“Are you okay?” she asked quietly, reaching around him to rub his back lightly. “Do you need anything?”
“No, just...stay here,” he whispered back.
“You should eat something,” she told him. “I haven’t seen you eat all day; barely anything since breakfast on Sunday, actually.”
He shook his head. “Not hungry.”
Miriam seemed to let it go. “Your mom called again,” she informed him. “She wanted to know if she should drive back up, but I told her everything was under control here...I knew you wouldn’t want her and Carl to cancel their vacation.”
“Thanks,” he rasped, closing his eyes again. She reached up and stroked his hair, and he felt Kharma leap up onto the bed and curl up against his lower back, purring, making him glad he’d been aware enough earlier to change out of his suit and into sweats – a fur-covered blazer would not make him feel better.
“When do you think you’ll re-open the bar?” Miriam asked. He’d called everyone in for a meeting Sunday night to tell them in person about Charlie’s passing and that he would be taking ownership of the bar. He’d given everyone the week off – with pay – so they could attend the funeral and grieve as necessary. He’d assured them that everyone would still have a job, but he needed a few days to himself first.
“Maybe Sunday – the place can’t afford to stay closed longer than a week,” Jake replied, exhausted and unsure. “I don’t know what to do here, Miriam. I’m not Charlie. He made that place what it was and now he’s just...gone. I want to live up to his expectations, but I just don’t know how. I can keep the place running, sure, but…it doesn’t feel like enough.”
“What do you want to do?” she inquired.
“I guess I’d like to make some improvements – finally get a reliable wi-fi connection, put in a lounge area, maybe? Use Facebook to find out what changes other people would want to see...do some renovations, too.” He sighed. “It would take a lot of money that I don’t have. And I have no credit, good or bad, so I don’t know how I’d make it happen.”
“I bet Fink’s dad would co-sign a loan for you,” Miriam mused. “He loves you – you’re his favorite, you know. You could write him a proposal and set up a meeting with him.”
“You think so?” Jake asked skeptically. She sat up and nodded earnestly.
“I’m sure of it – you just have to impress him. I’ll help you!” She pulled out her phone, scrolling through her contacts until she found Ben Finkelstein’s office number. “Trust me,” she promised him, “we can do this.” She spoke briefly to Ben’s assistant, scheduling a meeting for four o’clock the next afternoon, before lying back down and burrowing into Jake’s chest. “Ugh, I know I should go get changed and sleep in my own bed, but you’re so warm and comfortable.”
“Stay here tonight,” Jake murmured into her hair, and it wasn’t really a question. “I don’t want to be alone, and you’re the only one I want to be around right now.”
“Okay,” she answered simply, and they fell asleep together, her dress getting wrinkled and covered in cat hair.
***
Ben Finkelstein had been more than impressed with Jake’s presentation. Rather than agree to co-sign a loan, he’d offered him a deal – he’d invest $20,000 himself if Jake agreed to put some of it towards an MBA, which he’d need to apply for as soon as possible before admissions for the next semester closed. Fink’s dad believed it would help Jake learn the business skills he’d need to succeed as the new owner of his own business. Naturally, Jake had reservations, but he took the deal anyway, thanking Ben profusely, and called another meeting that same night for all of his employees to get their ideas for improvements before turning to social media. By Saturday, the bar finally had its own wi-fi connection (much appreciated by the other businesses nearby, who had known Charlie was mooching off of their own connections for years but hadn’t had the heart to call him on it, sweet old man that he was), and Jake and Cameron had moved a few tables and chairs into storage to make room for a some couches, chairs, and coffee tables to create a new lounge area. The renovations would start soon, too – Jake wanted to update the bar’s look and general condition while still keeping the homey feel of the place.
In July, Jake received a late acceptance to the MBA program at UNT, and he took Miriam to Hannah’s for a celebratory dinner – just the two of them.
“I’m so proud of you,” she told him sincerely, beaming at him from across the table. “The bar is doing really well, and you’re starting grad school next month...Charlie would be proud of you, too.”
