Page 6 of The Nice List

“Ugh! Blame it on Slade. He says old as shit stuff like that all the time.” Before I can comment on her being around the roughneck mechanic often enough to pick up his speech patterns, she points her finger at me. “Don’t change the subject. Are you sure about this girl, Cory? I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

I scoff. “I’m sure. You’ll get it when you meet her.”

She looks at the photo she printed to get all the details of my tattoo right—except the roses that I told her to freehand because they’re Livvy’s favorite flower. “You’re sure Ihaven’tmet her. She looks really familiar.”

“That’s because you’ve been staring at her picture all afternoon,” I hedge as I snatch the photo from her hand. “Which you don’t need to do anymore since all that’s left is the shading.”

She sits back, crossing her arms, and I know I’ve given myself away before she even speaks. “I’ll leave you with nothing but an outline if you don’t fess up right the fuck now. Who is she? She looks young…” Her voice trails off before a look of horror crosses her face. “Please tell me she’s not underage, Cory!”

“No!” I shout. “Of course she’s not underage. She’s a student at T.U.” When her response is a raised brow, I admit, “She’s eighteen. She’ll be a freshman this year.”

Maxine nods but offers no other response. She’s waiting me out, knowing that her silence will drag the truth from me. Her nod confirms that she doesn’t have an issue with Livvy’s age. She just wants more information before deciding if I’m in too deep.

Livvy isn’t the only one with a hovering big sister. The difference is, mine is worse since she practically raised me while our mom was jumping from man to man, trying to find one that would support her and two kids when our dad split.

When I somehow remain silent, she leans forward. “Why do I recognize her face if I’ve never met her?”

I sigh. “You don’t recognizeherface. She looks like her older sister…Alexis.”

“Alexis?” Her eyes widen when she realizes who I’m talking about. “The girl from Ball Busters?” When I nod, she throws her head back and laughs…and laughs…and laughs.

I cross my arms to wait out her hysterics, but the pull on my freshly inked skin has me dropping my arms. “You done?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Now your ringtone makes sense,” she says as she grabs her tattoo gun to switch the needles before pushing me back. She dips the tip in the black ink before hovering over my chest to shade my tattoo.

“That’s it? You don’t think I’m…wrong?” I ask.

Her eyes soften in a way they only do with me. “No, little bro. I don’t think you’re wrong. You and Alexis were never serious.” She lets out a little laugh just as the shading needle hits my skin. “But I bet she’s losing her shit over her little sister being with you.”

I chuckle—refusing to admit that Alexis doesn’t know that I’ve been talking to her little sister—as I lay my head back and relax as the endorphins kick in.

I thank my sister as she cleans up her workstation after applying my second skin tattoo cover. As soon as I’m outside, I call Zack to get his approval before doing what I have planned for my girl tonight.

“Christmas in July party?” he asks with a scoff. “Don’t we need to advertise something like that? There’s not much of a crowdduring the summer. Which is why I let you run the place while I’m on vacation. Don’t fuck up my bar, Cory.”

“Call it a test run for the few loyal summer customers. If they don’t like it, we won’t do it again. If they do, we can advertise next year to drum up more business.” I throw my leg over the seat of my bike, waiting for his reply.

As soon as he reluctantly agrees, I thank him before ending the call and heading to my apartment. Realizing that I can’t carry the boxes I have packed with Christmas decorations on my bike, I order an Uber. I tip the driver double to help me load the boxes before following him to the bar.

I spend the next two hours decorating the bar in what I hope is a perfect rendition of a sports bar’s Christmas party since Zack usually just throws up a tree in the corner with team ornaments during the actual Christmas season. I string multi-colored LED lights around the bar top and the sad Christmas tree in the corner. I place miniature pre-lit Christmas tree centerpieces on each table and on the bar in front of every fifth stool since that leaves more than enough room for customers without them being in the way. I hang mistletoe from the overhang over each one and in every doorway we have. Then, I head out back to decorate the patio the same way even though it’s not technically open to customers.

Once I’m happy with everything, I rush back to my apartment to shower—thankful for the second skin tattoo cover so I don’t have to worry about my new ink—and dress in my best black jeans and a new black t-shirt before heading back to open the bar at five.

Thankfully, the regular customers seem thrilled with the Christmas in July theme. I decided to play Christmas comedy movies instead of game reruns that we normally watch during the off season. They all laugh at Will Ferrell as he sings off-key while I look at the door every time the bell jingles when it opens.

When I look up to see a flash of pink as she steps through the door and freezes, it’s all I can do not to leap over the bar and rush toward her. I manage to keep myself behind the bar as she takes in the decorations. When her eyes finally meet mine, that brilliant smile overtakes her face and I preen as excitement that matches my own flashes in her eyes.

“Well, hey there,pretty girl.” I give her a wink when she steps up to the bar. “What can I get ya?”

I’m going for the same flirty nonchalance I had the first time I saw her in this very spot, but I can’t stop my smile from matching hers when that familiar blush spreads across her cheeks.She looks even better than I remember.

Livvy

I’m amazed that Cory pulled this off in the few hours since we talked earlier. Especially since he didn’t even know I would be in town.

“You really went for the whole Christmas in July thing, huh?” I let out a shaky giggle, trying my best to ignore the tremble in my hand as I lift my little clutch purse to lay it on the bar top next to the little Christmas tree.

Cory lays his hand on top of mine and squeezes it affectionately, putting my nerves to rest with his touch as he leans across the bar. “I told you it would be Christmas when we were in the same place again, no matter what the date on the calendar said.”

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