Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
TEDDIE
"How's it going?" Lyra peered over my shoulder at the crowdfunding website.
"Slowly," I admitted. I reached over to pick up my tea, only to find the cup empty.
She chuckled and took it from my hand. "I'll make us another one."
"I should be doing that to thank you for letting me crash on your couch," I said.
I'd moved out of my fathers’ house a few years ago, but the apartment I’d been renting was recently sold.
Trying to find something I could afford close to work and college was proving difficult.
The temporary situation was lasting longer than either of us expected, but she hadn't kicked me out on my ass. Yet.
"I don't mind," she said. "I'd say don't stress, but we both know it's too late for that." She cocked her head at me and gave a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sorry. All of this has been a lot." I sighed at the screen before glancing up at my friend.
"I know. I bet you haven't been to bed before two a.m. for the last week. Between raising money for Loams and working on your thesis, you look tapped out. You know rest is a thing, right?" She placed her hand on her hip and popped it out, her eyebrows raised.
"I'll rest when I'm dead?" I suggested.
"That's a long time to wait." She flicked on the electric kettle and pulled out another cup and a couple of tea bags.
"Or not so long if you keep working the way you are.
" She draped the string of a teabag over a cup and turned back to me.
"Sorry, I don't mean to sound like your… " She trailed off, wincing.
"My mother," I finished for her, not angry in the least. How could I mourn a woman I didn't remember? "I appreciate your concern. I really do."
I honestly did. It was sweet of her to worry, but she didn't need to. Yes, I was working long hours trying to get my master's thesis done, but it was almost ready for submission. I only needed another eleven billion passes, then I'd be happy with it. Maybe.
She left the kettle to boil, pulled out a chair and sat beside me.
"I know your dads appreciate everything you're doing for them too.
All of this, it can't be easy. I mean, healthy competition is good, right?
But setting up across the road from an established…
" She stopped and thought for a moment. "Establishment.
" She shrugged with her eyebrows at her inability to think of a different word, and laughed.
The curse of someone who'd recently finished a college degree, always feeling the need to switch it up, even when talking. I couldn't judge, I did the same thing myself. Although, I was into my postgraduate degree and couldn't think of another word either. Frying your own brain was a thing.
"All's fair in love and bars, I guess," I said. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. Much later would have been nice, but it is what it is."
Someone was always going to put themselves in direct competition with my fathers’ bar.
Maybe we all got complacent, because it hadn't happened until now.
Loams wasn't the only place in town by any means, but it always held its own. The location and reputation, along with my fathers’ ability to make anyone feel at home made it the go-to place from lunchtime until after midnight, if you wanted to drink or dine.
The rent going up a couple of times? That was the real nail in the coffin. Or speed bump. That was a better analogy. I refused to admit the place was dead and gone until I saw my dads lock the door and walk away. While there was still some fight left in them, I'd keep fighting too.
"Have you been into the other place?" Lyra asked. "Into Nefarious?"
"No." I shook my head. “I’ve read the reviews, but never stepped foot in it.
" I didn't want to admit those reviews were glowing, for the most part. I’d yet to see one complaining about the lack of a drag night.
Or even the lack of a view. They all said the place was immaculate and the drinks and food good and well priced.
Was it wrong to hope they found a cockroach in their fries? Or a mouse tail in their beer?
"Have you?" I asked.
Her lips dropped apart. She sniffed and stared at me for a moment. "Theodora Solana Ward. Do you really think I'd frequent the opposition?”
"Lyra Margaret Henderson," I replied, mimicking her exaggerated sniff. "It's a free country. If you want to check out a new bar, no one's going to stop you. Unless, of course, the bouncer on the door doesn't like the look of you." As if that would happen.
Lyra was tall, slender with bright red hair and bright blue eyes. Freckles covered most of her face, including her lips, which were full and almost always tilted up in a smile. They'd have to be blind not to let her into the place. I was surprised she hadn't received a personal invitation yet.
Me, on the other hand, with my wild curls, brown eyes, and tendency to stand in the wrong place while cars roared past? They'd tell me I couldn't come in as a matter of health and safety.
Okay, I was joking. Mostly.
"I would never go anywhere but Loams," she said firmly. "Unless Loams was too far away, then I'd go somewhere else. On the other side of the street isn't far away enough to tempt me."
"I appreciate your loyalty to my fathers' business," I said. "Saltgrave Cove needs more people like you."
"And fewer people who actually go into Nefarious?" Lyra suggested.
I propped my elbow on the table and placed my head on my hand.
"I don't want them to fail," I said slowly.
"Like you said, healthy competition is a good thing.
But I wish their success didn't mean Loams has to fall on its ass.
My earliest memories are of that place. I used to sit in the office and read or play while my dads worked.
I'd help clean the tables after closing.
Pick up glasses, help out in the kitchen.
I learned how to flip a burger in there and cook fries. "
I drew in a breath and let it out slowly through my nose.
"I don't know how many hours I've spent in the office doing homework. Sometimes I felt like I was there more than I was at home. I love the place."
Later, when I was old enough, I'd go for walks or swims on the beach, or sit on the sand and do my homework under an umbrella, the waves crashing a few feet away.
As far as childhoods went, mine was pretty perfect.
Of course I was remembering the good bits.
There were bad days too, but I didn't want to dwell on those.
I didn't care what anyone said, I thought having two fathers was wonderful.
