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‘Why?’ Jack asked, swilling the last dregs of his beer around the bottom of the bottle.
‘I’m hosting a Valentine’s night. There’ll be an auction to win a date, and my friend Penny is going to help with cocktails.’
Bill slammed his glass down onto the counter, making me jump. ‘Your grandfather would be disgusted.’
A huge lump formed in my throat, threatening to make me cry. ‘My grandfather was always proud of me. He wanted me to take over this bar.’
‘He didn’t want you to tart it up and sell it to the highest bidder, though, did he?’
‘Jeez, Bill. Leave her alone. Rusty wouldn’t have wanted you harassing her. She’s right. He’s not here. And if he were, he’d have been thrilled to have her at the helm. No matter how long she stays.’ Jack faced me and gave me a soft look. ‘He never stopped talking about you and your life in London. Rusty would show me printed versions of every picture you sent him. Don’t regret your time away. He wanted you to see the world. In all his years, he never left Coal’s.’
‘Thank you,’ I said as he finished his beer and stood up, giving me one of those knowing old man nods.
‘C’mon Bill, let’s see if Betsy has any pie left at the diner.’
Not even ten minutes later, while I used a screwdriver to coax a paint tin open, Penny appeared at the door. Poking her head in, she grinned.
‘I have four guys for your auction, and they are all fit as fuck.’
‘Four? That’s amazing! Thank you. I’ve got one guy signed up, too. Do you think anyone will come? Not sure my regulars will be the target audience for bidding on hot guys.’ I offered her a drink, but she shook her head.
‘It’s fine. I took the liberty—and please don’t be mad—to set up an event on my socials. I invited pretty much everyone I know over twenty-one.’
‘You did?’ She’d had no benefit to helping me, and I couldn’t believe she’d been so generous with her time.
‘I did. And it’s gone nuts! Look.’ Penny held out her phone, and I scrolled through the event page. People were excitedly messaging and tagging each other in it. A flicker of hope built in my chest. One really fantastic night could clear the debts, and then I could sell up and go home.
But London was feeling less like home by the day. Outside my daily habits there, its sparkle was dimming.
‘This is amazing. Thank you so much, Penny. I can’t believe you did all this.’
‘Anything for a chance at getting to date Danny Eldman. Do you remember him?’ Penny sighed wistfully.
‘Yes, Danny was the yearbook photographer, right?’
‘That’s the one. He grew up to be fine with a capital F. I’d love a chance for a few hours of his undivided attention.’
‘Has he signed up?’
Penny grinned. ‘You bet he has. What about you? Will you be bidding?’
‘I’m struggling to afford to keep the lights on. I can’t. Even if there was someone there to bid on.’ Like Amor.
‘Oh, sweetie, things are going to get way better after the auction. People will be talking about Rusty’s for weeks. So sorry, but I need to run. I set the admission fee to ten dollars each. Is that okay?’ Penny slid over a printout with some details as I gaped at her.
‘People will pay just to come in?’ To Rusty’s? No way.
‘They get a free cocktail, but we can make them as cheap as you like.’
Maybe things were looking up.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
AMOR
The bar was quiet, and the door locked when I arrived for the evening. Clutching the paper bag I’d carried with me, I banged on the door.
‘Hello? Eva?’
