Behind the Stick

by Sandra Marie

  “Great.” He took the bowl and led the way into the living room. Gavin placed the bowl on the coffee table, and he and Pops both sat down on the sofa. Gavin immediately reached for the chips. Since they were there he might as well eat them. “I’m going to be doing a St. Patrick’s Day event. You and Dad should stop by and check the place out.”

  Pops rested his hand on his chest, an honored look in his eyes. “We will. Do you need help with anything?”

  “Lauren has helped me with most of it. I think we’re good.”

  Pops eyebrow lifted and Gavin just kept talking before Pops played a game of twenty questions. “They’ll be karaoke and if you can give me a recipe for Irish soda bread that’d be great.”

  “I can definitely do that.”

  Pops looked at him, and Gavin slowly chewed until he swallowed, but Pops still stared at him in the way that made Gavin feel like he needed to confess all his sins. “What?” he finally said.

  “Are you happy?” Pops asked.

  Gavin thought about Devin and how miserable he always was, bitching about a job he hated and a boss he despised. Then he thought about how lucky he felt that he was able to give the guy some reprieve even if it was for only a few hours a few times a week. Gavin didn’t need to go anywhere to escape his life, and now that he took a moment to think about it and bring things into perspective, he could answer Pops with the truth.

  “I am.” It was more than just his job too. With Lauren in his life he felt lighter, and looked forward to seeing her. That anticipation kept him smiling all day and night.

  “That’s all Dad and I care about.”

  “I just assumed because I don’t wear a suit every day and throw you a gala every year…”

  Pops sighed. “It’s been twenty-six years. When are you going to stop comparing yourself to your brother?”

  “It’s kind of hard not to.”

  “You and Ashton are two totally different people. What makes him happy is not what makes you happy. Are we proud of him and everything he’s accomplished? Absolutely.”

  He was the richest man in Seattle, and his business was expanding every day, now going global and creating the empire he always dreamed about. He was the definition of success, and Gavin was… a bar owner.

  “But Dad and I are proud of you too,” Pops said.

  Gavin rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to give me the pity speech. It’s fine.”

  “Who said anything about pity?”

  He shrugged, but in mid-shrug, Pops grabbed his shoulders and urged Gavin to look him in the eye.

  “We don’t pity you. It’s absurd you’d even think that. We are proud of you. We don’t care about how much you have in the bank or how many buildings you own. All that is meaningless. What’s important is that you have always stayed true to who you are. Ashton gave you many opportunities to go against the grain and join his ranks and you refused. You stood your ground, adamant about making your own path in the world. And with your bar, you have. It might not be as big a carbon footprint as Ashton, but even the smallest marks in the world can make a big impact.”

  Gavin might not have enough money in the bank to buy a small country, but Pops was right. He was still making his mark in the world. And maybe it was small in the grand scheme of things, but when you narrowed it down, it wasn’t small at all. Not to the patrons of his bar, the ones who relied on him for a cold drink, a good time, and sometimes just a friend. He gave them that and at the end of the day, he made a difference for them. Hell, it made a difference for him.

  Ashton loved money and Gavin loved people. They might have been born only a minute apart, but despite looking similar they were total opposites, and comparing himself to his brother was something he needed to stop doing. Gavin didn’t want to resent Ashton. Not anymore at least. Ashton was a major pain in his ass, but he loved his brother with every ounce of his heart. Not that he’d ever tell him that.

  “You’re right,” Gavin finally said to Pops. “I can still leave my stamp on the world just in my own way.”

  “You’ve already started.” Pops shucked his chin. “I finally found out why you didn’t make it home for Christmas.”

  Not this again. Gavin refrained from rolling his eyes. “I told you I was working.”

  “Yes, you did, but what you forgot to mention is that you opened the bar so people who didn’t have anywhere to go for Christmas had somewhere to have a free meal.”

  “How’d you find out?” Gavin asked. It had been right before he’d bought the bar and basically destroyed it with construction. Some of the regulars had stopped by with homemade dishes they volunteered to make. It was a small event, but it was still more than what those people would have had and he was happy that he was able to give that to them.

  “I have my ways. I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell us. I would have stopped laying on the guilt trip.”

  Gavin laughed. “No, you wouldn’t have.”

  “Okay fine, maybe I wouldn’t have, but I would have at least taken it down a few notches.”

  Gavin didn’t mean to keep it a secret, but he didn’t see what he did as some big charity event like Ashton’s gala. He just opened his doors for people who didn’t have somewhere to be. He felt bad for missing Christmas with his dads, but he knew no matter what they’d be surrounded by plenty of people who loved them. The people who came into his bar that day didn’t have anyone. It was the least Gavin could do.

  “You and Dad always taught us about kindness, about passing on goodwill and knowing how lucky we are. One of my regulars told me he had no where to go for Christmas, and I decided to open. I cooked a few things, some people brought trays of food, and I had free pitchers of beer and wine. Honestly, it was nothing.”

  “To those people, it was everything.” Pops hugged him and kissed the top of his head just like he did when Gavin was a kid. “When Dad and I used to take you and Ashton to the soup kitchens, we hoped that you would carry those experiences with you, and it fills my heart to see you being proactive in giving back and making other people happy.”

