Chapter Text
He clocked her as soon as she walked in.
She walked with a defeated slump in her shoulders, something he’d seen countless times as a bartender.
The bar was pretty empty, which wasn’t unusual for a Tuesday evening in April, but it did make for a boring shift. He noted as she took a seat at the other end of the bar, gracelessly tossing her coat and her purse onto the seat next to her as she raised a hand to get his attention. He moved quickly, already intrigued by the way she’d appeared.
“Good evening miss,” he greeted with a smile. “What can I get for you?”
“Gin and tonic, please,” the woman murmured. “And keep them coming?” she asked with a tight smile, and he noted her green eyes seemed to dull as she spoke. “It’s been a bit of a day.”
“Right away,” he replied, and moved back down to the bar to grab a glass and fill it with ice. He then grabbed a bottle of gin off the rail, measuring out a little more than one shot’s worth and then filled the rest of the glass with the tonic water. “Lime?” he called out to the woman and she nodded, frowning at her phone. He grabbed a lime wedge and tossed it on top of the drink, sticking a cocktail straw in there for good measure. “Here you are, miss,” he said as he carried the drink back down to her. She smiled at him and slid him her card.
“Keep it open,” she whispered as she wrapped her lips around the straw and took a very healthy pull, and he watched as an alarming amount of the drink drained from her glass almost instantly. He nodded and moved back toward the till to open her tab.
He glanced down at the card in his hand. Rebecca Welton. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
“Thank you, Mrs. Welton,” he said as he slid her card across the bar to her when he returned. She winced.
“Ms,” she corrected and he nodded. “I got divorced a few years ago,” she explained.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” he tried, but she immediately shook her head with a laugh.
“No, don’t be,” she insisted, waving her hand. “Best bloody thing that ever happened to me, I think.” She cocked her head and smiled softly. “I believe, actually.” She giggled to herself as if she was sharing a private joke. He smirked and nodded toward her nearly empty glass.
“Another, Ms. Welton?” he offered and she nodded as she stuck the straw back into her mouth to suck up the remnants of the drink, the straw making an awful slurping sound as it encountered only air and ice chips. He quickly made her a new drink and swapped her old glass with the new one. She grabbed the straw from the old one as he took it away with a smile.
“Can’t be wasteful, can I?” she noted as she placed her straw into her new drink. “Thank you,” she paused, looking for a name tag.
“Jared,” he replied. “I don’t wear a name tag. Don’t like inviting people to refer to me before knowing me,” he explained and Rebecca frowned.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to offend you,” she apologized, but Jared waved his hand.
“No, no, you’re alright. It’s only fair, since I know your name, yeah?” he teased, gesturing to the credit card that still sat between them on the bar. She tucked her card back into her wallet with a small smile. “What happened with your ex-husband?” he asked, leaning on the bar as she raised her eyebrows, sipping her drink through the straw, slower this time.
“Well, he cheated on me,” she began, placing her drink on the bar in front of her, clasping her hands around the glass. “And, I wanted to hurt him.”
“Makes sense,” Jared sympathized, but Rebecca shook her head.
“Not in a physical way,” she corrected herself, and then tipped her head to the side, looking off into space for a moment. “Although, that isn’t quite true either.” Jared laughed and she smiled at him. “The only thing he ever truly loved was the football club that he owned, so I won it from him in the divorce and decided I was going to destroy it.”
“Not much of a football fan,” Jared admitted sheepishly, and he noticed Rebecca’s eyes brighten slightly.
“No?” she asked, and he could tell there was a tinge of caution in the lilt of her voice.
“Did you destroy his club, then? Really stick it to him?” he asked, and she laughed, shaking her head.
“Quite the opposite,” she replied. “I hired this American to help me ruin it, and he ended up being the best fucking thing that ever happened to it!” She laughed, slightly exasperated. “Truthfully, the best fucking thing that ever happened to me,” she murmured, more to herself than to him. Jared nodded, smiling down at the bar knowingly.
“Sounds like quite the man,” he prompted, pulling Rebecca from her thoughts, and he noticed a hint of pink that now colored her cheeks, and he was willing to bet it wasn’t from her second drink.
“He is,” she confirmed, her smile and eyes brighter than he’d seen them since she walked in. “He is truly the most wonderful man I’ve ever met.”
