was a pretty painful subject in a lot of ways. Holden also had some issues with his family as well, but again Nick wouldn't pry out of respect for Holden and that Nick wasn't wild about sharing his history or pain. Many times he wanted to tell them both at least they still had their family together. Nick and his mom had their share of issues, and at one point it looked like he was going to be moving in with his grandparents until his older sisters played peacemakers, and they had worked through them but there would always be scars there for all to see.

Nick shook his head for a second realizing that his issues didn't matter at the moment, but a friend of his was hurtin' pretty good. Nick put up his pool-cue and grabbed a beer from the mini-bar and made his way over to Holden and Jason.

Nick sat on the other side of Jason and asked, "Wow, how many times did we do this in college? Grab a seat on the couch, have a couple of drinks just prior to going out on a Friday night?" Nick shook his head and said to Jason, "And who was the one who always said 'no matter what else has happened during the week when it's Friday Night put it on the back burner and cut it loose.' A very wise man got Holden and I through many a bad time with that philosophy. It still works to this day you know."

Nick looked directly at Jason and said, "We got your back my friend." He raised his beer bottle and said to both Holden and Jason, "We take care of our own."

Jason's stress and anger soon faded on the couch, when Holden started to talk. He gave a grin and pat on the back for him when he said he got a date. "Holden Bishop back in the game!" He said with a laugh. "Atta kid." And when Nick came over, all he could do was give a smile. "This wise man also said 'Nick, get down off the table... Stop trying to force choke me, get off the damn table.'" Jason said with a grin of amusement, laughing. He nodded to both of them. "Thanks... Its good to see you guys, and being able to sit around, drinking, and talking like the good old days... And the others are fantastic, you'll like 'em. All childhood, or work friends." He explained. He looked at his watch, and smiled. "Alright! Everyone going to the beach, lets head out! I'll grab the cooler and towels, and we'll head out!" He called out through the house, walking for the fridge to find the small little cooler full of beer.