Page 9 of Saving Ren
“I heard that, you cheeky fuckers. I do not always talk about work. I only talk about work once we’ve finished bitching about Gabe, which tends to take most of the night.”
Cooper’s lanky six-foot-four frame appears in the doorway to his office. His space is bigger and separate from mine and Zac’s. Coop’s our architect and also deals with contracts, planning, and all the complicated shit for our construction company. After our dad retired and we took over the running of the family business, he complained he couldn’t focus when Zac and I were both in the office at the same time, so we sectioned him off and gave him his own space.
Daniella looks after our accounts and had taken over our dad’s office for the same reason.
“Come and have a beer with your big brothers tonight, we’ll look after you,” Coop says. “Then tomorrow morning, you can come and help me and Zac gently persuade Frank Carroll to pay the money he still owes us.”
As much as I like to make them think otherwise, I love my brothers. I love all of my family and like nothing better than spending time with them. Acting like it’s not one of my favourite things to do, I pretend to think about it for a minute, let out a long huff, and reply, “Yeah, okay, let’s do it.”
* * *
After going homefor a quick shower and a change of clothes, I meet Zac and Coop at a sports bar along the esplanade. We then call into a few different places, having a drink in each as we make our way to Drifters, a bar that usually attracts an older crowd and has good live music.
The place is packed, and it takes a while for us to get served. Once we do, we find a spot at the end of the bar and take a look around.
Most of the faces I recognise, some I give a chin lift, others I avoid making eye contact with, mostly the women. I’ve been single a long time, so there have been a lot of one-night stands, and a few of them are here tonight.
I wasn’t a relationship kind of bloke. It was never a conscious choice to remain single, I’d love to have what my brothers have. They’re both very happily married and do not mess around on their wives, but I’ve had shit happen in my past that has ruined any chance of that happening for me. I don’t find it easy to trust or allow anyone else in, and I’ve never met a woman I wanted to change all that for. My brothers are my best friends, their wives, my sister, and my daughter, the only women I can honestly say I’ve ever loved since the death of my mum. Casual hook ups have been my coping mechanism, and that’s worked fine until recently, when weekends like this, when I don’t have my daughter Ava around, make me realise just how lonely I am.
“Any of your harem in here tonight?” Coop asks as his eyes scan the room.
Turning around and resting my elbows against the top of the bar, I take a swig of my beer.
“Yeah, a couple. No one I’d like to take for a repeat run.”
“You okay, bro? I know you said you were down about Ava cancelling, but you seemreallydown. Is there something else going on?” Zac asks, genuine concern apparent in his voice as both my brothers turn and position themselves beside me.
“I dunno,” I admit, letting out a sigh. “I’m just fucking over it, ya know? Sick of the one and dones, over the drama queens who don’t even know me but think they want more. I want something, but I don’t know what.”
“Mate, when you meet that person, your person. . . whenthathappens, you’ll know, believe me. That first time you look at her, something will just click, and it’ll be like, ‘now that’s what I’m talking about,’ and that’s when you’ll be fucked,” Zac says.
Cooper nudges me. “It’s the best, the worst, and the most terrifying thing you’ll ever experience next to becoming a father.” I watch as he takes a chug from his beer bottle before turning to me and saying, “It sucks you didn’t have that with Lena, there’s nothing better than creating a new life with that person,yourperson.”
“I don’t think it’ll ever happen for me. My head and my heart have been too fucked up by my past.”
“No, they haven’t. You just think that because you still haven’t metthe one, when you do, nothing will stop ya. You won’t let anything get in the way,” Zac adds.
“You’ll have no say in the fucking matter, dude. It’ll be totally out of your control,” Coop adds with a chuckle.
My gut clenches, terrified that I might never get to experience all of that,terrified that I will.
“Right, enough of the brotherly advice. Your round, dude, I’ll have bourbon please, this beer is making me piss like a racehorse.” Cooper places his empty bottle on the bar before disappearing in the direction of the toilets.
Pulling my wallet from my back pocket, I remove my card. Resting my elbow on the bar top, my bank card between my fingers, I attempt to make eye contact with one of the staff.
“You sure that’s all that’s wrong?” Zac asks from beside me.
“I’m sure,” I say without looking at him.
“It’s not because of Lena and the new baby?”
“Absolutely, most definitely not. I’m glad she’s finally found what makes her happy. Maybe she’ll stop being such a bitch now.”
“I doubt that.” Zac laughs from beside me, just as the barmaid approaches.
I add a shot for each of us to the order, the barmaid pouring them at the same time Cooper arrives back.
“Jo Myer just walked in. My balls are never sure if they wanna explode or shrivel up and disappear when that woman’s around. If I weren’t a married man, I would so go there. If you ever tell Jess I said that, I’ll drown you in the fucking bay.”
