by Tessa Layne
I stared straight ahead out the windshield. I was afraid to say something I would later regret.
“Lacey, I know that you’re hurt, but that wasn’t my intention. Whenever we speak, I hear how happy you are in Paris. There is no shame in going back there. No one will judge you. And you can leave the bar to someone who loves it as much as your father did. You know Jake was his choice because it was in his will.”
I still didn’t reply. I was afraid I was going to explode if I opened my mouth.
Nana sighed. “Just think about it, Lacey. When I said I was proud of you earlier, I meant it. You don’t have to say yes right now to signing the bar over to Jake, but I do want you to think about it.”
She waited a few more seconds, but I didn’t even turn my head. I feared she’d see the tears threatening to spill over onto my cheeks. After she figured out I wasn’t going to talk to her, she quietly left my car.
I turned my head then and watched her walk up to her house.
I hated that we were fighting. My grandfather had died two years ago. She’d lost her husband and now her only son. My aunt Patrice lived halfway across the country and hadn’t even bothered to show up for my father’s funeral. Nana was as alone as I was, and it hurt that I couldn’t talk to her about it.
With one last look, I put the car in drive and headed back to my dad’s.
Once there, I changed into jeans and a T-shirt and pulled out my cell phone.
It was after five p.m. in Paris, and I needed to speak to Lindsey. I had to tell her I wouldn’t be coming back, and I had to ask her for advice.
“Hello?” she answered. “Lacey?”
“Hi.”
“How are you doing?”
“Okay, all things considered.”
“How was the funeral?”
“Good. A lot of people showed up. It made me realize how many people loved my father.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come.”
“Linds, I told you it was fine. You never even met my dad. I didn’t expect you to fly all the way to America to go to his funeral.”
“Lace, I would have come for you, not him.”
Hearing those words made me start crying all over again. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Oh, Lace, don’t cry.”
“I-I-I can’t hel-help it.”
“I know, sweetie.”
I sniffled in her ear, trying to get control of my tears.
“Lacey?”
“Yeah?”
“Why did you say, you’re going to miss me?”
“I have to stay here.” I told Lindsey all about the reading of my father’s will and how everyone expected me to just give the bar up. “Am I crazy for staying?”
“Hell no.”
“I really do hate this place.”
“You hated that place. You haven’t been back in years. Even when you did visit, I know you didn’t do much when you were there.”
I usually came during the holidays, so I’d spend most of my time at home, doing family stuff.
“Maybe things have changed. Maybe you won’t hate it so much.”
“This is why I love you,” I told her. “You give me hope.”
“That’s what friends are for. And, listen, just because you put in some time there doesn’t mean you have to stay for twelve months. If you still hate it, you won’t feel bad about giving the bar to this Jake person because you tried. You won’t ever have to wonder, What if …”
“How did you get to be so wise?”
Lindsey laughed. “Four kids will do that to you.”
“If I stay the full year, do you promise to come and visit sometime?”
“You couldn’t stop me.”
“What about the kids? I’m not even giving you two weeks’ notice.”
“We’ll be fine. I’ll call the service tomorrow.”
“Just remember that no one will be as good as me.”
“I don’t need reminding. I’ll never forget. Now, go and show that town that they’re not going to push you over.”
I grinned. “I will. Kiss the kids for me and tell them I miss them.”
“I will.”
“Talk to you soon.”
“Okay. Later.”
“Bye.”
I hung up my phone and went in search of my father’s keys. It wasn’t too hard. My dad had been a man of habit, and his keys were by the back door, hanging on the key rack that had been there before I was born, I was sure.
I was a little surprised to find the keys there since my father had had his heart attack at Leather & Lace. It was nice of whoever had found the keys to return them to his house.
I made a mental note to ask my grandmother. She had to be the one who had placed them back in their rightful spot.
I snatched the keys and headed to my car. Going to the bar sounded a lot better than staying home and crying all day.
I hadn’t been back there since I graduated high school. If I was going to work there full-time, now was the perfect time to get reacquainted with everything.
Chapter 5
JAKE
A fter I went home and changed, I headed to Leather & Lace. It had been closed for a few days for George’s funeral, so all the employees could attend. And, despite Lacey saying she was going to stick it out for a year, being at the bar brought me peace. And, since I knew I would have some time there without her, it was perfect.
Outside the bar sat Clive, one of Leather & Lace’s regulars.
“Clive, you know the bar doesn’t open until tomorrow, right?”
He shrugged his bony shoulders and lifted his gray head. “I got nowhere else to go.”
“Come on,” I said, waving my hand toward the back. “You can come in and keep me company.”
Clive slowly stood, and he shuffled behind me as we made our way to the back door. I unlocked it and held out my hand for Clive to enter.
The old man scoffed at me. “What do I look like, a lady?”
