“Why the hell you layin’ on the floor like a two year old? Shit, are you drunk already? It’s barely noon asswipe.” His voice raising with anger.
Dylan may be five years younger than me but these days he was just as big as I was with a go-to-hell attitude and a no filter mouth. The kid was badass, even if he was my little brother. He had been by my side since Jenna walked away from me. He had sat and listened to me night after night. He had watched me go through woman after woman. He had watched me drink my weight in alcohol. He was a pain in the ass but I was thankful my brother had been around.
Keeping my eyes shut I tilted my head in the direction I heard Dylan’s voice coming from. “Chill. I’m just thinking,” I said.
“About…” Dylan trailed off.
“The bar.” I opened my eyes and sat up, leaning back on my arms.
I could see Dylan visibly relax as he took a few steps toward me. “This place is pretty kickass. I’m proud of you.”
My brother has told me a lot and said many things to me but he has never told me he was proud.
“Thanks, man,” I said, a little shocked.
Dylan grabbed two chairs from a table off to the side of the dance floor and brought them to where I was sitting on the floor. “Get your ass up and sit in a damn chair.”
Using the chair, I pushed myself off the floor and fell back into the cheap wooden chair.
“I know you have always wanted to own this place and play in the NFL. You worked your ass off and you are the top quarterback in the league. Now you can add business owner on top of that. Pretty damn good for only being twenty three.”
Shrugging I said, “I guess. It would be better if I had someone to share it with. This being alone shit is for the birds.”
“Man, she’s gone. She’s happy. When will you realize that? Sitting around being depressed and feeling sorry for yourself is doing nothing.” My brother slapped my shoulder and continued, “If I was in your shoes I would be living it up and embracing the lifestyle you have. You’re only twenty three and sitting on top of the world. It’s not your time to settle down and be a family man yet. Maybe in ten years but not now. One day you will find that girl that will make you realize Jenna wasn’t –holding his hands up he air quoted- “the one” you thought she was. There is a girl out there for you, relax. You have plenty of time to find her. Until then have fun trying them out.” Dylan stood from his chair and shoved it back across the floor before walking out the door.
I wish I could believe him. I wish he was right. But, he wasn’t. There wasn’t another girl out there for me. Jenna was the one, my only. No other girl could ever compare to her. Why even try? My life had become one night after another of drinking too much and waking up to another girl I wouldn’t remember the following night.
“You’re really going to paint the walls dark grey? Won’t that make it dark in here?” My mom asked, her face scrunched up.
Exhaling loudly, I said, “Yes, mom. But, you will see very little of the wall.” I held up a round blue light and placed it on the wall. “These will be coming down the wall. I have blue and green lights and these moss ball looking things to put sporadically on the wall. Don’t worry mom. It will look good. Jenna and I have had this planned out since we were twelve.”
Pursing her lips my mom slowly nodded. “If you say so. It sounds like it’s going to be a hot mess. Maybe you should take some advice from your mom. You and Jenna were just little kids when you had all these plans. Maybe you should change it up. You need to stop letting her have so much control.”
Speaking through clenched teeth I said in staccato, “Mom. I’m. Doing. This. Not. You.” Grabbing the dark grey paint I walked to the opposite wall. “This has been the plan for over ten years and that’s how it will be.”
Tapping her stiletto covered foot my mom huffed. “Fine then. Do what you want, this is your place. But, when it comes out looking ridiculous don’t come asking me for help.”
My mom and I had never had a great relationship and I didn’t expect her to love this idea but she could at least respect it. “Don’t worry. I won’t ask for anything. And you’re right this is my place. Key word being, my. I will do what I want and if you don’t like it then don’t come. This is something I planned out with someone I love and I plan on carrying that out. I want her to walk in here and see that I never forgot what we planned. So, if you would excuse me I have painting to do.”
Yanking her purse off the chair she turned and stomped away. “I wish you the best on this place, I really do. But, Gage, I think you’re doing it for all the wrong reasons. It won’t make her come back to you.” My mom pushed the door open and walked out.
I wasn’t doing this for the wrong reasons. I was doing this because it had been my dream since I was little. I knew I wouldn’t get Jenna back. She told me herself she didn’t love me like I love her. Maybe one day, eventually I would accept that. Until then I would throw myself into my bar and football.
I spent all day painting all the walls grey. When I was just about finished Dylan came walking in.
Grabbing a paint brush he asked, “Need some help?”
Shaking my head I said, “Nah. Almost finished. What do you think?”
Dylan stepped back, looking around he said, “It’s dark but I like it. You’re still putting those light on the wall, right? I think that will look badass. Especially when you add in those moss ball do-dads.”
Pointing to the boxes stacked in the corner I said, “Yep. Just have to paint the ceiling silver then I can hang the lights on the walls. I found the hanging glass beads for the ceiling. Once I replace the normal lights with the light blue once it will look like water is hanging from the ceiling.”
“Your ideas sound crazy but I think I like them.” Dylan dropped his paint brush on a chair and grabbed the silver paint. “Got a ladder here or should I just use a chair?”
“In the kitchen.”
We spent the night in comfortable silence painting. It was nice having my brother by my side. For the first time in a long time I didn’t feel so alone.
“So you’re putting saltwater aquariums on the floor. How does that work? Doesn’t that require a filter?” Dylan stood staring at the large rectangular glass aquarium on the floor.
“It will all be under the floor. Since the building is on stilts I can do a lot more with very little demo needed. I always wanted aquariums in the wall but then I thought of this idea. They would serve more than one purpose. Great conversation starter, could be used as a table, and easy decoration.”
The place was coming together. The walls were painted with the lights and moss on them. The ceiling was silver and the small glass beads were hanging from it. Dylan and I had the light gray leather benches in place and screwed down. We had spent the morning putting the metallic tiles on the wall and setting up the tall bar tables.
With only one week left before opening night I was feeling the stress. I still had so much to do. I never expected Dylan to step in and help me like he has.
Shrugging Dylan said, “It will be unique. Never seen an aquarium on the floor before.”
“I want this place to feel like an ocean oasis. I had to have fish, somehow. After we get these all setup I have a guy from Saltwater Sandy’s coming out to get the water and fish setup. He said after he got everything going it would be simple to take care of.”
Dylan was starting to bend over when he suddenly stood straight and said, “Shit! What about the staff? You have been so busy getting the place ready you forgot about hiring people.”
I tried to hide my laugh when I said, “Got it covered. I hired a manager right after I got back from New York. She has been filling positions the past few weeks. I met with her the other day and all that’s left is two bartending positions. She said she had a few applications to look at and would hopefully have those spots filled by this weekend. Don’t worry little brother, I have thought of everything.”
Dylan laughed. “You really are superman, aren’t you?”
“Not quite. Now let’s get this finished. We still have a lot to do. Including naming this place.”
Smirking, he said, “Well…I have been thinking about that. What do you think about Wet Spot?”
