Oleander - Bucky BarnesxOC

CHAPTER NINE: NUMBER ONE CRUSH

A/N: I wrote this chapter as a kind of homage to The Lost Boys. I tried to keep the references to a minimum because I have no idea how old my readers are, but I highly recommend watching it if you love the 80s. It's a quintessential 80s horror movie, and tbh the vampires aren't really THAT scary. Also, the soundtrack bangs. I've also never been to the Santa Cruz boardwalk. I did my best to recreate the vibe.

This chapter is mostly just cute? I needed some fluff and smut today. We'll go back to dark!James in a bit. He can't be a mean mafia boss 100% of the time. He's gotta have layers. Like an onion. Or Shrek.

I need to go to bed.

CW: Exhibitionism, daddy kink, rollercoaster fingering? (Don't knock it until you try it... I've already said too much). I swear these two will actually have sex. I just want to build up to that point because it's going to be kinky as fuck.

FRIDAY

Dahlia and Wanda cash James's check on Wednesday and start the process of putting up wanted ads on Craigslist. They don't want to wait until it's too late to hire someone and they want someone who can be available for at least the summer. James said he might want to hire them for another party in August for his sister's birthday.

No pressure or anything.

Wanda is adamant that they include the clause "NO WEIRDOS" in the Craigslist ad, but Dahlia talks her out of it.

They get so many emails that Dahlia doesn't know how to handle it. She stands in front of the computer gnawing at her lip as she guzzles her third bottle of Mountain Dew for the day. She's been going through resume after resume. Most of them are actors looking for temporary work in between gigs.

Everyone and their dog is a fucking actor in this town. Sometimes it feels like she and Wanda are the only ones who aren't fighting tooth and nail to get a film or commercial part. She's thought about it, but after seeing some of her friends at USC and the bullshit they went through to get gigs, she decided it wasn't worth it. The casting couch is a real thing and it doesn't appeal to her. It's just another way for men in the industry to abuse their power.

Dahlia is looking for someone who won't bail halfway through the project because they have to go on an audition, or they got a gig as a day player on a TV show. James is expecting professionalism, and even though Dahlia is (sort of) fucking him, she also wants to do a good job.

"I'm overwhelmed, Wands."

"What's going on?" Wanda asks as she picks at her burrito bowl.

"There are so many resumes, I don't know where to start. I've never really hired someone before."

"You hired me."

Dahlia raises an eyebrow and laughs.

"It was more like I begged you to work with me."

"And I said yes because I want to work with my bestie."

Dahlia rubs her eyes. She hasn't seen James in two days and she's desperate, in more ways than one. She didn't know it was possible to feel like she was addicted to someone. In the past, when she's dated, this beginning stage was never this intense. She wants to be around him all the time, but the fact that both of them are so busy has kept them apart. Two days feels more like two weeks. James said he had meetings with John and that spending some time apart would only make this weekend even more intense. She likes the idea, but she does miss him. It's not like they haven't been talking, though. He's been texting her every single day and he Facetimed her before bed last night.

She checks her phone. There's a missed message from James.

[James]: Two hours, peach 🥰 Did you pack for the weekend?