Holden
After helping Conleigh haggle with the dealership, she drove off the lot in her beater Honda Civic. She was so damn happy behind the wheel though. I just left my attorney’s office. He said he’d attempt to serve Reese at her parent’s house later today or early tomorrow. She better not fucking contest it. I don’t know what game she is playing but I don’t want any part of it.
I’ve just arrived at the bar and Wren is here making a fucking spectacle of himself, but the place is packed so I won’t complain. College girls are competing for his attention and he’s eating it up. Conleigh is too busy keeping up with her tables to notice me. Waylon sent me a text earlier and said Cheryl called out sick. Missy is supposed to start back next week. Waylon’s mom is going to keep the baby while they work. I am trying to work the schedule to give them two days off together every week. That’s where Conleigh will come in. I want to train her to bartend. I figured the two of us can work together on Sunday and Monday; the two slowest days. We get the football crowds but they mainly drink pitchers and order wings. I want to do away with the food menu all together. The place needs an overhaul. I just haven’t decided if I want to sink more money in the place. I plan to do some small renovations. I’ve had a few offers to buy me out. It has potential being so close to campus. Wren waves me over and I reluctantly accept his invitation.
“Wanna play a game?” He holds up a rack for the pool table.
“You find a place yet?”
“Damn, man. You hate me that much? I thought we could leave the past behind, ya know? I’ve changed. I have a proposition for you?”
“Fine. Rack ‘em. You win, I’ll listen. If I win you pack your shit and go beg Reese to stay at her parent’s place.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know why you gotta be such a prick. I told you I was sorry. I know I shouldn’t have fucked her. I was on drugs. I know it isn’t excuse. But fuck, I hardly knew what city or country I was in most the time.”
“You could have not taken her with you.”
“She wanted to go and I asked you to come. We both begged you. But you wanted to stay in school. I told you not to marry her. You wouldn’t listen. Reese was a whore. She still is.”
“Just rack. I don’t want to revisit shit that doesn’t matter.”
He gets to it and I signal Waylon for a beer.
A few minutes later, Conleigh brings it over and I cop a feel of her rear. She shakes her head. “That’s considered sexual harassment.”
“You gonna turn me in?”
“Well there’s my love dove,” Wren interrupts before she can respond.
Conleigh rolls her eyes and moves on to get her next tray of drinks from the bar.
“You’re asking for trouble with that one,” my brother informs me as I line up my next shot.
“How do you figure?”
“She’s too good for you.”
I sink the nine ball in the corner pocket.
“But she’s perfect for you, right?”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “Not even close. A girl like her is much too sweet for our blood.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“She’s your best friend’s girl, correct?”
“He doesn’t deserve her and she knows it.” I shrug and scratch my next shot.
“You’re going to get hurt.”
“Why do you care?”
“I shouldn’t but you’re my brother. I’ll always tell you the truth even if you don’t want to hear it.”
I frown but know he means it. Doesn’t mean I think he’s right though.
In the end, Wren wins so I take him to my office to hear his proposal.
I take a seat on the edge of my desk. “So, let’s have it. What do you want?”
“Don’t say no. Just hear me out first.”
I nod so he gets to it.
“I want to invest in your bar. Become a partner. I have a little money saved from our last record. There’s so much potential here, but to be blunt. You aren’t utilizing the space and making the money you could be.”
“You, who I couldn’t even share a bedroom with want to be partners?”
“Yeah man, the band is done with shows on the road. I’m done with that life. I want to settle down and build a life. I got so busy making a living that I wasn’t living, man. Just coasting through town to town. Nothing to call mine. I can do this. We can do this together. It’s like we used to talk about when we were younger. We could have live music. I have the connections.”
“I’ll think about it.”
He smiles. “You serious?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“I was ready for you to shoot me down and call me every name in the book.”
“Bros before hos. Besides, I’ve been trying to decide what to do with the place. Let me get this divorce shit out of the way then we can get the paperwork drawn up.” People deserve a second chance. Not all but some. Wren may be full of shit but at the end of the day he is my brother. He was young and dumb. Hell, we all were.
“You won’t regret this. I swear to you, Hold, we’re gonna turn this place around. I need this, brother. I need something to look forward to.”
“I believe you. So, you think she’ll sign the papers?”
“You really going through with it?”
“Yeah, it’s long overdue.”
“She loves you,” he says. “You used to love her, but she will probably fight you. I don’t trust her.”
“Reese only loves Reese. I know that and so do you.”
“She regrets it you know. She used to talk about coming home and winning you back. She said a lot of things…”
“Shut up before I change my mind on being partners.”
“Alright.” He holds his palms up.
“You’re still getting your own place.” I grin and he chuckles, clamping me on the shoulder as he follows me back to the front. I’m only teasing him. I have it in my mind that tonight shit gets settled between Conleigh and me. No more back and forth shit. I promised her space, but that space will only push her back to Ezra and I want him gone. When he gets back it’s time he learns the truth. It’s time for him to move out and Wren can take his room.
The happy hour crowd has dwindled down to a few people. Conleigh and Waylon are cleaning up. She’s supposed to be off by now, but with Cheryl out, I can’t leave Waylon to do all this shit on his own.
Conleigh clears the tables and Waylon wipes them down making shit get done quicker. Wren even grabs a broom while I restock the bar. The four of us make a good team.
The door chimes and in walks Bailey. She goes straight for Conleigh but before she makes it to her my brother serves as a distraction. She detours to his location near the bar.
“Holy shit on a cracker, you’re that dude.”
“What dude would that be?” He flashes her his charming smile.
“That group. Oh my god, I love your songs. Your voice is liquid velvet,” she gushes.
“Thanks,” he takes a napkin from the bar and grabs a pen. “Who do I make this out to?”
“Bailey.” She grins eagerly.
This has bad news written all over it. Wren takes her hand and kisses her knuckles. Yeah, this is a disaster in the making. A train wreck. If Bailey thought I was a dick she has no idea what she is in for with my brother.