“Nothing. I just don’t think that’s enough to pay for one night what I don’t even make in a decade.”
Lola finally pinpointed what’d been bothering her on the ride home—Beau’s insinuation that Johnny could put a dollar amount on Lola. He’d suggested a counteroffer as if one existed and they just hadn’t found it yet. “How much would you say I’m worth then?” Lola asked.
Johnny took her arm and pulled her forward. She leaned in for a more intimate moment than they’d had all night. “Don’t take it that way,” he said, kissing her once on the lips. “I respect you too much to even answer that.” He kissed her again and lay back on the bed, getting under the covers.
“It’s a lot of money,” she said quietly.
He fluffed his pillow. “I know you’re worried about Hey Joe, but it’ll all work out. I bet you Mitch gets cold feet and ends up not selling.”
Lola stayed where she was, staring at the wall by the bed. He sounded so confident, but she didn’t share his optimism. During the last few conversations she’d had with the owner about Hey Joe, stress had etched his face. “Johnny, did you ever think about buying the bar?”
“Guess so, here and there. Kind of feels like mine already. But never seriously or anything.”
“That’s the best of both worlds,” Lola said. “You get the bar you love, and you don’t have to start from the ground up.”
“It’d be like owning a piece of history,” Johnny agreed. “Rock ’n’ roll history. We could get it back to what it was, you and me.”
Lola glanced down at him. “What’s the first thing you’d do?”
“I’d work my ass off to get good music in there again. Maybe serve some food. Open earlier in the day. People in the door, no matter what it took.”
She smiled at him. She liked the times where Johnny got caught up in something bigger than their life. “You could run that place with your eyes closed.”
“With you by my side, sure could.” They grinned at each other, sharing the same dream. It faded from Johnny’s eyes. “What’re you saying, Lo?”
“I don’t know. Mitch hasn’t bothered with the day to day for so long that, like you said, sometimes the bar feels like ours. But I never imagined actually owning it until tonight. I didn’t think it was a possibility for us.”
“And what, it is now?” he asked.
“No,” she said emphatically. She got under the covers too and snuggled against his side. “I told you my dad loved bikes. He used to collect Harley gear for the day he’d own one. I promised I’d buy him one when I got older. That was before he left, obviously. Sad thing is, even if I could buy him one, I wouldn’t know where to find him.” She paused, tracing one of the tattoos on Johnny’s chest. “I’ve neve
r made someone’s dream come true. Or given them anything.”
“You made my dream come true.”
She looked up at him. “I did?”
“I have you, don’t I? That’s something money can’t buy.” He smiled and smoothed his hand over her hairline. “Don’t worry, babe. We’ll figure something out.”
“But by then, Hey Joe might not be around anymore,” Lola said. They’d been figuring things out since they’d started dating. Lola still thought about going back to school some day. Some day, Johnny would propose. They’d talked about having kids some day when they’d saved more and could afford things like a bigger apartment.
Starting a business didn’t fit into any of that. It occurred to her that though Johnny wanted those things, he wouldn’t go after them. He would wait for them to happen to him or for Lola to tell him it was time. Her role was to move them forward, a reality she’d conveniently ignored—until Beau had opened her eyes to it. If neither of them did anything, they’d be in this bed ten years from now, wondering why they didn’t have the things they’d always hoped for.
Lola switched off the bedside lamp, turned back and kissed his chest. “It’s stupid, but right after my dad left, I thought if I could just get him that bike, he’d come back. Like me plus a bike would be enough for him.” She looked up at him. “Is this enough for you? If we never got further than where we are right now?”
He was quiet.
“Johnny?” she asked.
No answer. He’d fallen asleep.
4
Lola heaped potato salad onto Mark’s plate. He looked at it, then back up. “That it?”
“You know the rule. Nobody gets seconds until everyone’s had a helping.”
“Six growing men at this picnic table, Lola.”
She rolled her eyes. “If any of you are still growing, it’s sideways, not up.”
He pulled on his belt with his free hand and grinned. “Come on, Mama. Give your second favorite man a little extra love.”
“You want more potato salad, walk your ass over to Pavilions and get it yourself. Next!”
Mark muttered as he went around Lola to sit down.
Johnny and his friends played football in the park some weekends while Lola and a few other wives and girlfriends set up food for afterward. It was a good spot, even for busy afternoons, with a playground nearby for the kids.
Johnny stood quietly with his plate between them as Lola served him.
“Everything all right?” she asked. Their morning had been normal despite their unusual night. Neither of them had brought up Beau or his offer. Johnny had even been in high spirits for football. During the game, though, Lola had looked over at a commotion and seen Johnny arguing with Mark before spiking the football hard into the grass.