I accept the call. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself. You took off without saying good-bye. I thought I was coming back to your place.” There’s no accusation in his voice, just a hint of disappointment.

“You were busy with Tori, and I didn’t want to interrupt.”

He’s silent for a moment. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just tired after a long day.” It’s more of an omission than a lie.

“Is this you uninviting me over tonight?” And now there’s hurt to go with the disappointment.

I should give myself the night, especially with my mood, but I’m feeling selfish and needy. “Of course not, I always love having you in my bed. I’ll leave the door unlocked so you can let yourself in.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen.”

I’m still staring at the ceiling, no longer quite as exhausted as I was when I slid between the sheets. I know I’m going to be tired tomorrow as a result, but my brain is too busy to settle.

When the door to my bedroom creaks open I flick on the lamp beside my bed and whisper “Hi.”

“Hey, yourself.” I watch as Ronan strips down to his boxer briefs, warmth spreading through my limbs as any residual tiredness fades away, replaced with want. As soon as he joins me in bed, I pull his mouth to mine and lose myself in him.

Half an hour later I’m tucked into his side, my head resting on his shoulder, fingertips tracing the tree limbs that climb his shoulder and morph into birds taking flight. It’s a gorgeous, intricate tattoo.

“The band was great tonight,” I say softly.

“They were. I was impressed. How was the rest of comedy night?” He’d stopped in during the first act, when everyone was laughing their heads off.

“Started great, fizzled out at the end.”

“Oh no, I’m sorry, babe.” He presses his lips to my forehead and tips my chin up. “What happened?”

“The last act was a dud. I should have cut it at two when Betty canceled, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give someone new a chance. I think Tori being there unnerved the guy and he just kind of shit the bed.”

“Maybe it’s not as bad as you think.”

“It is. Or was. It’s okay. I’m glad your night went well, though.”

“Me, too, but I don’t like that yours didn’t.” His sincerity makes me feel conflicted. I want him to succeed, but I want my own success, as well.

“It would’ve been nice to make a better impression on Tori. I could really use some positive press and more customers.”

“Your place was packed tonight.”

“It was, but you know how quiet it’s been when we don’t have cohosted events. I don’t want to cut Callie’s hours more, but if things keep going this way, I might have to.”

His brow furrows. “It’s that bad?”

I backtrack, not wanting to rain on his parade with my dark cloud. “I’m just being preemptive. I can’t afford to go too far into the red, so I have to cut costs where I can.” Not to mention I’ve been pulling out all the stops in anticipation of Tori, and that means spending more than I probably should have.

He’s quiet for a few moments. “I have an idea.”

“I’m all for one of your ideas because I’m fresh out.”

“Why don’t we have a street event?”

I adjust my position so I can see his face better. “How do you mean?”

“So when we cohost events both of our businesses see higher returns, right?”

“Definitely.”

“What if we apply the same principle to all the restaurants and shops on the street? We could involve everyone and have a big weekend event with a focus on small businesses. We could plan it for Valentine’s.”

I perk up at the idea. “Like a Love Is in the Air event?”

“Exactly. It could be good for all of us, and a nice middle finger to Dick and Bobby’s for screwing it up for the rest of us.”

“I love this! And Valentine’s is pretty much my favorite!”

“Why am I not surprised?” Ronan tucks my hair behind my ear, smiling wryly. “We can start canvassing tomorrow and see what kind of interest we have. I’m sure we’re not the only ones who’ve been impacted by D&B, and there’s no way in hell I’m going to let them steal your dream from you.”

My heart stutters, and my worries take a back seat, at least for tonight, because I know we’re in this together. Or at least I hope so.

chapter nineteen

Best Bar Award Goes To…

Blaire

It turns out that every single small business on the street is interested in being part of the event. The bars and restaurants are feeling the effects of D&B and everyone agrees that the cross-promotion certainly can’t hurt.

Ronan sets up a meeting at The Knight Cap, where we come up with a weekend-long themed event that will take place in the middle of February, piggybacking on Valentine’s Day celebrations. I’m grateful that Renata, my new baker, has managed to slide into the role fairly seamlessly. Sure, there have been a few hiccups, but she’s got great vision and is a master baker, so I can be assured she’ll be able to handle the demands that are coming our way.

Daphne came up with an idea to set up a photo booth outside of Buttercream and Booze to showcase the event. Ever since the bachelorette party she’s been getting loads of bookings for weddings, engagement parties, and birthdays. Since Valentine’s Day thrives on romance and couples, it’s a great way for her to get more visibility and meet some potential new clients.

It definitely doesn’t hurt that the local newspapers and TV stations have picked up on the event, which helps us spread the word. Business has picked up again—not like it was before D&B came in, but at least I’m not quite as worried about having to cut more of Callie’s hours. For now.

A few days before the Love Is in the Air event, my phone chimes with an alert about a new video from Tori’s YouTube channel. Over the past few weeks she’s made her way through the top ten bars, narrowing it down to five. I watched the one she put up the day after she visited B&B and The Knight Cap. She was kind enough to edit her video to highlight the few funny moments from the final comedian—there weren’t many—and focused more on the fun, fresh vibe, the themed drinks and cupcakes, and my eclectic sense of style that was reflected in the ambiance of the café.