“Really?” I asked.
“I mean, we gotta eat. And you gotta eat. Figured the three of us could eat together,” Tyler said.
“What my brother’s trying to say is—”
“I know what he’s saying, Tanner, but thank you,” I said. “And yes. I’d love to do lunch with you two tomorrow. But I do have one question.”
“What’s up?” Nick asked.
“Was this bullshit heart attack necessary to get to this?” I asked.
The guys chuckled around the table as a line started to gather outside the bar.
“Emma. It’s showtime,” Lindy said.
“Just one second,” I said.
“Hurry up. Everyone’s getting rowdy,” she said.
“Everything okay, baby girl?” Adam asked.
“I want to tell you guys something quickly. Well, I want to thank you first. For the money you guys have given me,” I said.
“Trust me. You already have,” Tanner said, grinning.
“Shut up. You’re going to make me blush,” I said.
“And if things go our way tomorrow, we’re going to make you scream, too,” Tyler said.
“Get it,” Jacob said with a smirk.
“Fuck. Okay. The building I put an offer in on? The business-apartment combination? It’s mine. Well, it’s mine and Lindy’s. And because of the money you guys have given us, we only have ten thousand that we owe.”
“Holy shit, they accepted your offer?” Nick asked.
“Yep. They did,” I said, smiling. “It’s official. I’m going to be a business owner soon. Lindy and I took the weekend and finalized the inventory for the store. Now I have to interview contractors so they can get working on the renovations of the store. It’s gonna be phenomenal.”
“Do you have money to do that?” Adam asked.
“We have money we saved up for it, yeah,” I said.
I watched the guys look around the table at one another, and I knew what they were thinking.
“Oh, no. Don’t do that. You guys have done enough.”
“Emma. I can’t put them off any longer,” Lindy said.
“We aren’t thinking anything,” Jacob said.
“Yes, you are. I know you guys. Don’t look around the table at each other like that. It’s not allowed.”
“And since when did you become the boss of us?” Tyler asked.
“Since the five of you swooped into my life and made me give a damn about you,” I said.
I felt their eyes hot on my skin as I stood from my seat. I walked over to the front door and unleashed the anxious crowd, seeing them all pile into the bar. I turned around and saw the guys staring me down as I walked to the bar, a healthy glow tinting my cheeks.
“So? How’d the conversation go?” Lindy asked.