stands_for_hope | OPEN RP Post

"I was working at one of the truck stops on that route," he explained, "so when I decided to head out, not much else I could do on that point. Just figured I'd start walking."

"Lucky for you that I was in a good mood then." Jax was quiet for a moment before he slid out of the booth.

"Be right back." Because he needed a cigarette and to make a quick phone call while he was waiting for the food.

Clark didn't fuss; he was content to wait for his breakfast. Though one ear did go to making sure that he wasn't checking in on that last truck stop he'd been at. Just in case.

He got an update on Abel and then hung up and finished his cigarette before heading back inside to dig into his meal. He had a long day of riding ahead till he reached the next city and a place to sleep.

There wasn't much talk, as much because they didn't know one another as because they were both pretty hungry, and for the most part, that was the end of it. After all, he was at a truck stop. He'd have an easy ride out. And that was it.

At least until the next time.

Jax was gone as soon as finished the meal, leaving cash for a tip at least and then off to Portland, heading for the end of town where he'd be most comfortable and finding a bar to settle in.

Have a few drinks, maybe find some company for the night or at least for however long it took to deal with the girl in the bathroom and while he was still functional when he headed across the street to his hotel, he had a couple of bottles that were going to come in handy later.

Jax checked on his bike first before heading down to the room.

...and there, getting some ice from the ice machine, is Clark from the country road. He doesn't seem to have noticed Jax but that's at least partly the fault of the machine itself, which was not behaving.

"....You know, crossing paths once is accidental, twice might be a coincidence but I don't really believe in coincidence." Not when it came to something like this anyway and his gaze settled on Clark as he put the bottles away in his saddlebags.

"Find somewhere else to spend the night."

The blink that he gives is genuine, mostly because he's not quite certain why the other man is so dead set against his presence. But more importantly, he lifts his chin and gives a soft shake of his head.

"I'm sorry but... I'm not exactly going to find a ride at this hour. And I've already paid for my room."

"Not my problem, and you've got legs." He lit a cigarette and just stared at Clark for a long moment.

"So, you start walking and find yourself another place to sleep or we're going to have a problem here. I don't like being followed."

He can't help the eyeroll. Jeez Seriously?

"I'm not following you. Like you said, there aren't many major roads up here. This was where I got dropped off. And I'm not leaving just because you don't like it."

"I'd almost believe that if we weren't in the middle of Portland." Jax didn't look away.

"You get one pass with this. Next time you just 'accidentally' turn up at the same motel and I see you, it's not going to end as well."

His lips pressed into a line.

"I don't like being threatened, Jax. And I don't think I've given you cause to threaten me."

He gestures with both hands towards the parking lot.

"You know very well I don't have a car. I've got a destination in mind, but until I get there, I'm at other people's whims. The fact that I ended up in one of the major cities isn't 'accident': it's logic."

"I'm not disputing you ending up in the city, but it's a little weird that you just happened to end up at the exact same shitty motel. And honestly? I don't give a shit if you like being threatened or not.

I'm done here." Jax headed to his room.

Clark was content to let him go, didn't really have any interest in pursuing him or having a confrontation. Instead, he sucked in a frustrated breath and let it out before heading back to his room. He really really hoped he wouldn't encounter the other man again. He wasn't looking forward to it at all but it would be his luck.

...it was of course, his luck. It was his luck, his luck always, that had Jax walking in the door two hours after he'd secured himself a spot as the new busboy and off-hour bartender. He wanted to try and make a run for it to the back of the ramshackle 'kitchen' but breathed in deep and decided to deal with it as it came.

Walking into one of the bars that was more or less neutral territory and finding him there was enough to have Jax's footsteps slowing as his gaze settled on Clark behind the bar.

The room itself was more or less empty, not that that would have stopped it but unlike Charming, he didn't have an out here given they had no relationships with the local cops.

So waiting was a thing, at least for a while and Jax had a few drinks in the meantime before he went outside.

Clark didn't make a point to talk to OR to avoid Jax; he did his job and handled the clientele and the tables and the mess. But at the end of his shift, he headed outside, through the back in the hopes of avoiding Jax, and hoped he could make his way to the little service shack the owner was renting him without incident.

Yeah, no such luck given Jax was waiting outside the door and pushed off the wall to move into his path.

"You know, three times isn't really selling the whole this is just a coincidence thing." His voice was flat, gaze fixing on Clark.

"So why don't you drop the act and tell me why the fuck you're here."

Clark breathed in deep and closed his eyes and finally looked out at Jax.

"I don't know why you're following me, or what this is about, or even what you're talking about. Why I'm here is my own business, though. And I don't owe you anything more than thanks for a few miles of road."

And given the threats, he wasn't really feeling all that thankful about that one.

"Now, if you please?"

OPEN RP Post

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