“I think this calls for a celebration,” Mason said. “Drinks and pizza sound good? Well, maybe orange juice and pizza?”
We all laughed. “You guys can drink,” Amanda said, chuckling. “I’ll drink the orange juice.”
“I knew there was something going on between you two!” Mom said. She pulled us both into a deep hug, and when she let us go, I pulled Amanda close to me again. We kissed, and the brothers let out an exaggerated “aww” sound that made us break the embrace with laughter.
“Get a room,” Jordan said.
“They already have one,” Mason exclaimed.
38
Amanda
“This is amazing!” I said, peeking out over the massive crowd that was already gathering up outside the bar. “Have you seen this crowd?”
Ava came up behind me and laughed, nodding. “I know. It’s pretty incredible the first time you see all the people. I remember the first time we got a big crowd at the old location.”
“Was it always like this?” I asked.
We were still an hour away from the grand reopening event, and already there was a huge cluster of people right at the door, then a long, twisting line disappearing off into the distance. She shook her head as we walked away from the window and pulled the curtain closed again so we could continue with the preparations.
Everything inside was starting to look awesome, but we wanted to keep it all hidden from the customers until they came inside so there could be a big reveal.
“Not this big. But the crowds were pretty immediate once we started doing the theme nights. It was crazy. Doing the themes was just something that came to my mind when I was talking to the guys about the bar and how they might be able to increase their revenue from it. The place I used to work at in Michigan when I was there did theme nights, and people seemed to like them,” she said.
“They sound like a blast,” I said. “When Tom first told me about them, I was really impressed. I couldn’t believe how creative you are.”
Ava laughed. “I always say if I didn’t fall into the career that I have, I would have liked to be a party planner. I was disappointed that I wasn’t more popular in high school because then I would have gotten to plan a reunion.”
I laughed. “Have you had a reunion?”
“No,” she said, sounding exasperated and horrified at the idea that someone out there had this crucial responsibility and didn’t live up to it. “Can you believe that?”
“I haven’t had one, either. Does anybody have reunions anymore?” I asked.
“I don’t know. But I think we should. Maybe a little bit so people would see Mason and I are together.”
“And because you would be delighted to be reunited with all your old school friends and see how they’re doing all these years later,” I said in a leading tone.
She waved her hand like she was brushing away any question that would be a motivation. “Oh, yeah. That’s important, too.”
We giggled. “Well, I’m sure everybody would be thrilled with a reunion if you planned it. This place looks amazing.”
“I just hope the customers like it as much as the old place. There was so much character and history there,” Ava said.
It was the first time I’d heard her express any type of concern or hesitation. But I understood. This was a huge thing. The new bar location was finally opening. It wasn’t just an idea or plans anymore. They were really embarking on this new chapter, and everyone was waiting to see how it was going to turn out.
I had no doubts about it. This place was going to be even more successful than the last one. I just knew it.
“The soft opening was already a huge hit,” I said. “And you’ve done so much more for tonight. People are going to be blown away, and this place is going to be bursting at the seams with customers all the time.”
We went back to work finishing up the decorations, and a few minutes later, Jesse and Tyler came out of the kitchen with samples of the menu being offered for the party. Ava and I took a break to sit down and try everything. A couple of the offerings made my stomach turn a little, but that wasn’t an evaluation of the food. It was the little baby inside me making things difficult.
I rubbed my belly and sipped ginger ale to help keep it calm. I still wasn’t showing. It was still so early I didn’t have even a slight swell yet, but I was looking forward to it.
“When is Tom supposed to get here?” Ava asked when we finished up the tasting and went back to finishing up. “We’re opening the doors in ten minutes.”
“I thought he would be here by now,” I said. “But I know he had a few really important meetings today. When he went back to the hotel, he said he might be cutting it close.”
I hadn’t gone back to San Francisco since coming to Astoria to tell Tom about the baby. I also hadn’t gone back to the run-down motel after that first night in the hotel with him. He went back and packed up all my stuff for me, saying he wasn’t going to have me or his baby in that place.
I couldn’t help but laugh when he said that. It wasn’t the best motel in the world, but it wasn’t that horrific. It wasn’t like the wallpaper was peeling off the walls and mold had overtaken the bathroom or anything. But I did have to admit his surge of protectiveness gave me all kinds of wonderful feelings.
Now I was settled back into the nice hotel with him. Someone checked out a week after I arrived, and we were able to move into a bigger suite. It was nice, but I had to admit there was a little bit of sadness leaving that room and all its memories.
“It will be fine,” Ava said. “We have everything in place. It’s not like you’re going to see Tom back there behind the bar slinging drinks or anything.”
That image made me laugh. Tom loved the bar and had been really helpful in planning the grand reopening, but she was right. He was never going to be as hands-on as his other brothers. It just wasn’t his thing, but that was alright. Everybody did their part, and he was just as excited to see the new Hollow get going as all of them.
Right on time, we opened the doors and the crowd started flooding in. From there, it was nonstop. I volunteered my efforts as a hostess and occasionally ran drinks when the bar got swamped, but for the most part I was acting as an ambassador for the bar. It let me talk to the customers, get recommendations, and encourage them to come back and see what else Ava had up her sleeve.
It didn’t seem like they were going to need a lot of encouragement. The crowd was enthusiastic, and there was still a long line even after we reached capacity. Everything was so busy, I didn’t even notice when Tom showed up.
I didn’t know he was there until I felt a hand on my arm and turned around to see Tom gesturing for me to follow him outside. The fresh, cool air outside was a relief after the close warmth of the bar, and I took a few deep breaths.
“How is everything going?” he asked, bringing me in for a kiss.
“You saw the crowd,” I said. “It’s been like that since we opened the door. It’s going to be amazing around here.”
“I’m so glad,” he said, then took my hands and pulled me close to wrap my arms around his waist. “And I’m even more glad to have you here by my side through it all.”