  “It felt good,” he admitted. “I think I want to make it an annual thing.”

  “If that’s the case then, Dad and I will be there with bells on.”

  “Really?” On Christmas their door was always open and people would stop in and out all day, bringing food and presents. The fact that Pops was willing to leave that behind to come hang out in a hole in the wall for him warmed his heart.

  “Of course!” Pops said. “I’ll even make a few dishes and get Lily May to drag your workaholic brother.”

  Gavin laughed, imagining Ashton spending his Christmas in a bar. “I bet he’ll love that.”

  “If Lily May is there, I’m sure he won’t even care. Who knows. It’ll be what seven months from now; maybe they’ll be a Christmas proposal we can celebrate.”

  “You’re really getting ahead of yourself,” Gavin said.

  “I know, but they are just so perfect for each other. She really softens his hard edges.”

  Ever since Lily May came into Ashton’s life, he’d been much more tolerable. They were perfect for each other.

  “And I didn’t want to bring it up, but since we’re on the subject…You plan on bringing someone to the gala?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am.” He hadn’t asked her yet, but he was planning on it and he knew she didn’t have class that night. He’d finally get to take her out on a real date. It couldn’t get much fancier than the gala either. An invitation was sought after by some of the richest people in the country and Lauren deserved to be there and experience it.

  He remembered his first gala and it was definitely a sight to see. Nothing his brain could properly imagine and with Lily May taking charge this year and planning the event, Gavin had a feeling it would be over the top and amazing. Thinking about Lauren with a smile on her face, looking around the place in awe as they made their way through the event made him unbelievably happy.

  Just being
with her made him unbelievably happy. Talking to her, thinking about her, he couldn’t control the flood of joy that filled him from those simple acts.

  Pops gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth. “Tell me all about her. Is it serious? It’s serious, isn’t it?”

  “It’s a date. Don’t go planning our wedding or anything crazy like that.” Though, marrying Lauren, as crazy as it sounded, also sounded exactly right. “And please don’t scare her off with a million questions. I really like this girl. She’s kind of amazing and she makes me happy.”

  Pops’ eyes shown bright as he stared at Gavin, his hand resting against his lips.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Gavin asked.

  “Because I see it now.”

  “See what?”

  “You aren’t just happy. You’re in love.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I didn’t notice it before, but now I see it, you’re different. Your shoulders aren’t so tense, your eyes are a little less squinty like you’re waiting for the inevitable doom.”

  “First of all, I never looked like that.”

  “Mmm hmm,” Dad said, coming into the living room and giving Gavin a big hug.

  Gavin pulled back. “I did not.”

  Dad laughed. “You keep thinking that.”

  Gavin moved to the loveseat, and Dad sat down on the couch next to Pops, resting his hand on Pop’s knee. They looked at each other; and Gavin knew that look all too well. They were silently agreeing with each other while simultaneously having a secret conversation.

  “What?” Gavin said when their eyebrows kept moving, but their lips didn’t.

  “We can’t wait to meet her,” Dad said.

  “Please don’t scare her off.”

  Pops swatted his hand. “We would never.”

  Gavin arched an eyebrow. “May I remind you of the last girl I brought home for you to meet?”

  “She wasn’t good for you,” Pops said.

  “Why, because she didn’t like your goulash?”

  “Everybody likes my goulash.”

  Gavin laughed, and Dad nodded. “You can’t argue there,” Dad said.

  “That’s not a reason not to like someone though.”

  “She wasn’t the one,” Pops said. “Dad and I know you better than anyone, and trust us, that girl didn’t deserve you.”

  Cynthia was a little on the needy side and not to mention materialistic. She was a good kisser, but there was no spark whatsoever, and no matter how good someone kissed, if there wasn’t that little zing of unexplained excitement, it wasn’t worth a thing.

  Lauren on the other hand, it wasn’t just a spark; it was a whole damn firework display. He never experienced anything like that in his life. Every time their lips touched it was like his entire being went up in a glory of smoke and flames. His body became an electrical conductor, dispersing the current through every inch of him.

  “I hope you like Lauren,” he said, trying to keep the stupid grin off his face. “Because I really hope she’s going to be around for a long time.”

  “Oh my god,” Dad said, squeezing Pops’ hand. “You were right. Our boy has gone and got shot by Cupid’s arrow.”

  “Oh geez that’s my cue to leave.” Gavin stood.

  Pops jumped up from the couch. “Wait!” He held his hand out like he was stopping traffic. “You haven’t told us anything about this Lauren. Pretty name by the way.”

  Gavin smiled. “You’re just going to have to wait until you meet her.”

  “Don’t you dare walk out of this house, young man,” Dad said as Gavin made his way to the front door. He could feel both his dads hot on his heels, and he knew no matter how much he wanted to leave without giving them a single answer, he would never be able to. They would hop into his car or hold onto the bumper, refusing to let go until he threw them a bone to chew on.

  “I’m glad I stopped by,” he said, turning toward them. “I’ll see you at the gala.” He hugged each of them, ignoring the stubborn arch of their eyebrows.

