Stephanie takes another cup of coffee from Anna "Alright, enough about me. Talk Anna Wright. Work, photography, men?"
Anna sits back down with her own cup "Uh well...the same, I did a set in Crescent Park....and nothing to report. I'll live vicariously through you."
Stephanie rolls her eyes "Show me the pictures ans then I'll badger you about actually getting out there."
The two women scroll through Anna's phone and discuss the set while sitting in the Lavender Dreams breakfast area. It's not open to the public but the door is unlocked.
Michael Reinhardt chuckled to himself the whole time he was checking out of work until he got home, almost literally next door. Upstairs he changed his clothes while also playing with April, his Siamese. Finally he feeds her a special treat, and heads on out, leaving her to play with the many toys he's bought for her over the months. Then, still smiling and walking proud, he heads over to the Lavender B&B. Stephanie told him to pick her up from there, because she was visiting with Anna Wright.
Stephanie hovers over a picture on the phone "Oh I like the angle of the light on this one..."
Anna smiles "Yeah me too...tried to get the beach after....too many people to really photograph. I should have gone an hour earlier. Oh well."
Stephanie nods "Alright. Dating? And it's not a your mom question. I just don't want you to be lonely."
Anna laughs "Are you feeling guilty for being HAPPY? Steph, I'm happy for you. And I'm happy single. I still feel bad for breaking your brother's heart, but I just needed to be...with me."
Stephanie has a thoughtful look "He's OK now. Really good actually." She sips at her coffee, debating whether to day more.
Michael approaches the B&B and knocks softly. He is still outwardly amused, smiling and happy.
Anna smiles, almost in relief "Oh that's good to hear....that must be....Yep Michael." She can see him through the door and smiles as she walks to open it "Come on in Michael. Would you like a coffee?"
Micheal comes in when the door is open. He moves to Stephanie and makes to kiss her. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" he grins, still standing and not really wanting to interrupt girl time.
Stephanie tilts her head up and kisses him "No you're all good. Come sit." It was probably a good time to interrupt.
Anna walks to get another cup of coffee for Michael and set it before him "So what's new with you then?" She asks as she starts to sit back down.
Michael smiles and sits near Stephanie. He takes the cup with a "Thanks, Anna." and sips. "I got a little validation that my self defense classes work." he announces, looking like a proud papa. "One of my girls beat up a boy today."
Stephanie looks on edge "Which boy? What did he do?"
Anna looks aghast "Oh no....that's good? What happened?"
Michael looks even prouder. "Not one of the boys. It was Sasha Williams. She got in a fight with Hani and WON it." he continues ot look pleased as punch.
Stephanie looks thoughtful "Did Hani have it coming? What was the fight about?"
Anna's hand flies to her mouth "Oh no!!! Oh no Oh no!!! I thought they were PLAYING! They had a REAL fight! Oh my god........" She clutches her coffee looking stricken.
Stephanie stares at Anna and then darts a look back at Michael.
Michael looks at Stephanie, his proud grin still in place. "Oh it wasn't really anything like that." he says and catches Anna's look. "You know I told you that Sasha is into survival, right? She wanted to see if Hani could fight ... and so have her back when things turn to shit ..." he looks at Anna again. "It was real, but it wasn't REAL." he looks confused. "She said he put up such a good fight she had to end it with a knee to his jewels. I mean ... they're probably closer now than they were before .. now that they know the other can fight." he looks at Anna again and then at Steph with a sort of ... how is this wrong look on his face.
Stephanie doesn't seem as phased by it as Anna and chuckles "Well good for her. A proper young lady should know how to kick some ass."
Anna looks between Stephanie and Michael like they're both from another planet "I agree that self defense is good....but talking your way out can hopefully still sometimes be a valid option. Are either of them hurt?"
Michael looks happy with Steph's reply and then again a little lost at Anna's. "No." then he pauses. "I ... don't ... I don't think so." he replies. "Sasha took a knee or a foot to the chin while she was pinning him and bit her tongue..." he looks at Stephanie. "Is .... is that hurt?" in his world it was like calling himself injured because he nicked himself shaving.
Stephanie knows Michael a little better than Anna by now and just cracks up.
Anna opens her mouth to reply and then closes it again. She looks away, gathering her thoughts and then back at Michael, perplexed "OK so enough injured that technically one could have decided to charge the other with assault? I mean if that's how it had played out. I'm sorry...I'm confused..."
Michael sort of smiles when Stephanie laughs. She SO gets him. "Charged .... assault...." he readjusts himself in his chair. "They're KIDS, Anna. And friends and wannabe survivalists ... urban survivalists. I know for a FACT that they are both from rough neighborhoods. Hani is from Hells Kitchen and Sasha has told me about living on the DMZ of two gangs. Calling the POLICE never crossed EITHER of their minds. And it was like .... a test." he shrugs. "Friends and siblings fight ... like ... blood and bruises ... and .. sometimes broken bones...." he shakes his head hard, trying to get unpleasant childhood memories out of it. "These arent kids who talk ANYTHING out .... hell ... I'm happy they opted to fist fight ... I think Johnson and Douglass's talk on NO knife fights worked very well."
Stephanie looks between them "We're a little sheltered here in Cedar Point. I'm glad those two were able to explore that path safely, not in a gang scene in Hell's Kitchen."
Anna sighs "I know we have it good here...but wow.....I'm still getting my head around it. I honestly thought they were a cute little couple at the craft sale so to hear they duked it out is just weird. I get that they're coming from something totally scary though in terms of a background. I got a hint of that as a kid in East Van before we moved back but even where we were was not like that. And I'm so glad there were no knives."
