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“Absolutely not,” Hayes tells me. “That knowledge does wonderful things for my ego.”
“I’m sure it does, but your ego is big enough. It really doesn’t need anything else.”
Marc chuckles as he watches us, then leans over the counter as Hayes goes back to what he was doing. “What are you looking at that shithole for?”
Hayes’s head drops and he groans. “Well, that rules out that place.”
Closing out of that tab, it only takes a glance at the next one to rule out that one also. There is nothing about boarded up windows with graffiti and a cemetery in the background that screamsbuy me.
“Care to fill me in?” Marc presses.
Hayes leans back in his seat. “Did my mom tell you that the drunk bastard kicked the bucket?”
Marc’s eyes widen for a moment, but he shakes it off as he snorts. “She told me he passed away, yes.”
“Well, I got some money out of it. Turns out, his gambling ended up being good for something after all,” he tells him. “Cam and I are going to open a bar with it.”
“A bar?” Marc looks intrigued. “What kind of bar? A biker bar? A speakeasy? What are we talking about here?”
Hayes shakes his head. “No, nothing like that. I can’t fully explain it, but I’ve had this picture in my head since I was younger, of this bar. Just a laidback beach bar. Nothing crazy, but a good place to go after a day of surfing or fishing.”
Marc nods as he follows along, but then his expression turns concerned. “Do you know what is entailed in all of that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Imeanyou can’t just buy a place and open up a bar,” he explains. “There are things you need to do. Steps you need to take. Have you been looking at places where opening a bar is allowed? Making sure it’s a decent distance away from any already existing bars and restaurants?”
Hayes’s brows furrow. “Yes? The realtor is briefed on all that. She’s taking care of it.”
“And what about zoning and planning? Permits? You’re not twenty-one yet. How would you secure a liquor license?”
Suddenly, it’s starting to feel like I’m in the middle of a firing zone. And judging by the way Hayes’s shoulders tense, he’s feeling it too.
“My birthday is like a month away,” he answers. “We wouldn’t be ready to open before that anyway. But why are you giving me the third degree?”
“Because if I’m going to help you with this, I want to be sure you know what you’re getting into,” Marc says. He turns to glance around the surf shop. “This place up to your standards, princess?”
Hayes isn’t even bothered by the nickname. “The surf shop?”
Marc’s head whips over to us. “You mean this isn’t a Chuck-E-Cheese? Yes, the surf shop, dipshit.”
As Hayes taps my leg, we both get up. He walks around to the other side of the counter and leans back against it, crossing his arms over his chest.
“It’s definitely big enough,” he acknowledges. “And the location couldn’t be better. But are you sure you want to close the shop?”
Marc pats Hayes on the shoulder. “Son, I’ve been playing with the idea of closing this one ever since we opened the new one over a year ago. The only reason I left it open was because of you.”
I’ve always heard about the bond these two have, and how Marc stepped up when Hayes’s dad walked out. There were rumors at one point that he was hooking up with Hayes’s mom, but nothing ever became of that. Standing here, though, and seeing how supportive he is of Hayes firsthand, it makes me glad that Hayes has someone like Marc in his life.
“How about this,” Marc says. “You think about it. Talk it over with Cam. Do whatever you have to do. And the three of us will get together Wednesday afternoon to discuss the details.”
Hayes nods. “All right. Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks, Marc.”
“I’ll see you then,” he tells him, then turns to me. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too,” I reply.
His eyes land on Hayes again and he nods toward me. “Close up early and take her out to dinner.”
