Chapter 13
BECK
I sensed her before seeing her. My Mae-dar was firing on all cylinders. Striding toward me, fresh from her weekend trip to Kitchi Falls, Mae wore a pair of jeans and an O’Malley’s tee. She smelled as fresh as she looked.
“Reporting for duty,” she said, saluting me and heading behind the bar. “You can take off if you want. It’s looking slow for a Sunday.”
Get a grip, Beck. There’s work to do.
“Not gonna happen. Guess who I just got off the phone with?”
“Hmm. My dad?”
“Nope.”
“Your dad?” She laughed at her own joke.
“Uh, no.”
“Yeah, that can’t be right. You’re smiling. I give up. Who?”
“Someone from the Finger Lakes Flavor Fest. They had a cancellation and wanted to know if we were interested. Apparently the smash burger is”—I grinned—“a smash.”
Mae rolled her eyes. “You’re ridiculous. But seriously? Dad’s been trying to get in there for years.”
“I know. Although he didn’t even apply this year. Was a little salty about being rejected so many years in a row.”
“They’re really picky, especially with pub food.”
The Finger Lakes Flavor Fest had become iconic in just seven or eight years, thanks to its selective vendors.
When I visited a few years ago, I was impressed by the scenic lakeside park setup—food trucks, local businesses, live music, wooden picnic tables, string lights, and waterfront views—attracting locals and tourists alike.
For O’Malley’s, this was a perfect chance to establish a reputation beyond being Cedar Falls’ drinking spot.
Despite myself, I’d begun to start thinking like an owner and not just the manager of the pub.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe the carefree lifestyle I’d held on to wasn’t as appealing as I’d always convinced myself it was, and this opportunity to take ownership was starting to feel like something worth considering.
“Exactly. Which is why we have to do it.”
“When is it?”
This was the bad news part of the call. “Next weekend.”
“Next… what? You’re kidding me?”
“Wish I was. We’ll need a setup, menu, coverage for the weekend—”
“Holy shit. Beck? In less than a week?”
“Excuse me. Can I get a Yuengling draft?”
The bar was picking up. Dinner crowd.
“Sure thing.”
By the time I got his draft, and served a new couple that just sat down, Mae was already running the floor. It went from slow to packed in fifteen minutes, and we didn’t get a chance to catch up for over an hour. That wasn’t to say I didn’t notice her.
Challenging myself to keep my eyes from her, I lasted all of about five minutes when she dropped her pen and bent over to get it, right in front of the bar.
Talk about torture. Finally, she disappeared in the back as things slowed back down, presumably to look at the books, something she mentioned doing on Sunday.
“Mom is on the ball,” she said finally, re-joining me. “Payroll looks good. I took care of a few invoices but… we really need to talk about this festival. What did you tell them?”
“That we’d do it. Obviously.”
“Good.”
And that was it for another good hour. May wasn’t usually as busy as the summer, with the exception of graduation weekend.
The local college always brought in more than a few extra visitors, and I was suddenly glad to have Mae around.
It was too bad she didn’t want to take over the bar. She was really good at it.
All of it.
Not just serving. Or maintaining the books. But greeting customers, handling the needy and ornery ones with as much grace as her father. It shouldn’t have been any surprise that the service business came so naturally to her.
“Alright,” she said, coming behind the bar. “It’s apparently gonna be one of those nights. Since we’re closed tomorrow, what if we get together and hammer out the details?”
“Sounds good. Come to the inn when you get up?”
“Too much going on there. Come over to me when you’re up. ’Scuse me,” she said, reaching for the fountain soda.
“I can grab that.”
“No worries, I got it.”
How I’d forgotten about her tattoo after the shower episode last night, I had no idea.
“How’s the new ink? Can’t wait to see it.”
An understatement.
“Itchy. I’d tell you to pull my shirt down in the back to see it, but I’m pretty sure that would illicit some strange looks.” She laughed. “Will show you tomorrow,” she called back, carrying a tray of sodas away from the bar.
Good idea, Beck. Arrange to be alone with her. Ask to see her back tattoo. Maybe I could just tell her that I jerked off thinking about her last night. And add that it wasn’t the first time, while I was at it.
“What’s that face for?”
Parker and Delaney. Hadn’t seen them come in. I was slipping.
Plastering a smile on my face, I headed over to them.
“You’re lucky to get seats. It’s been nuts the past few hours.”
“Graduation weekend,” Parker said. “Delaney was craving a burger.”
“What a liar. This was all him,” she said.
“All the same to me. You guys can come in every day if you want.”
“There’s a word for people who drink every day.”
“Who says you have to drink? What’ll it be? The usual?” I grinned at Delaney. “And a water?”
“With a burger? Get outta here. I’ll have an Ultra draft.”
I slid their drinks toward the couple.
“Lemme see it?”
Delaney grinned and lifted her left forearm.
“Nice,” I said. “Great detail.”
“Lucas is a gem. I already have an idea for another one.” She looked at my arm. “Is it true what they say, about not being able to get just one?”
“Was for me.”
“You’re off tomorrow, yeah?” Parker asked. “I’m heading to a new potential site on Seneca, shouldn’t take long. Up for some trout fishing?”
“Can’t,” I said, grabbing an empty from nearby, catching the customer’s eyes and raising his glass.
He nodded. “Got a call earlier from someone at the Finger Lakes Flavor Fest. They had a last-minute cancelation, so we’re in.
Only a few days to prep.” I slid the guy’s filled beer to him.
“Heading over to Mae’s tomorrow to plan a menu and start securing supplies. ”
Was it me, or did Delaney’s eyes widen?
If there was one thing I knew, it was when a woman was up to something. And Delaney definitely had a look about her all of a sudden.
“That’s great. I know you guys have been trying to get in with them for years.”
I looked at Parker while he spoke but watched Delaney from the corner of my eyes, a sneaking suspicion making me want to test a theory.
Jenn slipped me a drink order. While I made it, I said to Parker, “We’re pretty stoked. Would have come over to the inn but Mae suggested it might be too busy. She has a point.”
There!
While pretending to concentrate on the drink I was making, I watched Delaney, who definitely looked suspicious, especially when she sought out Mae five minutes later, saying that she wanted to say hello.
When the two of them disappeared into the back, I was convinced.
They’d talked about me on the trip. I’d have bet a hundred dollars on it. The question was… what did they say? More importantly, what did Mae say about me?
Maybe tomorrow would be the perfect time to find out.