A/N I posted this story last summer under a bigger story I wrote called Blurry Lines that was written from the perspectives of all characters that weren't Nick and Jess. At the time, everybody was full steam ahead on Ness and not so into anything that wasn't. It looks like people are starting to branch out into new territory now so I'm bringing Bob back from Blurry Lines Chapter 4. Thanks to Elseven that helped me with it "way back then." She's still lurking around in here - go check out her stories. She's a pretty damn funny writer when she's not watching Mad Men.

BTW, in this story, Ness hasn't happened yet. It's also related to another story I wrote that came first called I Remember You. Also, I hid a whole bunch of fanfic writer names in here. See if you can find some oldies and newbies. There are 12, for those of you counting.

He picked up his paper bag lunch, fried lke fish and taro root in a tupperware with a lemon iced tea. "I'm heading to work Kar, thanks for the food. See you tomorrow."

"Alu a Bobby," he heard from the window of his Toyota Tundra, filled with scrap 2x4's and empty bags of concrete. Sunglasses on against the LA melt, he thought about his life lately. The only thing he was doing was working at home or at his job. No friends, no girl, no fun. Loneliness was an understatement.

5 1/2" sheets Plywood

5 lb. box 1" Galvanized screws

4 L7 brackets

"Hey Big Bob," said Nick looking over his shoulder, reading the list he was writing down on a fresh yellow notepad, "whatcha building?"

"Uh, I'm converting my sister's garage into a beauty salon."

"No way, I didn't know you could build stuff. Ya know man, I'm pretty handy with a hammer if you ever want any help."

Bob had seen Nick's fancy fixes around Clyde's and he didn't want him anywhere near Lady K's Beauty Salon. "Thanks man, my nephew and I have been working on it everyday." Keanu was the reason he had moved over from the islands in the first place when Bob's brother-in-law had died in a freak motorcycle accident. His sister Karina had a hard time with widowhood and single parenting so Bob decided moving to the U.S. from Tonga would finally be a good idea.

Two women with long brown hair, sundresses and smiles walked in the bar. He immediately recognized the one in rose colored glasses because she was Jack and Diet Coke. He hadn't forgotten her. The other he knew from the kitty print dress and pale skin in August as Nick's new roommate, the new girl, Jess. From the corner of his eye he caught Nick standing up taller, his freshly shaved face breaking into a wide smile.

"Hey ladies, how are you two doing this afternoon?"

"Good Nick, we thought we'd come and take your money if the bar was slow tonight."

"Oh you did, did ya?" Nick looked over at Bob with a grin. "We took her to Vegas last weekend for her 30th, and I made the huge mistake of teaching her poker. Now she's got a gambling problem."

"Shut-up Miller," she laughed. "You're just scared I'll win again," she said pulling out a deck of cards from her clock purse.

"Beginner's luck Day, it was just beginner's luck."

"Hi," Bob said to Cece. Her sunglasses off now, hair pulled away from her face in a ponytail with long silver hoops that brought out the shine on her lips. "Can I get you something this evening? A Jack and Coke maybe?"

"Now how did you know that was my drink?"

"Uh, I'm not sure." Bob grabbed a clean glass and filled it with ice hiding from her intense eyes and begging his dark skin to hide his face. He remembered this one, well. He had seen her here before, had served her many Jack and Cokes. She didn't remember him though.

"Bartenders just know stuff," Nick said. "We have magical reading abilities, don't we Big Bob?"

"Ya man, we have magical powers." Like the fact that he remembered her saying she was a model once to him when he asked her why she looked so familiar. He hadn't forgotten.

Jess piped in then, "Do you guys have like a menu, a bar menu for drinks?"

Bob handed her a green laminated drink list from under the counter.

Nick immediately grabbed it out of her hands. "No, we don't have a menu, you kook. This is a real bar Jess, for people that drink liquor."

"Fine,"she huffed back. "I was just browsing. Now get me a Kamikaze cuz I'm gonna barrel into you with poker straights and full houses."

Cece began shaking her head back and forth, "Jess, are you sure? Last weekend you puked Kamikazes in the gutter of the MGM while yelling It's my Birthday."

Bob chuckled at an image of Jess puking all over Vegas while Cece held her hair back. "We've all had those moments Jess. Nothing to be embarrassed of."

Cece turned and looked at him straight on. "What's your story Bob? What's your birthday story?"

"Hmmm, let me think. There have been a few. Well back home, I may have gotten a bit drunk and decided to streak through the village naked. At some point, I got tired and laid down in a field and fell asleep. The next morning I woke up and found out everyone had taken pictures of me naked and painted all over me."

"Is that when you got the nickname Big Bob," said Cece pointing towards his pants, followed by the explosion of laughter from Nick and Jess.

He liked this woman. She was quick. "Yes, the same night. The next day I had ten marriage proposals too."

"Yes," said Nick with a high five to Bob. "Nice one man."