I scratched the side of my head with my key. “No. But I was always told to respect my elders.”
Clive blew a raspberry. “I ain’t that much older than you, boy.”
I sighed. Clive had at least fifty years on me. His grandson was older than me.
But I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine, I’ll go first.”
“About damn time. I’ve been waiting here all day.”
I stepped into the bar and rolled my eyes.
Clive might be a regular, but he was feisty as hell. He followed me inside, and the door slammed closed behind him. I quickly put the code into the alarm while Clive went past me and took his seat at his favorite stool.
I couldn’t sell him any alcohol since the bar was closed today, but there was no law saying a friend couldn’t hand another friend a drink.
I slid Clive his favorite beer. “This is all I can give you since we’re closed.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll be around, checking on things. Holler if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
Confident Clive would be fine by himself. I headed back to the office, but I hesitated before stepping inside. The last time I’d been inside was with George.
Try as I might, I couldn’t help but picture him walking out through the doorway, rubbing his chest. He’d looked at me as I was walking toward him, and I knew. I dropped whatever was in my hands at the time and ran to George. I helped him sit down and called 911.
While waiting for the ambulance to show, I ordered the staff to clear the bar out. I didn’t want anyone in the way when they arrived.
It had all been for nothing because George had been pronounced dead at the hospital.
My throat felt thick, and I found it hard to swallow.
I knew I had to go inside sooner or later, and waiting would only make it worse, so I stepped inside and flipped the light switch.
I didn’t know what I had been expecting, but it wasn’t for the office to look normal. There was a pile of paper
s sitting askew on the desk, and I had to assume that this was what I had dropped when I saw George. One of the bartenders or servers must have brought them in here for me after I’d followed the ambulance to the hospital.
I picked them up to see what I had been on my way to do. They were invoices. Nothing special but essential in running the bar.
I began sorting through them and filing them away in the cabinet when I heard Clive speaking to someone. I couldn’t make out who he was talking to, and I suddenly pictured five of his friends sitting next to him at the bar.
The old man only listened when he wanted to, and even though he knew the bar was closed, it wouldn’t stop him from letting others in.
I should have told him to go home when I saw him sitting outside.
But, when I walked out, I saw that Clive hadn’t let anyone in. Someone had let herself in.
Lacey was here, and she didn’t look too happy to see me.
The feeling was mutual.
“Where’s your tape measure?” I asked.
“What are you talking about?” she said, scowling at me.
“I figured you came to see what you might get out of selling this place. Take a few pictures, write down some measurements, things like that.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re a prick.”
Way to go, dumbass. She’s not going to want to sell the bar to you now.
I shouldn’t have opened my mouth, but I was upset to see her. I wanted to be at the bar in peace. And she really had no reason to be here.
“I tell it like it is. You’re going to have to wait a whole year before you sell this place anyway, so you might as well go home.”
“Fuck you.”
I curled my lip because I immediately pictured me doing that to her.
Nope. I wasn’t going to go there.
“Go home, Lacey. You’re not needed here.”
Chapter 6
LACEY
Walking into Leather & Lace had filled me with nostalgia, which had surprised me.
Seeing Jake there had filled me with frustration and rage, which hadn’t surprised me in the least.
I had wanted to be alone with my thoughts and with what I had left of my father. Jake had ruined the moment.
And then he’d had to open his mouth and accuse me of coming to the bar because I was going to sell it and telling me I wasn’t needed.
I sucked in a breath and lifted my chin. “I might not be needed, but I work here now, remember? It’s been a while since I was here, and I wanted to look around before there were customers.”
I looked over at Clive. Man, that guy is still alive?
“But it seems like I’m too late.”
Jake shook his stupid, handsome head. “Clive is just having a beer, and then he’s leaving.”
“No, I’m not.”
Jake looked as startled as I felt.
“Man, he’s got ears like a bat,” Jake whispered.
I chuckled before I quickly remembered that this guy was my enemy.
He smiled, too, but swiftly wiped it off his face.
I put my hands on my hips. “So, are you going to show me around, or are you going to make this whole thing difficult?” I held up a finger. “And, before you say anything, I want to remind you that this is what my father wanted.”
Jake closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them again and narrowed them at me. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
I set my purse on the bar. “Where should we start?”
“The cash registers.”
“Okay.”
I came around the side of the bar and was amazed to see the complicated pieces of hardware sitting behind the counter. My father had used the same old-fashioned cash registers for as long as I could remember.
“These are fancy.”
“Not really,” Jake said.
I snorted. “Are you sure you knew my father?”
They had touch screens. My father had owned a flip phone until the day he passed.
I saw a smile peek out of his mouth before he made it disappear. “Maybe it’s a little fancy for this place.”
Wow. He’d agreed with me on something.
