Two Months Later
The cold of winter had given way to the warmth of spring and finally the heat of early summer. The need for overcoats was long gone, replaced by days where nothing more than shorts and a T-shirt was required. The atmosphere seemed lighter too, everyone more relaxed as they enjoyed the outdoors and sunshine. Bailey’s own outlook had turned 180 degrees, and for the first time in a long time he felt at peace with the world, content and looking forward to the future.
A smile split his face and warmth spread in his chest as he took a deep breath and savoured the scene in front of him. Who’d have thought that eight weeks would have made such a difference?
Take Two was alive with the sound of music and laughter, the newly refreshed interior providing a perfect backdrop to the reopening party. They’d only closed for a few days during the whole renovation process, but Cassie had insisted a party was essential. She’d only had to nag for a couple of days before Tom agreed to the small celebration. After all, it was important to celebrate the small wins in life.
“Hey, whatcha up to? What are you doing hanging back here?”
Bailey turned at the question, smiling at Tom and wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close. When Tom’s arm came around his waist, Bailey melted against his side. God, Tom was gorgeous, still making Bailey’s knees go weak with a simple glance. His beard was shorter than when they’d first met, now closer to designer stubble, and his skin had a golden glow from the few days they’d managed to sneak at the beach between work obligations.
“Just admiring how much you’ve achieved. The whole place is amazing.”
Tom looked around the cafe before meeting Bailey’s eyes with a broad grin. “It is, isn’t it?”
The painting party had done wonders. In a matter of hours the walls and trim had been given a fresh coat of paint, the rich cream contrasting beautifully with the exposed brick wall. The timber of the counter had been polished within an inch of its life and now positively gleamed under the updated lighting. The original floorboards had received the same treatment and over the following weeks, all the fixtures and fittings had been replaced but in styles reflective of the building’s age. Artwork from an artist friend of Tom’s dotted the walls, adding splashes of colour, the rich reds, yellows, and blues echoed in the soft furnishings and rugs. Nothing had been significantly changed, just given a lift, Tom making the most of the cafe’s existing assets. It was Tom’s dream come true. Admittedly there was still work to do updating the kitchen, but plans were underway. And as Tom liked to say, “all good things take time.”
“I couldn’t have done it without all of you.” Tom gave him a squeeze. “But mostly you.”
Bailey squeezed Tom back. There was no point in arguing with him. Bailey didn’t think he’d done anything special, but Tom seemed to think that Bailey had spurred him on.
The soulful sound of a strumming guitar replaced the song that’d been playing over the sound system, and the small crowd sent up a cheer.
“He’s good, isn’t he?” Tom said, inclining his head to the corner of the room.
Bailey couldn’t agree more. “I can’t believe he was hiding all that talent.” The crowd cheered again as Jude started singing, his voice surprisingly light and melodious for such a serious guy. Jude blushed as he looked out over the people watching him and quickly averted his gaze, but his voice didn’t falter, the lyrics strong and clear. “Thank God for Cassie’s encouragement or he never would have agreed to perform.”
Tom laughed. “Cassie sure is a force of nature. I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s made herself indispensable around here.”
“That’s Cass. She’s a smart cookie.”
“Speak of the devil, there she is now,” Tom said, indicating to where Cassie was coming out of the kitchen area holding a food-laden tray aloft. “I’d better go give her a hand. There are hungry masses to be fed.”
Tom gave him a quick kiss before heading in Cassie’s direction. As Bailey watched, John snatched a canapé from the tray, now in Tom’s hands, and headed towards Bailey.
“Hiya, mate. Good to see you.”
“Good to see you too, John. How’re you holding up? Tom told me there’s still nothing on the job front,” Bailey said. Bailey still couldn’t believe how stupid he’d been in not telling Tom about his own redundancy. Tom and the rest of his group of friends had been nothing but supportive of John’s and his own situations.
John shrugged. “Yeah, it’s a pretty shit time to be looking for a job, what with the economy and Christmas approaching. No one wants to hire over the holiday period, but I’ve got a few irons in the fire.”
“I hope one of them pans out.”
“Thanks, mate. I hear things are looking up for you though?”
Bailey had picked up a few shifts at a bar nearby but the hours were unpredictable. It’d taken some convincing, but he’d finally accepted Tom’s offer of a few shifts at Take Two as well. The place was now busy enough that Tom had also been able to bring Bobby back, offering him full-time hours.
“Between the bar and here, I’m doing okay, and I love working in hospitality, spending time with people all day. Face-to-face, you know? Plus I got into that course for next year.”
“That’s awesome.” John patted him on the back.
Bailey grinned. “Before you know it I’ll be a fully qualified youth counsellor.”
“I’ve got to admire you guys,” John said, glancing over to where Tom was passing out food to Elliot and Phil, the three of them laughing at something Elliot said.
“Yeah? How so?”
“You’ve both had struggles but you’ve faced them head-on and come out on top. It would have been easy to give up on your dreams, and for a while there I thought Tom might have done that, but now look at him.”