  He opened the door and turned back to them. “She’s a librarian who has a smile that smacks you in the face. Her laugh is like the first notes of a great song. Slow to build, but once it reaches its crescendo, you’re hooked. She’s kind, always has a book in her bag, and she makes me happy.”

  Dad squealed, and Pops clapped.

  “And that’s all I’m telling you. Bye, love you guys.” Gavin hurried out the door before either one could start a game of twenty questions.

  It had only been a few days, but the swelling had finally gone down on Lauren’s ankle, and she was finally able to put pressure on it without seeing stars. It still hurt, but the pain was tolerable as long as she took it easy. She got dressed early and made a cup of lemon ginger tea before settling on the couch.

  Everyone had left for the day, and she was sick of sitting in her bedroom. She took a sip and picked up her Kindle. She was eager to know what happened next in the The Fellowship of the Ring, but she’d promised Gavin she wouldn’t read ahead without him.

  He had already texted her to let her know he wouldn’t be by this morning. He finally had a contractor coming to the bar to take care of the mess so he could get his customer base back.

  St. Patrick’s Day was the best way to kickstart this new chapter for the Hole in the Wall. She grabbed her laptop. He needed to get word out, and the best way to do that was good old social media. She created a graphic and posted it on her page asking her friends to share.

  Within an hour she had twenty shares and a bunch of comments from people who said they would definitely stop by and check it out. She took a picture of the screen and texted it to Gavin with the message: The event of the year is a go!

  She had no doubt that St. Patrick’s Day at the bar was going to be a success, but the event of the year was definitely the gala, and Gavin still hadn’t asked her. She tried not to think about it much, but being home all day with not much to do, it was hard not to.

  Did he not think she was gala material? She didn’t own a dress that would be worthy of such an occasion, but she could rent one and have Jemma do her hair. She could clean up nicely if given the chance. Not that she felt like her every day attire was all that bad.

  “Okay enough,” she said to herself. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  She got up from the couch, putting a little too much pressure on her bum ankle. Pain shot through her leg right up her calf and into her thigh. She jumped to the other foot and felt instant relief, but the pain still radiated at the center of her ankle.

  “Just as well.” She looked down at her ankle. “I probably wouldn’t even be able to wear nice shoes.”

  This was stupid. She grabbed her keys, got in the car, and headed toward the Hole in the Wall. The entire drive to the bar she tried to convince herself to turn around, but that was the old Lauren and she was done hiding from life.

  She had a question that needed an answer to, and the only way to get it was to go to the source itself. Twenty minutes later she found a spot on the street by the bar and put her car in park. She got out, adjusting her skirt, and headed to the front door.

  She didn’t exactly have a plan, but she wasn’t expecting to walk in to a full on construction site. Sheets of plastic hung around the bar, protecting the taps and bottles from the dust. Two men worked on the wires while three others were picking up broken pieces of wall and floor.

  Gavin was talking to one of the men, and she realized that her timing was terrible. She knew he was busy this morning. She backed up toward the door, but Gavin spotted her. His eyebrows knitted together, but his lips quirked at the edges.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, and all the men turned and looked at her.

  “I um…” She wasn’t about to tell him why she was here while they had an audience. She shifted from one foot to the other forgetting about her ankle and putting a little too much pressure on it. She winced as the pain radiated up her calf.

 
; Gavin was at her side in a blink of an eye, wrapping his arm around her waist and anchoring her to him. “You should be resting,” he said.

  She was so sick of resting. “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look fine.”

  Before she lost her courage, she took a deep breath and met his gaze. “Why don’t you want me to go to the gala with you?”

  His eyes widened, and it felt like he stumbled back a bit. She was a bit shocked at herself, but she just wanted to know why. They had still yet to go on a date though it could easily be because of the whole jacking up her ankle, but what if it was because he didn’t want to be seen with her in public?

  Okay, that was ridiculous and she knew it, but damn it this was driving her insane. She couldn’t think of any other reason except she wasn’t fancy like Lily May with her perfectly tailored clothes. Lauren’s skirts were always wrinkled from cuddling up with a book. “Are you embarrassed by me?”

  “What? No! Of course not.”

  She might as well have slapped him the way his face contorted. She stepped out of his hold, realizing how out of her mind she was being. Red hot waves of embarrassment spread through her, filling her chest and cheeks.

  “Let’s pretend this never happened,” she said and turned to the door, but Gavin grabbed her hand and swung her back to him.

  “You are not running away now,” he said.

  She stared at her feet; she was such an idiot. He rested his finger gently under her chin and urged her to look at him. She met his deep green eyes and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come. It was just Lily May asked me what I was wearing to the gala the other night, and I told her I wasn’t invited, and she seemed surprised, which made me wonder…I don’t know. I should’ve let it go.”

  “Will you go to the gala with me?” he asked.

  “I don’t want a pity invite,” she said. She’d rather never go on a date again than be a pity date.

  “It’s not a pity invite.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  He shook his head. “I was planning on asking you, but I was a little scared.”

  “Scared? Of what? You were going to go with Rae, so what’s the difference?”