“You wouldn’t dare!”
She turns and heads for the driveway. Just before she’s out of sight, she glances over her shoulder and announces, “Try me.”
Of course when the heavy door opens and I see my sister walk in, I groan at the sight of both of my brothers and a couple of friends trailing behind.
“What’s wrong?” Lizzie asks, turning her attention from reorganizing the shelves beneath the bar.
“The riffraff just got here,” I state, narrowing my eyes at my sister, who is smiling from ear to ear.
She stands up and smiles the moment she spots my siblings approaching the bar. “Hey!”
“Lizzie!” they all seem to holler in unison.
“What brings you all in tonight?” she asks, noting the larger than normal group.
“I came to talk to you about your paint night, but I gathered the troops to come bother that big lug,” Charli informs Lizzie,throwing her finger my way, as if to make sure she knows I’m the lug.
“Oh! I just confirmed the date and time,” Lizzie announces, moving closer to my sister.
“I can’t wait. I know my girlfriends and I will be here.”
“The art teacher is going to teach the class, which will be next Saturday evening at six. I’m going to have some snack foods and drink specials. I’m really excited,” Lizzie replies, her energy palpitating from where she stands. I can’t help but just watch.
“Me too. Sign me up, and I’ll text my friends now and see who is going to join me.”
Lizzie nods and moves her notebook across the counter. “Go ahead and put your name and cell number down on the list. She’d like to keep it to under twenty, so I’m having people sign up, first come, first serve.”
“Yep, I’m in. I’ll have more for you by the end of the night,” Charli states, pulling out her phone and letting her fingers fly over the screen.
Lizzie chuckles. “Don’t you want to know the details?”
Charli shrugs. “They won’t care. We’re always looking for fun things like this to do together, so the cost is irrelevant. But you should totally have people prepay to reserve their spot. This way you can fill the event and don’t have to worry about no-shows who took spots from paying customers.”
“Yeah, but I was worried about asking for money right away, considering I’m new to the area.”
Charli waves off her statement. “You’re a business first and foremost, and anyone who doesn’t understand that probably wouldn’t have signed up and shown up anyway.”
I crack a smile at my sister’s very diplomatic, businesslike reply. I remember what it was like with her starting out her massage business at twenty-three. She had tons of no-shows and that affected her bottom line, because those spots werefilled with names, taking the spot of another potential paying customer. She implemented a two-strike no-show policy, in which you get charged fifty percent of the cost of your massage if you no-show a second time.
“Are you gonna get us a drink or just stand there and make googly eyes at the pretty girl all night?”
I turn my attention to my twin and narrow my eyes. “Why are you here?”
He grins widely. “You mean besides the fact you are?”
I sigh, already knowing my sister opened her big fat trap and told him what was on that card dropped off to her. “What can I get you? If you’re going to take up space, you’re going to buy something.”
“Just a Coke for me. I’m babysitting the kids tonight,” he replies, obviously referring to our youngest brother and his friends, Quinn and Robby.
“I’m not babysitting,” Alex, one of Cade’s and my friends, announces, ordering a draft beer. “Wait, you have Crüe beer in stock?”
I nod, pointing to the sign over the bar that announces the very recent arrival of two of the Crüe’s most popular varieties. “Just bottles right now, but she’s on their list for draft soon.”
“Sweet!” Alex proclaims, choosing a bottle of All American Crüe, the lighter of the two options.
Camden and Robby come over and order beers before making their way to the pool table to rack the balls. I glance up at Cade. “You paying?”
“Nope. Just because I’m babysitting doesn’t mean I’m buying too. Just put it on their tab and the kids can pay at the end of the night,” he replies, taking a sip of his soft drink. His eyes glance over to where Lizzie and Charli are still talking. “They seem to be getting along well.”
