“How do you spell it?” he asks.
She glances at me. When I don’t respond she motions toward Jimmy for me to answer him.
“B-L-A-I-R-E,” I shout to him. “But I don’t need a name tag.”
“We all wear them. You have to have one. Boss insists.”
“Wait. Stop. Please!”
She pauses and eyes me skeptically. “I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding. I’m not here for a job. I just got off a bus from Carpenter. I actually came in here to pray. I thought it was a church.”
She places her hands on her hips. “Geoff didn’t send you?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Shit! Now what am I going to do?” She places her hands on top of her head. “I am so sorry. I just assumed.”
“It’s okay, really. I’m used to people making assumptions about me.”
“My brain is mush. We all worked until three a.m. last night and had to be back here to get ready for tonight at the butt crack of dawn. I didn’t give you a chance to talk, did I? I have a bad habit of that. I bet I didn’t even introduce myself.”
I shrug politely. She reaches her hand out to me. “I’m Patti O’Leary. Nice to meet you, Blaire.”
I shake her hand and smile.
“I should have known by looking at you that you’re not from around here. We’re all freaking out because the bar owner is coming in tonight and one of our girls quit at the last minute. We’re expecting a huge crowd and we’re short-staffed. Nadia, the manager, told me to get a replacement fast. She never lets me hire people and if I don’t get someone to work tonight, she might never put me in charge again. Nadia is a bitch and a half.”
I nod my head and reach to touch her arm. “I’m sure things will work out. You seem to really care, and when you invest so much in something you love, God always provides.”
She studies me for a moment. “You said you just got off a bus from Carpenter. Is it safe to assume you might be in town for a while? Maybe visiting someone?”
“Not exactly. Do you want the short version?”
Patti nods.
“I followed my gut and hopped on a bus. I felt a pull to this church, but I have no idea where I’m even going to stay tonight. I don’t know anyone.”
She tugs at her bottom lip. “You know me.”
I laugh lightly.
“I have a deal for you.”
“A deal?” I question.
“If you’ll consider working here tonight―just one night, I’ll let you stay at my place until you find somewhere to live.”
My eyes widen. “That’s really generous of you, but I’ve never waitressed a day in my life and the truth is, I just left the…”
“I’ll train you. I’ll give you all the easy tables and I’ll be here the whole night to help you. Please? I’m begging you. You just said good things always happen when you care, right? Well what if God sent you here to help me? If you believe in God and all that stuff.”
All that stuff? Oh dear. My heart flutters. She works in a church and isn’t a believer? Well, I guess technically this isn’t a church. I did feel a pull to stop here. Maybe God does want me to help her.
“Please, Blaire! Say yes. Please say yes.”
I sigh heavily as I stare at her. If I’ve been taught anything, it’s to never turn your back on someone who needs you. And what other choice do I have? I have no money and nowhere to stay. God did provide. Maybe there’s a reason I’m here. I listen to my gut. “Sure, why not.”
Patti hugs me tightly. “Welcome to Miracles.”
Lucian
Checking the dashboard clock, I smirk knowing I’m making really good time. My manager, Dave, was pissed off when I told him I wanted to drive home rather than fly, but I rarely get any time to myself, and I wanted this time to think. And what good is having a Porsche if you never get to drive it?
Yes, it was a long trip from New York back to my hometown, but I’d been neglecting the bar ever since I’d gone solo, and I wanted to check in. Plus, once word spread I was coming, the bar had more reservations than it could handle. Having me there is good for business. We’ll be at full capacity tonight and all eyes will be on me, just the way I like it.
Separating Kane from Abel was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made in my career. I was sick to death of Abel trying to tell me what to do. When we first started the band, we both wanted the same things. Now I wanted more pussy and he just wanted to be one.
Adjusting the sunglasses on my face, I decide to remove them. The sun is going down and I want to see everything when I pull in. I grin as I contemplate my success versus Abel’s. My solo sales are far better than his since we broke up. He’d better not be there begging me to come back. It’s my bar, not his, and the last thing I want is him riding my coattails once more. Truthfully, I hope I never ever see him again. You could say we ended things poorly, and by poorly, I mean with my fist in his face.
I’m sure it sucked for him when our fans flocked to me. But they love the bad boy and I fit that image to a T. I’d never measured up to what Abel wanted of me or for me, but fuck him. I’m done being pushed around. Knowing him the way I do, he has to hate that my demons are far more interesting than his sainthood.
Abel was the light to my dark. That worked for a while, but we were too different for it to make sense as we grew older. Why it took us seven years to realize that is a mystery. In a year and a half, I’ll be thirty. It’s time I do what’s best for me. I snicker to myself. Who am I kidding? I’ve always done what’s best for me. It’s why I’m successful. You don’t get anywhere in life by putting anyone above yourself. I learned that lesson a long time ago.
It’s almost eight p.m. when I get off the expressway. Reducing speed, I turn down “Come & Go” by Juice Wrld and pull over to take a quick pic of the sign. “You have now entered Kane.” Ahh… there’s nothing like having a town named after you. The grin slowly slides off my face as I remember a time when this town had a different name. Back then, I was happily leaving it. Although it’s nice to visit the bar, this city still holds a lot of crappy memories for me. Maybe one day I won’t remember them anymore.
My phone pings and pulls me out of my thoughts. I decide to check texts before continuing on my way. The newest is from my mother.
Mom: Please tell me you’ll at least stop by while you’re in town. We need to talk.
Delete.
The next is from Dave.
Dave: I’m here in the parking lot, waiting. What’s your ETA?
I text back.
Lucian: 5 minutes.
Then there’s one from Nadia. I don’t even bother to read it. I can already imagine what it says. I’ll deal with her soon enough.
I pull back onto the road and drive toward Miracles. The lot is packed. When I pull in, I see Jimmy outside the garage, waiting next to Dave.
The few times I’ve driven while in town, I learned the hard way that I needed a safe place to park. There’s always some asshole who comes to the bar to give me shit. It never fails. The last time I drove, “You Suck” was keyed into my driver’s side door. After that, I had the garage built with an alarm system to avoid insurance claims. I may be rich, but I don’t like paying for other people’s stupidity.