I nod back. "Maurice. And please, call me Aidan." Maybe the fourth time I tell him it will stick. "How's business been lately?"
I didn’t want to hit the nail on the head too early, but I’m anxious to hear his answer. Given the information I was given just a few moments ago, I know that Bones is most likely hemorrhaging money.
Maurice dips his head, shying away from the topic. “You noticed, huh?” His southern drawl adds an extra emphasis on the severity of the situation.
“I’m old, Aidan,” he says bluntly. “I don’t have the same drive I once did to keep this place afloat. Bones ain’t the spot it used to be, not since we lost our regular entertainment. The old crowd is too old to leave their houses, and the young kids don’t spend their free time in bars—they go to that fancy golf place in the city or drink in parking lots.”
I can hear how slowly his heart is beating, even as he’s working himself up. Blood doesn’t pump the way it should as humans age; pathways restrict, causing stress on various organs. Despite knowing this, I can hear it in his voice and in the way he slumps against the chair, just underweight enough not to knock it over.
“Would you ever consider selling?” I ask.
Maurice's eyes go wide just as the favored team scores on the television. Jamie and Layton are cheering and high-fiving out of the corner of my eye, but my focus is on the old barkeep in front of me.
He cocks his head, tiptoeing toward his next question. “Well, son, are you offering?”
I don’t know what’s got me so invested all of a sudden, but I’m starting to think I could help. “I think I am,” I say, feeling more confident as the words come out.
“Mr. Ward—Aidan, if I was gonna sell this place, I’d be done for good. I don’t want no buy out. I want someone who will takeit over and bring it back to life. Do you know anything about bars?”
“I know how to run a business.” My father showed me all the thingsnotto do as a business owner, so I have a solid idea of what I should do, but Maurice doesn’t need to know that.
Just then my phone buzzes in my pocket, but I ignore it.
“A bar is more than a business, son,” Maurice interjects. “It’s a commitment. You won’t just be servin’ customers, you’re creating a community. A place for everyone to gather, no matter what time a day, rain or shine, you’re there for people when they’re upandwhen they’re down.”
It might sound like a daunting venture to take on, but hearing Maurice’s warning only makes me want to do this even more. I’ve been searching for something more meaningful to do with my time. What if this could be it? What if instead of throwing my money at walking trails or movie theaters, I put it toward something like this? Something that could really make a difference in the community.
I’m about to say something of the sort, but my phone starts buzzing again, only this time it’s louder and lasts much longer. Someone must be calling me.
“I really want to talk about this some more, but I should probably take this,” I tell him. “Why don’t I come by tomorrow?”
Maurice places a frail hand on my shoulder, a considerable feat given how much shorter he is than myself. “That sounds good, Aidan. I’m looking forward to it.”
The man actually looks pleased as I dart past the table where Jamie and Layton are sitting and out the front door. They watch me through the glass as I glance at my phone screen. Good thing my back is to them, because Joanna Shepherd is calling me. And I have a missed text from her.
THURSDAY 8:12 P.M. hey, what’re you doing?
I answer smugly without saying hello. “Well, well, well. Seems like you couldn’t stay away, could you, little fly?”
Chapter Nine
JOANNA
This was such a terrible idea.
I don’t think I’ve ever made such a stupid decision before. Okay, I have. Accepting Aidan’s invitation to come into his house the other night was THE worst decision, but this is definitely a close second.
The lonely bug sunk its teeth into me after getting home from the movies with Raegan, and whether it was a demonic spirit or just Aidan’s secret glamour abilities, something came over me.
We opted to go see a screening of one of our favorite classics that was replaying this week, but the entire time I was there, all I could do was think about the fact that Aidan’s house was right below me. Knowing he was potentially within such close proximity made my head spin. All throughout the movie, my mind ran rampant with thoughts like:
I wonder if he can hear the movie from his house.
Does it annoy him?
If so, why would he choose to live below a movie theater when he values peace and quiet?
Do all vampires like peace and quiet?
