My Uptown Girl

by C. Morgan

  “I’m going to look for an apartment,” I replied.

  “What?” my mother asked with shock. “Why not stay here?”

  “Because I’m a big girl and I need my own place. Besides, I’ve lived on my own the last couple of years and it will be hard to live with my parents again. I’m sure I’ve picked up some bad habits.”

  My mother laughed. “I doubt that.”

  “You are welcome to stay as long as you like,” Dad said. “You know we’ve missed you.”

  “I know and I appreciate the offer. I’m going to mooch off of you for a little bit while I look for a place. I also want to start looking for a building to start my own restaurant.”

  They exchanged a look. “That’s a big feat. You don’t want to give yourself some time? You just graduated. A new business, especially a restaurant, will take all of your time.”

  “I know, Dad, and I’m ready to do it,” I answered. “I’ve been saving all of the money from working and I’m sure I can get a loan. I’ve got a business plan and feel certain I will be able to do this.”

  “We know you will,” Mom said.

  We finished our breakfast and together cleared the table.

  “I’d like to show you something,” my father said.

  “What would that be?”

  “We’ll take a ride.”

  “I’ll see you two later,” Mom said. “I have a meeting.”

  Ten minutes later, I was settled into my father’s Jag and he was driving us into Portland. “I want you to know your mother and I are so proud of you. You have worked very hard these last four years and we are both very excited for your future.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “I’m serious. I have friends who have kids your age or older. They are hot messes. They have been given everything all their lives and it shows. They don’t know the value of earning for themselves. They don’t know what it means to work hard and be independent. I will admit, I do sometimes wish you were a little more dependent on me.”

  I smiled and looked over at him. “You helped a lot.”

  “No, you put yourself through school. You earned scholarships by keeping your grades up and just being exceptionally talented. That was all you. You never accepted the money we offered, and yes, I have checked that account we set up for you and I see you have never touched the money.”

  “Dad, I told you I wanted to do this on my own. I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. People look at me or hear my last name and assume I’m a spoiled rich girl who gets everything handed to her. I had to prove it to everyone that I wasn’t that.”

  “We never thought you were spoiled,” he insisted.

  “Because you are my parents,” I said with a laugh.

  He headed for the Old Port area. I could smell lemon and fish, or maybe it was just in my head. I loved coming down to the historic area but not so much in the summer. It was the height of the tourist season and the place tended to get a little packed. I liked it when everyone went home and it was just the old fishermen and the locals doing their thing.

  “Are you serious about starting a restaurant?” he asked.

  “I am. I’m going to do it.”

  He stopped the car, parking in front of an old restaurant that had gone out of business a couple of years back. I had a feeling I was about to get a lesson in business. I would let him give it. Both of my parents were worried about me going into the restaurant business, especially in an area that was already saturated with so many restaurants. Only half managed to make it more than a year or two.

  “I had a feeling you would say that,” he said with a smile. He walked to the door of the restaurant and used a set of keys to open it.

  “What are we doing?” I asked, looking up and down the street. I felt like we were doing something very wrong.

  He opened the door and walked inside. The smell of must and a hint of mildew flooded my senses. He flipped on a light and held out his arms. “Surprise!”

  My eyes roamed the dusty dining room with tables and chairs that were in good shape but dirty as hell. “Um, I’m not sure what the surprise is.”

  “This is yours,” he said with a bright smile.

  My eyes widened as I understood what he was saying. “This is mine? What do you mean?”

  “This is our graduation gift to you. It’s a gift because you worked hard. This isn’t us giving you anything more than a very well-deserved gift.”

  “You’re giving me a restaurant?”

  He laughed, his eyes crinkling. “I don’t think it’s technically a restaurant just yet. We’re hoping you will make it one. If you change your mind, the building is yours to do with as you please. We know you want to do this on your own and we support that. However, we are your parents, and everyone gets a gift when they graduate. This is yours.”

  “Mine?” I whispered, my dream becoming a reality before my very eyes.

  “Yours. We would love to help you with the startup costs, but I have a feeling you are going to shut us down. This place needs some work, but the kitchen is solid. The furniture is here. It’s a bit of a jumpstart but you will still be putting in plenty of hours.”

  I looked around, running my fingertips over one of the tables. Most of the windows were covered but I was already imagining them open and sunlight streaming in. “This is amazing,” I told him. “Thank you.”

  “Does that mean you accept?”

  I grinned. “Yes. This gets me one very big step closer to making this dream of mine a reality.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  “But,” I said, putting my hands on my hips.

  He smirked. “How did I know a but was coming?”

  “But I’m going to pay you guys back. This is a lovely gift, but I can’t accept it without at least trying to pay you back. Now, if my restaurant is a total flop, it might take me a little longer, but I will do it.”

  “I’ll say it, but you won’t listen—this is a gift. Your mom and I want to do this for you. Parents give their children things all the time. It makes us happy to give you things.”

  “I know, and I appreciate that, but this is something I want to do on my own.”