“He have a name?” Jared asked and now Rebecca looked worried. “I’m not going to Google him or anything, I promise.” He raised three fingers and placed his hand over his heart. “Scout’s honor.”
Rebecca smiled easily, and her eyes lit up again as she replied, “Ted. His name is Ted.”
“Ted,” Jared repeated, and she nodded. “How long have you been with Ted, then?”
“Oh, no,” Rebecca giggled, shaking her head. “You misunderstood me. We’re not together,” she explained. “He’s my gaffer.” Jared nodded slowly.
“That all he is?” he asked and Rebecca flinched before reaching for her drink.
“He’s also my friend,” she murmured, her lips wrapped around the straw again. He nodded, tossing his bar rag over his shoulder.
“It’s nice to have friends,” he said simply and she nodded, frowning slightly now.
Two new customers walked in, so he walked over to where they sat down at the bar to help them get started on drinks and get them a menu for the food. He mingled with the other customers afterward, checking up on some regulars that had wandered in while he’d been chatting with Rebecca, but his eyes kept straying over to her, still slumped on her barstool, staring into space, seemingly deep in thought.
Finally, her eyes met his, and he noticed they were dull again. She smiled tightly and raised her empty glass and he nodded to let her know he’d be right there, before politely excusing himself from a regular patron who was telling him about a football game that had happened the other day.
“Another?” he checked when he got to Rebecca and she nodded, her smile still tight and small. “Everything okay?”
“The person you were just talking to,” she began, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, as if trying to ward off a headache. “What was that he said about the Richmond game?”
“Oh, is that what he was talking about?” Jared asked with a chuckle, already reaching for another clean glass to prepare her next drink. “That’s Peter. He was saying something about a new rivalry that’s apparently cropped up between two teams.” He smirked at her as he put the finishing touches on her gin and tonic and returned to her. “One of them yours?”
“Yes, actually,” she breathed, smiling at him as he switched her empty glass out for the fresh one, pausing to allow her to remove her straw and place it in her new drink.
“Ah, so that’s the Ted I’ve heard so much about tonight, then?” Jared teased and he noted the blush that rushed to her cheeks again with a smile. “Can I ask you something?”
“I have a feeling you would even if I said no,” Rebecca quipped, sliding her straw between her lips with a smirk and Jared laughed.
“I’m just curious,” he began, “You said this Ted bloke is the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to you, yeah?” Rebecca nodded. “Why is that? What’s he done?”
Rebecca paused, the straw slipping out of her mouth as her shoulders settled, and she straightened up in her seat, her eyes alight with something new, something virtually unidentifiable.
“What hasn’t he done?” she mused, laughing lightly. “He saved me,” she murmured, then glanced back up at Jared as if she had only just remembered that he was there. “After my divorce,” she began, then paused, tilting her head. “Well, truthfully, throughout my marriage, I became sort of a shell of the person I once was. My ex-husband wasn’t the kindest man, and I changed a lot about myself to keep him.” Rebecca shook her head, and Jared found himself leaning on the bar again, enthralled by her story. “Hiring Ted,” she paused, and her eyes lit up again at the mention of his name. She ducked her head to hide her smile. “Well, he was a breath of fresh air, so to speak.” She paused again, nodding, lost in thought, and Jared had the sense that he could walk away and she’d still be talking. “Ted has a way of not only making you become your best self, but making you want to. He’s unbelievably kind, and thoughtful.” She looked up at Jared, her smile wide. “Do you know that he brings me biscuits every morning ?” Jared shook his head, smiling. “ Fresh biscuits. He bakes them!” She laughed loudly, and reached for her drink again. “Christ, when I found that out, I nearly had a bloody heart attack. Because, of course he does!” She shook her head, sucking her drink down again. “It’s such a fucking ‘Ted’ thing to do, you know?” She shook her head with a fond smile, slurping loudly through her straw as she finished her drink once more.
