Beautiful Days (Jason Of The Valley Book 5)

by Jason K. Melby

  Cynthia pulled up to the bistro. She wasn't exactly sure why she was there. It felt as though she was no longer in control of her own mind. As she shut down the car, she decided that it might be good to talk out her problem and then she saw Haley just inside. She was behind the bar with a notebook opened up in front of her. She got out of the car and ran in. Haley looked up and smiled.

  "Hey, Cynthia. What's going on? It's a little early for a drink."

  "I really just came to talk."

  "Well, then pull up a stool," Cynthia obliged and as she did, Haley took notice of the increased size of Cynthia's midsection. "I hate to point it out, but your clothes are looking a little tight on you."

  "I know. I woke up this morning and it was like I gained twenty pounds overnight."

  "What happened? You were doing so well."

  "I have no idea. I was working out and dieting. I was doing everything right."

  "And all this in the last few days? You looked great at the dinner party. Can you gain that much weight so quickly?"

  "Apparently, you can."

  "I'm sorry. Maybe if you exercised a little more?"

  "I shed my body weight in sweat on a daily basis as it is."

  "I'm really sorry. Do you belong to a gym? Maybe they have some personal trainers who can help."

  "I've tried that too. Look, I didn't come here because I thought you had some secret to weight loss. I just really kind of need a sounding board. Someone to just let me vent."

  "Well, I can do that. If you can wait just a second. I just remembered I left the receipts I need back in the office. Once I get back, you can vent your brains out. Hold on." Haley then stepped out from behind the bar and dashed to the back. Cynthia spun around on the stool and rested her arms on the top of the counter. As she began to gently tap her nails on the bar, she peered over and saw the notebook sitting in front of Haley was some kind of accounting book and it was blank. She looked over a bit further and she saw a small cash register with the drawer open. It looked full. She leaned back and then a thought came to her. Cynthia looked over her shoulder and it seemed quiet. She then jumped off the stool and ran around to the register. Her heart began to race. The thought had just been a goof at first, but as she got closer to the money, it became more real to her. Her hands were shaking and sweat was dripping down her face. It looked as though Haley hadn't even counted the money in the drawer yet. Cynthia reached over and lifted the drawer and underneath, she saw some old receipts and a few checks. She wondered to herself who ever paid with a check anymore, and then she saw something that drew her eyes. A hundred dollar bill. She touched it and saw that there was another right under it. Her brain went into overdrive. Then the thought of buying those pills from Victoria popped into her head and that was all she needed. Cynthia snapped up the bills and stuffed them into her pocket. She then heard footsteps approaching and dropped the drawer and ran out from behind the bar and bolted for the door.

  "Cynthia?"

  "Sorry, Haley. I have to go get Ronny from day care. We'll talk later!" Cynthia blurted out and she raced to her car and took off as fast as she could manage.

  As Cynthia drove back, she did the best she could to keep her mind on the road, but she was having trouble as she felt she was on the verge of a total breakdown.

  "I just stole two hundred dollars. I stole two hundred dollars. I've never stolen anything in my life. I don't even take free mints from restaurants." Cynthia looked up into the rearview mirror and she saw a CHP car a few yards behind her. Her heart clenched and she gripped the wheel tightly. It was moving fast through the traffic. It weaved through the cars easily. It was as though it were traveling with purpose. As if it knew where it wanted to go. Cynthia pushed down on the accelerator slightly. She glanced at her speedometer and she was still just below sixty so she was confident that she wasn't speeding. She then looked back up to her mirror and the cop car was gone and she felt relief come over her. She kept cruising along and then she heard a high pitched beep and she looked back and there was the cop car with its lights flashing right behind her. She knew it was for her. She just knew.

  She eased the car onto the shoulder and sat back in her seat, every inch of her shivering with fear. She looked over her shoulder and saw the cop car come to a stop right behind her. The officer stepped out and marched toward her. She rolled down her window and tried to get a grip.

  "Do you know why I pulled you over, ma'am?" The officer asked.

  "Uh, no." Cynthia said. She placed her hand over the pocket with the money inside.

  "Your registration is expired."

  "What?"

  "It looks as though your registration is nearly six months expired. I should give you a ticket, but I'm getting the feeling this is the first time this has ever happened to you."

  "Oh, it is, sir. I don't know how I let that slip. I guess my husband forgot to send out the check."

  "I guess. Promise you'll take care of it before the end of the month and I'll look the other way."

  "Yes. Of course. I'll take care of it today."

  "Great. Sorry to inconvenience you. Have a nice day." Cynthia smiled and waved him off. She sat still in her seat until he drove away and she felt safe.

  Cynthia made it back to the park and she saw Victoria still sitting on the bench. She ran over and before she could utter a word, she pulled out the cash and held it out to her.