  “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone,” he said.

  “I have to prove it to myself.”

  He sighed. “I don’t know where you get that stubborn streak from.”

  I laughed and headed through the door to check out the kitchen. We both knew exactly where it came from. He was the most stubborn man I had ever met.

  It worked for him. It made him into a very wealthy man. He refused to accept defeat and pushed through anything that came his way. I wanted to believe I’d inherited some of that tenacity. I wanted to be like him.

  My mother was just as tenacious. She was on numerous charity-organization boards. When the woman wanted money for her kids, as she called them, she was going to get it. She had won so many awards for her charitable help I lost count.

  “This is awesome!” I exclaimed once we had checked out the kitchen. “I cannot wait to get started. Thank you so much. I will make you proud.”

  “You’re welcome and I have no doubt in my mind that you will make us very proud. You always do. I’ll take you home and then I need to head into the office.”

  We walked out and I had to take one last look at my future restaurant. I had so many plans.

  Chapter 3

  Fulton

  The sun was shining down on me in more ways than one. After the disastrous end to Monday, today was looking a hell of a lot better. I guided the boat over the water, gently bouncing along while Stanley sprayed down the deck. I had enough lobster to pay Stanley with a little leftover.

  Days like today were why I did what I did. One good day could wipe out several bad days. I loved the water. I felt alive when I was on the water.

  The harbor was still empty. The bigger boats were still out, setting more pots. They would bring in three times the haul I took in. I tried not to envy the bigger operations. I tri
ed to remember I was a self-made man. Well, I was still making that man, but I was certain I would get there one day.

  It took an hour to get unloaded and the catch sold, but once it was all done, I breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a stressful couple of days. “Here you go,” I said, handing Stanley his money.

  “Thanks, boss.”

  I chuckled when he called me boss. We were really more like partners, but whatever worked for him. “What are you going to do with your money?” I teased. “Buy a new house? Truck?”

  He rubbed his wide jaw covered in dark stubble. “I was thinking about investing in some hedge funds. I heard they are doing good right now.”

  I blinked, staring at him, and then I knew. “You still didn’t buy a new remote?”

  “Today,” he said.

  “You’ve been watching the news for two days?” I asked incredulously.

  “Yep.”

  “Do you know what a hedge fund is?” I asked, testing him to see just how well he was paying attention.

  He grinned a big toothy smile. “Not a fucking clue.”

  “Didn’t think so.”

  “Let’s go get a beer,” he suggested.

  It wasn’t like I had a busy social calendar or anyone waiting at home for me. “Sure.”

  We each drove our own rigs to the bar that was just a little too rustic for the tourists. It was where all the fishermen hung out. There wasn’t a dress code, and the owner, Marge, didn’t care if you were wet and smelled of fish guts.

  We sat down at a table after saying the usual hellos to fellow fishermen.

  “I hope tomorrow turns out as well,” Stanley commented.

  “Me too. I need the funds to try and get that engine fixed.”

  “Wouldn’t it be cheaper in the long run to get a new one?”

  “Probably, but I don’t have that kind of cash. I’ve barely got the money needed to pay for the repair.”

  “I guess we’ll just have to keep working,” he said as if he had some great idea.

  I picked at the label on my beer, thinking about the day and the week before. “Do you ever think about your future?” I asked him.

  He shrugged. “Not really. I mean, my future could be ten minutes from now.”

  “You don’t think about doing something else with your life?”

  “Like what?”

  I took a drink. “I don’t know. Anything.”

  “My dad was a fisherman. My grandpa fished. We fish. That’s what we do. I’ll fish until my fingers get withered up, just like my dad’s. When I’m done fishing, I’ll rot away like all good fishermen do.”

  “That doesn’t sound very appealing,” I told him.

  “It’s my life. You’re stuck with me. I’m your sternman for the rest of my days.”

  Stanley was a loyal guy. I knew he would follow me and work alongside for me as long I ran my boat. “Thanks.”

  “Seriously, though, what else is there for us to do?”

  “You know the work we do is dangerous?” I asked. “All it takes is one storm and we don’t come back. Don’t you ever think about finding a safer job?”

  “Nope.”

  “What if you find a woman who wants you to quit fishing?”

  He shrugged one broad shoulder. “I’ll tell her no. My woman wouldn’t ask me to do that. If I ever find a woman, she’ll be a hardy one. She’ll be pushing me out the door every morning.”

  “Where will you look for this woman?”

  He chuckled, his belly bouncing. “Shit, I’m not looking for anyone. If she doesn’t show up, then I’m not looking. I haven’t had a girlfriend since the third grade. I think I dropped out of school right after that. I couldn’t take the games those ladies played.”

  “Ladies? Eight-year-olds?”

  “They learn how to fuck with a man’s head at an early age.”

  I laughed. Listening to him talk could be very entertaining some days. “Okay, so if they were, that was twenty years ago. Do you mean to tell me you haven’t dated anyone in all that time?”

  “Nope.”

