by R. E. Butler
Her sister had tried out different cocktails all week, finally deciding on one called the Fresh Start, which was peachy and sweet.
“I’m ready to go,” Ivy said, taking one last look at herself in the mirror.
“Me, too.” Holly put her arm around Ivy’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze as they walked to the front door and grabbed their winter coats. “Tonight will be amazing.”
“I think so, too. Especially if we get some midnight kisses from our guys.” Ivy wiggled her brows at her sister.
Holly, who still wouldn’t admit that she actually liked Vaughn, rolled her eyes hard enough that Ivy expected them to pop out of their sockets and bounce down the steps. “I’ll be keeping my lips to myself, thank you.”
“Your loss. New Year’s Eve is for kissing. It’s good luck.”
“I don’t believe in luck, I believe in hard work.”
“Ugh, how did I get all the romantic notions in the family and you got none of them?”
“Just lucky, I guess.”
“Or sad. But I love you the way you are, and I’m glad you’re my sister.”
“I love you, too.”
“And?” Ivy prompted.
“And what?”
“Aren’t you glad I’m your sister?”
“Sometimes.”
“Aw, come on!”
“Fine, fine,” Holly said as they headed to the bar. “I’m glad you’re my sister.”
Ivy just smiled, her mind spinning with the songs she was planning to perform during her three sets.
When they walked into the bar, Ivy went straight to the stage to turn on all the equipment and then helped set up the bar. As it drew closer to when Jack would show up for his shift, she couldn’t stop glancing at the door, excited to see him.
“Why do you keep looking at the door?” Holly asked.
“Just watching for Jack.”
“Are you guys officially dating?”
She hummed, sliding her gaze from the door to her sister, who leaned against the bar and rolled a swizzle stick between her finger and thumb.
“I don’t know if that’s the right word,” Ivy said. “We’re getting to know each other and taking things slow. I don’t really think of him as my boyfriend, though.”
Holly tilted her head with a frown. “Why not?”
“I just think of him as mine. Putting a label on it is weird.”
“Well, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy for you.”
“I really am. Jack is wonderful. I feel like it was fate that he started working here. He’s been so wonderful and supportive.”
“You deserve all the happiness you can get.”
“You do, too.”
“First let me get the business back on track, and then I’ll figure out how to be happy.”
“I’m not sure it works like that. I don’t think you can plan to be happy. You just have to let it happen.”
The front door swung open and Ivy grinned as she saw Jack and Vaughn walk in. Her guy was wearing a black dress shirt and pants with a silver tie. Her heart pounded as excitement wove through her. She’d never seen him looking so sexy, and the fact that he was wearing black and silver like her was just icing on the cake.
“It’s going to be a great night,” she said to Holly.
Jack strode to her with purpose, and she heard a faint growl when he laid his hands on her hips and smiled down at her.
“It’s going to be an amazing night, sweetheart, because we’re together.”
She couldn’t agree more.
Chapter 8
Jack stood near the door and checked IDs, dividing his attention between the incoming customers and his sexy sweetheart as she prepared to perform her second set. The first set had gone amazingly well. The crowd enjoyed her music, which was a mixture of well-known covers and her own songs. He especially liked to hear her sing the songs she wrote herself, because it gave him a glimpse into her heart and mind. She cared deeply for others, which came across in the lyrics.
Vaughn joined him at the door. “Pretty much every drink order that comes in has one of the specials in it. You did good, man.”
Jack nodded. The bar was almost full, and they still had an hour to go until midnight with people still coming in. “How are things going with Holly?”
“Not great. She’ll talk for hours about the bar, but the minute I try to get into any kind of personal stuff, she clams up. You and Ivy?”
Jack couldn’t help but smile, which made Vaughn roll his eyes. “It’s really good.”
Jack heard people approaching outside and pushed the door open for them. Two guys and a girl walked in, talking quietly as they handed him their IDs. Jack compared the photos to the people, an odd feeling coming over him that he’d seen them before but wasn’t sure where.
“I’ll catch ya later,” Vaughn said, hurrying back to the bar to help Holly.
Jack handed the IDs back and watched them take a table near the front of the stage, his mind spinning as he tried to figure out where he knew them from.
Ivy walked out from the side of the stage, her heels clicking on the floor. She looked so sexy and confident, with her sparkling short skirt and the tantalizing view of her legs. The crowd clapped as Ivy turned the recorded music off and settled her hands on the keyboard. She lifted her gaze to find him and gave him a smile that made him growl in happiness. Her gaze flitted over the crowd, and then she stiffened when she encountered the trio, her eyes going wide and her face paling.
And then it hit him. Those were her bandmates, the people she’d trusted who’d betrayed her. It had taken some time, but she’d eventually shared with him what happened, from the relationship that ended with a broken heart to the band split that left her feeling all alone.
His gut reaction was to grab the trio by their necks and toss them outside, preferably through a window. There was zero reason for them to be at the bar, and the fact that they sat in front of the stage told him they might attempt to hurt Ivy in some way, maybe heckle her or throw her off her game.
