Your Neighborhood Convict

by Tarrah Anders

  “Not at all, the best thing would be to go to Hollybrooke for a night out, but that’s a forty-five-minute drive. I’ve been contemplating a project that would add to Mercy, but I wanted to figure out the logistics before bringing it to the chamber of commerce. Plus, trying to find the time and manpower.”

  “Well, I have nothing but time on my hands, and I would rather be busy than not,” I say.

  “Rhi says that you’re going to be working here? What are you planning on doing?” Luke asks.

  “Noah needs a busser and dishwasher. I figure I might as well take what I can get, until something else comes along.” I shrug.

  “Cool, cool. Okay, so, I need an unbiased opinion. You look like you’re good with your hands, so maybe you’re just the guy!” Luke turns the laptop sitting in front of him around.

  On the screen, several realty listings are shown.

  “Why am I looking at commercial real estate listings?” I ask.

  “Because, I’m looking to invest in something more here in Mercy. If I’m going to live here, raise a family here and shit, I want a little something more here for folks to do.”

  “So, what are you trying to do?” I ask.

  “I don’t know, like a rec center or something.”

  “Okay, are there a lot of kids here?” I ask.

  “There’s a good amount, but I think it also helps the economy of Mercy, to have multigenerational businesses, and that’s important too, at least for the future of this town.”

  “You know that Mercy is small, right?” I scroll through a few listings.

  “I do.” Luke nods.

  I turn the computer back to him and smile.

  “I like this one; I think it has a good-sized main space, if I’m looking at the photos correctly, and there’s green space out back for shit.”

  Luke clicks through the photos and nods. “I think this was one of my top three that I was liking too. Thanks, man, for the reassurance. Do you have any experience with kids?” Luke asks me.

  “I was one once. But other than that, no. I’m an ex-con now, though, so I doubt that any parents want me by their kids, you know, being a bad influence and all. Plus, all my tats don’t offer up a wholesome boy, ya know.”

  “I guess, but that’s being close minded, there are some progressive folk around here.” He shrugs. “There’s also some old timey type folks that lived here, you know – the ones who are set in their ways, and it’s hard to get them up to speed with how shit is nowadays.”

  At that moment, a leggy blonde walks up to our table and slides into the booth beside me. She has shoulder length, wavy, blonde hair, fresh and youthful rosy cheeks with a beautiful smile. I feel like time has stopped.

  She’s breath-taking.

  She pushes her purse between us and looks back and forth between Luke and me.

  “Hey fellas,” she says eagerly.

  “Maggie, what can we do for you?” Luke asks.

  “Well, I may have overheard you guys talking about commercial properties from the booth over, and well, being that I’m the only real estate agent here in town, I reckon that I’m your gal.” She smiles proudly. “I don’t think I know you. Hi, Maggie Sinclair.” She offers her hand to me.

  “Wyatt.” I take her hand in mine and smile back at her.

  “You look like you would be a lot of fun, are you new in town? Passing through?” she asks with a tilt to her head.

  “I just moved to town. My grandfather left his home to my sister and me, and I needed a place, so here I am,” I reply.

  “Grandfather’s place, eh? You wouldn’t be talking about The Holmes House, would ya?”

  “I am.” I nod, realizing just how damn small this town is.

  “So then, does that make you Wyatt Holmes?” she asks.

  “That would be me,” I nod.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CLOSING TIME COMES, and I stand out on the sidewalk with Luke and Rhiannon looking at the store front he showed me on the website. I shake my head and am trying to figure out how he would pull off his plan. He spoke about me being ‘his man’ because he had his family practice to run. But I was a complete stranger to him, and unsure of how he could be so trusting.

  “Are you guys going to be BFFs? Because that would be fun!” Rhi exclaims.

  “We’re discussing business type shit; don’t start planning anything, Rhi,”

  “Are you looking at this empty place because you want to make it un-empty?” she asks.

  “Remember that crazy idea that I had about another business and talking to Noah? I’m getting an unbiased opinion, and Wyatt here is my guy,”

  “Your guy?” She looks confused.

  “He’s here to help me, Rhi,” Luke further explains.

  “Told ya, you guys are going to be BFFs!” Rhi claps.

  LUKE SHOWS up at my door the following morning with his laptop and thick files under his right arm. He walks into the house and looks around. He puts his laptop on the coffee table, takes a seat on the couch, and looks up to me.

  “What are you doing here, man?” I ask him with confusion, crossing my arms over my bare chest.

  “When I get a thought in my head, and it looks viable, I want to act on it right away. So, this morning the both of us are meeting with Maggie, and we’re going to figure this shit out.” Luke smiles.

  “I’m still not completely sure what the hell that you want me to do. Did you talk to Noah yet?” I ask him, knowing that was an important step.

  “Noah is going to meet with us before we meet with the realtor.”

  “Any why is it important that I’m involved?” I ask looking around the space and then retreating to my bedroom to grab a shirt. I stride back out into the living room and take a seat on the couch.

  “I need you to give it to me straight, to be real with me. Use your gut instincts. Not to harp on your past or anything, but I’m pretty fucking sure that you had to make snap decisions while on the inside. I also would want your help in other areas.”

