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Sweet Treats (5) : There’s no shortage of holiday themed popup shops and specials at your local places, and after a long day there’s nothing better than a nice treat for yourself. Maybe you decided to try something new, maybe it was a gift, maybe you got one of the coupons in the mail to try the place out–however you wound up with this drink, you’re in for a good time. No matter what your preferences are, the drink is delicious. Hot, cold, sweet, bitter–there’s a version of it for everyone. But, the flavor isn’t what makes the drink so special–it’s how good it makes you feel. There’s no alcohol in it, but drinking it can leave someone feeling tipsy, warm, and in a general good mood. Inhibitions aren’t lowered and there’s no negative repercussions for having the drink; it might make children more hyper, but the drink just has the ability to put someone in a pleasant mood.
Though Jadyn had looked through the marketplace after going down that giant hill, he still hadn’t found gifts for everyone on his list yet. So now he was walking through the pop up shops downtown, looking for anything that spoke to him. The chill in the air made him shiver, and he paused in his gift search to look for something that would warm him up a little bit. There were plenty of food and drink shops, but one in particular stood out to him.
The stand didn’t have a regular menu, instead it invited the customer to say what they were looking for in semi-vague terms. Hot, cold, sweet, bitter, anything that you desired, they could fix up. Since Jadyn was looking for warmth and was more curious than was probably good for him, he got in line. Everyone who left the little shop seemed to be extremely happy, or maybe even a little bit tipsy. He chuckled as a family walked away, their children running around their legs after having had a sip of their parents’ drinks.
When it was his turn, he smiled at the pretty girl who manned the shop and asked for something hot and sweet. She smiled back at him and took his money, and a few minutes later he held a steaming cup of…something that smelled delicious. He breathed in the steam as it warmed his face.
Ashley was out adventuring and shopping for presents to give to all the important people in her life. She had finished some of her holiday shopping when she decided she would stop by what looked to be a popular drink shop. She stood in line behind an attractive redhead, tempted to maybe see if he wanted to hang out (yes she was bad but did it matter?) for a bit while they had their drinks. Bell had not staked a claim or even talked about making their relationship more permanent so she was free to be with whomever she pleased till they could both make up their minds.
Granted, she hasn't found anyone with more stamina than Bell…She wasn't sure if that was saying something or if she was just broken in terms of her sexdrive. Either way, the redhead had her attention (even if he wasn't aware) so she decided to approach him and see what would happen. Worst comes to worst, he just says no to her offer and they both move on, no skin off her shoulder.
Once she grabbed her drink, she quickly caught up to the redhead with a smile. “Scuse me but I couldn't help but notice you over there and I was wondering if you wanted to keep me company while we sipped our drinks?” She made sure to lay on the french accent she’s usually so good about keeping hidden, waiting on his answer.
Jadyn turned when he heard a voice behind him, smiling at the very attractive woman with pastel pink hair. And she was French? Who was he to decline a beautiful woman with a sexy accent? “I would love to, beautiful,” he said with a crooked smile. “Are you out shopping for last minute Christmas presents, too?” he asked with a soft laugh. He tried to be subtle about it, but his gaze moved across her body and what a body it was… Curvy in all the right places with a pretty face and glasses. He wasn't sure what it was about glasses that he found attractive, but he did.
He offered her his arm as if he were a gentleman from a time long past, hoping the pretty girl would find it cute. “I'm Jadyn, by the way.”
Ah…The accent worked every single time. But then again, Ashley already knew it would work because why wouldn't it? She was the best after all. She gave him a soft smile, hooking her arm in his while she took a sip of her drink. It felt nice to let her accent free every once in a while. “Oh yes. I have two siblings to shop for as well as my father. It's the siblings that are a bit on the picky side.” She giggled, feeling a bit lighter than she usually was. It was a nice feeling and it made her want to take another sip.
“I am Ashley. It's nice to meet you Jadyn~” She felt warm now after another sip, “So, who are you shopping for?” It didn't seem like he had a significant other so she was clear on that end. But he could also be batting for another team entirely, which, hot but it would mean her end goal would not be reached. That would turn this from a nice day into a sad day pretty quickly.