As he kept a tight hold on his beasts, he walked forward, intent on making them regret they ever stepped foot in the bar, but Ivy shook off the shock and started to play. The first trembling, unsure notes quickly turned into the polished perfection he was so used to hearing. And when her voice came through the speakers, the whole bar went silent.
He stopped and just listened to her. She sounded so confident. Her voice never wavered, and she played perfectly, seamlessly moving from one song to the next, from the piano to the guitar to an a cappella song about turning the page in life and starting a new chapter. He’d never been so proud of her.
Ivy was a phoenix on the stage, rising from the ashes of a band that betrayed her to be something much, much more.
Powerful. Talented.
A creative force to be reckoned with.
If those idiots had a brain cell banging around in their skulls, they’d know they messed up by leaving her behind, but he doubted they even had one to share between the three of them.
When her set was over, and the last note of a beautiful song faded into silence, the crowd erupted into cheers. Ivy met Jack’s gaze across the bar and smiled, and he saw the triumph in her eyes. After starting the recorded music, she exited the stage and beelined right for Jack, where he swept her up in his arms and kissed her.
“You were amazing, sweetheart.”
Her voice was a little rough when she thanked him for the compliment. He set her gently on the floor and cupped her face, kissing her forehead, nose, and then lips.
“How about some hot tea?” he asked.
“That would be great.”
“Honey?”
She nodded.
Leading her to the bar, he settled her onto a stool in the corner, then disappeared into the kitchen to make her tea.
“How’s it going out there?” Holly asked from where she was putting baskets filled with appetizers on a tray.
“She was amazing,” Jack sai
d. He knew he was beaming with pride, and why the hell not? Ivy was talented and beautiful and all his. “When her old band showed up and sat by the stage, I thought she’d have a problem performing in front of them, but she was a total pro.”
Holly froze as she hefted the tray, her mouth open and her eyes wide. “They’re here?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, man, that sucks. Where is she?”
“Out at the bar.”
“Alone?” Holly’s brows rose.
“Well, it’s a packed house, so not really.” Jack’s beasts murmured in worry. “I’ll go check on her.”
“Um, yeah, and kick those assholes out of the bar. Tell them management said it’s time to go and never come the hell back in here.”
Leaving the tea behind, he raced from the kitchen, barely stifling the angry growl when he saw Ivy cornered at the bar by the trio. It took two seconds for him to cross the room, and another two seconds to push himself between his mate and her ex-bandmates.
“Leave. Now,” he said, more an order than a request.
One of the male’s – her ex, Brett, he would bet – lifted a brow and leaned to the side to look at Ivy. “Aw, you need a bodyguard or something? For all your fans?”
The two with him laughed loudly, the sound grating on Jack’s beasts, who all fought him to be the ones to wipe the smug looks off their faces.
Jack took a menacing step forward, blocking Ivy once more.
“You don’t want me to put my hands on you, asshole,” he warned. “Leave on your own, or I’ll help you, and you won’t like it.” He flexed and cracked his neck, anticipating another pushback from the trio.
Instead, the female put her hand on Brett’s shoulder, purposely flashing an engagement ring. “What a thug. This place is so trashy and pathetic. I’m glad we left. Have a nice life, Ivy, if you can.”
The trio turned and walked out, and Jack spun and pulled Ivy from the stool, hustling her swiftly into Holly’s office, where he shut the door and hugged her.
“What did they say to you? Are you okay? Do you want me to go kill them?” He pushed her to arm’s length, squeezing her shoulders gently.
Ivy’s eyes were luminous with unshed tears. She let out a sob mixed with a laugh, and the tears spilled over her cheeks. “It’s tempting to let you kill them, but then you’d get in trouble and they’re not worth it. They just wanted to hurt me.”
“I would absolutely go to jail for you.” He brushed the tears from her cheeks. “I’m sorry I left you, sweetheart. It didn’t even cross my mind that they’d come talk to you.”
“I didn’t think they would either, but I should’ve known.”
“What did they want?” he asked as he led her to a small couch. They sat together, his arm around her shoulders.
“To flaunt Brett and Sally’s engagement, for one. And to let me know that they’ve gotten a recording contract.”
“I don’t understand why they’d tell you.”
She sighed deeply. “I think all the social media stuff you’re doing put me back on their radar. When I wasn’t doing anything worth noticing, they were happy to leave me alone, but once it looked like things were picking up for me, I think they wanted me to know that they were better off without me.”
“They’re not. They left the most valuable person behind.”
She lifted her head slowly and looked at him. “You might be a little biased.”
“What?” he scoffed. “I’m biased just because I believe you’re beautiful and amazing and talented? And that they’re enormous assholes who I hope get a mega karmic crush in the near future so they realize what they did was wrong?”
She held her index finger and thumb close together. “Just a little bit biased.”
“Well, I don’t care if that’s biased thinking. They’re wrong and I’m very right about you. You’ll be successful because you’re talented and have the drive for it.”
