Just One Night (Black Alcove #2)

by Jami Wagner

  “Okay, at least try?” he asks, flashing me a grin.

  I roll my eyes. “Fine. What do you get to do?”

  “I have to build better structure.”

  This time, it’s me who looks at him suspiciously.

  “What? Structure is suffocating; it can be a bad thing,” he says, playfully mocking me.

  I punch his arm and he fakes the injury as we laugh.

  His lips are on mine before I can say anything else. His tongue slips into my mouth, twirling with my own as his arms wrap around my waist.

  I can do this. I can open this bar, commit to a long-distance relationship with Logan without letting it interfere with my job, and be less of a perfectionist. This will be easy.

  A throaty moan comes from Logan. Yes, this is going to much easier once we are done making out. Focusing on Logan for just one night isn’t going to hurt my career. I can totally handle one night.

  Chapter Four

  Logan

  “Everyone, we have a new student today.”

  Mrs. Hills introduces me to my new seventh grade class. She’s a bigger woman, probably in her mid-thirties with dark brown hair. Her smile is big, warm, and inviting as she gestures with her hand for me to join her at the front of the room. I hate being the center of attention. I hate being noticed.

  I stand next to her, near a wooden desk. It looks just like the ones I’ve seen in movies. It even has that stupid white sticker with a red apple on it that reads “Best Teacher.”

  “Everyone, say hello to Logan Parker.”

  I gaze down at the floor, avoiding eye contact with the entire class. Being the new kid is hard, but it’s even harder when you’re the new kid because you had to switch foster parents due to the fact your last ones didn’t want you. I was that kid.

  “Logan, don’t be shy. Everyone is excited to have you.”

  I feel her hand touch my shoulder. When I finally move my eyes to her, she’s giving me another warm look, her eyes saying, “Don’t be scared.”

  If only she knew scared was something I didn’t feel anymore. What was there to be scared of when no one wanted you? If they didn’t want you, they couldn’t hurt you.

  I sigh and look out into the room. Only one kid is paying attention to the teacher. I notice her because her bright blonde hair stands out and she’s smiling at me. It’s a real smile.

  I feel my lips twitch, wanting to smile back, but the sound of Mrs. Hills’ voice again reminds me where I am.

  “Who wants to show Logan around the school?”

  The blonde’s hand darts into the air from the back row as something inside me skips. She stands quickly, making her way to the front of the room. I keep staring at her, curious who she is and why, after the past few years of not wanting to know anyone, I want to know her.

  “Just be back by the end of the class period,” Mrs. Hills says to us.

  The blonde nods and turns for the door. I follow her out of the room, stopping next to her when the door closes.

  “I’m Sara Connelly,” she says, offering her hand to me like an adult.

  “Logan Parker.”

  “I know.” She giggles and a blush sweeps over her face. “Mrs. Hills just told us that.”

  She immediately starts to tell me about the school I’ll now be attending. I follow her through the halls, listening to her talk but not exactly paying attention.

  Something about her makes me think that this time I’ll do anything it takes to keep my foster family. Anything that keeps me near Sara Connelly.

  * * *

  I didn’t sleep much last night and when I did, it included a brief dream of the day I met Sara. That dream was all I needed to tell me what I already knew.

  We were brought together for a reason. I may have been just a kid when I met her, but we’ve grown up together and learned together. The person she has grown into is a woman I respect and admire. She’s always wanted to own her own bar, not just manage the way she does at the BA. I want to be there for her, but I also can’t stand in her way. We can make this work. Hundreds of miles between us won’t ruin anything. If anything, it might help us.

  I have a sister out there somewhere who I might never meet, and not long ago I pushed my friends, Sara included, away because I was having a hard time dealing with it. I told her it was because I was leaving for college and having a girlfriend didn’t sound ideal. That was a lie. The fact no one could give me information on my sister is what made my decision. Sara didn’t deserve a guy like me. A guy with no family or direction. But things are different now. My friends are my family and this opportunity is setting me in a great direction.