No one could ever convince me I was missing out on anything.
"Of course you do," Lyra said. "Everyone with a half a brain loves the place.
I guess the owner of Nefarious didn't step inside before they decided to renovate the bar across the street.
They would have fallen in love with Loams and decided to, I don't know, set up their bar somewhere else. " She gestured vaguely.
"Then across the road, they could have built…" She tilted her head, gazing up toward the ceiling, her eyes glazed in thought. "A shop that sells adult toys. What would be more useful than a dildo shop?"
"I can't think of a thing," I said with a laugh. "I could totally get behind a dildo shop."
Except my fathers would probably buy all my Christmas and birthday presents there. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. On one hand, I was glad they supported my exploration of my sexuality. On the other hand, that wasn't something I needed them to think about. And very much vice versa.
Lyra snapped her fingers. "When Nefarious closes, we could take over the site and reincarnate it into a dildo shop. I can see us now, side by side, selling vibrators to the horny women of Saltgrave."
"Now there's a store name for you," I said dryly, "The Horny Women of Saltgrave."
Lyra snorted a laugh. "Hornies for short.”
The kettle whistled and switched off.
While I laughed, she poured water into our cups and added milk and sugar.
I glanced back at my laptop screen. The crowdfunding campaign had another hundred dollar donation. Yes.
I smiled, but it faded when something else caught my eye.
In the top corner of the screen was a red bell, indicating a private message.
Let me guess, I said to myself. Someone is offended I dare to raise money for a bar and they've decided to let me know..
I understood. I really did. People on this platform were raising money for personal healthcare or to save their beloved pets.
This would seem frivolous if they didn't stop to think.
My fathers might be out on the street without a bit of help.
Not to mention all of their staff as well.
This was about more than a bar, this was the livelihood of a dozen people.
Honestly, why couldn’t people couldn't scroll on past?
I thought about ignoring it, but I clicked on the bell to open the private message. It came from someone using the internet handle Hel6913.
The message itself was a simple
I want to help you save Loams bar
"Me too, buddy," I said under my breath.
I clicked out of messages and went to look at the donations. Hel6913 hadn't placed one. That last hundred dollars had come from one of our regular customers. I sent them a quick thank you note before going back to the messages.
"What is it?" Lyra placed my tea in front of me and went back for hers. She liked her teabag in for longer so it was strong enough to kill an elephant.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Someone being creepy, I guess.
You know what these things are like. They always draw the scammers.
" The message was probably from some thirteen year-old boy on the other side of the planet, thinking this would give him a laugh.
Where did your parents go wrong with you? I thought.
My curiosity getting the better of me, I clicked on the username, but it went to a brand-new account, confirming my suspicions. They must have made it just now, so they could fuck with me.
"I wish people would use their time for good instead of evil," I muttered. If they spent half as much time helping people as they did trying to scam them, the world would be a better place.
As I finished saying that, another message popped up.
I can assure you I'm legit. I have a proposal for you
Lyra slipped back into the chair next to me. "I can't decide if I should advise you to walk away, or run."
“One, then the other, I think," I said. "In that order.” I hated running, but it seemed wise under the circumstances. Good thing it was figurative running, not literal. Figurative running, I could do all day. And often did.
"What are the chances they're actually legit?" I asked.
What if they had the answers I needed? A proposal to be a silent partner with the bar? Or someone who wanted to make a hefty donation with no strings attached? Or Santa Claus with an early Christmas present?
I sighed. The last one seemed the most likely. The Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy weren't off the table either. Unfortunately, I didn't have any teeth to spare.
"Are you going to respond?" Lyra asked.
"Definitely not." I closed the tab and shut down the computer before lowering the lid. "Whatever bullshit game they're playing, they can play it by themselves."
I ignored the sliver of doubt that made me question that decision, but in the end, this wasn't just about me.
Whoever Hel6913 was, they'd be messing my with dads too.
They had enough on their plate as it was, without stressing about some internet scammer.
Would they stress about it though? Knowing them, they'd be cracking jokes and having fun with the scammer by responding, until said scammer realized they had no intention of taking the bait.
"Can I convince you to come out with me tonight, or is the thesis going to keep you warm in bed?" Lyra gave me the side-eye and a slightly cocked eyebrow. Now she'd finished her degree in social work, she had more time to enjoy her life, especially Friday nights.
"My thesis is important," I argued.
I was exploring the role of play for children with autism.
Two areas of study I was passionate about.
The areas, in fact, that led me to want to do my master's in special education in the first place.
If you asked me, too many people downplayed the importance of play and the need to be aware of the needs of all children.
What can I say? My fathers raised me to have a soft heart. The opposite of the way I might have grown up if things turned out differently. I thanked my lucky stars every day for them. If they hadn't found me when they did…
"You've got that look again," Lyra said. "Stop nerding out and come out with me. We haven't had a good time for a long time. When was the last time you let your hair down?"
I hated to admit it, but she was right. It was a long time since I'd been out and had a few drinks, danced a little bit, had some laughs. Brought a guy home for the night.
"Fine, just for a little while," I said. I might even forget about trying to save Loams for an hour or two.
"Excellent." She punched the air. "We need to work out what to wear so we don't clash."
"Heaven forbid we clash," I said with a laugh.
"Never joke about clashing," she said, but she was laughing too.
While I sipped my tea, she started to plan our outfits.