by J. Sterling
As a result, Nick was forced to live through some over-the-top drama that should never happen to anyone. I wouldn’t have believed any of it if I hadn’t witnessed it firsthand. Thankfully, our dad eventually pulled his head out of his ass, let Nick out of his contract, and became a normal human being again. He and our mom even hung out here on the weekends sometimes, which was a huge shock at first, but was sort of cool now. I loved having all my family together.
As soon as he was free, Nick had immediately bought into the bar as an equal partner with Ryan and me. I never realized just how much I loved those two knuckleheads until we were all together, working side by side every day. I hadn’t really grown up with Nick since he was ten years younger than me, only eight years old when I’d left for Arizona to play baseball. Ryan and I were closer, but that’s because we were only a few years apart.
I couldn’t imagine running a business with anyone else, couldn’t imagine being related to anyone else. They were both insane, mostly Ryan, but I loved them anyway.
A knock at the door made me pause in the middle of the note I was scribbling in the corner of my handwritten ledger. I still did some things the old-fashioned way, writing ideas and taking notes by hand instead of putting them into the computer. Something about doing it this way made it feel more authentic.
Or maybe it was simply more my style. That was probably more like it.
“Come in,” I called out without looking up.
“Sorry to bother you, brother, but do we have any more Grey Goose?”
Nick stood in the doorway as I pointed toward the stacks of boxes containing vodka to my left. His jet-black hair was like mine, but his blue eyes were the exact same shade as Ryan’s. It tripped me out sometimes when I looked at them.
“Ah, I see it. Thanks.” The glass bottles clanked as he freed what he was looking for and closed the office door behind him.
My brothers knew that when I was in the office, I was handling a part of the business neither one of them wanted to tackle—the finances. They left me alone, for the most part, and I was grateful for it.
I never stayed in the office for long during the evenings when the bar was busy. Our bar was popular, and contrary to popular belief, I liked being a part of it. Most people assumed that I would rather stay in the back and not speak to anyone, but that wasn’t true. I enjoyed tending bar when the guys needed my help, and was fascinated by watching the way people interacted with one another. I was an observer, always watching, but that didn’t mean I never wanted to come out and play.
Stepping through the office door and into the bar, I scanned the area. Ryan was grinning like an idiot at some girl who was grinning back at him just as big, and Nick was busy ringing up a tab.
Of the three of us, Ryan was the only unattached one. Nick had met his girlfriend, Jess, during his last year at State. Their relationship had weathered some nasty storms, but we were all thankful they’d made it through and stayed together. Nick and Jess were solid, and anytime she showed up at the bar, he would make some ridiculous announcement to the entire place before very publicly molesting her. It always caused half the girls in the bar to swoon out loud and the other half to groan.
“Look who made it out of the office,” Nick shouted, and a handful of our regulars yelled, “Hi, Frank!”
I nodded at them and glanced at Ryan, who gave me a shit-eating grin. I was starting to think it was the only grin he had anymore.
Maybe if we had been smarter, we would have pretended we were all single to keep up the sexy, available bartender illusion, but none of us wanted to lie. Besides, women continued to come back week after week, so it didn’t seem to hurt our business any.
Plus, Nick would have never gone for it. He would have told me to fuck off faster than I could have caught my next breath. The boy had come a long way from being controlled and manipulated by our father. It was like once he found his voice, he couldn’t stop using it.
Me, on the other hand, I was in a relationship I didn’t know how to get out of.
Shit. I hated saying that, hated even thinking it, but it didn’t make it less true. My girlfriend, Shelby, had been there for me when no one else was. She’d nursed me back to health after I got hurt in college, and she believed in my new dreams. No one was more excited than she had been when Ryan and I had first talked about possibly opening a bar.
She’d assumed, and rightfully so, that when I decided to move back home to give it a shot with Ryan, that she was a part of the plan. I hadn’t been happy for a really long time, but I could never find it in my heart to tell her that. I didn’t know how. I felt like I owed her. She didn’t deserve to be left behind when she’d never left my side.