  I’d put off finding my sister after high school, but a few months ago, Tyler hacked into the child services computer and got me her address. I sent her a letter. Then, I sent another. Every letter but the first has been returned to me unopened. It feels like a punch in the gut every time I find it in the mailbox, but I’m not giving up. With Sara moving, I might be able to focus on her and my sister separately without it looking as though I’m neglecting Sara.

  Still to this day, I’ve never told Sara about trying to contact my sister. She doesn’t need to be bothered with those kinds of problems. I almost cracked and told her last night, but I only wanted to focus on us and it wasn’t the right time to bring it up. Thinking clearly this morning, I should have told her the truth—if we’re going to do this, we can’t have any secrets.

  I step through the doors into the BA and my phone chirps, notifying me of an incoming call. Mr. Connelly’s name flashes across the screen. He called first thing this morning, asking me to meet him here so we could go over a few things. I can’t imagine what he could tell me that I don’t already know about this place. At eight in the morning no less. It’s also a shock that he’s actively doing something with the BA other than an approval here or a signature there. He hasn’t taken a part since the day he made Sara manager.

  “Logan, perfect timing, I was just calling you,” Sara’s father greets me as I stand frozen in the doorway. Now I see who Sara gets her punctuality from.

  “Mr. Connelly.” I nod, walking toward him.

  “Please, call me Dean,” he says, offering me his hand.

  I’ve known this man for more than a decade and never has he invited me to call him by his first name. Sara might not see it, but another reason I’m taking her father’s offer is for her. Not only will the money be good, but the closer I am with her father, the better our relationship will be.

  “Dean,” I say with confidence and shake his hand. I follow him to the front window and take the seat across from him at one of the high-top tables.

  “So, I’ll just get right to the point. Ethan spent part of his time as manager searching for local bands. It was an idea he ran by Sara without telling the rest of the bar just in case it fell through. Good news is, we will have live entertainment in this place again. Thanks to Ethan’s contacts, I’ve scheduled a few bands to rotate each Saturday for the next couple of months until we can find more.”

  I already knew about the bands, but I let him continue. He hands me some flyers that advertise the entertainment: Black Cross, Rowdy Roughhousers, and Mugged. I haven’t heard of any of these, and since I’m judging the names, they all sound a bit—harsh.

  “This sounds like a great idea. Who, ahh … who picked them?” I ask.

  “I did, from a list Ethan provided.”

  I glance back at the posters. This one flyer must have used all the black ink. Did he do any research on them? Sara is going to freak when she finds out her dad may have hired a few hardcore bands to play at the BA. But if the music is good, it won’t matter.

  “I would like for you to be here on the nights they play, of course. To keep the locals in check.”

  I keep my eyes focused on the flyer. It’s one thing to tell Sara I’m happy leaving the bar under someone else’s supervision for a night, but her father might not be as accepting to the idea. If the bands play every Saturday night, tha
t would mean I have to be here every weekend no matter what I told Sara last night. I’ll just have to change visits from the weekend to during the week. I look up to see a satisfied grin resting on Dean’s lips as he looks over the checklist in front of him.

  Did he plan this on purpose?

  I shake the idea, because who would do that to their daughter, and nod my head.

  “Yeah, I can do that. I may need to switch a few gig nights to Fridays, but it should work,” I say. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I resist the urge to check it in front of him.

  “I’ve already arranged for Saturdays, but when the next eight weeks of rotations are done, Fridays will be fine.”

  Fuck. Eight weeks.

  “The first band plays this Saturday. That gives you three days to do some extra advertising.”

  Advertising in three days—he can’t be serious.

  “The stage needs a few repairs and I think we need to put some new lights above it as well.”

  The stage looks in perfect condition to me.

  “Storage room B needs to be cleared and joined with Storage room A”—he checks something off on the paper in front of him—“the band members will need a place to relax before and after their sets.”

