"You do that already."
She snorted. "Not even remotely to the extent that another actual manager would. And what if they want to make their imprint on the place, alter things, and redecorate ... change the name, completely transform the vibe of the place?"
"You're right. This is the Dive Bar," I said, more than a little outraged. "This place has been the Dive Bar since back in the seventies or so. There's real history here. Sure it's largely cheap beer and gaudy, shameful shit. But it's still real local history."
"They'll change my menu," said Nell.
I frowned. "So? You change the menu all the time."
"It's different when I do it. For starters, I know what I'm doing." She crossed her arms. "They'll probably be like those idiots who are all, 'And here's a serving of organic chicken breast in a fresh crumb mixture served with golden potato spears and a liquid tomato salsa and a sprinkling of microgreens.'"
Lydia gave her a blank stare.
"Chicken nuggets with fries, ketchup, and a sprig of parsley on top," I said, having heard this particular rant of Nell's previously. Several times.
"Oh, right." Lydia nodded. "Pretentious assholes are the worst."
"Exactly!" Nell raised her hands. "So wrong."
"Practically speaking, though," said Lydia, "we could all get jobs elsewhere and it is a lot of money. Vaughan and I could pay off the house. That would be a huge weight off our shoulders. Go on a trip, maybe."
Nell bit her lip. "Yeah. It's a lot of children's school fees and books and everything. Eric, you could buy an even bigger and better muscle car penile-enhancement vehicle. A real chick magnet."
"Don't talk about my genitals. That makes me uncomfortable."
This made her laugh.
"So, mostly no?" asked Lydia, gaze moving back and forth between Nell and me.
I raised my brows and Nell winced. "Maybe?"
"So, partly yes?"
Again, we both hemmed and hawed.
"Okay." Lydia rapped her knuckled against the desk. "Decision made. I'll tell them we're considering the offer, but won't be rushing into anything."
Nell nodded. "Agreed. Eric?"
"I can live with that."
"If they don't like it, too bad." Lydia grinned.
CHAPTER NINE
"Thing is, I honestly don't know what I'd do with myself." It was around lunchtime, the next day. I'd spent the last twelve hours running the question over in my mind.
Jean kept on packing the dishwasher. "With all your experience, you'd be able to get another job without a problem."
"Yeah. Probably." I lay on my back on the living room rug, a cushion beneath my head and Ada lying on my chest. The perfect way to chill when I had stuff on my mind. Seemed I'd traded women and whiskey for spending quality time with a baby and her awesome mom. Even more surprisingly given my history, it was more than fine with me. "I think she's trying to gum a hole in my shirt."
"Wait 'til her teeth come in. Then she'll do your wardrobe some damage."
"Little girl, that's a Black Sabbath tour shirt you're attempting to eat," I said. Then I frowned. "Hmm. Actually, that's probably kind of appropriate, in a heavy metal kind of way. Carry on."
"Put her on her blanket under the baby gym if you want."
"Nuh, we're good." I patted Ada on the back, ignoring the dribbled-on wet patch of shirt sticking to my chest. Gross, but whatever. If you liked the baby, you could apparently put up with the weird and disgusting.
"You're not ready to try something else?" asked Jean. "Move on to a new challenge?"
I sighed. "There are times it gets boring behind the bar, sure. But everyone that works there, our regular customers, they're like family. Well, Joe is family. But Boyd and Taka and everyone too."
"So don't sell."
"But it's a lot of money."
"Big decision." Dishwasher packed, she stood and stretched her back, a hand to her lower stomach for support. "I'm not sure what I'd do in your position."
"How're your stitches and everything?"
"Good. The doctor's happy."
"Good."
Ada made a little grunting noise, her face creased. Next, a truly awful smell filled the air. Oh no. No, not on me. Even if there was a diaper and baby suit between me and the possibly toxic mess, it was still way too close.
"Your daughter wants you," I blurted out. "Quickly. Please."
"Hmm?" Jean wandered over, her gaze on Ada. And then her nose wrinkled. The mom's, that is, not the baby's. Ada was still busy doing her thing.
"You take her," I said.