  “I did what I could to keep to myself. I avoided confrontations and just counted the days to my release, but I’m not sure what I can really help you with, man,” I reply quietly.

  “Fair enough. Can I then ask you to be like an advisor?”

  “And what would I be advising on?”

  “Reality. If I’m jumping the line, you tell me. I tend to get these huge ideas and want to jump on them. I don’t notice how others are perceiving, can you help me with that?”

  “That’s it? Seems like you don’t need me in this meeting with Noah. We could just grab some drinks later and talk?”

  “No, man, I need your observations. Noah is a business man, and I’m a doctor with too many ideas and not enough of me to go around. If Noah gives me the what for and I’m not getting it, you can just give me an indication to shut the fuck up or something.”

  “So, I’m an enforcer. Dude, just because I’m tatted up, doesn’t mean that I’m violent,” I say, standing to my full height.

  “I know that, you know that, and Noah knows that. I’m not street smart, I’m book smart. Help me out a little here, just this once?” Luke pleads. “If I get ahead of myself, give me some sort of code word to tone it down?”

  Noah knocks on my door and after letting him in, I take a seat on the chair across from Luke as Noah sits beside him.

  With a confused look, Noah looks between Luke and me.

  “I wasn’t expecting an early morning phone call and to be coming over here this morning. But I’m here now, and let’s talk about why that is.” Noah holds out his hands palms up.

  “Hear me out man. Mercy is a small ass town. There’s nothing to do here aside from go to your bar. It’s an awesome joint, but what if it could be more awesome?”

  “More awesome?” Noah questions.

  “The store beside the bar is vacant. I want to put an entertainment zone in there and see if you would want to open up the Neighborhood and make it more?” Luke says eagerly.

&n
bsp; “An entertainment zone?” Noah asks.

  “Like pool tables, some dart boards or some other type of bar like activities. I love the Neighborhood as it is. I think the people of Mercy need more.”

  “And you want to tear down some walls, to open up the two spaces to one another?” Noah looks between us. “What does Wyatt have to do with any of this?”

  “I know that you just hired Wyatt, but my plan was that there could be a door or something that would open up into the Neighborhood for the bar and food, but Wyatt would run the entertainment part. At least off the top of my head, that’s where I’m leaning.”

  This is news to me.

  “Muskrat!” I cough into my hand.

  Luke looks at me and smiles.

  What the fuck is he talking about?

  Noah looks between Luke and myself. I’m stunned, to say the least, as I wasn’t expecting any of this to happen, but here I am sitting in my living room with two men that I didn’t know a week ago, but I have a feeling that they will be huge figures in my life moving forward.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  LUKE, Noah and I are standing in front of the vacant shop waiting for the hot real estate agent, Maggie, to show up and let us into the space to look around.

  Noah isn’t completely on board with opening up space between the bar and this storefront, but he’s not totally shutting down the idea either.

  A dark blue Honda Accord pulls up beside the curb just off to the side of the location.

  “Oh good, Maggie’s here,” Luke says just as the bombshell steps out of the driver’s side of the vehicle. She’s dressed professionally in a form fitting floral dress and matching heels that make her legs look like they go on for miles. My mouth has gone dry, and I’m blinking repeatedly to make sure that I’m not imagining her.

  Damn.

  I cough into a closed fist, avert my eyes to the side, and do what I can to compose myself. She comes to stand in front of us, and as she looks each of us over, she nods with a smile.

  “You guys ready to see your new business location?” she asks eagerly.

  “Maggie, calm down, we’re just here to see if this is a viable and practical choice,” Noah says.

  “Noah Baker, we’re going to pretend that we do not know one another, you got that?” She points her red polished finger at him with a scowl.

  “Whoa, bad blood?” Luke looks to Noah.

  “I’ll fill you in later,” Noah replies under his breath.

  “Well then, let’s get you guys into this place, shall we?” she unlocks the door and then steps inside.

  We spend about an hour looking at every little nook and cranny that the store front offers. We ask Maggie questions, and she answers them with professional skill. Once Luke and Noah deem that the appointment is finished, we all head outside.

  Maggie and I keep catching one another’s eye as Luke and Noah converse, both being the odd ones out. I’m still unsure of what I have to do with any of this business deal, but I still hang around, just in case it becomes clear.

  “So, Wyatt, how’s it going?” Maggie asks standing beside me.

  “It’s going well, and you?” I ask.

  “So, you hang out at The Neighborhood?” she asks.

  “What makes you say that?” I ask her with confusion in my tone.

  “Well, you’re hanging out with Noah, and he owns the place. You must be a trusted friend or something to be along for the ride of a business deal?” She tilts her head in question.

  “To be honest, I haven’t a clue as to the reasoning that I’m here,” I reply.

  She smiles at that.

  “Maybe I’ll see you at The Neighborhood, say tonight around eight-ish?” she says quietly.

  Wait, did she just ask me out?

  I look around me, just in case she’s talking to someone else, but Luke and Noah are still standing a few feet away from us, and it’s just her and me.

  “Well, I think I can clear my schedule,” I reply as a wide smile breaks out on her face.