Shelby had done nothing wrong. Hell, she was fucking perfect. But somewhere along the line, I’d stopped wanting her.
What kind of asshole did that make me?
“Hey, buddy, can I get a Guy Hater?” a guy with spiked blue hair and a lip piercing called out in my direction. “I really hate that name,” he added with a smirk.
I grinned back. “Me too, but don’t let Ryan hear you say that. He’s sensitive.” I nodded in my brother’s direction, and Blue Hair laughed.
“Girls like it, though,” he said. “The name. They think it’s funny.”
“Why do you think we keep it on the menu?” I said with a grin before I turned to grab the ingredients for the cocktail.
Honestly, I hated most of our drink names, but Nick and Ryan had been right—the sillier the name, the more conversation it inspired. Everyone ended up ordering one, if only to try it, even if they made fun of the name at first.
All I had wanted was for our drinks to be different (and better) than the ones you could get at any other restaurant or bar. It didn’t make sense to have a menu filled with alcoholic beverages that could be bought down the street at a TGI Friday’s or some shit. People needed to come here for a reason, and we wanted to give them more than one. We had built the business plan around the concept that people needed good atmosphere, good company, and great drinks.
I handed off the whiskey-based drink to Blue Hair and took his credit card to open his tab. When he shouted at my back, “This is really good,” I turned around to give him a thumbs-up before feeling stupid. Since when did I give anyone a thumbs-up?
“You okay?” Ryan asked as he stepped next to me, drying a glass.
“Fine, why? Are you okay?”
“I’m always okay. Just checking in. You have that look on your face.” He punched me in the arm before walking away.
Confused, I held my hands out wide. “What look?”
Nick answered for him. “That one.” He pointed at me before sharing a laugh with Ryan.
Shit. There was no look on my face; they were just busting my balls.
“Why do I even leave the office?”
“’Cause you love us,” Ryan shouted, then leaned over to try to hug a pretty brunette from behind the bar. The adoring look in her eyes was no different from any other woman’s who came in here and fell for Ryan’s charms.
She liked him and wanted him to like her back.
She hoped his flirting meant that he did.
But it didn’t.
I was shaking my head when I noticed the woman standing behind the brunette. Her jet-black hair swung as she tossed her head back and laughed, her olive complexion practically glowing under the soft lights of the bar.
Something inside me stirred. This woman was beautiful, her dark eyes expressive, and the smile she wore as she shook my brother’s hand stirred something to life inside me that felt like jealousy. Or maybe it was envy? I had no idea what the hell I was feeling, but no emotion had ever gripped my chest like that before.
I couldn’t stop staring at her. Couldn’t have looked away if I tried. And I clearly wasn’t trying very hard because she caught me staring, her eyes locking onto mine with such intensity that I could almost feel it hanging in the air between us. Her lips pressed into a shy smile before she looked down, b
reaking our eye contact but not the connection between us.
“Hey, brother, who are these beautiful ladies?” I called out as I made my way over to Ryan.
He shot me a surprised look before it morphed into a grin. I had never asked Ryan who he was talking to before, had never attempted to be charming at the bar. I wasn’t sure what qualities I might have gotten from our parents, but charm certainly wasn’t among them. No, all the charming genes were divvied up between Nick and Ryan.
“This is Britney and her roommate, Claudia . . . like cloud-ee-ah. Not like clawed-ee-ah.”
I watched as she smiled again, pissed off that it wasn’t me who was making her do it. “It’s nice to meet you both. Thanks for coming in. Is it your first time?”
I tried to make eye contact with Britney to include her in the conversation, but I couldn’t stop looking at Claudia. It wasn’t so much the rich coffee-bean color of her eyes as the way she was looking at me with them. Maybe she was thinking I was a psychopath, while I was hoping she liked what she saw.