“Can I confess something to you?”
“Sure.”
“If they’d come into the bar a week ago, I would’ve been utterly destroyed by their news.”
“And now?”
“I’m a little jealous, but I’m mostly glad that I don’t have to share any success I have in the future with anyone but you. I’m the one who was applauded tonight, not them.”
“You deserve all the happiness, Ivy.”
“I think you’re right.”
He glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly midnight, sweetheart. We need to get a Fresh Start.”
“What?”
“The drink special for the night.”
“Oh, right,” she said with a chuckle. She stood and brushed her fingers under her eyes. “Does my makeup look okay? I put on a lot of mascara and now I’m wondering if it was waterproof.”
He pretended to look at her critically and then grinned. “You look beautiful.”
“There you go, being biased.”
“Honest, sweetheart. When it concerns you, I’m 1,000 percent honest.”
“What am I going to do with you?”
“Just be mine, sweetheart.”
“I’m pretty sure I already am.”
“Pretty sure?”
He held open the door for her as she looked at him, pursing her lips as if in deep thought. Then she grinned, a dimple forming in one cheek.
“Very, very sure.”
Chapter 9
Ivy watched the countdown to midnight on the flat-screens hanging on the walls. Jack stood next to her, and they both held the fruity drink special in their hands. The drink was appropriately named the Fresh Start, because that’s what she felt like she was doing with her life, thanks to Jack. His influence and support had changed her life completely in such a short time. She felt like she’d known him forever; it was hard to even imagine a time when he wasn’t in her life, even though he’d only been there for a week. She didn’t want to know what it was like to have him gone.
It had thrown her for a loop when her ex-bandmates had shown up. She’d frozen on the stage when she saw them. The smug looks from Brett and Donnie coupled with the flashy diamond on Sally’s finger had nearly undone Ivy. It would’ve been easy for her to run off the stage and tell Holly to make them leave, but she didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they could get to her.
She’d seen the look in Jack’s eyes as he’d stalked toward her, sure he was going to rescue her by taking out the trash, but she didn’t want to be a damsel in distress. She wanted to be a hero in her own story.
So she’d started to play. Her nerves had been right there, making her tremble, but she’d pushed through and come out on the other side victorious.
Her ex-bandmates hadn’t been happy to let her have her victory, though. They’d come at her afterward, when she was riding high on her success. Jack had come out of nowhere and defended her. It was right then that she fell in love with him a little.
Or a lot.
The last few seconds of the year counted down, and she looked at Jack.
“I’m glad you’re in my life,” she said.
“Me, too, sweetheart. Ready for the new year?”
“Very.”
The crowd shouted, “One!” and the familiar tune of “Auld Lang Syne” rang through the speakers as Jack pulled her close.
“Happy New Year,” he said and kissed her. She felt the kiss all the way to her toes, never wanting it to end.
When it ended, far too soon, they clinked their glasses and toasted as the crowd celebrated the first day of the new year.
She was very positive it was going to be a wonderful year, especially with Jack in her life. But no matter where the journey they were on took them, she was glad he was by her side.
* * *
Ivy yawned as she put the last tray of glasses into the dishwasher and pressed the button to start the cycle. Jack and Vaughn were cleaning the bar, and she’d closed up the stage and then helped with the massive amounts of glassware that had been left behind when the
revelers were gone.
“Pretty damn successful night,” Holly said as she joined her. “Thanks for everything.”
“I’m glad I was here to help. You should thank Jack and Vaughn, too.”
“I did.” Holly leaned against the counter and folded her arms. “Sorry about those assholes showing up. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Before Jack was in my life, it would’ve devastated me. They were crowing about signing a recording contract, and Sally and Brett being engaged. They’re exactly where I thought I needed to be to be happy.”
Holly’s brow arched. “You don’t need a recording contract anymore?”
“It’s not that necessarily. I always thought I needed to do certain things to be successful, like have a recording contract or sign with an agent or have shows in big venues, because that’s what people in the industry say makes someone successful. But tonight I feel really successful. It doesn’t matter that there were only a hundred people here tonight, because I’m playing my own music the way I want, and people came here tonight not just for your cool drink and to celebrate the new year, but to hear me, too.”
“I’d say that’s a good definition of success. You’re happy, then? Really?”
“I’d still like to give piano and guitar lessons at some point, but yes, I’m definitely happy.”
“I’m glad.”
“How about you?”
“How about me what?” Holly asked.
“Are you happy?”
“Are you asking about the bar or my love life?”
“Both.”
She shook her head. “Bar-wise, I couldn’t be happier with the way the night turned out. But I’m not talking about my love life since it’s nonexistent.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“I’m not. I just don’t have time for romance.”
“You’re so stubborn.”
“You love me anyway.”
“You know I do.” Ivy untied the apron and hung it up on the wall hook. “I’m going to head home. How much longer will you be here?”
“An hour or so. You were amazing tonight, Ivy. I’m so proud to be your sister.”