  “Alright, sorry to ignore you two,” Luke says, turning around to Maggie and me. “Maggie, are there any other investors looking into this property?”

  Her attention breaks from me, and she returns to business mode. I tune their conversation out and my mind is reeling with the fact that I’m meeting up with Maggie later at the bar.

  CHAPTER SIX

  I WALK INTO THE BAR, expecting it to be packed full of the town of Mercy, only to walk into a mostly quiet space. I pull a bar stool out and perch on it at the bar. Noah nods his head over to me and finishes up with his current customer before placing a pale ale beer in front of me.

  “Try this,” he tells me.

  “What is it?” I question.

  “It’s from a new brewery that wants to start distributing. I met one of the brewers the last time I was in the city, and he actually remembered to send me a couple cases of his stuff.”

  I take a small sip and contemplate the flavors.

  “Well, what do you think?” he asks.

  “Why are you asking me, do you not have taste buds?”

  “Of course, man, but I don’t like pale ales. I would be a shit tester. I like dank ass beer and fruity drinks.”

  People in this town are quite interesting.

  “Man of many talents!” the man at the other end of the bar says, holding up his glass.

  “Don’t mind him, that’s Lewis. He’s a good guy; he’s one of our regulars.”

  “Good times. Well, it’s a sour beer, that’s for sure. It doesn’t really leave much of an after taste, and I like that,” I reply.

  “What flavors do you taste?” he asks.

  “It tastes like, like, it tastes like I’m getting ready to roast some s’mores.” I snap my fingers.

  “Oh, I like that. That could be a good descriptor for it. I’ve got like four cases of this shit, and my customers aren’t big on changing their beverages of choice,” Noah says. “Creatures of habit and all.”

  Noah dips a few pint glasses into the sink and begins to wash them. He rinses and sets them aside on the drying rack then returns his attention to me by placing a menu in front of me.

  “So, what do you think of this thing Luke wants to do?”

  “I see the appeal of it. You’ve got a bunch of people with kids here, and those kids don’t have any shit to do. So, I get it. And Luke’s about to become a dad, so I’m sure he’s looking out for the future of this town. I get it.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to be an entertainment type of place for kids, man. I think Luke wants to expand that back wall into the place next door and add just more shit for folks who come here to have something to do.”

  “Oh right, I think now I remember him mentioning darts and pool tables. I really am not sure what he’s thinking to be honest, but I barely know the guy.” I shrug.

  “Miles is better friends with him than I am, but he’s a legit guy. Followed Rhi out here and opened up a doctor’s office in town. We didn’t have one before he came along. The only place we had was when I was a kid, but that was a dental place. Anyways, I think he’s got the good intentions, I’m just not sure I want to blast down a whole wall.”

  “What about just making a pass-through? Like a hallway, that can be closed off with a door, so on some days you have it open and then on other days, business as usual?”

  “But why have it only open on some of those days?” Noah asks.

  “Maybe have the place be primarily for kids by the day, and then after say, nine at night, allow it only for the eighteen and over crowd? Strict hours and shit.”

  A slow smile forms on Noah’s lips, and he smacks the surface of the bar.

  “Now, that’s some good thinking. You just put that shit together?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I guess so. I’m not all that good with business laws and shit, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to figure out,” I return.

  “What wouldn’t be too hard to figure out?” Maggie says, placing
her purse on the bar beside me, directly in front of Noah.

  “Wyatt is just helping plan out something for the space next door. What are you doing in here, Mags, I thought you despised this place?” Noah smirks as he grins widely.

  “I’m here to meet up with Wyatt. I’m not here to see you,” she says, narrowing her eyes at him.

  “Anyhow, it’s good to see you again,” Noah says.

  “Can I get a black and white, please?” she tells him.

  “That’s giving me business, doll.”

  “Yeah, but you won’t be getting a tip,” she replies dryly.

  Upon placing her drink in front of her, she motions to move to one of the back booths. When I take a seat, she sits beside me, places her hand on my thigh, and settles against me.

  She’s forward.

  “So, what’s your story? I am intrigued. You have these tattoos and look like you could be a bad boy, but when I talk to you, you seem really sweet and reserved. I remember your grandpa. I think I remember you, and you have a sister, right?” she questions.

  “Yeah, Delilah,” I reply.

  “I think I remember you guys, but I’m not sure. Anyways, what’s your story?” she asks again.

  “I just got out of prison. So, there’s that,” I say.

  She moves in closer as if my telling her I’m an ex-con turns her on.

  “That’s not a make or break for me,” she says in a low voice.

  “Well, then I guess that would be why it seems like I’m so reserved. I’m just a standard guy, used to the simple life. I don’t need much, and so far, since being in Mercy, have had a pretty good week.”

  “You’ve only been here a week?” she asks, her mouth agape in shock.

  “Four days, yeah.”

  “Wow, and you’re already running with the popular kids in town.” She laughs while brushing her hair off her shoulder.

  “I’ve gotten lucky, I guess. Right place at the right time.”

  “I’d say. Otherwise, you and I wouldn’t be here tonight.” Her hand moves up on my thigh and in towards my groin.

  Holy shit, what the hell is happening?