I remembered Maggie had mentioned his wife, Amber, and said she was a whirlwind and kept Finn in line. The two women were good friends. Maggie’s imitation of Amber made me laugh, and I was looking forward to meeting her.
“Can I get you anything while you wait?”
“A beer would be great.”
“On tap?”
“Sure.”
He slid a tall glass in front of me, and I took an appreciative sip.
“Anything else?”
I pointed to the window. “Actually, I’m interested in your signs.”
“Which one?”
“Both,” I stated honestly.
“You have experience?”
“I’ve done a few bartending gigs. I have my Smart Serve papers. I’ve done a lot of open mic nights too, in case you were interested.” Smart Serve papers were required of anyone who served alcohol in Canada, and you had to have them completed before you could be hired.
He picked up another glass and started polishing it thoughtfully. “I hired someone for days already, so the only thing I have left is the Thursday to Saturday late shift. Four o’clock to closing, all three days.”
He held up the glass to the light, inspecting it, then set it back in place and picked up another one. “Long hours, the pay isn’t great, but the tips are usually pretty good. You get dinner with that as well.” He winked at me. “My Amber runs the kitchen, as well as everything else around here, so I promise you the meal is good.”
My mind raced. It wasn’t ideal, but it was a job. It meant money coming in, so I could contribute to the house I’d be sharing with Maggie. Maybe on the days I wasn’t working, I could pick up some odd jobs. Eleanor made it sound as if decent handymen were hard to find around here. “Okay, I’d certainly be interested. Do you have an application I can fill out?”
Before Finn could answer, a tall woman with auburn hair in a long braid came barreling out of the kitchen, her hands full. She served the table in the corner, called over to Finn for refills, stopped and chatted at another table, hugged someone leaving, then leaned against the bar, frowning at me.
“I don’t know you.”
There was no doubt; I was looking at the infamous Amber.
Finn spoke up. “This here is Sebastian. A friend of Maggie’s. He’s applying for the night job.”
She hopped up on the stool beside me, her voice eager. “Maggie? Is she home?”
“Yes, she is. We just got back last night. She’ll be here soon, I think.”
“We?” She pursed her lips. “How good a friend are you, Sebastian?”
I chuckled. She was direct, this one.
“I’ll let Maggie fill you in. I’m sure she can explain it better than I can.”
“Oh, a story. I like the sound of this.”
“Ask him his last name, Amber.” Finn smirked.
She arched an eyebrow at me silently.
“Ruggers.”
“Are you related to Patrick?” She clapped her hands. “I love Patrick!”
“I don’t know. I met his wife this morning, and she wondered the same thing.”
“I love this! Two stories!”
I grinned at her enthusiasm, not wanting to burst her bubble. The chances of finding family were slim. My father was an only child, so I doubted it—unless they were very distant relatives.
I glanced at Finn. “Can I fill out that application?”
Finn and Amber shared a look. It felt as if they were having a silent conversation, and unsure what else to do, I took another sip of beer. Finn nodded slightly and reached out his hand.
“You start Thursday.”
I grabbed his hand, shaking it hard. “Really?”
“Yep. Amber will get you the paperwork to fill out and some bar shirts to wear. I’ll show you everything on Thursday. I’m sure you’ll catch on quick.”
“I will. The open mic thing…”
“Why don’t we see how you do bartending, and then we’ll move on to that. Deal?”
“Deal.”
I was bent over the bar, filling out the various pieces of paperwork—a pile of T-shirts and one long-sleeved shirt, all emblazoned with the bar’s logo, beside me—when the door opened and Amber blew past me. “Maggie!”
I turned on my stool, smiling as I watched Maggie being hugged by Amber. Our eyes met and held, our own conversation happening.
I missed you.
I was glad when Amber released Maggie and she came over. I tucked her to my side and felt her warm mouth on mine again as I kissed her thoroughly. I drew back, cupping her cheek. “Hey. How’d things go?”
“Good. Unexpected. I’ll tell you later,” she murmured.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded. “Just a lot to take in.” Then she looked at the shirts. “It looks like you’ve been busy.”
“I start Thursday.”
She flung her arms around my neck. “That’s great!”
“It’s nights.”
“We’ll figure it out. What about open mic?”
“That’s still up for discussion.”
She turned to Finn. “He’s amazing. His voice is…I can’t even describe it.”
“Maggie,” I chided gently.
Finn chuckled. “It’s fine, man. Your girl is proud. I’m cool with that.” He winked at Maggie. “He’ll get his chance, Maggie. Promise. I need the help more than I need someone on that stage right now. We’ll figure it out.”