"Ha. You're a fair-pants friend, Eric Collins." She picked up the baby, raising her to her face. "You smell bad, my darling. Are you poopy? Are you?"
In reply, Ada sucked on her fist.
I shook my head. "Jesus. I'm sorry, but that smell is shocking."
"I think you should change her." Jean smiled because she was evil. "It'll be a growth experience for you."
"No, thank you. I am a conscientious objector when it comes to growth experiences."
"Oh, come on. Be brave."
"Another time. Or possibly never. Let's wait and see."
I climbed to my feet, following them into the nursery. But at a safe distance. Not that anywhere in the apartment was safe, care of what was going on in Ada's pants. Hazmat suits would probably be required. Some emergency Febreze would also be great.
"Coward," taunted Jean, laying the baby on the changing table and getting busy. "My respect for you just plummeted."
"Come on, at least start me out on a wet diaper. Something low-key."
"Your bestie Eric is not coming through for you," she told Ada.
"Hey, come on. That's just mean."
"It's the truth."
"I let her dribble on me."
"What's a bit of spit between friends?" Jean laughed quietly, making faces at the baby. "Let's get you cleaned up."
"She's so tiny. Where did all that even come from?" I asked, mildly horrified. Okay, lots horrified. Hell.
Safer to distract myself with the newly crafted ambience in Ada's room. Farm animals had been painted on the walls. A cow, duck, dog, pig, and hen. Alex's work, I bet. The animals were over the top deliriously happy, their eyes huge and smiles wide. Maybe the grass on their farm was the special stuff. Brilliant colors splashed around the room: wooden furniture with bright yellow sheets, blankets, and stuff. It was cute.
"Shouldn't you be on a date or something instead of hanging out with us?" asked Jean over her shoulder. "Not that I object to you hanging out with us, but I'm sure you have better-dressed and better-smelling options."
I lifted a shoulder. Fact was, I'd just spent three weeks away from them and largely been fucking miserable and worried. It was the pl
ain hard truth. As vacations went, running away to Cali had been a bad idea. I hadn't meant to change my priorities and worldview, it had just happened. Jean and Ada were important to me and that wasn't going to change anytime soon. Time to accept it. They didn't replace the baby Nell and I had lost. They were new and special in their own way. "I'd rather spend my downtime with you two. If that's okay?"
"Sure it is." Her smile was something else. If the room hadn't already been duck's-butt yellow, that smile definitely would have lit the space up. It made me feel things. Complicated things best set aside. The woman was barely getting enough sleep to string a sentence together. Me putting the moves on her would be selfish and stupid. Even I could figure that out.
"And she's good to go," said Jean, swinging the baby back over my way. She pulled at her somewhat straggly ponytail. "Would you mind hanging out with her a bit longer so I can take a shower and wash my hair?"
"'Course not," I said. "Go for it."
"Are you going to run if she poops again?"
"Maybe," I joked.
Jean sighed. "For clean hair and a shower that's longer than a minute, that's a risk I'm willing to take."
"Go ahead. We'll be fine."
I lay Ada on the blanket under her baby gym and sat down at her side. Mostly, she waved her arms about, occasionally swatting some of the toys, and blew bubbles. No idea what the toy turtle dangling on a plastic cord had done to her, but she really gave it a whacking. Possible future in boxing for the kid, if she was willing to work on her form.
"Hands down, you're the prettiest girl I've seen all day," I told her.
She really was a damn cute kid with her chubby cheeks. It would be cool once she started to smile. The book, however, said that didn't tend to happen for a few more weeks. She hadn't been swatting away for long when I heard the front door open and close.
"Hello?" I called out, leaning over to try and check out more of the hallway.
Nell walked in, loaded down with a couple bags of food from the restaurant. Guess Jean had given her a key. At the sight of me, her two brows formed one vaguely threatening and most definitely unhappy mono-brow. "What are you doing here?"
"Visiting."
"Jean's in the shower?"
"Yes."
Her gaze flicked to the baby, because I obviously couldn't be trusted with shit. Let alone something as precious as Ada. Then she started unpacking the food and putting it into the fridge. Taking out the old containers and chucking them in the trash.