But that didn't mean she couldn't resolve it by sending a quick text to Bell if she had to.
He grinned when she took his arm, taking a sip of his drink as they began to walk together. Wow, it was sugary and delicious, and warmth spread through his chest at just the first sip. Her arm around his felt nice, as well. She was soft and she smelled good. Not to mention that accent was going to get him in serious trouble.
Trying to keep his mind on a more innocent path, he paid attention to her words instead of just her accent. Siblings, and her dad… No boyfriend? That was surprising, as beautiful as she was? He chuckled softly when she called her siblings picky.
“You're not wrong about siblings being picky,” he said with a soft laugh. “I'm still shopping for my sister.” He took another sip of his drink and felt just a little lightheaded. “Maybe we can help each other?” He meant with presents, but there may have been a lilt to his smile that suggested other kinds of… help. “What kind of things do your siblings like?” There were plenty of shops around here this time of year, they were sure to find all the presents they needed.
”Sure~ I wouldn't mind that in the slightest.” Jadyn seemed pretty nice and she wasn't picking up any bad vibes from him but that didn't mean they couldn't manifest. She did raise an eyebrow at that smirk, giving him one of her own as she took another sip of her drink, basking in the sugary goodness of it all. “Well, my brother loves learning new languages as well as the stereotypical video games like Call of Duty. My sister is a fashion nerd, and loves to find her own style.” Both were easy but the hard part was finding something that they DIDN'T have.
“What about your sister?” She made sure to press herself against him a bit more, just enough for a bit of pressure, which would hopefully convey that yes she was interested in the other help he could provide. Whether that was before or after shopping for their siblings she didn't care.
Jadyn hummed slightly at the feeling of her pressing closer. He squeezed her arm a bit and took a longer drink of the sweet and warm concoction in his cup. “Ooh, a gamer brother. Man after my own heart,” he said with a teasing laugh. “Maybe get him a gift card for whichever console he has? He could get all kinds of mods and skins for Call of Duty or any of his other games.” Not everyone liked giving gift cards but… Sometimes they were the best option. Languages… He tried to keep his mind on topic but having her so close was a distraction.
He wanted to be even closer…but there were so many people around… Languages. And fashion. “Mm, maybe you could find a book for a language he doesn't know yet?” Another sip of his drink and he was moving his arm from around hers, sliding it behind her and around her waist. Now he could feel her against his side, and he hoped she liked it as much as he did.
“I may have to admit defeat as far as fashion, though. I can't say I'm that knowledgeable about it,” he said and gave her another grin.
That got her to laugh, because of course this one liked video games too. She didn't mind videogames, but they really weren't her thing. “A gift card would be nice, he's not super finicky about those types of things.” Since Ever was trying to learn Russian and Italian she could get him a book in both of those languages that he might like. When Jadyn removed his arm she thought they were done but instead he just wrapped his arm around her waist which was something she wasn't going to complain about.
She could feel a bit of his build now that she was closer and tried to focus on what she should be getting Sahara, but…Hormones were calling and this drink was not helping that at all. So she decided to see if he was thinking what she was thinking, shifting up to whisper something in his ear while pulling back, “I think….I know what to get my sister.” Hara would love a pair of boots and maybe a TASTEFUL christmas sweater.
He couldn't stop the blush that burned his face at her whispered words. It was pure luck that they had met and Jadyn was finding himself thanking whatever god sent her his way. “Oh?” he asked, trying for conversational while also trying to ignore what was happening in his jeans. “And what do you think your sister would like?” All the while his eyes were scanning their surroundings for somewhere…suitable.
It was freezing outside though and his mind wandered to Marni's schedule, wondering if he would have the house to himself for a few hours at least… “As for, um, my sister,” he began, giving her a smile to let her know exactly why he was distracted from their conversation. “She's a chef. Always looking for more kitchen things.”
”Kitchen things?” Well she could kind of help with that. “There is a cookbook that's pretty popular. It's from a youtuber that focuses on recipes from the old days.” She chuckled, knowing exactly how he felt now, she figured…There was a couple of places that she could think of for a quick fix…If he was the adventurous type.
Dragon Berri
