I open the door to…chaos.
There are people everywhere, and I’m not talking about customers. The bar isn’t open yet. On Sundays, we’re here one to nine, which covers most major league sporting events throughout the year, and Chuck usually covered it.
A mixture of people, mostly men, turn to face me when the heavy door slams. “Uhh, hey?”
“Collin,” Lizzie hollers from one of the tables farthest from the door. She gets up from the chair and moves in my direction. “Hi, sorry about all of this.”
“What’s going on?” I ask, noticing everyone is still standing where they are, watching me.
“Oh,” she replies, glancing down to try to hide her blush. “This is my family. They showed up to…help.”
“Help?” I inquire, but before Lizzie can reply, a man with dark hair and blue eyes appears at her side.
“Everything all right, Lou?”
She smiles lovingly up at the man beside her. “Yes, Dad. Dad, this is Collin, one of the employees. He’s agreed to stay on through the transition for thirty days.”
I extend my hand, and I see a touch of hesitation in the man’s eyes. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
“Walker Meyer,” he replies, giving my hand a little bit of a squeeze. “The other guys are my friends and business partners, Jasper, Jameson, and Isaac.”
Why do those names ring a bell?
I politely wave toward the other men, some behind the bar and another sitting at the table Lizzie just vacated. There are a few women floating around too. One is painting a sign over near the pool table, while the other three are doing what appears to be some spring cleaning. Not to mention a couple of teenage kids, who look like they’d rather be doing anything else than wash windows.
“I know this is a little…yeah,” she finally says when her dad walks away.
I take another look around the room. “It’s good to have such a big support system,” I tell her. Actually, it reminds me of my own big, rambunctious family. “So, what do you want me to do?”
“Well, my dad and Uncle Tank are setting up the bar a little differently. They’re not allowed to do anything without my approval though. Do you want to help? I know we’re getting ready to open the doors, but they’ll stay out of the way so you can take care of the customers.”
I lift my chin, showing my agreement, and head back to where two big guys are cleaning and reorganizing liquor bottles. I grab for the clipboard hanging beneath the counter to “clock in” but notice it’s not there. Looking toward the table Lizzie returned to, she holds up the clipboard and says, “Got you.”
I glance around, not really sure what to do. To the big guy who’s not-so-subtly watching me, I say, “Hey, I’m Collin. Where do you need me?”
His whiskey-colored eyes bore into me like an inquisition. I’m a man who’s comfortable under pressure, but the way this giant is staring at me makes me want to squirm. If I were a lesser man, I’d be very intimidated by him.
Slowly, he extends his hand. “Jameson. Lizard asked us to organize the bar to make it a little more accessible for faster service.”
The question is out of my mouth before I can stop it. “Lizard?”
I swear if I weren’t staring directly at him, I’d miss the way the man’s lip ticks in the briefest, faintest smile. “Lizzie. We’ve always called her Lizard.”
“That’s where she came up with the name for the bar,” a woman says. She extends her hand and adds, “I’m Mallory, Lizzie’s mom. You met my husband, Walker, and this guy, Jameson. The one over there is Jasper, and the guy at the table is Numbers. Also, Madelyn and Lyndee are the ones cleaning, and BJ is painting a sign for over the door.”
My head’s spinning a little bit as I follow along with her finger as she points.
“We’re not making any big changes,” Lizzie’s dad states. “Lou put her foot down.”
“Lou?”
Mallory laughs. “Lizzie. Her dad’s always called her Lizzie Lou.”
I slowly nod in understanding.
“If I had it my way, we would have ordered the same setup as Burgers and Brew,” Walker mutters.
“Yeah, but you don’t get your way inmybar!” Lizzie hollers, a hint of humor in her voice.