Jake did a couple of things on the register to show me how it worked, but then he didn’t give me a chance to try it myself. Instead, he commanded that I follow him back to the office.
“But I think I should spend more time figuring out the register.”
“You can do that later.”
I sighed and followed him.
In the office, he showed me where everything went in the file cabinets.
“I already know this. This is all the same as when I was in high school.”
“It’s still stuff you need to know.”
“Whatever. Show me.”
Jake went through almost every folder in the tall cabinet. By the time he got to the end, I was zoning out and dreaming of lunch.
I couldn’t hold in the yawn that was threatening to escape.
“Am I boring you?” he asked from his spot, crouched on the floor.
“Yes.”
He slammed the door closed. “Do you want to learn this stuff or not?” He stood and towered over me.
If this guy thought he was going to intimidate me, he was dead wrong.
“I already told you, I know all this stuff.”
“Fine,” he said, sweeping an arm out. “Then, let’s go over the stuff you don’t know.”
“Are you dense? If I don’t know about stuff, how am I supposed to tell you what I don’t know?”
He grinned, the kind full of spite. “I’ll let you figure that out.”
He headed for the door, whistling.
“What are you doing? You can’t leave.”
“Says who?” he asked, not slowing down. “You? You’re not my boss. And we’re not even open.”
“But …”
“See ya later, Clive.”
Clive gave Jake a two-finger wave.
“You can’t leave him here,” I yelled.
Jake turned and used his ass to open the door. “Oh, yeah? Watch me.”
The door slammed closed, and I gave Jake the middle finger with both hands.
“That’s not very ladylike,” Clive said.
“Nobody asked you,” I retorted and headed back to the kitchen to see if there were any changes there.
Chapter 7
LACEY
I wanted to say that coming back to work at the bar had been like riding a bike. I wanted to say that I’d impressed everyone, especially Jake, with my superb skills.
But that wasn’t how it’d happened.
I sucked.
I was slow, I forgot stuff, and none of the staff trusted me. They went to Jake for everything. Not that I could blame them. He had all the answers. Meanwhile, I still couldn’t get the cash registers to work. My face was permanently red from all the times I’d been embarrassed. It didn’t even faze me anymore.
Jake and I had come to an unspoken truce—heavy on the unspoken part. The only times we talked to each other was when we absolutely had to.
I’d been working at the bar for over a month, and I couldn’t believe I still had almost eleven left. I sure hoped it was going to get better.
The good thing about tonight was that I was there as a customer instead of employee. I had begged my two old high school friends if we could meet somewhere else, but they’d insisted Leather & Lace had the best chicken wings. And who was I to argue when they complimented my bar?
“I think you need some American dick,” Courtney said out of nowhere, tilting her blonde head to the side.
I practically spit my drink across the table. “Excuse me?”
“Court’s right, Lace. You need to get some good ol’-fashioned American sex,” Jenn said, nodding her head, her short brown locks swaying back and forth.
I looked around to see if anyone could hear. “I don’t think so.”
“See, you’ve been in Europe way too long,” Courtney said. �
�You probably think sex is supposed to be all prim and proper.”
“Excuse me, ma’am, I would like to have relations with you,” Jenn said, apparently pretending to be a British guy, going by her awful accent. “And then you’re like, Why, thank you, kind sir. That would be a pleasure. Then, you go home and have the most boring sex someone can have without falling asleep.”
“First of all, I live—or lived in France. And, second of all, when did I become Southern? Both of those accents are way off.”
Jenn looked at Courtney. “But she didn’t say how the sex was.”
Courtney let her head fall to her shoulder and let out a loud, fake snore.
“You two are bitches.” I tried to say it with a straight face, but I couldn’t manage it. They were making me laugh. “I’ll have you know, there are vanilla people in Europe—”
“I knew it,” Jenn said.
“But,” I said, finishing my thought, “there are kinky people, too.”
Courtney wiggled her eyebrows. “A Frenchman and kinky sex.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t had any kind for quite some time,” I admitted.
“Which leads me back to you needing some American dick. You were sad because of your dad, and then you’ve been working hard. You need a break,” Courtney said.
“And what better way to take a break than to have a great orgasm delivered by a great dick attached to a hunk of man meat?”
“Do you two listen to yourselves?”
They looked at each other and shrugged. “No,” they said simultaneously.
“I missed you guys,” I said. I had kept in touch with both of them after I moved away, but I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed seeing them until I moved back.
“Good. Then, you’ll take our advice,” Courtney said.
I laughed. “I don’t think so.”
Our appetizers arrived, and we ordered another round of drinks.
After we finished eating, Courtney said, “Let’s play Truth or Dare.”
Jenn’s eyes lit up. “Yes. Let’s. Lacey?”
This was something we’d done back in high school, but whatever. It could be fun.