"I think you are just who I need!" Jeff said shaking my hand. "When can you start?"

Jeff is a kind, fatherly looking man. At least he is kind, so far, to me. Other bar owners, when they saw I have no recent experience, offered me a free beverage to thank me for coming in and excused themselves.

"I can start this weekend?"

I walked into the Aqua Oyster with no bartending experience what-so-ever, so I'm surprised Jeff gave me the time of day, let alone hired me. I am jumping for joy inside but trying to stay calm on the outside. I don't want him to rescind his offer.

"Perfect!" Jeff's eyes are sparkling, his cheeks are rosy, and his size reminds me of a young Santa Claus. "Let me show you around."

We walked around the back to the small kitchen and Jeff introduced to the cook, Andy, who is on duty.

"Nice to have you on board." Andy flipped some burgers on the griddle. "It's nice that Jeff finally hired someone who isn't a regular."

"Alright. Get back to work." Jeff snarled, but his eyes are still sparkling.

We went into the office to fill out some paperwork. "So, you were living down on St. John?"

"Yes, and I decided to come back." I sign the last piece of documentation. I'm glad I didn't close the checking account I had opened before I left for the island. It is one less detail I need to worry about and my paycheck will be direct deposited.

"Well, their loss is my gain." Taking the stack of paperwork and putting it in a file.

Jeff was talking and talking about plans he had to boost his business. Some of the things he mentioned sounded fun, but even to an outsider like me, others sounded like a waste of his money. "Why don't you come in at noon on Friday?" Standing up to walk me out, "That way you can learn where everything is before you start your shift."

"Works for me!" I shake Jeff's hand even though I want to give him a hug. "Thank you so much! Looking forward to working here."

I have a job! I Can't wait to tell Suzanne and Sarah!

Once in my car I text them in a group chat:

I did it! I have a job!

No one immediately responds.

I flick to my messages with Jack and start to type out the same message, but before I hit Send, I reconsider.

He would really be excited, but he would also be sad that I'm not on the island with him anymore. That I'm not with him anymore. I better not.

I'm so excited when I pull out of the lot that I almost forget where I'm headed. It like I'm on autopilot and instead turning left to go to Suzanne's carriage house, I turn right as though I'm headed to Kennebunk. I don't even catch myself until I am go through the tollbooth on the turnpike. What am I doing?

Finally, when I make it back to Suzanne's, I knock on her door and when she doesn't answer, I let myself in.

"Suzanne?" Where could she be.

"Hold on!" She screams from upstairs.

"I'll wait right here."

Suzanne walks into the kitchen, hair messed up and still in her bed clothes.

"Suzanne? Are you alright?" My fingers find my starfish pendant and start twirling it between my thumb and index finger.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She yawns and she walks over to the coffee maker and picks up the empty pot, sighs, and puts it back down.

"Are you sure? It's 3 in the afternoon. Were you sleeping?"

"I didn't get to sleep until 7 this morning."

"Why? What happened?" Now I'm getting really concerned. She is not her normal bouncy-self with perfect hair wearing a perfect outfit.

"Nothing, I was up helping Henry get something done."

"Is Henry back in town?"

"Oh no, no." Suzanne yawns again and fills the coffeemaker with coffee and water then switches it on to brew. "He is in Italy looking for a new chef for his new restaurant on Beacon Hill in Boston."

I definitely think something more is going on with her. She is always in a good mood.

"Really?" I didn't know she was involved with his business.

"Yes Isa, I try to help out when I can." She sounds annoyed with my questions. She picks up a large envelope off the counter and tucks it out of sight into a drawer.

"Well, I have some great news." My eyes not straying from the drawer she just closed.
"I got a bartending job at the Aqua Oyster over on Preble Street, you know, across from the water." I'm over the top excited!

Suzanne leans against the counter and looks exhausted. "Isn't that a dive bar?"

"I like dive bars. Look where Sarah works?" And I like ways to pay my bills. "Jeff said it will be good for business to get some new blood in there."

"Jeff is your boss?" Suzanne gets out some mugs.

"But he is so nice!"

"Everyone has a history." Suzanne cautions me.