“Thanks.” He grinned at her. “I couldn’t have done any of it without you, though.” Miriam had put in a lot of time and effort throughout the summer, helping out at Mack’s in any way she could. She’d helped him book several local musicians (including his old band) for a live music event on Thursday and Friday nights and had put up flyers all over each of the area college campuses, as well as many apartment complexes and public bulletin boards all over town. She’d used her sweetness and charm to persuade many small business owners on the Square to post flyers in their establishments, as well – even some of the other bars and restaurants. “I also wanted to give you some more good news tonight; I was paying attention to what you said before graduation about songwriting, and I’ve been using what free time I have to write.” He took a deep breath. “I sent samples to a few different record companies, and there’s one in Dallas, actually, that wants to work with me and use my songs.”
“Oh, my god!” Miriam cried excitedly. “That’s amazing, Jake!”
“Yeah, I know,” he nodded happily. “I gotta say, I’m glad I didn’t take that internship with your uncle – now I can really focus on what makes me happy, which is songwriting and making Mack’s even more awesome than ever. But they wanted to hear some stuff they could use for female artists, too, so I was hoping…you might be interested in collaborating with me.”
“Of course!” She was ecstatic. “Anything I can do to help.” Miriam grinned. “I actually have some news, too...after careful consideration, I declined the assistant director job in Plano and agreed to take the position here in town instead.”
“Thank god,” he breathed a sigh of relief, “I’ve been on pins and needles waiting for you to pick which one you were going to take. I didn’t want to sway you either way, but I’d die if you left.”
Miriam’s cheeks were pink as he paid the bill and they left the restaurant to walk home. “Well, you know,” she shrugged. “I couldn’t just leave the people I love.”
“Yeah?” Jake grinned at her slyly.
“Damian and Fink are just too important to me,” she continued, wobbling a little on her high heels – since it was a special occasion, she’d worn the fancy death traps and a purple flowery dress, and he’d stepped up his game, too, in a nice pair of khakis and a blue dress shirt that matched her eyes well.
He caught her arm to keep her from falling, pulling her in close for a hug. “Hey,” he murmured into her neck, giving her goose bumps. “I love you, you know. I mean, it’s kind of obvious at this point, but I felt like it couldn’t hurt to say it anyway.”
Miriam sighed happily, leaning into him. “I love you, too.”
“Well, duh, of course you do,” he teased her, and finally kissed her, for the first time in so many months. They stood on the sidewalk on Mulberry Street, locked in an embrace, until someone honked a car horn at them and they broke apart, laughing.
“It feels so good to kiss you for real,” Jake marveled, tracing her cheekbone lightly with his fingertips, “and not be…pretending. Or, you know, drunk.”
Miriam’s eyes were bright as she grinned at him. “It was always real for me, every time,” she admitted softly.
“Yeah, me too.” He sighed contentedly before kissing her again. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Epilogue
“This is really the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever seen,” Miriam commented to Jake, fluffing the skir
t of her knee-length dress.
“I know,” he replied, sipping champagne next to her at the head table. “They really went all out.”
“Well, it is Fink and Libby,” Damian shrugged next to them, slipping an arm around Shannon. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”
“I’m just happy Libby asked me to be a bridesmaid,” Shannon remarked, pleased. “These dresses are gorgeous!”
“Of course, she asked you – you’re our friend, and Damian’s fiancé!” Miriam held her glass out and Jake obligingly poured her some more champagne as they watched Fink and Libby share their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Donald Finkelstein in the beautifully decorated ballroom at his parents’ home. “Plus, you’ve helped Libby stay in shape now that she’s stopped modeling and can actually eat real food on a regular basis. You’re pretty high on her list right now.”
“Look, Donny’s crying again,” Shoshanna announced from her end of the table – she and Shannon were both bridesmaids, and Miriam was the maid of honor. “He’s so happy that he’s actually leaking.”
The music changed, and Terrence stood up at Shoshanna’s side and spun her out onto the dance floor. “Come on,” Damian told Shannon as he started to lead her away. “Let’s go show up my baby brother and his girlfriend out there.”
Jake turned to Miriam. “Do you want to dance?” he asked her.
Miriam shook her head, her fuchsia satin dress shifting one way and then another. “These stilettos Libby picked out for us are killing my feet,” she confided. “I need a little bit more time to recover from the ceremony before I can do any dancing.”
It had been two years since their graduation. Jake was nearly done with his MBA now, and Mack’s was in better shape than ever. The improvements he’d made over time had brought in a lot more business, forcing him to promote Cameron to full-time day manager – his old job – and have Nick, his best bartender, take over Cameron’s assistant manager job for nights and weekends. He’d also had to hire more part-time staff – they were swamped these days. Miriam was getting ready to start her third year as an award-winning choir director – she’d been voted Teacher of the Year two years in a row, narrowly beating out Tucker himself for the title, and she worked hard with her choirs to earn top honors at the UIL contests every year – and they were still collaborating on Jake’s songs.