  “Liar.”

  He grinned again. “I have relations. I don’t have relationships.”

  I groaned, not even interested in hearing the details of his sex life. “We’re almost thirty, Stanley. Shouldn’t we be on the way to settling down?”

  He held up a hand. “I have a confession to make.”

  “I’m afraid to know.”

  “I’m not quite as old as you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “A few months doesn’t really count at this stage of the game.”

  He slowly shook his head. “I lied about my age all those years ago.”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t want to wait until I was eighteen. I’m a big guy and nobody questioned it.”

  “But everyone knows you and your dad.”

  “I guess they aren’t too good at math either,” he commented.

  “I suppose not.”

  “Why? Are you getting married?”

  “Stanley, I’m not even seeing anyone right now.”

  “Oh,” he replied as if that was something that slipped his mind. “You’re too ugly to get a woman anyway.”

  I smirked. “Thanks.”

  “You know I say that because all of the ladies fall all over you. It was sarcasm.”

  “Yes, Stanley, I figured that out.”

  “That’s the real question,” he said.

  “What is the question? There was no question.”

  “Yes, there was. I asked if you were getting married.”

  I raised an eyebrow, still not following where his mind had run off to now.

  “Why aren’t you seeing anyone? I know at least ten women who would wed and bed you right now.”

  “I’m not interested.”

  “One of them is really pretty,” he offered.

  “Gee, thanks for giving me options. I’m not looking for a woman.”

  “As if you have to look.”

  “I want to make sure I’m established before I go asking a woman to be my bride. I don’t want a woman shackled to me if I can’t put food on the table. I want to be able to provide for a woman.”

  “Today was a good day,” he said.

  “Yes, it was. If we keep having good days, things will certainly be better for us.”

  I finished my beer. “We’ve been picking up a few more customers as well.”

  “That’s because you charge less than anyone. Just think how much money you would have if you charged what everyone else does.”

  “No one would have bought from us if I tried to charge those prices. Look at our operation compared to what those other boats pull in. We’re kind of newbies. No one trusts us.”

  “Lobster is lobster,” he countered.

  “I agree, but if I want to make sure our catch gets bought, I have to go low. I might try inching it up a little bit. I could use the extra revenue to get that new engine.”

  “Or some new pots,” he offered.

  “That too. Maybe a new boat while we’re dreaming.”

  He grinned. “Now you’re on to something.”

  “Not going to happen in this lifetime.”

  “A bigger boat with more pots means more money.”

  “And more gas and more bait and we’d need another person on deck to help, which means less money for you.”

  He scowled. “Well that doesn’t seem right.”

  I laughed. “Which is why I think we need to hold off on your big plans for expanding our operation.”

  “Fine. I’m hungry.”

  I put my hand in the air to get the attention of one of the waitresses. “Can I get another beer please?” I asked.

  “Absolutely, Fulton,” she said with a pretty smile. “Did you have a good day?”

  “We did. How are you, Wren?”

  “I’m good. My number is the same. Call me sometime.”

  I smiled, committing to nothing. Wren and I had gone out a few times a w
hile ago. She was nice but she wasn’t for me. I found myself thinking that about a lot of the women I dated. Every time I thought I found someone I might like, I couldn’t see a future with them.

  “Can I get two of the specials?” Stanley asked.

  “I’m not hungry,” I told him.

  “Good to know,” he shot back before ordering another beer.

  Wren walked away with a promise to return in a few minutes. She kept her promise and returned with two cold ones. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

  “Make sure you put it all on one check,” Stanley said. “And give it to him.”

  Wren smiled. “I’ll do that.”

  I had a feeling she was taking a little too much pleasure in sticking me with the bill. I knew I was picking up a reputation with the ladies in my social circle. They assumed I was a love-them-and-leave-them kind of man. I wasn’t, but I wasn’t looking to settle down with any of them. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that until I went out with them.

  “You’re going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep eating like that,” I warned him.

  “I’m a growing boy and I busted my ass today. Remember? You sat up there driving your little boat while I did all the work.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That isn’t even a little bit true.”

  He grinned, taking a long drink. “I just like to give you shit.”

  “Thanks.”

  I finished my beer, watching him chow down on the orders of fish and chips. I was going home to make myself a salad after watching him eat. “I’m out. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Don’t sit in here drinking all night. I don’t want you hungover.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  I got up and left, driving my old truck to my old house. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t even middle class, but it was mine. I worked my ass off to have a house I could call my own. It needed a lot of work, but I never had the time. Once summer season was over, I told myself I was going to get to some of the repairs. I’d been saying that for three years. There was always something else that needed doing.

  Instead of the salad, I popped a couple of frozen pot pies in the oven and set about cleaning up a bit. My life was average, mundane, uneventful. I didn’t mind. I didn’t necessarily need much more excitement in my life. Going out on the boat every day was enough of an adrenaline rush. Especially with the engine ready to give up the ghost at any time. I was not looking forward to the day I found us stranded at sea.