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[pullmeapint]

Finn cleared the last of the dishes from the dinner rush and carted them into the kitchen for Tandy, laughing when she asked if he'd been demoted to busser.

That chore done, he headed back into the bar to do a walk around, checking with those in the game room and those at the tables and booths scattered around the bar area. He joked with a few of the regulars and greeted the faces he couldn't remember seeing before taking his position behind the bar again.

Leaning against the back counter, he surveyed his pub and couldn't help the smile that formed. For as much flak as he'd received from his family over his choosing such a small town when he finally struck out on his own, he really did love the town. The atmosphere was open, accepting, and the sheer fact that he could use his abilities without causing the National Enquirer to drop onto his head made it perfect.

He looked up when the door opened and called out a welcome to the newcomer.

"Welcome to the Pub."

Comments

[pullmeapint]

"Really," Finn nodded then, because he couldn't help it, he added, "I'd only charge a few thousand for the pub rental."

He managed to keep his poker face in place for the most part, but he knew how badly he sucked at bluffing, and that the twinkle in his eyes probably gave away that he was teasing.

[thediceloveme]

"Thousand?" Lee repeated face falling until she spotted the gleam in his eye and the smile he was struggling to keep off his face. She rallied and waved a hand dismissively. "I'll have my people talk to your people." She said airily.

[pullmeapint]

Finn laughed when she caught his grin. "And now you know why I'm the shame of my family and never, ever play poker."

[thediceloveme]

"Seriously. You would be a great distraction to take to Vegas and count cards with though." She said with a grin. "A great patsy."

[pullmeapint]

"You mean I'm the one the gangsters are beating up while you're back at the table, cleaning up on chips? Thanks, but I think I'll pass on that," Finn returned, laughing with her. He caught the look from one of his servers and sent her a bar rag to clean up a spill on the table using his powers. "So, apart from a LARP tavern, was there anything else that sent you in here tonight desperate for a dessert beer?"

[thediceloveme]

"I'd cut you in!" Lee laughed and pointed at her glass at his question. "Beer was closer to me here than the beer in my apartment was." She said. "And I only have studying and marking to go home to so I'm not in a rush."

[pullmeapint]

"Works for me, and definitely works for my bottom line," he replied with a wink. "What are you studying? And should I berate myself for contributing to the delinquency of a student by giving her really good beer and the potential ability to scam Vegas casinos?"

[thediceloveme]

"Teaching. IT specifically." Lee said, smiling hopefully and offering her empty glass to him looking for a refill. "You're not contributing to anything. I'm a straight B+ student, I'll have you know. And I only scam casinos on weekends."

[pullmeapint]

"Good to know. I'd hate to have that kind of karma following me around."

Finn moved off to make a table's drinks, close out a few tabs, and call back an order to the kitchen before returning to Lee. "Ready for another, or is this a one-beer night for you?"

[thediceloveme]

"I'll take another." She said cheerfully, the alcohol making her warm and relaxed. "I'm not monopolising your time, am i?"

[pullmeapint]

"That's the best part about being the boss. I can spend as much time as I want, wherever I want, and yell at the employees if they do." Finn grinned in such a way that said he rarely yelled at anyone, and especially not for spending too much time with the customers.

[thediceloveme]

Lee laughed. "So you own this place? Nice gig!"

[pullmeapint]

"Yep. It's all mine, success or failure, so I'm heavily motivated to make it the former. Otherwise I'll never live down that I'd be the first Finnegan to fail at providing drink, food and atmosphere to the masses." He paused, considered, then grinned. "Well, my cousin Jean failed rather spectacularly, but she's still insisting that she was just too early with her plan and that the world wasn't quite ready for her signature style."

[thediceloveme]

"Well that just begs the question; What the hell was her plan?" Lee said with a laugh.

[pullmeapint]

"That would be a food truck that specialized in dessert protein," Finn said, with as much seriousness as he could muster. "Her Oreo-Crusted Pork Chops were a thing to behold."

[thediceloveme]

Lee blinked at him. "I'm not gonna lie...I'm terrified and slightly hungry."

[pullmeapint]

"Go with terrified. Trust me. Have an Oreo, have a pork chop. Do not have both together on the same plate. It was, in all honesty, the only time I've ever spit food back out again since I was out of a high chair."

He still had nightmares thinking about the Butterfinger Fish.

[thediceloveme]

Laughing, Lee shook her head. "Okay maybe it is a bit more terrifying than appetising." She said. "I'm assuming she's not the chef here."

[pullmeapint]

"Oh Hell no. She's pretty much been summarily banned from all Finnegan kitchens since she was caught trying to slip M&M shrimp onto a plate at my uncle's place. I think she's in Thailand now or something, expanding her culinary education. I somehow doubt that's going to help. At all. Not if the pictures she's posting to Instagram are any indication."

[thediceloveme]

"Oh god...Thai sweet savouries?" Lee shook her head. "She's a mad woman. What was her punishment for the M&M shrimp?"

[pullmeapint]

"She calls herself an unappreciated genius. Truth told, we're all hoping she crosses paths with Gordon Ramsey at some point, maybe she'll listen if he tells her that what she's making is inedible."

Finn laughed and loaded empties into the bar dishwasher. "Banishment from our restaurants was the punishment. In my family, that's kind of a big thing."