“I’ve been here before, but it is Claudia’s first visit,” Britney said, but Claudia and I were still looking at each other without a word, not acknowledging that anyone else was in the room.
I blinked and gave Claudia a brief smile before looking away, confused about what was happening to my body and running through my head. I wasn’t available and had no right to act like I was, but this woman had me twisted up with just a look. That kind of thing didn’t happen to me. I wasn’t Ryan, the hopeless romantic looking to find his Cinderella.
“I hope you ladies have a nice time. Next round’s on me,” I said before walking away.
I had to get away, had to get some distance from this girl. My heart needed to stop pounding like a wild gorilla inside my chest.
Ryan chased me down as I hurried back toward the office. “What the hell was that?”
“I have no fucking idea,” I said before slamming the door in his face, willing him to keep his ass outside.
I dropped into my desk chair and sat there stewing, trying to figure out what had just happened out there. What did it all mean? Why did this woman set me on fire when I wasn’t available to burn?
Ten minutes later, I was no closer to any answers. Logic was shouting at me to stay put, but my ego begged me to go back out there. What if some other guy was hitting on her? A woman like that got hit on all day long, every single day. I was certain of it.
Feeling guilty for my thoughts, I shot Shelby a quick text to say hi, something I rarely did anymore. And then I instantly regretted it, worried she might take it as an invitation to head to the bar.
I hoped she wouldn’t. I needed her to stay home tonight and not come here.
All thoughts of Shelby were pushed away, replaced by thoughts of Claudia. Claudia, like cloud-ee-ah, was right outside the door, somewhere in my bar.
And I had to see her again.
I Think I Have a Favorite Brother
Claudia
I finally understood Britney’s obsession with this bar. One step inside its warm interior and I loved the vibe already. Soft music played in the background, but was drowned out by the conversations happening everywhere. A whole section of wall was dedicated to Instagram pictures only, with Sam’s bar prominently advertised in the corner. It was brilliant marketing and I respected it. Nick’s handiwork, I knew from Britney.
“It’s amazing, right?” she asked as we navigated through the crowd, and I smiled and nodded in response.
We found Ryan and Nick tending bar—smiling, taking orders, and mixing drinks. They were definitely good-looking, both with gorgeous blue eyes that looked almost identical in the dim light. I absolutely understood the appeal and why women kept coming back for more.
When Britney introduced me to Ryan, I smiled, realizing within seconds why she crushed on him. He was charming, but not in a cheesy kind of way, with sandy-brown hair and a sprinkling of sun-kissed freckles that reminded me of Britney’s. His charm seemed easy and genuine, like it was part of who he was, not like he was giving you his best sales pitch. It would be way too easy to think he was into you when he talked to you.
While I observed Britney and Ryan flirting with each other, my skin prickled for no apparent reason. I looked around the room, my eyes latching onto a pair of green ones that I couldn’t look away from.
It had to be Frank, the oldest Fisher brother. His jet-black hair matched Nick’s, and their features were similar.
I struggled to look away. He was devilishly handsome, his jawline so strong and rugged, it caused my breath to catch in my throat. We stared at each other for what felt like minutes, but was probably only a few fleeting seconds, until I tore my gaze away.
Someone had to.
Even though I was no longer looking his way, I could still feel him, sense he was near. Unnerved, I hesitated before looking up at the sound of what had to be his voice. Everything about this man caused my body to physically react, and I had no idea why.
When Ryan introduced Britney and me to Frank, I was once again ensnared by those green eyes. I couldn’t look away this time, refusing to stop the buzz that charged inside my head just from looking at him. Everything else went quiet as I lost myself in a sea of green.
This time it was Frank who broke our eye contact. He hustled away so quickly, I almost thought that I had done something wrong or had offended him in some way. When Ryan chased after him, I shot Britney a questioning look.
“That was . . . weird.” She gave me a wicked grin. “And hot.”
