"Hey David, y'alright?" Aaron called when he spotted Isabella's boyfriend lounging on their porch.
He'd taken to sitting outside when both the girls were at the bar, as it at least gave him some fresh air... and an opportunity to smoke if he wanted to. But he was still bored. "Yeah, just bored. Fancy a beer?" David asked, opening the Koolbox he'd brought outside so he didn't have to keep going back inside for another drink.
"Sure thing," his guest nodded and made his way up the porch to join him. "The girls at the bar?" he asked curiously, wondering how freely he'd be able to talk.
"Of course, where else?" the town's newest resident scoffed, passing a beer over, getting a soft chuckle in response. "What would your family do with the place if the girls did ever agree to sell?" David asked after a minute, during which he thought about what his new friend could provide in terms of an escape from this town.
"We'd rebuild from scratch of course," Aaron started, making himself comfortable in one of the chairs that Tatum had put out to relax in. "We'd either open up another shop or build some houses," he said nonchalantly. If it was up to him, his pa would buy the bar from the girls and he'd build a new grand house there. It would allow them to keep a closer eye on the town, as well as get him away from the main house. And, if he allowed himself to dream, she would live there with him. "Why? You not likin' our little town?" he asked with an amused chuckle, pulling himself from his daydream in which he'd been running his hand through her beautiful brown hair.
"No offence, but no, not really," David answered honestly. "There's nothing to do here for me. And I don't like Isabella being the breadwinner. It gives her... too much sense of self," he said, trying to put into words that he didn't like how much freedom and confidence it gave his girlfriend without sounding too controlling. He'd much rather she be at home, where he could keep an eye on her.
"Hm yes," his friend made an agreeing noise. "Don't like those independent types," he added. His family was quite traditional in that sense, that they liked the women to be stay-at-home mothers and home-makers. There was a reason Vivian had so much time to go out shopping and do whatever she wanted; her family had made sure there was no reason for her to have to work. "Doesn't the city inspire her to be independent though?" Aaron asked curiously, trying to figure out what type of relationship these two had.
"Nah, not really. I have more work in the city and she always relied on me to provide," David answered. In the city, he felt like a man in control. Here, he wasn't sure what to expect next.
"Surely there's more temptation for her though," the Miller son now planted a seed.
"What do you mean, temptation?" his out-of-town buddy asked concerned. He didn't like what the other man seemed to be implying.
"Oh, you know, from other men. She seems to enjoy the attention she gets from her customers here, but hey I'm sure it means nothin'," Aaron said casually now. He'd seen her enjoy the banter with her regulars, but it had never gone beyond that. David tried to act like that information didn't annoy him, as he clenched his fists, holding them out of sight as much as he could. "How's it livin' with her sister?" the town bully asked curiously now. While Isabella held a kind of allure over him, Tatum held no appeal to him. She had too much spunk for his taste.
"It's not too bad right now, but I'm assuming it's gonna get harder once she has her baby," David said without thinking, he was still mulling over the previous comment about his girlfriend's flirting escapades.
"Wait, Tatum's pregnant?" Aaron asked to make sure. This could make things interesting.
"Ah shit. I wasn't supposed to say anything," he realised too late what he'd revealed by accident.
"Oh, don't worry, I won't tell no one," the Miller said, finishing his beer as a couple of plans started to take form in his mind.