  “You will need to buy furniture for that room, and it might be a good idea to put the poster of each band who plays here up in that room as well.”

  “May I?” I reach for the notepad in front of him as he pushes it toward me. I skim over it quickly. This is quite the list.

  “Sara and I will be leaving in the morning. I hope we can cross off most of these tasks today.”

  Tomorrow morning. This confirms it. He’s trying to keep me away from his daughter. And that gives me less than twenty-four hours to spend with her before she leaves.

  “Logan, Dad, what a surprise to see you here.”

  Sara’s voice relaxes me immediately. I turn and try my best to hide any laughter that tries to escape. There’s no hiding the fact she ran here, a perk of living downtown near the bar. And by the sight of her pink slippers, I think she did it in her pajamas too. She’s wearing a black pair of too short shorts and a red tank top with her hair looking like a ratted mess on the top of her head. Damn, she looks sexy.

  Her eyes sparkle when she looks at me and when she blushes, I think she just realized she didn’t get ready. Her hands move quickly, smoothing down her clothes and fidgeting with her hair.

  “You look—”

  “Is everything okay, dear?” her father cuts me off and rushes to her. “I left you a voicemail where I would be. You look like you ran out for an emergency.”

  Sara rolls her eyes at me, doing her best to hide her smile.

  “Well, isn’t it? Your voicemail said I’m leaving tomorrow, so the short notice has to mean there’s something wrong.”

  Dean chuckles and takes his seat again.

  She can’t leave tomorrow. I know my facial expression is cool and calm right now, but inside, I’m freaking out just a little. I just got Sara back from a trip a few weeks ago. A trip I still have no idea why it was so important she take—she hasn’t told me much about it. Then again, I haven’t asked. We haven’t been alone long enough to talk about it.

  “I’m sorry to alarm you, dear, but no. I just wanted to get a head start on getting this place up and running. The sooner you get there and get started, the sooner I can make that happen. Now, why don’t you go home, pack, and possibly shower? Logan and I have a full day today.” He clears his throat and pins his daughter with a “don’t argue with me” stare. “We can’t have any distractions.”

  Sara

  I glance at my phone, again. It’s been two minutes since the last time I checked. When my dad said they would be busy all day, he wasn’t joking. I texted Logan the moment I left and it’s been a solid nine hours with no response. I wasn’t in my right mind last night, and by giving all my attention to Logan, I’m behind on making a checklist of everything I need to do at this new bar before I get there. Checklists make everything easier.

  I stare at the blank paper. There is nothing written down because I’ve spent most of the day concerned over whether or not I’m going to see Logan before I go, and the only conclusion I’ve come to is that this is the longest day ever.

  My other distraction: watching re-runs of Drop Dead Diva until my motivation to be successful returns in full force. I hit the power button on the remote before pacing in front of my couch. I hate this unsettling feeling in my gut. Like if I don’t see him before I go, I won’t see him ever again.

  It almost reminds me of the summer before our freshman year. I was so paranoid that Logan and I would end up in different high schools. Wind Valley isn’t a very big town, but they still have your typical two rival high schools. Junior high was great for me, but I had weird vibe that if I didn’t have Logan as my study partner for the next four years, my life wouldn’t feel right.

  At that time, I’d only known part of his background, and I looked up to the way he pushed himself and always remained happy. I thought life was rough as a teenage girl, but life was easy compared to what Logan had been through. So when I walked through the doorway to social studies that first day and found him sitting in the room by himself, that was the moment I knew Logan would forever be important to me. And the way he smiled when he me saw that day, I knew he felt the same way.

  “Knock, knock,” Kelsey says as she opens the door to my apartment. We used to live here together, but that changed after my cousin Ethan came to town. Now she lives on the other side of Wind Valley and I live alone. Some days it has its perks, but days like today, I’m thankful she’s here to keep my mind distracted.