“Another?” Jared asked, smirking, and she nodded sheepishly, sliding the empty glass over to him and pulling the straw out to stick it between her teeth, like the stem of a rose. “So, this Ted,” he started as he prepared a fresh drink for her. “He bakes you biscuits every morning, and makes you want to be your best self?” She nodded and he frowned as he placed her fresh drink in front of her, leaning on the bar again. “And you’re in love with him,” he finished, and she stiffened, looking up at him as she wordlessly put her straw into her new drink and brought the straw to her lips. “You don’t have to lie to me,” he prompted, and she slowly nodded, her shoulders relaxing a bit. “Why haven’t you told him?”
Rebecca took another impressively long pull from her drink before setting it down. “Ted is perfect,” she whispered with a soft smile, and then looked back up at him, her eyes lined with a fresh set of tears. “And, I’m broken,” she finished simply. Jared tilted his head, frowning at her.
“You’re not broken,” he assured her. “Sure, you’re a little battered, which is to be expected after your cock of an ex-husband,” he continued. “But, ‘broken’ implies you need to be made whole again.” He gestured to her with a smile. “Seems that this Ted has already fixed you, if that’s truly the case. You said yourself, you’re no longer a shell, and you’re becoming the best version of yourself.” Two customers deposited their glasses on the bar, making Rebecca flinch slightly, but Jared just nodded his thanks as they exited the pub and picked them up. “Does that sound like someone who’s broken to you?” he asked. Rebecca looked up at him and reached for her drink again. Jared chuckled and left to run the dishwasher in the back, trusting the bar to be sane for a few moments.
He busied himself with the dishwasher in the back, feeling slightly guilty for somewhat forcing Rebecca to admit her feelings for Ted, especially since they were both strangers. But, Tuesdays were boring, and she had freely admitted it with little to no prodding, so it wasn’t entirely his fault.
When he returned to the bar, Rebecca was chatting animatedly with a young woman who had wandered in, and Jared recognized her immediately.
“Stella,” he greeted, and she looked up at him, beaming. “Didn’t think you were coming in tonight.”
“What can I say? I was craving a cocktail,” she teased, and he laughed, knowing full well that Stella didn’t drink alcohol. “Can I get my usual?” she asked with a wink, and he nodded, reaching for a glass and pouring a can of Dr. Pepper into it. Rebecca watched the exchange with a chuckle, and Stella turned back to her. “So, tell me more about this Ted,” she demanded, smiling at Rebecca as she leaned in, taking a sip of her drink.
“Oh, you’ve got her on this now, too?” Jared asked Rebecca, who blushed. “One more?” he asked, gesturing to her empty glass and she nodded, smiling.
“Thank you, Jared,” she murmured as he took her empty glass, letting her remove the straw once more.
“Put it on my tab, Jared,” Stella called out, and Jared chuckled.
“You drink for free, Stella,” he reminded her, shaking his head fondly.
“Oh, that’s right,” he heard her murmur and he turned to see her leaning back towards Rebecca, the straw of her Dr. Pepper slid between her lips as she prompted Rebecca to continue with whatever story she was telling now.
By the time he had gotten back down the bar to hand Rebecca her fresh drink, she and Stella were doubled over laughing about something, and he felt a chuckle bubble up from him just at the sight of it.
“He did not !” Stella cried, slamming her hand on the bar, and Rebecca threw her head back, laughing, as she nodded, tears streaming down her face.
“He absolutely did!” she insisted, wiping the tears away from her face. She smiled thankfully at Jared as she accepted her drink and placed her new straw inside the glass and took a small sip.
“I think it’s rather rare to find a man that knows all the words and steps to ‘Singing in the Rain’ these days, let alone two ,” Stella remarked taking another sip of her drink and Rebecca nodded, grinning.
“Ted is rather rare,” she admitted, sighing happily, playing with her straw in her drink, swirling it around and knocking into the ice cubes. “He really is just the most wonderful person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting,” she continued, and Stella rested her chin in the palm of her hand as she listened, her eyes wide. “God, and he’s fucking fit , too,” Rebecca sighed, groaning a bit. Stella laughed at that and Jared raised his eyebrows. “He has these arms that are just so,” Rebecca paused, lifting her own hands to mimic claws, closing and opening them multiple times in lieu of actual words. Jared shook his head, laughing as Stella nodded.
“Yes, I know exactly what you mean!” Jared frowned at that, making a note to ask Stella what exactly it did mean later.