“I just thought it was weird,” I lied, willing the heat that had flared through my body to die down.
“I’ve never seen Frank look at anyone like that before,” Britney said as Ryan made his way back to us. “Not that I ever pay him that much attention, because he usually stays in the background.”
“Sorry about that, ladies,” Ryan said with a smile. “What can I get for you?”
As I scanned the menu, I couldn’t help but laugh at some of the cocktail names. “Guy Hater? No Bad Days? Adios Pantalones? Friendship Bracelet? These are ridiculous,” I said, still grinning.
Ryan faked a pout. “You’re hurting my feelings, Claudia.”
“I’m sure you’ll recover. I’ll take an Adios Pantalones.” I cast a sideways glance at Britney, who ordered a No Bad Days.
We watched as Ryan meticulously made each drink, taking his time before he presented us each with our works of art.
Tapping the bar, he said, “Next one’s on my socially awkward brother.”
I sat up straighter. “He’s not socially awkward,” I said, defending Frank as Britney shot me a surprised look.
“He’s not?” Ryan hiked one eyebrow. “What would you call it?”
I laughed. “I don’t know. But I don’t think that any of you Fishers have an awkward bone in your body.” I grinned, unable to stop myself from flirting back with him. “Except maybe you, Ryan.”
“I’m wounded.” His mock pout came back as he placed a hand over his heart.
“I’m sure you’ll survive. Britney here’s a great nurse,” I said, then we turned around to fight our way through the small crowd gathered at the bar.
“I didn’t know you were a nurse,” Ryan called after Britney, and I swallowed the laughter that threatened to bubble up.
“Oh yeah, I can heal you right up,” Britney called over her shoulder as she followed me.
Once we were clear of the crush at the bar, I scanned for somewhere to sit, or at least stand comfortably. Spotting enough space on one of the couches, I made a beeline for it and sat down before anyone else got the same idea.
Britney chastised me as soon as we sat. “A nurse? He believed you, dummy!”
“I was joking. You forgot to tell me that he was so gullible.”
She sipped her drink. “If thinking I’m a nurse gets me a date with Ryan, I don’t care. I’ll be anything he wants me to be.”
I shook my head. “You’re insane, you know that?
”
“I know, but my God.” She craned her neck to look toward the bar. “Look at him. I mean, just look at him.”
I followed her gaze toward where Ryan would be, but froze as the office door swung open and Frank stepped out. Tattoos I hadn’t noticed before snaked down his arms, tribal designs that were sexy as hell.
“Yeah, he’s something, all right,” I mumbled, drinking in the sight of him.
“Want to talk about insane, let’s talk about you and Frank Fisher. What the hell was that between you two? And don’t say nothing, because everyone saw it.”
“Saw what, exactly?” I asked, playing stupid but curious about her take on what happened.
“That eye contact. The two of you staring at each other like you were the last drops of water on the whole entire dried-up planet.” Britney narrowed her eyes at me before she took another sip of her drink.
“He’s really good-looking,” I said, not meeting her eyes as I sipped at my drink.
“That’s it? He’s really good-looking? No shit, Sherlock. Everyone within a fifty-mile radius knows the Fisher brothers are good-looking.”
I shrugged. “What do you want me to say? That I was so lost in those green eyes that I wouldn’t have noticed if the building had caught fire? That having him look at me the way he did made me forget where we were? That just looking at him made my heart race like I was running a marathon?”
She reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “True or false?” It was something we did when we were being serious and wanted an honest answer. Lying wasn’t permitted.
I sucked in a quick breath. “True.”
“At least it wasn’t Ryan. I might have had to plot your murder if he made you feel all those things.”
I was startled as Frank suddenly appeared in front of us, his large frame towering over ours as we sat on the squishy couch.
“Ladies, how are you doing on drinks?”
Britney downed the rest of her No Bad Days before thrusting her glass toward Frank with a pout. “Mine’s all gone.”