Cece didn't make a noise but was smiling, full mouth at Bob. He smiled back while nervously shaking the ice free in her drink he had started. He watched the Jack pour over the ice. She was much too beautiful to be staring at him, wasn't she?

"OK partners, poker time, anty up, a quarter each, 5 card stud," Jess said way too loud and excited for the almost empty bar.

"Nick, I'll get the drinks, you keep an eye on the crazy dealer over there and make sure she's not cheating."

"I'm telling you Bob, I've created a monster with this one. She needs help."

Handing Cece her drink with a cherry in it, he was shocked to find her watching him, still. He felt the back of his neck bristle with a little sweat and wondered if he was imagining all of this.

"You in Bob, you playing poker with us? You and your magical powers?"

Oh he was in alright. "Get your money out Cece cuz I'm taking it tonight."

Two hours later and five cocktails, Jess had bet all her money on a pair of 8's and the group decided to call it a night for fear she'd tried to find an ATM next. Bob had to admit, Jess was cute. A little weird, but very sweet. He could see why Nick had a crush on her.

"Miller, Miller, Miller, come on, help a brutha out, gimme some quarters, I neeeeed them," Jess yelled while Nick counted out the register receipts for the night.

"Jess, the only thing you need right now is some water and Tylenol," Nick said leaning over the counter and gently moving her hair out of her blurry eyes.

They all could hear Jess making a puffing noise until she finally mumbled, "fine, fine, I'll lay my head down on the bar and take a little snoozy pooozy."

Bob went back to washing the last of the evening glasses in the sink behind the bar, listening to Cece finish her 21st birthday story.

"So I told the guy, let me use your bathroom or I'll puke and pee right here in front of the tour bus door."

"What did he do," Bob asked.

"He opened the door and let me in."

"What? The end?"

"No, I pretended like I was peeing in the bus bathroom while I rummaged through Mick Jagger's clothes and stole a scarf I still have to this day."

"No way. That's a crazy story. You did that?" Bob couldn't believe anybody could pull something off like that. He was having a hard enough time believing he was chatting with a model. "That beats my naked in a field story anyday."

Turning back towards Bob again, she smiled, getting off her barstool. "I'm just gonna run to the restroom real quick. I'll be right back."

He watched as she walked away, her brown shoulders pulled back, her neck like a gazelle.

Nick slapped his back while he dialed a cab company. "You should go for it Bob. She's a puma. I think she's into you."

"Her? You're kidding, right?" Bob hoped he wasn't kidding but he had been in this country long enough to know that LA was about fast talk, money and tight bodies. "I don't think so."

"Could we get a cab at Clyde's Bar next to JC's restaurant on 47th & Skateway? Five minutes, great. Thanks."

"No man, you should go for it," Nick said putting the phone down.

He thought about taking a woman out like Cece. He wasn't sure she'd be into eating pork and rice cooked in an uma pit in his backyard.

"Hey, who messed up the door to the women's loo," she asked when she returned.

Nick's head popped up from the receipts in his hand, chin tucked in. "It's not messed up Cece, I fixed it! The door was warped. It's better than it was before."

Bob caught her eye roll as she tried to wake up Jess asleep on the bar counter. "Come on sweetie, it's time to go home now. Our cab is here."

"No, no, no, lemme sleep. It was a dream, a beautiful dream Cece and I was a Celtic Vampriss wearing a red tight bodiced dress and dancing to joyful sounds with a tall sparkly skinned man named Captain Crunkadoodle."

"Sure you were sweetie. And then you and Robert Pattinson made beautiful vampire babies."

"Oh, do you really think that Cece. Could I have babies with sparkly Robert Pattinson?"

Bob stepped in to open the bar door for them while Nick talked to the cab driver and handed him a $20. "Cece, you gonna be OK getting Jess home alone cuz I'll be there in about an hour."

"Ya Nick, I'm fine, thanks."

Jess woke up mumbling again when Cece dropped her in the back of the cab. "I'm gonna change my name to Fantastique Jacques and marry a beautiful vampire in the hills of Ireland."

Ignoring her, Cece turned to Bob before she sat in the cab, "it was nice talking to you tonight."

"You too Cece, I'll see you next time." He caught Nick's eye standing at the door of the bar. His eyebrows were yelling at him to make a move. What move do you make with a woman like this?

"Hey," she said as he turned around to look at her again. "Don't go naked streaking without me, k?"

He couldn't do anything but chuckle at that. "You got it. Next time, we'll run naked through the village of LA and in the morning we can post our mugshots on our Facebook pages." He stared at her for a moment more, his mouth dry looking at her perfect face. Then she was gone, their cab merging into LA traffic.

"Dude, you missed your move. I left you with her."

Bob shook his head at Nick. "I could say the same about you man. Missed your move too. Before Jess became your roommate, right?" He patted his friend on the back as they walked back into the bar together. "Now, why don't you come over on Sunday and help me with the roof trusses. When we're done, I'll kick your ass at 5 card stud and win back the eight bucks I lost tonight."