“You get it!” Rebecca cheered, clapping. “And the mustache, my god. I mean, it would look silly on literally anyone else in the world, but he just makes it look so sexy,” she continued, seemingly slightly exasperated by just how sexy he looked. “He’s just absolutely perfect in nearly every way,” she concluded, taking a sip of her drink - her final drink, Jared noted, seeing the way she swayed slightly on her barstool.
“Well, I have loved learning more about him,” Stella beamed, glancing at Jared with a small frown. “But, unfortunately, I have to be going.”
“Already?” he asked, not quite able to mask his surprise, and Stella nodded, offering an apologetic smile, her eyebrows puckering into a slight frown.
“I have to be up rather early to prepare my lesson plan,” she explained, shrugging on her jacket and taking one last long sip from her drink. “I’m thinking of doing a surprise exam tomorrow, and I have to actually go home and write it.” She turned to Rebecca, resting a hand on her shoulder. “It was lovely to meet you, Rebecca. I hope you and Ted find your way.” Rebecca waved her off, blushing, and Jared smiled. “I’ll see you later, Jared.”
“Yeah, see you, Stella,” he replied, waving as she walked out the door. He shook his head slightly, heading over to the till to close Rebecca’s tab. He plucked the receipt from the printer and snatched a pen out of the cup by the till, placing both in front of Rebecca. She cocked an eyebrow, but added a tip amount and signed her signature in loopy cursive, sliding the receipt back over to him. “A pleasure, Ms. Welton,” he murmured, smiling at her. She tilted her head, watching as he headed back over to the till to slide the receipt into the drawer.
“You cannot give me any shit about Ted,” Rebecca declared and Jared looked back at her, frowning, clearly confused. “You are clearly in love with that girl.” Jared sighed, shaking his head, and headed back over to her. “How long have you known her? I’ve spent all evening unloading every last bit about my story. Why don’t you tell me yours ?” she challenged, sucking the straw between her teeth with a wry smile.
“We’re not talking about me,” he insisted, leaning down on the bar in front of her again, ignoring her annoyed scoff as she accidentally spit the straw out and quickly sucked it back in. “We’re talking about you,” he continued, reaching for her phone and tapping it on to reveal her contacts. “And, Ted,” he murmured, beginning to scroll. Rebecca remained unfazed, happy to be sucking down the rest of her drink, furthering his opinion that she should probably be cut off. Finally, he found a ‘Ted Lasso’ in her contacts list and opened his profile. “Is this him, then?” he asked, turning the phone toward her to show her his picture, and her eyes lit up immediately.
“Oh, that’s my Teddy,” she murmured, so quiet, he supposed she’d forgotten he could hear her. “Look at him. Isn’t he just so fucking perfect?” she asked, leaning her chin into the palm of her hand as she gazed at the phone. “I mean, look at his smile. He’s just such a warm, inviting person, you know?” she asked, and Jared bit back a chuckle as he turned the phone back around in his hands. “Wait, where did he go?” she asked suddenly, pouting.
“Oh, he’ll be here in a bit,” Jared called out, tapping the phone icon and lifting the phone up to his ear.
Ted answered on the first ring. “ Hey, boss,” he greeted, and Jared could hear the smile in his ridiculous accent. “ What are you doing up so late?”
“She didn’t say she was your boss,” Jared mused aloud, and he heard something clatter on the other line. “Sorry, my name is Jared, and I’m calling from the Angel & Crown in Richmond,” he continued.
“Where’s Rebecca?” Ted asked, and Jared could hear the twinge of panic in his voice. “Is she okay?”
“Oh, she’s perfectly fine,” Jared assured him. “She just cannot be allowed to drive herself home. I’m cutting her off. I can switch her to water until you get here.”
Ted paused, and Jared could hear him muttering to himself, though he couldn’t quite tell what he was saying. Finally, Ted took a deep breath and said, “ Yeah, I’ll be there in about ten minutes. Keep her safe for me, will ya?”
“Of course, Ted,” Jared promised.
“ I appreciate you, sir,” Ted murmured, and then he hung up. Jared twirled the phone in his hand and returned to Rebecca, who was now staring into her bag.
“Are you okay?” he asked, and she looked up at him, her eyes bleary.
