“I’d tell you to talk to him today, but he keeps to himself on the weekends—being Sunday and Monday for him. So, I think you’d have better luck if you approached him on Tuesday when the bar opens back up for the week.”
“Tuesday,” I repeat, unable to take my eyes off the man across the room.
“Good luck, Avery,” he says with a tip of his imaginary hat.
“Thanks, Wyatt.”
A few minutes later, my waiter, Tripp, I believe is his name, is back. “Can I get you anything else?” he asks, clearing away my bowl and saucer.
“No, I’m stuffed, but everything was delicious.”
“That’s what we like to hear.” Taking a check out of his back pocket, he places it on the table in front of me. “I’ll be your cashier when you’re ready, but no rush. Can I get you a coffee or anything?”
“No, I’m good.” I smile at him, at this place. I think I just found my Cheers.
Reaching across the table, I pull my backpack over and look at the check to see how much I owe. The bread pudding has been marked off with a smiley face and a Good luck, Avery written beside it.
Yeah, I love this place.
Chapter 2
Shaw
“Hey, boss,” Paulie calls out when I walk through the back door of the bar.
I nod my head in response but keep quiet otherwise. I haven’t had my coffee yet, so it’s best for everyone if I keep my mouth shut for the time being.
Stepping into my office, I toss my messenger bag onto the floor and flip on the light. Because I’m running a little late, I only have a few minutes before my weekly staff meeting begins, so I use the time to sit at my desk and decompress.
It’s a fucking shame that, at nine-thirty on a Tuesday morning, I’m already fighting a personal case of asshole-itis but sometimes it can’t be helped. While most people dread and complain about Mondays, my week starts on Tuesday and let me tell you, the name of the day doesn’t mean shit. The start of the work week is rough, no matter what.
My weekends fall on Sundays and Mondays. I love my time off and I make a point to spend it wisely, whether it’s taking my motorcycle out on long rides or staying home and pigging out in front of my television watching sports. I do whatever the hell I want to do and, usually by Tuesday, I’m ready to get back to work.
But, not today.
Today was predetermined to be a shitty day, for reasons I’m not acknowledging at the moment, but to make matters worse, I ran out of coffee at my house. I pass by some amazing coffee shops on my way to work and thought I could get a cup to go, but everywhere I went was packed. This is New Orleans. People here should either be at work already or still in bed recovering from last night. I mean, what the fuck?
I even contemplated hitting up Café du Monde but knew it’d be full of tourists. Don’t get me wrong, I love that place and most days I’m grateful it’s located close to my bar, but it’s not the kind of place you go to for a quick cup of coffee.
So, here I sit, trying to focus on all the shit I have to do today while fighting off the beginnings of caffeine withdrawal.
“Good morning! Y’all haven’t started without me, have you?”
I recognize the sweet voice of my sister and let out a sigh of relief. Sarah is my rock and I rely on her more than I should.
When I walk out of my office, I immediately notice a sweet aroma. Sarah runs the cooking school next door to the bar, so she usually smells like food, but this is different. I know this scent. Picking up my pace, I waste no time in getting to the bar because my sister—the best fucking sister on the planet—has donuts with her.
And coffee.
I grab the large cup from her hand and bring it to my nose, letting the smell of chicory soothe my nerves, before taking a drink.
“Thank you, Sarah, for the coffee and donuts,” Sarah says, mocking my bad manners.
“You know how he is before he gets his fix, all grumpy and rude,” Paulie says. “He hasn’t said one word since storming in here. Shaw’s lucky we love him despite his moods.”
Finally ready to speak, I point to them individually. “You,” my finger finding Paulie first, “only love me because I pay you. And, you,” I look at my sister, “love me because you have to.”
I wrap my arm around Sarah’s shoulders and lean down to kiss the top of her head. “Thank you for the coffee and donuts, love. You’re a lifesaver.” This causes her to blush and swat her hand at me.
“Oh, stop. I didn’t do this for you; I did it for those of us that have to work with you.” She gives me a wink before speaking quietly so only I can hear. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah,” is my quick response before stepping away and grabbing a donut. Sarah knows me better than anyone, and although I know she’s not happy with my brief answer, she knows that’s all she’s gonna get from me.
Two more of my bartenders show up and grab a donut before settling down at the bar, waiting for the meeting to start.
“So, what’s on the agenda for this week’s meeting? Is this everyone?” Paulie asks.
“No, Jeremy is supposed to be here, too. Today is his first day of training.” I look at the front door before glancing at my watch. “If he ain’t here in five minutes, he’s out.”
Paulie chats with the other guys while I finish my coffee, waiting to see if my new hire shows up or not. I won’t be surprised if he doesn’t show, but I will be disappointed. The guys I hire to work here at Come Again are chosen for a reason and I don’t like feeling I’m wasting an opportunity on someone who doesn’t want it.
With two minutes to spare, the front door chimes, alerting us to Jeremy’s arrival.
“Hey, new kid!” Paulie yells and waves him over to where we’re all gathered. Jeremy looks nervous, scared even, and rightly so. I watch as he gingerly sits on a stool, not making eye contact with anyone.
Normally, I would’ve laid right into him, calling him out on being late and wasting my time, but something tells me to use a different tactic with this kid. All eyes are on me when I grab a couple of donuts and a napkin and walk over to where he’s sitting. I drop the food in front of him, ignoring how his body flinches in response.
Speaking only to him, I ask, “Are you clean?”
He glances up at me before nodding his head.
“Good. You’re late. I’ll allow it this time, but if it happens again, you’re out. You got that?”
The speed of his nod increase. “Yes, sir.”
I eye Jeremy carefully, taking in his long, stringy hair and dirty clothes. “Eat up,” I nod toward the donuts. “After the meeting, I want you to go upstairs and take a shower. Get yourself cleaned up and find some clothes to wear. If you need anything specific, you let me or Sarah know. After that, I’ll start your training.”
He lets out a shaky breath and looks me in the eye. “Thank you.”
I nod before returning to my place at the head of the bar, my good deed for the day taken care of.
The weekly meeting doesn’t last long. We go over the schedule for the week and talk about events going on in the city. Come Again isn’t far from the infamous Bourbon Street, but we’re not really a part of the party scene. While we do get a lot of tourists and stragglers, our clientele consists mostly of local regulars. Still, it’s always good to know what’s happening around town so we’re prepared.