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Bodhi did not seem entirely pleased with this new word I just entered into his vocabulary.

Job.

“I’m not going to work at a McDonald’s, I can tell you that right now.” He jumped off the couch and locked eyes with me.

I snorted. “You know, working at a job like that would really humble you,” I told him. I was starting to get annoyed with his attitude. “There’s nothing wrong with working a job like that, because it sure as hell is a lot more reputable than sitting on your ass all day in pajamas, staring up at the ceiling and eating Spaghetti-Os all three meals.”

“What’s your deal?” Bodhi asked. “I’m not your problem. I’m happy here. If all I want to do is nothing, take my life day by day, and worry about bills when I need to, let me. Why do you even care?”

“You’re my brother.” I threw my hands up in frustration since it should be the most obvious thing in the world. “Of course, I’m going to care. And you would rather have me here than Isla, let me tell you that much. I’m not leaving until we get you set up somewhere. I don’t care if you’re a greeter at Walmart or you own your own small business, but you need to figure out something you can commit to for the foreseeable future.”

“I can’t even commit to a woman, how can you expect me to commit to a job?” he argued sadly. There was helplessness there, which meant I was getting through to him. Slightly.

I sighed. “Look.” I glanced at my watch. “It’s almost five. Let’s get a beer and we can talk it over more. Where can you get a beer in this place?”

Bodhi furrowed his brow. “To be honest, I don’t think there’s a bar in Westport,” he said. “There’s a winery, but not a bar.” He shook his head. “But we can go to any restaurant downtown and get alcohol there. I am getting hungry.”

“Really?” I asked, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in my voice. “The cereal you’ve been eating isn’t keeping you full?” I forced myself into a standing position. “Fine. Take me to a restaurant where I can get a beer on tap.”

“You’re asking like I would know these things,” he said.

I wasn’t a violent person, but I wanted to throttle my little brother. “You have been here for weeks, Bodhi,” I said. “What the hell have you been doing here since your competition finished? Just sitting at your new home watching shit TV and stuffing your face with cereal. What kind of life is this, Bodhi? Are you happy with it? Honestly?” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Okay, okay, let’s just get in the car and find the first place we see, okay? Does that work for you? Or do you have an important date with a Kardashian?”

“Her name is Kim, Max,” Bodhi said. “Okay. Fine, let’s go.”

“Uh, no.” I shook my head. “Shower, shave, and change. Then we can go.”

It took Bodhi five minutes, and I told him that was not an appropriate amount of time to shower and forced him back upstairs. Twenty minutes later, he emerged in a blue T-shirt, jeans, and wearing actual tennis shoes on his feet. It even appeared as though he took a brush to his dark hair, slicking it back so it brought out his face.

My little brother actually cleaned up nicely, if he would just put some effort into himself every once in a while.

Bodhi directed me to the main road that led to the beach. This was prime real estate, which was probably why Vicki set up shop in the heart of it all. I was surprised to see a light on still in her office and had to refrain from inviting her to dinner. As much as I wanted to be in her presence again, this was about me and Bodhi right now.

“This looks like a fun place,” I commented while pulling into a tight spot in front of a tall restaurant that also looked like it served ice cream on the other side. “You ever been?”

“The only places I’ve ever been are Chinese Express and Soup Everything because they deliver,” Bodhi responded.

The way I was rolling my eyes today, I was surprised they didn’t fall out of their sockets.

We stepped out of the car and walked into the restaurant. I was surprised at how empty the place was even though it was a nice April evening.

“Small town,” Bodhi explained, when I commented on it.

The hostess greeted us with a smile and led us to a booth. She handed us our menus and the first thing I checked was to make sure they had beer on tap.

“You know,” I began, leaning back after picking what I planned to eat for dinner. “I think it’s ridiculous that there isn’t a bar here. How is that possible? What do people do when there’s a pay-per-view fight, or a blacked-out sports game?”

Bodhi shrugged. “People sit around and drink at home, I guess.”

“Just because you like doing that doesn’t mean everyone else does,” I argued. “People like to relax and socialize, sip a beer, watch a game, talk to a pretty girl. It’s an atmosphere that, when managed properly, becomes a home.”

“Like Cheers?” Bohdi sneered.

“You’re dating yourself,” I teased, “but yes, like Cheers. You know, if someone was smart, they would open a bar here. I’ve seen some empty buildings along this street. I’m sure it wouldn’t be that expensive...”

My voice trailed off as an idea popped into my head. I narrowed my eyes at my brother and cocked my head to the side.

Could he? I didn’t know...

But damn it, the opportunity was there. If not him, someone else would snap it up.

“Bodhi,” I said, slapping the table. He jumped. “I know what your job is going to be.”

He gave me a disbelieving look. “Oh, yeah?” he asked. “And what’s that?”

I grinned. “You’re going to run a bar,” I said.