Michael reaches for Stephanie's hand. "Yea. I grew up in a middling neighborhood, but abusive family. Then I worked in the Devil's Kitchen .... same concept as Hell's." he looks at Anna and chuckles. "Oh they ARE a cute little couple. I just don't think they know it yet." he cant's his head. "Did no boy ever pull your pig tail as a girl? My brother used to chase girls down on his bike if he liked him. Testosterone." he says that as if he is discussing a controlled substance.
Stephanie looks sympathetically at Michael about his childhood. She kid of knew bits and pieces but he hadn't said the words exactly before. "It sounds like the tension went both ways." She said with a small snicker.
Anna sighs "I'm so sorry to hear that Michael. Some boys yeah. I won't tell you what my mother had to say about all of that but yeah it does sound like it was both of them. I hope those kids don't end up hurting each other....physically OR emotionally."
Michael shrugs. "I doubt either of them has it like I did. I really hope not." he bites his lip. "Anna .... he made her bleed and she stomped him in the nuts. And they're still friends. Better now they know that if they need someone to watch the others back." he shrugs. "I mean ... I feel that way about Steph, even if she's never tried to geld me."
Steph just smirks and says "Noted." cheekily.
Anna shakes her head "I'm just a big fan of diplomacy. I know it doesn't always work, believe me. Before you came here there was a guy who attacked me in the lighthouse. No amount of talking my way out of it would have worked on him....but even still I feel like that's the exception, at least here."
Michael chuckles. "Yea ... we will NEVER go there .. I will be good." he looks at Anna. "I guess diplomacy has its place, but war does also." he arches his brows, having not known about any guy she couldn't be diplomatic with. "Could be ...." he looks between the women, wondering what this is about.
Stephanie nods at Anna "That was a shitty situation but he's locked up now. David Martin." She explains to Michael "You can look it up for the police report details. He was a ....drifter....robber....violent robber. Anna happened upon him while he was trying to evade the cops and get out of town." Steph looks kindly at Anna "I'm really glad the cops came and found you when they did."
Anna nods, looking down "Me too. Me too." She lets out a big breath "It was at the beginning of dating Garrett, well properly...we'd been kind of on and off again over the years. But then I just couldn't, so I ended it." She shrugs and looks at Michael and then Steph "But I'm glad he's doing better now. Is he seeing anyone?"
Michael nods, making a mental note to do exactly that, look it up. At the mention of Garrett, he glances at Stephanie and sips his coffee, the picture of red haired innocence.
Stephanie tenses up a bit and then looks into her cup awkwardly. She hesitates and then says carefully "I should probably let Garrett tell you..."
Anna giggles a bit "Did he get get pregnant with someone or elope or something? You're all doom and gloom Steph...what the hell?"
Michael looks at Stephanie. "It really ISN'T the end of the world...." he coaxes her. It isn't his place, he believes. "Garrett is OK with it, seems to me."
Stephanie just says it now "Garrett is in a relationship with a man. He seems very happy."
Anna considers this for a moment, tilting her head to one side and then slowly nods "OK.....and you're right, not the end of the world at all. Do I know the guy?" He looks between them both now with a bit of a growing smile.
Michael grins. "Yea ... he takes your money on a regular basis, I expect." he licks his lips. "Dr Ayala."
Anna had been casually sipping her coffee and now sputtered and sprayed it with wide eyes. She started laughing at herself and grabbing for napkins "I'm sorry......Garrett and Ziven? OK Steph don't take this the wrong way but your brother can be a bit.....well some of MY jokes were too dirty for him. And I've heard Ziven, and well what Char tells me....he's like wild naked man of the forest! That's incredible."
Stephanie looks amused "Maybe this will be good for my brother. Wild naked man of the forest......"
Michael just manages to swallow before Anna speaks. "God .. what a vision." he clears his throat. Then, he turns to Stephanie. "Ziven is ... VERY free ... and you Yamadas . all ... tense about nudity." he teases her. The night they first made love he cooked naked for her ... and when she stays at his place ... he still does.
Stephanie slaps the table in front of Michael "Our parents were very MODEST. Get over it nude boy. I'm fine now aren't I?"
Anna turns beet red and pretends to block out the view of them with her hands over her eyes "Gah!" She laughs "And naked redheads are blinding...."
Michael laughs. "Yes, my love, you are MORE than fine." then he looks at Anna, mock offended. "I am more than a boyfriend." he declares. "I am emergency lighting!"
Steph giggles at Michael "My big hot beacon."
Anna rolls her eyes and snorts "OK you're emergency dorks too, both of you. I'm kicking you guys out. This has been a very off conversation." She has to laugh "No bad, just odd. I have half a season of Supergirl to catch up on for the upcoming everything CW DC Universe crossover." She stands to offer to gather the cups.
Steph nods "Yep, Tristan has been counting down on that. Maybe we'll come over for some crossover episodes."
Michael chuckles and looks at Anna. "I am going to watch and try and understand. And keep Stephanie and Tristan from going TOO crazy." he stands and reaches for Stephanie's hand. "May I see you home?" he grins.
Stephanie hugs Anna before she gets past and laughs at her and then takes the hand "Yes my beacon you may. But for the sake of the neighbors you'll have to keep your pants on until we get there."
Anna had been partway through the kitchen door to drop off cups and bumped it back open, joke threatening them with a cup "Out you go pervy people. Before I get undiplomatic!"
Michael heads out with a put upon sigh. "She never lets me have ANY fun." he protests, then reconsiders. "In public." he waves. "See you around, Anna."
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