Josie stood and walked over to her, pulling her in for a quick hug that she knew Eve would never tolerate in public. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “Dragonfly is perfectly me. I wouldn’t change a single thing.”
“Oh,” Eve breathed, eyes locking on Josie’s.
“I just had to grieve Swanson’s for a minute, but that doesn’t mean I have regrets, because I don’t.”
“Okay.”
Josie stepped back, opening the door before she gave in and kissed her. “Why are they setting up for a second shot?”
“Because I have something else to show you.” Eve gestured for Josie to follow her into the hallway. A black sheet hung over the opposite wall. Josie had noticed it peripherally on her way into the bar, thinking it was an odd decorative choice, but now she realized it was concealing something.
She gulped as Eve stood beside her. The camera crew assembled around them, red lights blinking on as the director counted them down. Josie inhaled, looking to Eve for guidance.
“We saved a little piece of Swanson’s for you,” Eve said in her TV host voice as she reached out and gave the curtain a solid yank. It fluttered to the floor, revealing framed photos and news clippings spanning the hallway from one end to the other, above a solid wood panel that was as familiar as her own skin.
“Oh,” Josie whispered, stepping forward to run her fingers over its well-worn surface. “The old bar top.”
“Yes,” Eve said, sounding pleased.
“And my family…” Josie’s eyes welled with fresh tears as she took in the photos. Starting at the far end of the hall, she saw her grandparents—young and in love—as they first opened Swanson’s. The photos progressed to show her parents, her father standing proudly behind the bar, and baby Josie in her mother’s arms beside him. Here and there, newspaper headlines announced Swanson’s various accolades. At the end was a photo of Josie and her father behind the bar, taken a few weeks before he died.
“You told me once that dragonflies symbolize transformation,” Eve said. “And this wall represents Swanson’s evolution into Dragonfly.”
“Eve, this is…it’s perfect.”
“You have a lot of history in this building,” Eve said.
Josie nodded, blinking to clear her vision. “I do.”
“And a lot more history to make.”
“Cut,” the director called, and again the red lights went out. The camera crew went through the door that led to the rooftop, leaving Josie and Eve alone in the hallway.
“Okay?” Eve asked.
“Better than okay,” Josie told her. “I was struggling a little with saying goodbye to Swanson’s, but this makes it a lot easier.” She touched the old bar top again.
“I hoped it might,” Eve said, leading the way to the stairs.
They filmed a short sequence on the rooftop, which had been cleaned up and furnished with a variety of seating, from bar-height tables to cozy couches. Afterward, Josie retreated to her office. She sank into the chair behind her desk and sat there, head in her hands, until the click of Eve’s heels announced her arrival. Josie looked up. “What now?”
“Now, we get ready for the grand opening.” Eve sat across from her, spinning the laptop to face her.
And so they went over every detail together, from local media coverage to the drink menu. Later that afternoon, Josie trained her new bartenders. On weekends, Adam would be with her at the main bar and her new hire, Elizabeth, would work the rooftop bar. During the week, the rooftop would be closed and another new hire, Lauren, would tend bar with Josie downstairs.
She tested out her new delivery agreement with the Italian restaurant next door and ordered food for the whole staff, including theDo Overcrew. Eve sat at a table with two of the cameramen, keeping a professional distance. In between bouts of laughter at Adam’s nonstop jokes, Josie found herself thinking about what her life would be like after the grand opening tomorrow. A bar with a full staff, a bar that hopefully brought in enough income to keep her afloat.
The freedom to ask Eve out on a proper date.
Where would they go? Appearance would suggest she should take Eve somewhere fancy, somewhere she could wear one of her sleek dresses and they could order a bottle of champagne and sit at a table for two with a little decorative candle in between them. But Josie also entertained a fantasy that involved her and Eve crammed into one of the booths at Bertie’s Tavern, sharing burgers and beer and making out on the cracked vinyl seat.
“Earth to Josie.” Adam snapped his fingers in front of her face.
“Sorry.” She lifted her beer and took a hearty swallow. “Just…thinking.”
He leaned in so that Elizabeth and Lauren, who were sitting across from them, wouldn’t overhear. “And do those deep thoughts involve a certain brunette who’s been very deliberately not looking over at our table all night?”
She didn’t even try to hide her smile. “Maybe.”
