Poppy’s Birthday - October 1st
BEN
I never really thought of myself as a control freak, but handing over mostly all the decisions about my mom's birthday celebration at the bar has tested that. While I've collaborated on a few items, Lainey hasn’t divulged any of the details. Meanwhile, my whole staff knows everything. She asked me to not look at Red Poppy's socials the last couple of days. It's been hard, but the last thing I want is to ruin her surprise. I’m supposed to pick up my dad and arrive at the bar an hour before opening.
She asked my dad to ignore socials as well, so when I pick him up, he’s nervous, too. Kathleen isn't with us, but she’ll be there. I love her support and understanding of his love for my mom.
"You don't know anything Lainey has done?" my dad asks on the way to Red Poppy.
"Not really. I had to come up with a specialty cocktail and do a little write-up about Mom and why we're celebrating, then she'd fill in the details. Did she ask you anything?"
My dad shakes his head. "No."
"I think she talked to Uncle Red. "
My dad’s staring out the window, his mood more subdued than I like. "You never really said why she was handling all this."
"She saw I was struggling with organizing it. Besides, she went to school for marketing. I think she was excited to do it."
"Are y'all still spending a lot of time together?"
I glance at my dad. There's a bit of a knowing look on his face, but it’s his inquisitive tone that has me worried.
I keep my gaze focused on the windshield. "Some. Not a lot. Is that a problem?"
"No, son." I can’t tell if he’s answering exactly what I’m asking. “You two are family now.”
My hands tighten on the steering wheel, but I don’t dare look at him. I’ll reveal too much, like that my definition of family, when it comes to Lainey, is very different than his.
I find a place to park that's not in the back employee lot since Lainey asked me to meet her at the front entrance. When she sees us, her face lights up with excitement, but the fact that she's wringing her hands together tells me she's nervous.
"Hey," she says almost breathlessly. She hugs my dad then me, and I immediately press my hand between her shoulder blades. She instantly relaxes, and when she pulls back, I don't let her go fully.
"It'll be good, Lainey."
A little blush creeps into her cheeks. "Shouldn't I be the one reassuring you?"
"If you're this excited and nervous, I know it'll be great."
The way her expression softens in appreciation…man, she’s so fucking beautiful it hurts. As much as I don’t want to let her go, I release my hold on her. She blows out a nervous breath. "Ready?"
We both nod, and I'm suddenly nervous, even though I have full confidence she knocked this out of the park. She opens the door for us. Dad and I share a look before I gesture for him to go first. I hear his gasp right before I step in and release my own. She's transformed my bar into what looks like a Broadway musical set. Hanging from the ceiling are upside-down black umbrellas with iridescent streamers and twinkle lights hanging from them to look like rain. It's Singin' in the Rain .
"It's Poppy's Favorite Things," Lainey says as the song My Favorite Things from the Sound of Music fills the room.
I can't believe it. Several Broadway playbills hang on the walls, and I recognize all of them as ones Mom saw and liked. Different musicals play on the few televisions I have mounted around the bar.
"The DJ’s only playing music from the '60's and'80's, plus musical soundtracks. I hired a caterer who's working out of a food truck outside, and they're only serving appetizers."
She’s included all the things I told her about on Mother's Day and more. She goes on and I walk through my bar in a daze, taking in all the incredible things she's done. While much of the bar’s interior is already red, she added many gold accents. There are even more poppies than usual, too.
"Fuck, Lainey." Emotion clogs my throat. I glance at my dad and the tears streaming down his cheeks. When I look back at Lainey, her expression clouds with uncertainty. I swallow down my threatening tears. "This is perfect."
Her whole body relaxes. "Really?"
"You’ve done more than I ever could have imagined."
She presses a hand to her heart as her eyes turn glassy. It takes all I have not to touch her. To pull her to me and never let go.
"I wanted it to be more than a remembrance of her,” she says, her tone soft and contrite. “I wanted it to be a celebration she would have thrown for herself."
My heart beats so hard it feels like it hits my ribs. And I know, without a doubt, I’ve ended my fall .
I love her.
I love her beyond words. I love her beyond measure. I love her so fucking much I don’t know how I’ll live another day without her by my side. In my bed. In the center of my life.