  "Very good." Victoria said as she took the money. She then pulled out the bottle of pills and handed them to Cynthia. She clutched them tightly and then she pulled the cap off, shook one out and threw it into her mouth. She forced it down her throat and as it passed, she could feel it. She knew it was impossible to work so fast, but Cynthia could swear she felt the magic of the pill fill her up. It ran down through her legs and up through her arms. She felt it from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head. She could feel the pounds already melting away.

  "Thank you." Cynthia said.

  "Always a pleasure."

  Chapter 27

  Big Night

  Jason arrived at the bar early. His stomach was in knots as he parked his car. He looked over his shoulder into the backseat and saw the boxes with his books inside waiting to be unloaded. As he unfastened his seat belt, his phone rang.

  "Hello."

  "Hey, babe," David said. "Are you getting ready for the big night?"

  "I'm at the bar right now."

  "This early?"

  "I have to get the table set up, put up the sign, set out the books and I'm going to need at least three hours to calm down."

  "It's going to be great. I'll try and get over there as soon as I can. Traffic is kind of hideous right now."

  "Okay. Mike and Ken should be here soon to help too."

  "And Matt?" David asked. Jason recalled the kiss he and Matt had shared when he came by earlier that week. He had been feeling guilty over it ever since. He had wanted to tell David, but he didn't see any point in getting into a big fight over a brief lapse of judgment. David was normally very easy going, but seemed to be more sensitive when it came to Matt.

  "He said he'd be here."

  "I see."

  "Please tell me you're not jealous."

  "I'm not. I'm just concerned."

  "About?"

  "Whether or not you want to sleep with him."

  "David. I've been honest with you about my relationship with Matt. He's very important to me, but our time is over. He'll always be a part of my life, but he won't ever be between us."

  "I know. I'm sorry. I'm not usually jealous like this, but then it's not usual for my boyfriend's ex to drop into our laps."

  "Matt's a great guy. You can get to know him better tonight. Just keep an open mind."

  "Always. I'll see you soon."

  "Okay. Love you."

  "Love you too."

  Jason went on into the bar and it threw him as he saw that it was completely empty and as dark as ever despite the sun still being out. He walked along the bar and he saw
Steve behind the bar.

  "Steve?"

  "Jason! Hi."

  "I'm here to set up for the event."

  "Great. I have a folding table you can use and whatever else you can find in the storage room."

  "Thanks. Anywhere outside is cool?"

  "Sure, but try and stay toward the back fence. It would be better for people to come and go like that."

  "Sure. Sure. It's kind of quiet."

  "For now, but then I don't get much business at this early. People don't start coming in until the sun goes down."

  "Right. I'm sorry. I'm just a little nervous."

  "Don't be. It's going to be fun. I don't think I've ever hosted a book reading at any bar I've ever owned."

  "I know. It's kind of a long shot, but I figure it'll be good experience. I'm just going to set up that table now."

  "Sure. Call if you need any help."

  Jason went on out to the patio and he saw the table, still folded, leaning up against the building. He tried to pick it up, but it weighed a ton and he was only able to lift it about three inches off the ground. He got the table over to the right side of the back fence and he carefully opened it up and set it right side up. He looked down at it and realized how drab and plain it looked. He hadn't thought of really dressing it up. He ran back to the storage room and hunted for a tablecloth or something but there wasn't much to be found. He located a box way in the box and discovered two table cloths, but one was plastic with a rainbow pattern on it but it also had several large holes in it and the other was clearly meant for a Halloween party as it had large spiders and skeletons all over it. He looked down at the rainbow cloth and figured it would be a little bit more appropriate so he took it back out to the patio and spread it over the table. It looked cheap.

  "Have you not learned a thing in all these years?" A voice called out. Jason turned and saw Mike standing in the doorway with a large brown box in his arms. He marched out and pulled out some black fabric and unfurled it. It billowed up like a cape and it was beautiful. It was like a piece of the night sky had been fashioned into a blanket. Mike draped it over the table and it lay perfectly. "Black makes things look slimmer. Rainbows make things look like they came from a circus."

  "What are you doing here?"

  "You knew I was coming."

  "Yes, but I didn't think you'd be here this early."

  "Well, be glad I did show up. You have a bit of a reputation for coming up short in the decorating department. I thought maybe you could use a little help." Jason looked in the box and there were napkins and some jars of glitter and a slew of glow sticks.

  "You came prepared."

  "Someone had to. I trust you brought your books."

  "Of course. They're in the car."

  "Well, get them out here! I have to Feng Shui them."

  "That's a thing?"

  "Sure. I can arrange them to inspire more sales."

  Jason brought the books in as fast as he could and each time he came in with one box, Mike already had them all unpacked and stacked on the table. As Jason kicked aside the last box, Mike was finishing a rather elaborate book arrangement.

  "Wow."

  "I worked in a bookstore a long time ago. I used to put displays like this up on a daily basis."

  "And this helped sell them?"

  "I have no idea. It was something to do to fill the day and earn a paycheck. For your sake though, I hope it does work."

  "Me too."

  "It also won't hurt that most of your prospective clients will be drunk. Use that advantage."

  "I still don't know if this is a good idea."