  Kelsey pokes her head around the kitchen corner, and I sigh in relief that she’s alone. Don’t get me wrong, I love my cousin, Ethan, and I love that bundle of joy, Clara. But I miss having my best friend to myself, and right now is the perfect moment to make up for lost time. I let my body fall back into the couch and, with a small bounce, I whine, resting my head against the back cushion.

  “Why do I feel frustrated?” I complain. “Owning a bar has been my goal for as long as I can remember, and out of nowhere, leaving feels—different. I’m still excited, just not as excited as I thought I was would be.”

  “I know. I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better,” she says, placing her purse on the kitchen counter and joining me in the living room. Her hair is pulled up into a messy bun, brown strands falling around her face, and she doesn’t have makeup on. She’s wearing jeans and a plain, black t-shirt that has a smudge of some sort at the bottom—probably a gift from Clara. “You’re going to hate this,” she says, redirecting my attention back to our conversation. “But you know it’s not the end of the world. You just have to go down there, kick ass, and get your butt home as soon as you can.”

  She takes a seat next to me and pats my leg. I know she’s right, but it seems the idea of Logan and me always stirs this terrifying feeling inside me. A glare from the diamond on her ring finger shines on the TV, and instantly I feel a sting in my heart. What if I never get there with Logan? I mean, it’s way too early to think about that, but you don’t date someone if you don’t think marriage could be in your future. What if this changes everything for us?

  “I see you’re wearing your ring today. Does that mean you two finally told the rest of the world you’ve been married for a month?” I ask.

  My vison begins to grow blurry from stubborn tears so I look out the window, away from her. This right here, my emotional side, this is exactly why I don’t do relationships. I’m sitting here worried about Logan and me when I should be making this damn list I’ve still yet to start.

  Kelsey rests her hand on my arm and waits until I face her again before she says anything. “This is just another bump in the road, and I know you can handle it.”

  I sigh heavily and close my eyes.

  “My dad has been working him all day. So much that Logan hasn’t been able to even text me
back. Is this a sign my father doesn’t like him?”

  “Hey, stop. Your father loves Logan. You dad’s even having him run the bar while you’re gone. That’s huge. He would never ask someone he didn’t trust.”

  Again, I know she’s right, but there’s this little voice in the back of my head telling me my father did this to keep us apart. He’s the one who has always taught me how relationships ruin everything. Maybe he’s testing me. I push it away before I get too carried away on the idea. My father wouldn’t do that me.

  “So, tell me what you have planned so far. Do you have appointments set up or anything?”

  “A few. An electrician is coming on Tuesday, the painters and tile guys are coming on Wednesday—”

  “Nothing like jumping right in.” She laughs. “What does that give you, twenty-four hours to settle in and relax?”

  I quickly jot the two things on my list before I forget. There, now I have something written down.

  “Yep. Except my father found me a fully furnished condo a couple blocks away from the new bar. All I have to do when I get there is sign the papers and take some clothes,” I say, staring at the blank TV screen. He’s had the whole thing planned for a while now. I can’t believe I never caught on to the fact he was going to give the bar to me. It actually pisses me off a little because we’ve always done everything as a team.

  “Wow, you’re really not excited. Your voice has been flat since the moment I walked through that door. I thought I was going to have to take you off cloud nine, since this is what you’ve wanted since we graduated high school.” Kelsey wraps her arms around me and I hug her back. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I find it really cute you’re actually flustered over a guy.”

  I don’t want to be flustered. I’m not a fan of surprises. I like knowing what is going to happen.

  Kelsey laughs, giving me a side hug as my phone pings in my hand.

  Logan: You, me, tonight?

  Me: Yes!

  First thing tomorrow, I will make a list of what I need to do at the new bar. Tonight it’s going to be just me and Logan. Just one more night without thinking of work won’t hurt me. But just in case, I better write down a few more things before he gets here.