13. The Plan
THIRTEEN
THE PLAN
Eve
I’m at a loss with Lach. Besides Jake, he’s the only person I know here, and he wants nothing to do with me. For the past week, he’s kept his distance whenever I’ve worked with him. When I tried to talk to him, he kept his replies to a minimum and went searching for anything to get away from me, which included alphabetizing the liquor shelf, picking up cigarette butts in the parking lot, and even removing all the broken tips out of the dartboard.
Now I’m pulling a play from Lach’s playbook and trying to avoid Jake. He keeps prying into my life plans. I get he’s being the protective older brother, but I don’t even know what my life plans are. There are only so many places I can hide from him since I not only live with him but also work at his bar. Locking myself in my room only works for so long; he knows I’m not a recluse. Currently, I’m sitting in his office across from him, waiting for my interrogation.
“It’s been a week. How long is your vacation? What’s your plan?”
Indefinite. But I can’t tell him that. “I don’t know.” Deflect. Deflect. Deflect. Sitting up straighter, I lean toward Jake. “What’s your plan? You seem to be in the same place you were when I left town nine years ago. You’re still single.”
“This isn’t about me.”
“But we could make this about you.”
His gaze meets mine. Concern etches his features. “Is something going on? Are you in trouble?”
The permanent scowl on his face fades away, and his soft tone guts me. It’s rare for Jake to show his soft side. I can’t continue to lie to him. My shoulders sag. “I’m not in trouble per se, but something did happen.” His eyebrows raise, waiting for me to continue. The words are seconds from spewing out of my mouth, but I swallow them down. “As you know, I’ve been working as a photographer’s assistant.”
“Yeah.” He nods.
“Well, my boss…” I inhale a sharp breath, and I meet Jake’s gaze. For once, he’s not scowling. There’s genuine concern on his face. “He’s been thinking about selling the business.” The lie tumbles out of my mouth. I can’t face the look of disappointment that would have followed if I told him the truth.
“Are you thinking about buying the business? If you need some money, I’d be happy to help you.”
My shoulders sag. “I was thinking of trying something else. Or maybe a location change.” Moving back to Harbor Highlands has jumped to the forefront of my mind since meeting Lach. At this point, there’s nothing keeping me in Knoxville.
“Where would you move to?”
Damn Jake and all his questions. “Maybe back to Harbor Highlands. I would already have a job.” I point at the Porter’s t-shirt I’m wearing and wiggle my eyebrows.
“If you keep breaking everything, that job may be no longer.”
“Hey! I’ve only broken a couple of things.”
“Three. That I’m aware of. The last one being a bottle of vodka.”
“I still maintain that the bottle broke itself. Companies really need to make those bottles out of thicker glass.” Jake shakes his head, and I laugh.
He uncrosses his arms, resting his elbows on his desk. “If that’s what you want, you know you are always welcome.”
I nod. I certainly can’t tell him I want to explore whatever is developing between me and his best friend.
“You okay with catching a ride home with Lach?”
And he’s back to business. It would be better if Lach talked to me, but it’s a ride. We can sit next to each other in fun, awkward silence. Again. “Yeah. That’s perfect.” I fake enthusiasm.
“Okay. But later, we’ll talk more about your plan.” Jake rises to his feet, and I follow suit.
“Looking forward to it.” I flash him the most exaggerated fake smile I can muster. Truth be told, I’d rather stab myself in the eye with the broken vodka bottle than rehash my lack of life plan again.
Jake exits his office, and I trail a few steps behind until we reach the bar. He says a few words to Lach and waves at Nora before he’s out the door. At least Nora’s here, so I won’t feel like I’m talking to a brick wall. As the night progresses, the customers get few and far between. Nora takes a seat on a stool on the customer’s side of the bar. Her fingers dance over the screen of her phone.
“Ugh, this stupid app is going to drive me to drink.” Nora drops her phone to the bar top.
I glance up from placing glasses in the under-the-counter dishwasher. “Well, you’re in the perfect spot.” I shrug. “What’s the app?”
She rubs her temples. “I’ve been working on programming a dating app.”
I freeze, glass midair. “Wait, you’re programming an app? Like, you know how to do that?”
“Yeah. I went to college for computer programming.”
“Impressive. Why are you working at Porter’s, then? I feel like there would be more money in that than bartending.”
She props her chin on her hand. “It’s kind of a long story, but essentially, the hours are less demanding, so it works.”
I nod. I don’t want to pry into Nora’s life, but there’s more behind that answer than what she’s telling me. “Aren’t there a million dating apps?”
“Yes, but all those are ‘find the love of your life’ or ‘hookup for a night of forgettable sex.’ Mine’s different. It’s an app for people who need a date for a night and can’t find one. Dessa gave me the idea last year when she needed a date for a wedding. There are no obligations besides being the date.”
“That’s kind of a cool idea.”
“Mostly, it’s for people who have to go to family gatherings and have to endure the countless ‘Why are you still single?’ ‘You need to settle down,’ or ‘You’re not getting any younger’ questions,” she says in a mocking tone. “This app will fix that. At least temporarily.” She laughs.
“It could be useful for making someone jealous.” The words tumble out without thought. It’s not that I want to go on a date to make Lach—or anyone—jealous, but it could push someone into figuring out their feelings.
“Suuure.” She eyes me wearily. “You could do that too. I have a spot to mention date specifics. Right now, I can’t get this messaging feature to work properly. But when I get this last bug fixed, I’ll need a beta tester.” She flashes me a cheesy but hopeful smile. “You’re new to town. Single. It’s a great way to meet people with zero expectations.”
Join a dating app? I am new to town. The single status is up for debate. Technically, I am, but I want to see what happens with Lach first. “I don’t know about that.”
“Well, think about it. Especially if,” she nods her head toward Lach, “he’s going to be a grumpy brute.”
A laugh escapes me. That’s him to a tee right now.
As expected, Lach spent the entire night saying as little as possible to me. If I happened to be within five feet of him, he’d find an excuse to go somewhere else. It was a quiet night. The cooler didn’t need to be stocked eight times.
I spot Lach at the end of the bar with no escape besides jumping over the bar top. Now’s my chance to demand answers. I’m no longer playing his game of dodgeball. I strut to where he’s standing and cage him in with a hand on my hip.
“Why are you ignoring me? Every time I walk into the room, you walk to the other side. You barely say more than two words to me each time you see me.” He freezes, and a moment of silence passes between us. Then it hits me like one of my imaginary dodgeballs. I lower my voice. “Do you regret what happened between us?”
He flinches as if my words stung him. He tilts his head to the ceiling and blows out a deep breath. “I don’t regret it.” His head falls and turns toward me. “In fact, I can’t stop thinking about it.”