Happy Ending (Fisher Brothers 4)

“You look a lot alike,” I said, somewhat fascinated by their almost identical features.

“We have the same plastic surgeon,” Triplet Number Two said, and I stopped myself from asking any more questions I truly didn’t care about the answers to.

“All right. Well, what can I get you ladies?”

“Can we get three Happy Endings?”

I couldn’t help but smile at their drink choice. It was my newest creation, and I knew they’d love it. Everyone who had tried it so far couldn’t stop at one.

Triplet Number Three spoke for the first time since they’d come in. “Is it really purple? I mean, it says purple gin on the menu, but is the gin purple or is that just the name?”

“It’s really purple. You’ll love it.” I gave them a wink and turned to grab the ingredients.

After mixing purple gin with fresh-squeezed lime juice and soda, I swirled each glass and then garnished it with a small flower. When I handed them their drinks, they all oohed and aahed at how pretty they were, and then pulled out their phones to take pictures to post on social media.

The cell phone shit used to annoy me, but Nick changed my way of thinking. Encouraging posts on social media that tagged our bar was good for business, helping to get the word out whenever we created something new. It was free publicity, easy and effortless.

I stood in front of the girls until they tried their drinks, wanting to see their reactions. After they sipped, their eyes met mine.

“Good?” I asked, even though I knew how good the cocktail was.

“It’s delicious.” Triplet Number Three hummed her appreciation and took another sip.

“So light and refreshing,” Triplet Number One added.

“I didn’t even know I liked gin,” Number Three said, and I laughed. I’d heard that more than a handful of times since I started making this particular drink.

“I’ll start a tab for you ladies.” I picked up the credit card one of them had placed on top of the bar and tucked it in a glass near the register.

Business picked up, which meant our ability to talk privately was pretty much over for the night. I noticed Frank still standing in the same place where I’d left him. I wandered over, about to give him shit for not doing something useful, when Nick joined us.

“So, I was thinking,” Nick said, then stopped short. His brow furrowed like he was deep in thought as Frank and I waited for him to continue. “If we’re going to lose this location, I kind of want to do something special for Jess here.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I want to propose.”

Nick’s smile took up his whole damn face, and I couldn’t even give him shit for it. He’d had Jess’s ring sitting in the bar safe for almost as long as he’d been working here.

“Here? In the bar?” Frank asked. We used to tease Nick about actually putting the damn thing on her finger, but neither of us ever contemplated that he’d choose the bar as his setting to do it.

“Hell yes, here. It’s where I brought her after formal. It’s where I came to talk to you guys when I almost lost her forever. It’s where we both came back to. This bar holds a lot of memories for us, and I’d like it to hold one more.”

Nick was adamant. He couldn’t be talked out of this idea, not that I planned on trying.

“Okay, when?” I asked.

“The day before the deadline.”

Frank coughed and slapped his chest. “That’s in five days. Seriously? Of all the days, you want to do it then?”

“What difference does it make? Plus, it’s Jess’s birthday.” Nick shrugged, and we had nothing to say back. Truthfully, it made no difference.

“We’re in.” Frank gave our youngest brother a small grin, and I slapped him on the back in congratulations.

“Excuse me?” the triplets sang out in unison. “Can we get three more Happy Endings?”

I turned toward them, surprised they’d polished off their first round so quickly. A few more of those at that rate, and the girls would need to be carried out.