It was incredible to see. And the whole time, there was Ava behind the bar, her hands flying as she made drinks and chatted it up with customers swarmed around her. They couldn’t get enough of her. I watched people stand there at the bar and order drink after drink, barely even sipping the ones she gave them, just because they wanted to keep talking with her.
There was truly something special about that girl. Not that I didn’t know that already.
My phone rang in my pocket as I was passing through the crowd. I couldn’t hear it above the volume of the classic country music and the loud patrons but having it on vibrate meant I could feel it buzzing against my skin. That was not a sensation I was particularly fond of, but it was a necessary evil in situations like this.
Ducking away into my office, I shut the door and pulled out my phone.
“Hey, Tom,” I said, surprised to hear from my oldest brother at this time of night. “How’s everything going?”
“I was calling you to ask the same question. I saw on your social media you have a theme night going on tonight.”
“I don’t know how she’s done it, but Ava has brought us more business then we’ve had since opening. She just throws together these events, but they have people filling the bar. You should see the line still waiting outside, just hoping they’re going to have a chance to come in.”
“That’s great, Tom said. “I’m really glad to hear everything’s going well. Just remember, keep it professional.”
It was almost like he had somehow heard my thoughts and made a special call just to scold me for them.
“I know,” I said. “Ava and I are coworkers. Just coworkers. I barely even notice she’s here most of the time.”
“Good to hear. Keep me updated. Say hi to everybody for me,” he said.
“I will.”
I got off the phone and headed back out into the bar. The rest of the night went exceptionally well. I was helping Matt wait on a large table when I glanced over at the bar and caught Ava’s eye. She smiled at me, and my heart gave a thud. To hell with Tom. She looked hot as hell in her cowboy boots and cutoff denim shorts. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.
From behind her, a guy said something and held out several folded bills. She took them and tucked them into the pocket of her shorts. Another guy said something, and his friends beside him nudged him, laughing. It was the kind of reaction that came from heavy flirting. It didn’t look like Ava was flirting back, but I was still jealous.
I reminded myself I didn’t have the right to be jealous and banished myself to the office for the rest of the night. Whether it made sense of not, I couldn’t stomach watching her like that.13AvaAfter the country theme night, all of us were exhausted, and the bar was depleted of most of its supplies. Both of those combined to convince Mason to give us an unheard-of night off in the middle of the week. I was sure there would be plenty of upset customers who wanted to come out, but I figured it could work in our favor if we handled it correctly. All it would take was a couple of strategically worded social media posts.
If there was one thing people liked more than getting what they wanted, it was getting what they wanted after being told they couldn’t have it. Taking a little bit of a break could have the effect of building up momentum even more. A bit of a buzz could stir up because of the bar going dark for a night, which would make people want to come even more when we opened again.
I was excited about the day off not just because I needed a break, but because I also got to go spend more time with my parents than I had recently. My mother looked in good spirits when I got there, and I noticed my father looked perkier and more responsive.
“You look like you’re feeling better,” I told him, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek.
“I’m definitely getting my energy back. Maybe things aren’t as serious as the doctors thought they were. Just watch. I’m going to be up and going in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
I looked over at my mother, who just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Then I looked back at my father. “Don’t push it too hard. You don’t want to set yourself back.”
“But I’m feeling so much better,” he said. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
I gave him a disbelieving look. “Daddy.”
“Okay, maybe it hurts a little. But not nearly as much as it did.”
“That’s because they gave you good medicine. You need to rest and get yourself back to your best shape. That’s why I’m here. You just relax and get better. Now, I’m going to go into the kitchen with Mom and we’re going to make you something to eat.”