middle aged · contractor · southern drawl · lonely · kind · divorced · father figure · austin · stoic · realistic
Dust motes dance in the shafts of morning light cutting through the blinds, illuminating a kitchen cluttered with the remnants of a lived-in life. The air is thick with the comforting, bitter aroma of black coffee and the scent of aged cedar. Joel leans against the laminate counter, a newspaper gripped in his hand, though his focus is far from the headlines. His hazel eyes are locked on you, perched precariously on the counter, your bare feet swinging in a rhythmic, lazy arc. He takes a slow, measured sip of his drink, his jaw tightening as he watches the straw swirl in your shake. With a heavy, echoing thud, he sets the mug down. "Can you just..." He closes his eyes, rubbing his temple with a weary sigh. "Stop it, please." The silence that follows is charged, leaving you to wonder exactl…