THEO

 

Life was best lived by the happy.

 

Empty pizza boxes littered my coffee table. Half-eaten Thai take-out containers saddled alongside as well. Thank god for takeout. Because that’s what you do when your world crashes down around you. You don’t cook and clean. No one does that. Instead, you mindlessly order takeout and let the shit pile up around you. I had this down to a science. Order. Eat. Repeat. Amidst all the shit were the pages of the one hundred and fifty-two-page contract, haphazardly strewn around, decorating the living room floors. I’d read the document over and over trying to figure a way out from under Pardo’s wicked ways and the agreement I had signed. I was a fool but at least I was a good looking one. Too bad Penny didn’t give a fuck. Apparently she preferred money over looks. Stupidity over brains. A puny prick over my big cock.

It’d been three weeks since our meeting at the Hard Rock. Three long weeks I spent holed up in my condo only surfacing for air occasionally to take my daughter to dinner. I liked to think of it as hermiting. Blair had been understanding. She knew I was going through something and didn’t bother with questions, which I appreciated.

The last page bearing my signature clung to the cotton of my Deadpool t-shirt. I crumbled it in my hands and flung it toward the TV. Netflix asked if I still wanted to watch whatever program was playing on loop. I lost track of time and my remote—buried somewhere deep within the shit pile. I had no idea what even played on the TV, anyways. Arrested Development? Or was it Family Guy? Either way, I grabbed the Xbox controller, clicking the yes icon, to return to the show. At least Netflix cared enough to ask me what I wanted to do. Unlike Penny, who didn’t give a thought to my feelings.

Despair washed over me when my mind drifted to her once again. Her sweet taste. Her intoxicating eyes. The way she beamed at her fiance. All the fight in me left as I remembered her face when her father announced she was engaged.

As the sound of the theme music for How I Met Your Mother played through the sound system, I bolted into an upright position. Time was a foreign concept. My fuzzy eyes took in the disarray of my condo.

How long have I been here?

What day is it?

I glared at my phone, noticing the date and time. A new email pinged on my phone. As I stared down at the sender, my heart constricted.

Still a part owner of Lopa, Penny sent me weekly emails. None of them ever ended the way I wanted, though. With the words I’m sorry. Instead, the emails were filled with Profit and Loss reports, inventory reports, and other mundane things I no longer cared to read. I clicked the email open, and for once something other than the normal hogwash of nonsense was there. A note:

 

Theo,

I hope you are well. We’re in a predicament at Lopa. Both Henry and Seth have moved onto other jobs and I am down two bartenders. I have no time to hire anyone right now and wondered since you know how to bartend, if you’d be willing to help out until I can find someone new to replace them?

Thanks,

Always,

Penelope

 

The harsh glare of the email blinded me in the soft light of my condo.

 

Always, Penelope.

 

Yeah, right. Someone needed to clue Penny into what always meant. Her definition wasn’t the same as mine apparently, considering one day later she was engaged to Dex. After rereading it again, and again, I finally decided to call Lopa.

On the second ring, Fiona’s familiar voice answered, doing the usual spiel for all callers.

“Fiona, it’s me Theo. Can I speak to Penny?” I ran a hand across my beard as I stood from the couch.

“Hi, Theo. Sure, please hold.” Connected to the hold button, I listened to the soft elevator music play through my phone.

One of my worst ideas. I should hang up. Before I could do anything of the sort, Penny’s cute voice filled my ears.

“Theo, thank you for calling me.” A hint of desperation echoed through her voice.

“Hello, Penny,” I clipped, devoid of emotion.

“Right, I’ll get to the point. I need you. I’m down two bartenders.”

“Yes, I read your email, obviously. When should I come in?” I snapped, unable to remain professional. My anger kicked up and my neck heated.

“Tomorrow.” She hesitated before speaking again, “Oh, and, Theo, can we talk for a second? I wanted to apologize for the way my fath…”

I cut in, “Save it. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I ended the call with a brutal blow of my finger pounding the glass of my phone.

Tossing the phone onto the floor, I sank back down onto the couch to watch Barney deliver another perfect line as he tried to pick up yet another woman. He reminded me of myself. Why couldn’t I go back to this lifestyle? Why couldn’t I head out to a club and find someone to take away the pain?

It wasn’t the answer, and I damn well knew better. That’s why, I flicked the TV off and headed to take a shower.

While the hot water massaged my muscles, my mind filled with images of Penny and Dex walking into the Hard Rock. Dex’s arm around her waist. Penny standing there and not offering an explanation.

“Fuck.” I slammed my hand flat against the tile of the shower. Anger flared through my body, the scalding temperature of the water only igniting the flame. How would I get through one day working side by side with her? Why did I care if she needed help? I should have left her to deal with it on her own, like she left me.

After I dried my body, I wrapped the white towel around my waist and headed into my bedroom. Grabbing a pen and paper, I decided to do what I do best.

 

Ways to get through the work day

 

•     Remain professional
•     Don’t look at Penny
•     Don’t talk to her
•     Don’t under any circumstances smell her
•     Just don’t fucking breathe

 

***  

 

The morning smell of fresh rain and salty surf overtook me as I left my apartment and headed to Lopa.

I tampered down most of my ability to feel and was pretty confident I’d make it through the day. After all, I always succeeded at what I set out to do. Unless you count falling for a woman who was now engaged to my brother. I parked and said a silent Hail Mary to myself. Please let her have grown ugly in the past few weeks.

She hadn’t. Her smiling face greeted me as I stepped inside. Our eyes met, briefly, before I noticed the new umbrellas swaying slightly in the breeze on the back deck.

My eyes flitted to a small wooden stage in the corner, and I thumbed in that direction. “Who plays there?”

“A few local bands. Great idea isn’t it?” Penny beamed as she came toward me, her long legs taking each step slower than the last.

“Pfft.” I shrugged my shoulders and crossed my arms.

She ran a hand down the jacket of her business suit. Her pink tipped nails glistened in the morning sun against the white of her jacket. Those nails had scratched down my back the day before she got engaged to my fuckhead brother.

“It drums up quite the crowd.” She was nervous as a slight tremble in her voice gave her away.

“Nice rock,” I said, glancing at the shimmery diamond resting on her finger. “Now, where do you want me?”

Her copper-colored eyes widened as she choked back a cough. She shook her long sun-kissed tresses as she waved a hand to the bar. “After you, Lord of the Alcohol.”

I grinned, slightly, and made my way to my new home behind the bar with my old liquor friends. Each bottle a reminder of a path I didn’t want to travel down.

Once the doors opened, the crowd filtered in. A few locals, and many vacationers, occupied my bar, and kept me busy, while I mindlessly served drinks. I was such a dumbass for agreeing to help. Hopefully she’d hire someone soon, so I could get back to my comforting couch.