Fink and Libby had gotten back together again within three months of graduating, and the previous summer, on a group vacation to South Padre Island, he had proposed. They had just bought a new house in north Frisco that Fink claimed he was planning to “fill with beautiful coffee-colored babies.” He had moved up quickly at his dad’s company – not because of nepotism, but because he was good at his job. Libby’s designs were selling like hotcakes, and she’d quit modeling the year before to concentrate on designing full-time.
Damian had spent a year working full-time at the accounting firm where he’d interned throughout grad school to get more experience before branching out on his own. He’d picked up many clients in the last year, and his solo firm was very successful. He’d proposed to Shannon just a few months prior on their second anniversary. Not only had she said yes, but she’d given him a surprise, too – she was pregnant! They’d found a nice apartment on the northwest side of town and were getting married in a small ceremony in just a few weeks.
Only Miriam and Jake were left in the house now, still owned by Fink’s dad, who had made his way over to the head table as well, seeking them out. “Jake, can I see you for a moment?” he requested, and Jake kissed Miriam briefly before following Ben to a more remote corner of the room.
“I’ve reviewed your offer,” Ben informed him. “Truth be told, it was a little low – but I’ve decided to accept anyway.”
“That’s great!” Jake was thrilled. “This means so much, sir, you have no idea.”
Ben smiled and patted him on the back. “I think I have some idea, Jake – I felt a lot of pride making the deal on our first home. I have to ask, though – don’t you want to buy a nicer, newer house? The bar is obviously doing well; between that income and Miriam’s teaching salary, you could easily afford your dream home.”
“Nah,” Jake waved the idea off. “I met Miriam in that house – I fell in love with her in that house.” He grinned confidently. “That house is our dream home.”
“When are you thinking of popping the question?” Ben wanted to know. “I’ll throw the engagement party myself – and if Miriam wants to, you’d be welcome to have the wedding here.”
“Well, I got her dad’s blessing last weekend,” Jake replied, glancing around the immediate area to check for eavesdroppers, “and Libby helped me pick out the ring a few days ago, so now I’m just waiting for the right time. Our anniversary is next month, so maybe then. Not sure how I’m going to do it yet, but I definitely want to wait until you and I sign the paperwork on the house – I hope she won’t be upset that I’m buying the house and not telling her, but I really want it to be a surprise.”
“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am, son,” Ben patted Jake’s shoulder, his expression happy. “I wish I could tell you this was what I had in mind four years ago when I told my son to let his little sister’s old friend move in with all of you, but I’m just not that good.” He glanced back over at the head table. “I think your future wife is getting lonely over there, though. Enjoy your night, son – we’re all looking forward to the big announcement.” He shook Jake’s hand warmly before walking off to speak to more guests.
“That was a long conversation,” Miriam observed as Jake returned to her side. “Everything okay?”
“Yup – just guy stuff,” he replied, leaning in to kiss her. “Your feet feeling any better?”
“A little,” she answered. “I could go for that dance now.” He led her out onto the dance floor, encircling her in his arms. “Let me tell you, this maid-of-honor stuff is fantastic,” she told him dryly. “Especially the part where my dress is bright pink.” She sighed. “Libby’s dress is beautiful, though. You know, she designed it herself?”
“Yeah, it’s really pretty,” Jake agreed. “It’d look better on you, though.”
“Right,” Miriam snorted. “The fancy wedding dress would look better on me than on the gorgeous former model.” She glanced at him. “You, uh, interested in seeing me in a dress like that someday?”
“Yeah, someday,” he smiled at her with a wink.
“Hmm.” She squinted at him. “You don’t look half-bad in a tux. I think I could stand the sight of you in one of these again.”
“Well, do me a favor and be patient,” Jake told her, stroking her hair. “I can promise you that you’ll be rewarded if you can hold out just a little bit longer.”
“A little bit longer, huh?” Miriam’s eyes were shining brightly. “Yeah, I guess I can do that.”
As Jake leaned in again to kiss the woman he planned to marry, he considered that this might be what people meant when they talked about ‘happily ever after.’
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