“I can’t find my phone,” she murmured, frowning. Jared chuckled, gently placing her phone on the bar in front of her. “Oh, I found it!” she cheered, plucking it up gracelessly, almost dropping it on the floor entirely as she struggled to maintain a proper grip on it. “Now, I’ll just call Walter and have him come get me so I can go home.”
“Oh, I’ve already called someone to come get you,” Jared said, and Rebecca frowned at him, skeptical.
“How do you know Walter?” she asked, confused, and Jared laughed, shaking his head.
“I didn’t call Walter,” he explained, and now Rebecca looked even more confused that someone that wasn’t Walter was apparently coming to get her. “You just sit right there, miss, and he’ll be here before you know it.”
“Well, how long will that take?” she asked, whining slightly. “That sounds like an awful long wait,” she complained, dropping her head onto the bar with a thud .
“Why don’t you tell me more about Ted?” Jared suggested, glancing at his watch to check the time and calculate how long it would be until Ted got there. She immediately picked her head up off the bar at the mention of his name, and Jared bit back a laugh. “We’ve got some time.”
“What do you want to know about him?” she asked, frowning. “And why? Has he done something? Are you an undercover officer?” she asked, and Jared shook his head.
“Oh, you are quite gone, yeah?” Jared teased and she shook her head.
“No, sir, I am right here!”
“Oi,” Jared breathed. “If I was an undercover officer, and I was looking for Ted, would you tell me where he was?” he asked, curious now. Rebecca vehemently shook her head, her expression conveying an alarming amount of offense to such a notion.
“Of course not,” she cried. “Plus, whatever you think my Teddy has done, he hasn’t. You’re wrong.” Rebecca waved her pointer finger aimlessly through the air. “Check everything again. He’s innocent.” Jared nodded slowly, keeping an eye on the door as he heard a car door just outside.
“Is that so?” Rebecca nodded, angry now. “What if he isn’t innocent?” he asked and Rebecca scoffed.
“Impossible,” she insisted. “Ted wouldn’t do anything wrong. He wouldn’t harm a fly, nor whatever is smaller than one. He’s perfect .”
“So you’ve said,” Jared muttered and he glanced up as the door opened, revealing the man of the hour. “Ah, speak of the Devil.” Rebecca frowned at him as he gestured to the doorway. She spun around in her seat, gasping with delight as she realized who was there.
He was wearing a soft grey jumper and khaki trousers. His hair was slightly unkempt, and his eyes were wild as he stepped inside, locking onto Rebecca instantly. Jared watched as his gaze softened with what looked like relief after he did a quick once-over of Rebecca, seemingly satisfied with the fact that the only thing she seemed to be in danger of was falling off of her barstool in excitement.
“That’s not the Devil, that’s Ted!” She began waving wildly, even though she was one of the only three people in the pub at that point. “Ted! I’m over here!”
Ted, to his credit, seemed to take it in stride, walking briskly over to her with a smile on his face.
“Hey there, boss,” he greeted, his voice soft, and Jared could freely admit that he could see what she meant about him just from this initial meeting. Ted smiled at her in a way that conveyed love and respect, but also a bit of worry. “Whatcha drinkin’?” he asked, peering into her now empty glass.
“Gin and tonic,” Rebecca replied, burping. “Pardon me,” she murmured, blushing. Then, she frowned, turning to face Ted. “But, how did you get here?” she asked, and Ted frowned now, still smiling at her. “I was just telling,” she paused turning around to frown at Jared, “him,” she settled on and Jared chuckled, realizing she’d forgotten his name. “About you,” she continued, turning back to Ted, who was still smiling, his eyes brighter. “And you were inside my phone, but now you’re here.” She gestured wildly in front of her, trying to convey how remarkable she thought it was that he was now standing in front of her. “Are you real?” she asked, suddenly reaching out to grasp his biceps in her hands, and Ted chuckled a bit, startled. “Christ, Ted, is this all from coaching football?” she murmured, and her hands were now nearly caressing his arms, her fingertips dancing over the sleeve of his jumper, and she tilted her head curiously. “The American kind?” she clarified, and Ted laughed outright now, glancing at Jared and raising his eyebrows. Jared nodded and Ted turned back to Rebecca.