  "It's a little late to change your mind now."

  "But maybe not my blood alcohol level."

  "Good idea. I'll get us some shots."

  "I was thinking more like a glass of wine."

  "Trust me. You're going to need shots."

  Chapter 28

  The Signing

  After a few rounds of shots, Jason was feeling more at ease and just as he was pounding down the last one, things started to happen. The evening crowd began to trickle in slowly at first, but soon the patio was full of people chatting and drinking with Jason in the middle of it all at his table with his books. David, Mike, Ken and Cynthia were camped out at the nearest table. They looked on helplessly as Jason struggled to create a presence.

  "He's going down in flames." Mike said.

  "I can't watch this. It's too painful." Ken added.

  "Give him a break, guys!" Cynthia barked. "You know he's not a real social person. You can't expect him to just be good at it. Besides, he's a writer. Not a salesman."

  "No, but you have to be both if you're going to have any chance at being a success," Mike said and then he got up and marched over to Jason and leaned in close. "How are you doing?"

  "I lost my buzz, I'm shaking like a leaf and I think I'm about to sweat through my pants."

  "I get it. It's scary, but you can do this."

  "I think we can all agree that having a book signing at a bar was going to be an uphill battle from the start."

  "Yes, but that doesn't mean you can't win. First, you need to get out from behind this table." Mike then grabbed Jason by his arm and yanked him up. Jason scanned the patio and he felt their eyes pressing on him and he could feel his skin growing warm.

  "Look, can we just say that me not having a heart attack is a victory and just pack all of this up?"

  "No. You can do this. Just engage them. Talk to them. Make them want to know you and when they do, they'll want to read your book."

  "Are you kidding me? You want me to draw attention to myself in this bar? You know what my dating life has been like. You know I can't do that!"

  "Because you never really wanted to, but this time you've got a lot more on the line. Fight or flight, man," Mike then shoved Jason toward a group of guys surrounding a nearby table. He then stepped back and watched as Jason began to talk to them. "There's our man." Mike said with pride.

  "It's not that I don't get what you did, but I'm not real excited that you're training my boyfriend to talk to complete strangers in a bar." David said.

  "It's for his writing career."

  "He looks so uncomfortable. He keeps reaching for his neck." David observed as he studied Jason's movements. Every few seconds he noticed Jason reach up to his neck and then quickly force his hand back down.

  "It's just a nervous tick. It'll go away when he gets comfortable."

  "His face is as red as a strawberry."

  "It'll be okay."

  "And how do you know?" Ken asked. “I mean, what do you know about this kind of thing anyway?"

  "I know how to talk to people. I've been doing it professionally since I was sixteen, thank you very much. What I did as a waiter is the exact same thing as this. You need to talk to people and win them over. When you do, you'd be surprised what you can get out of them."

  "Sounds like good advice for hookers too."

  "Are you really so naive as to think that what Jason is doing right now is any different than what a hooker does? He now must become a whore for his books."

  "Do you hear yourself?" Cynthia asked.

  "Yes and I'm the only one here being honest. Jason needs to do this and we all know it. I'm the only one with the stones to get him to do it."

  "I just don't want you to push him too hard. This is new for him." David said.

  "All the more reason to dive in; head first."

  Jason then finished his conversation with the strangers and ran back to the others.

  "I did it!"

  "Good man!" Mike said. "You actually talked to them! Feels good, doesn't it?"

  "Better. I actually made two sales!" Jason then held up the money they had given him.

  "That's great!"

  "I mean, I think they're just buying because I think they want me to go back to their hotel with them, but a sale is a sale!"

  Jason soon became very comfortable and he was greeting everyone as they came
by. He was smiling and engaging and much to his surprise, most of the people who spoke with were more than happy to buy a copy of his book. After an hour, he had almost sold half of all the books he had brought.

  As the evening progressed, the number of books left dwindled and the energy of the bar was also beginning to fade. Jason opened up the cash box he had brought and stared at all the money he had hustled for all night long. He didn't count all of it, but he stopped just as he reached a hundred. He shut the box tight and walked over the table and sat down next to David and leaned against him.

  "It's been a good night." Jason said.

  "You were really working it out there."

  "I know! I don't know what it was. I just felt this energy in me."

  "That energy is more commonly known as Tequila shots." Mike said.

  "Whatever. It worked. I made over a hundred bucks!"

  "That's great!"

  "And every single cent represents a new reader. A new fan. People who will read this book and the next."

  "There's going to be another one?" Ken asked. Cynthia then threw her hand out and slapped him upside his head.

  "Maybe. I really liked writing this. I think I have a few more stories in me."

  "I think it's great," Mike said. "And to celebrate, I propose a round of shots. My treat." Mikes suggestion was greeted with great enthusiasm by the table. He smiled and hurried into the bar but as he walked in he froze in his steps. He saw Jeff pushing through the crowd in front of him. Their eyes met, and soon he was right in his face.

  "Hi!" Jeff said.

  "What the Hell are you doing here?"