Dad’s words echoed across my mind. The warning from Javi was still crystal-clear. He’d warned me things would get out of hand. That I had no idea what I was getting into.
I wondered if there was some truth to what he’d said.
19
MADDY
When I woke up the next morning, I felt more rested than I had in days. The wolf was still there, a murmur beneath the surface. Almost like being in a room where a TV was on but the volume was so low, you couldn’t make out what it was saying. It was still weird, but it made me much more functional. I was probably pushing things, but before lunch, I’d started to get the itch. I wanted to go back to work. I’d always been a workaholic, especially once I’d built up my own business. The bar had been closed for a week, and I was dying to get back there.
Nico had come home for lunch and was making us both sandwiches. I decided it was a good time to bring it up. He was opening a bag of chips when I walked in and leaned on the counter.
He glanced over at me and grinned at me. “You look like you want to ask a question.”
“How did you know?”
“No clue, but I can tell. What’s up?”
I tapped my fingers on the counter, watching as he put a pile of potato chips on each plate. “What would you think about me opening the bar back up? Going back to work?”
Nico didn’t even hesitate. “I think it’s a great idea. I know you love that place. I’ll still make sure you have a guard, though.”
I blinked in surprise. I’d really thought it would take a lot more to get him to say yes. “Uh…wow, okay. Yeah, that’s fine. I probably wouldn’t be comfortable without someone there to watch out for me.”
Suddenly, I was giddy. Other than Abi, I hadn’t seen any of my team since that last night at the bar. I missed them. It was weird since I was technically their boss, but it was true.
Nico handed me my plate and a bottle of water. “As long as you are comfortable, I’m cool with it. When did you want to open back up? Next weekend?”
“Umm…well, I kinda wanted to do it tonight.”
Nico froze, the sandwich halfway to his mouth. “Tonight?” He looked surprised.
I nodded and took my first bite. Through a mouth full of food, I said, “I was gonna text Abi and see if she could check with everyone.”
“Crap, okay. Felipe is free. I’ll see if he can take you over tonight.”
“Sweet.” I put my sandwich down and pulled out my phone. My thumbs flew over the screen as I texted Abi, who responded almost immediately.
Me:Hey! How do you feel about getting back to work tonight? I want to open the bar.
Abi:uuuuuuuuhhhhhhh what?
Me:You read that right. Do you think everyone else might be free?
Abi:I think so, actually. I can start calling them. Are you serious about this? Are you sure you are up to it?
Me:Totally. I’ll put the announcement on my social media and the media pages for the bar. Do you think you and everyone else can do the same?
Abi:On it. I’ll start getting a hold of the guys and gals. We’ll need to go in early. I bet that place is dusty as shit after being closed a week.
I closed my messaging app and immediately started posting about the reopening. With each passing second, I felt happier. It took fifteen minutes before I even tried to start eating my lunch again. I usually wasn’t this impulsive. Most of the time, I tried to think things through and plan them out a little better. I was sure the wolf had something to do with it, but I didn’t care.
Nico walked back over and put his dish in the sink. “Felipe said he was down for tonight.”
“Awesome. Can he come over in…” I glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was just past twelve-thirty. “Like thirty minutes?”
Nico’s eyes bulged in surprise. “You’re going to go in that early?”
“I know, but the place will be a disaster. We’ll have to rewash and polish all the glasses, dust the counters and floors. If we want to open at five like usual, it’ll take a little extra work.”