“Well, you know, boss, I think I’ve just been mighty lucky with the whole metabolism thing,” he offered as an explanation, but Rebecca was hardly paying attention. She had pushed herself off of her stool to stand closer to him, her hands smoothing over his arms now, her brow puckered with intense focus, as if she was enthralled by this man and his arms.
Truthfully, Jared realized, she probably was.
“Do you think you could lift me?” she asked now, looking up at him, her hands stilling their exploration of his arms. “I don’t weigh a lot, and you seem quite strong, Ted.” He chuckled and she smiled at him. “What?”
“How much have you had to drink, Rebecca?” he asked, leaning toward her slightly. She swayed on the spot, and he quickly reached out to steady her, his hands on her waist.
Rebecca hummed, tilting her head in thought, her arms dragging up his arms to settle on his shoulders. “I don’t know,” she replied. “Maybe three?” she guessed, holding up two fingers, and Ted looked at Jared for confirmation. Jared held up five fingers. Ted chuckled, shaking his head.
“Well, it’s a bit chilly out there, so let’s get you into your coat,” he murmured, grabbing hers from the barstool, and helping her into it. She stopped touching his arms long enough to be fascinated by this new item, her hands running up and down the arms of the coat once Ted had gotten it settled around her, buttoning it up to her chin. She smiled up at him, her eyes bright.
“Thank you, Ted,” she whispered, and he smiled back at her, his own eyes lighting up a bit at the somewhat normalcy. “But, why do I feel like something is grabbing me?” she asked, suddenly serious, shifting around in her coat. “Have I been kidnapped like on the telly?” Ted sighed, shaking his head fondly, reaching out to stop her from moving around, his hands on her waist again.
“It’s your coat, Rebecca,” he explained, tugging lightly on the coat that he’d just wrapped around her. She looked down, and gasped, as if only just noticing she was wearing a coat, and then looked up at Ted and laughed hysterically, practically cackling. Ted chuckled himself, his hands on her waist tightening to get her attention. “Why don’t we get you home, boss?” he suggested, and she wasn’t paying attention, now focused solely on his hands on her waist, her own hands fitting to his, her fingers smoothing over the back of his hands and up his arms again. “I’ve got Walt waiting for ya right outside,” he continued, and Rebecca paused to look up at him, her eyes wide. “Yeah, you know Walt. Let’s go say howdy. What do you say?” he asked and she nodded.
“It was a pleasure, Rebecca,” Jared called out, handing Ted her things as she kept her hands on Ted at all times.
“Thank you for your help Jared, I appreciate ya,” Ted nodded at Jared before he turned back to Rebecca, who was now running her hands over his shoulders, absolutely entranced by the man. “Come on, boss, here we go.” He slid an arm around her waist, her purse in his other hand, and gently led her out of the pub.
Jared watched through the window, amused, as Rebecca seemingly recognized her driver - Walt, he assumed - and threw her arms around the man, embracing him in a long hug. He could practically hear her joy from behind the bar. After what seemed like ages, Ted finally extracted her from Walt and led her to the car door, helping her in. She clung to him, her arms around his neck, trying to pull him into the car with her. Ted gently pried her hands off of him and placed them in her lap.
He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could tell by the pout Rebecca was now sporting that Ted must have told her something along the lines of ‘she was going home alone’ and Rebecca seemed incredibly displeased by that. Sure enough, she crossed her arms, frowning, and he watched as Ted hung his head.
Then, he was climbing into the car with her, and he watched as Rebecca happily settled next to him, tucking her arm into his, and laying her head on his shoulder, yawning.
“You about ready to lock up?” a voice interrupted, and Jared looked over at Sean, his boss, and nodded.
“Yeah, just a couple dishes to load in, but the bar is clean,” he replied, and he watched from the corner of his eye as the car drove away.
“Did you still have people here?” Sean asked, bewildered.
“Yeah, just sent them home, actually,” Jared replied with a smile. “A couple. They were very nice. Had a tough day, though.”
“Well, just make sure you’re ready to walk out in ten. I’d like to get home at a somewhat decent hour for once,” Sean grumbled, and Jared nodded.
He glanced out the window again, thinking of Rebecca and Ted and how clearly in love with one another they were. He hoped they figured it out soon.