"It takes less effort than you think to look this good. One session with my personal shopper will change your life, Jens. Trust me on this."
Maybe the time had come. It wouldn't kill me to care about my appearance. Since Nolan had repeatedly offered to help me create a polished-more grown-up-look, I'd be an idiot to say no.
I toasted him with my beer bottle. "You know what? I'm in. Set up something this week."
Nolan's jaw might've hit his knee.
Ash laughed. "I didn't see that one coming. Apparently, neither did Nolan."
"Fuck off, Ash. Give me a moment to bask." Nolan leaned in. "You're not screwing with me?"
"No. I look like a bum most of the time. I don't know what kind of clothes I like because I've never thought about it. Annika's always helped me, but it's weird to ask her now that she's married." I shrugged. "Hiring a professional to help me is the smartest option. Especially if you trust him."
A moment of silence passed. Both my older cousins assessed me.
Finally Ash said, "Who's the woman?"
I blinked at him. "What?"
"Gotta be a woman you're trying to impress if you're willing to deal with Jacques, the personal shopper from hell."
"Sorry to disappoint, but it's not for a woman." Not entirely.
"Why now?"
"I'll be in the spotlight for the first time in over a year during training camp with interviews. I should take that part of the job seriously and look professional."
"Speaking of jobs . . . why didn't you ask either one of us for help at this LCCO summer camp?" Ash said.
"You even asked my jock brother-who's never progressed from drawing hockey stick figures-to lend a hand," Nolan said.
"Whoa. I didn't ask Jax. When he registered Mimi on Monday and saw Lucy, he informed me that he was sticking around. Last thing I need is him harassing her, so I told him the only way he could be on the premises was if he joined the staff as the janitor."
Nolan laughed. "Bet that went over well." He paused. "But I don't see you sporting a black eye for the suggestion."
"That's because Jaxson ‘Stonewall' Lund is the custodial engineer and number-one gopher-a little U of M humor there-for Camp Step-Up."
"Get out."
"It was his only option. I won't roll over for a fucking hockey player," I sneered, "even if he is my cousin. My LCCO project, my rules."
Silence.
Then Nolan pointed at the sliding glass door. "Is everyone hiding out there getting this on video?"
I looked at Ash and he shrugged. "What are you talking about, Nolan?"
"I'm being pranked, right? That's the only explanation for the bizarre things that have transpired in the last ten minutes."
"No prank. After I meet with your shopper I'll give you competition for the most stylishly dressed Lund. As far as Jax . . . fun fact. He wields a mop as well as a hockey stick." I smirked. "I dropped a urinal cake on the floor just to see if he'd take the shot."
Ash burst out laughing in a way I hadn't heard in a long time. "This is gonna be some fun tonight."
"You guys haven't told me where we're going." Nolan and Ash exchanged another look. I hated that secretive shit. "No strip clubs."
"It's not a strip club. It's a pub."
"No, it's a sports bar," Nolan said.
"Name a sports bar that has karaoke," Ash demanded.
"Guys. No offense, but no matter what you call it, it doesn't sound like a place I wanna go."
"Tough shit. We're going there because we own it."
After a beat of silence, I laughed. "Am I being pranked now?"
Nolan shook his head. "Short version. During Jax's drinking days, he invested in a bar with one of his puck bunnies. After he sobered up, he realized running a bar was no longer a retirement option. The partnership contract is a mess. But the bottom line is he can't sell his half. His partner can't sell hers. They're stuck, so Ash and I are acting partners on Jax's behalf. We're trying to establish a decent working relationship with Simone, the partner. There is potential to turn the bar into something unique and profitable; we just don't know what that is yet."
"This puck bunny . . . ?"
"Is no dumb bunny," Nolan said. "She's been running the bar as is, and it's her sole source of income. She sank all of her retirement funds into it. We've had the Lund legal team look into the contract and it's nothing like they've ever seen. She was just as much a victim as Jax."