I want to pull her to me and kiss the hell out of her. Tell her how I feel. Make her mine. Instead, I let her lead me to the bar where she shows me the cocktail menu.
"I renamed your specialty cocktail list to musical titles. The one you created is the Singin' in the Rain."
I smile. I'd done a Tequila Sunrise mimosa in honor of the Good Morning scene. "I thought of it when I picked that drink."
"I know. I was hoping you’d do something that fit that movie. You exceeded my expectations."
"You've exceeded ours." My dad pulls Lainey into a hug then takes her head in his hands and kisses her forehead. "Thank you for this beautiful tribute. I see exactly why Ben put his trust in you. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a stroll and look at your wonderful work."
My dad moves toward the playbills.
Lainey’s cheeks flush. "I should go get our families in your office. I wanted you and your dad to take it all in by yourselves first." She hurries toward the hallway before I can grab her and kiss every last drop of uncertainty out of her. A minute later, Uncle Red, Harper, Chandler, and Kathleen spill into the main area of the bar and we all greet each other with hugs.
Uncle Red claps me on the back. "So proud of you and what you’ve done with this place. And Lainey, she sure is something." He smiles as he takes in the room. "I like her. I like your new family."
"Yours, too."
He smiles. "They're all very welcoming."
Jan announces a pre-opening toast and motions us toward a row of Singin' in the Rain cocktails on the bar. Everyone in the room, including staff, takes one.
"I want to thank you all, especially Lainey, for this magnificent birthday celebration. My mother would have loved it." I raise my glass. "To Poppy."
Everyone raises their glass and says, "To Poppy."
From there, we spring into action to make sure everything’s ready for opening. Our families settle into a VIP section Lainey’s roped off. I finally pull out my phone and thumb through the brilliant social media posts she created, which have gotten a lot of attention. It bodes well for a really busy evening.
And it is.
For a night full of music of a generation far older than most of the patrons, everyone seems to be loving every last detail of Lainey’s event. Dancing has even broken out in the courtyard. Lainey’s talking with Eli, who even got teary-eyed when he saw what she'd done with the bar. My mom had been like a second one to him. The song changes and Waiting for a Girl Like You by Foreigner fills the air. Before I question it, I make my way to Lainey.
Her eyes round as she must see the determination in my gaze. "May I have this dance?"
She blinks. "Do you think we sh—"
"Yes. We definitely should." I take her hand and lead her to the dance floor where people have already coupled up. I pull her close, letting my arm slip around her waist. Her eyes roam my face, and I don't know if it's all the twinkle lights she's hung, but there's a soft glow to them that makes me believe her feelings for me mirror my own. I want to tell her that this is our song now. That's she's been the girl I've been waiting for.
That she's it for me.
Instead, I say, "Tonight's magical, Lainey. Thank you."
"I'm so happy you love it.” Her smile’s finally genuine like she believes me. “I loved every minute of planning it. I really wish I could have met her."
"She would have loved you." But not as much as I do.
Her smile turns even more dazzling. "I'm going to take that as the highest compliment you could have paid me."
I pull her into me until our bodies are flush against each other. We sway to the music, but I can’t look away from her. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me not to kiss you right now?"
Her gaze falls to my lips. "Maybe." Her voice is soft and breathless.
"We could, you know?"
"Ben...please." I can't tell if she means please yes or please no. Honestly, if I were to ask her, I don't think she'd know.
"Lainey," Kathleen says, suddenly next to us, and we jump apart. "I want you to meet someone who needs to leave soon." Kathleen’s gaze shifts to me, and I don’t like what I see—a mix of panic and determination. "You don't mind, right, Ben?"
Yes, I really fucking mind, but I can't say that.
“Of course. I’ll be over at the bar.” I let Lainey go, and though it’s childish, I want to haul her to me like some petulant child and yell she’s mine at the top of my lungs.
Kathleen takes her by the arm and pulls her away from me. I stare after her, and a huge sense of loss swamps me. I glance at my dad who is standing off to the side, his expression concerned as his gaze flicks from me to his wife and the woman I love.
Why do I have this sinking feeling that there’s broken hearts ahead of us all?