Even the Score(20)
She responded within seconds.
S: Uh oh. Great morning already, huh?
The worst. I’ll fill you in over mint mojitos.
S: Sounds good. I’ll be ready at five thirty, just in case.
CHAPTER 7
Andy
The workweek came to a disappointing end with no new agent in sight. Most of the interviews Ellie had set up completely tanked, and while résumés were still trickling in, I had yet to see one with any real promise. Not only was I grumpy about the long, unproductive week, it was also Blaire’s weekend with Logan and Becca, and those two being gone just made everything a hundred times worse. I loved spending my weekends with my kids. I worked my ass off all week long, knowing that they would be there on Friday nights with open arms, popcorn, and a movie. Nothing was better at cleansing my work palate than goofing around with my kids . . . and for the next forty-eight hours, they’d be gone.
As I drove home from the office, praying I got there in time to at least say good-bye to them, my cell phone rang. I hit the button on my steering wheel.
“Shaw.”
“Andy, Andy, Bo Bandy, Banana Fanna, Fo Fandy—” Viper’s voice sang out.
“Holy hell,” I interrupted him. “I’ll pay you to never do that again.”
His loud, deep laugh filled the confines of my car.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Dude. It’s Friday. What are you up to?”
“I’m heading home from work and getting the kids off to Blaire’s.” Just saying the words out loud made my chest hurt.
“Perfect!” Viper rejoiced.
“Huh?”
“Justin Sutter’s in town this weekend! The Cubs are playing the Twins, and he’s coming by to check out the new bar. You should come!”
“No way. The kids are gone, I’m gonna stay home and catch up on some sleep.” I felt grumpy and not much like leaving the house. “Tell Justin I said hi, though.”
Viper sighed. “Did it hurt?”
I pulled my brows in tight. “Did what hurt?”
“When you grew a vagina?”
“Viper—”
“No, don’t Viper me, you pansy ass. Here—” There was some rustling around and low voices rumbling, and then Brody was on the phone.
“What the hell do you mean you want to sleep? You can sleep when you’re dead,” Brody argued. “Go home, kiss your kids good-bye, throw on some clothes, and drive the hell over here. You’ll thank me tomorrow, I promise.”
Viper was in the background, hurling all sorts of insults at me, and I knew that if I didn’t just go for at least an hour, they’d call me all night and harass me anyway. Besides, maybe the distraction of the bar would help keep my mind off the kids being gone. “Fine,” I sighed. “I’ll be there in a while.”
“You better be,” he warned. “Viper is pretty pumped about Justin coming over, so his adrenaline is off the charts tonight. He threatened that if you don’t show, he’ll make that skinny-dipping in Buckingham Fountain incident in Chicago look like a toddler swimming in a kiddie pool.”
I walked into The Penalty Box ready to get my hour over with and head home. I should’ve known better.
Brody and Viper’s bar was a sports fan’s ultimate wet dream. The walls were covered in framed jerseys, signed baseballs, game-winning hockey pucks, you name it . . . every sport and dozens of athletes were honored in that place. Twenty-seven TVs hung from all corners of the room, showing every sporting event that you could possibly imagine, except for when the Minnesota Wild were playing. When Brody and Viper were on the ice, every single TV in the place showed that game, no exceptions.
As I looked toward the bar through the sea of people, a loud cowbell rang out, and Viper’s head popped up over the crowd.
“Uh-oh! Look who’s here!” Viper called out from on top of the bar, shaking that obnoxious cowbell back and forth as he pointed at me.
Several people turned and stared as I lifted my hand in the air and waved quickly before bowing my head and making my way through the crowd.
“That has to be some kind of a health code violation,” I joked as he hopped down off the bar and shook my hand over the counter.
“Probably.” He shrugged. “But who gives a fuck?”
“What’s up with the sign out front?” I asked loudly as I walked around to the other side of the huge, U-shaped bar and took my spot on my usual stool.
A devilish grin spread across Viper’s face like wildfire. “You like that?”
“What did you do?” Brody asked as he walked up, raising at eyebrow at Viper.
“Nothing.” He grinned and shrugged again. “I just thought I’d spice up the new chalkboard, easel-looking thing Kacie bought for outside the front door.”