"What?" Oh no, here it comes. The first job offer is from a serial killer or something.

"He is a nice guy, but he has had a lot of trouble with women." Suzanne continues. "I know he used to hit on women at his bar. He was sued for sexual harassment. That was when his business started tanking."

I can't see Jeff mistreating anyone. He was really nice to me. But I have been wrong before. I've been very wrong.

"He's my boss and I'm not a patron." I can see it in her face that she is still distracted and half-hearing the excuses I am making for my new employer. "I figure I can learn some of the drinks from the island. Maybe people will like the Caribbean thing?"

Her tired and grumpy face went away and I see happy Suzanne emerging. "Just be careful" Suzanne then asked. "Do you know anything about tending a bar?"

"I told Jeff I didn't, and he still hired me." Shrugging my shoulders. "He is wants to train me. I told him I'm learn fast."

She comes over and hugs me. "That's great!" The Suzanne I know is back. "You should let Sarah know, I'm sure she can help you."

"I texted both of you." Lifting my phone to see if Sarah got back to me, and she did.
Yay! And I mean Yay!

Smiling, I text her back

I'm going to need all the help I can get!

Sarah quickly responded

You'll do great! But I will be on standby if you need me! YAY!

It's been a very long time since I've had someplace to be, even if it is a dive bar in South Portland, Maine. I have a job.

I want to ask her what is in the envelope? I want to make sure she is okay.

I know how lonely it feels when you face something alone and I want her to know she is not alone.

***

"Twelve o'clock on the button! I can't remember when someone showed up here on time." Jeff's rosy cheeks welcomes me. I look for any signs of Suzanne's warning but there are none.

"Hi Jeff!" I follow him behind the bar. He shows me how to use the cash register and how to enter a food order in so the kitchen will make it.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you because you seem to always smile." Jeff reminds me. "Customers like smiling bartenders."

I have felt so happy since Jeff told me I have the job. My cheeks have been getting a workout from smiling so much that they ache. It's been weeks since I left Jack and the island, the last time my cheeks got the smile workout.

"Alright, I'm going to open the door to let customers in and I'll be out back doing paperwork if you need me." Jeff turned to walk out back. "It's all yours, Isa."

All the different kinds of liquors and beers; I don't know if I will ever remember all of them." I pick up the bottle of Black Velvet and remember Ben reeking like it coming home after not seeing him for three or four days. I hate this stuff! I hope no one orders it.

From out back, Jeff turns music on. A familiar upbeat tune with beachy vibes and it brings me back to Saint John. The song starts in, I'm immediately aware who is singing. Of course it's one of Jack's many hits, "Pickup Trucks and Palm Trees." I don't know all of Jack's songs, The good thing is they average about two and a half minutes. The bad thing, he has a lot of songs.

The door opened and my very first customer walks in. He is older, maybe in his sixties.

"Hi!" I greet him as he takes the seat at the end of the bar.

He grumbles something but I could not understand what he said.

I walk over and stand in front of him, smiling. "What can I get for you?"

"Who are you?" His motor oil-stained blue work shirt. 'Jerry 'embroidered on a patch over his left pocket.

"Isa. I just started." I am as hospitable as I can be to my first customer.
"What can I get you to drink? Gerry?.

Gerry looks down at his name on his shirt and shorts.

"Vodka -Soda no fruit." Gerry grumbles. "Short glass."

Quickly, I grab a short glass, fill with ice and pour the well vodka in as I count to five like Sarah told me. Then top it off with soda water from the soda gun. "Would you like to see a menu?" I set his drink down on a napkin in front of him.

"No." Jerry growl then softens a little, "Thank you."

Two men come in, I would say about my age, maybe a little older, and sat down at the bar.

"Hi! What can I get for you?"

"Hi. Jeff just hire you?" One said. "I'll take a rum and Coke."

"Where are you from?" The younger of the two asks.

"Yes, today is my first day." I keep my smile. "I'm from Kennebunk originally, But, was living down in the Caribbean for a little bit."

"Really? The second "Make me a Caribbean drink."

I'm unsure what to do. "Alright."

I stall for time, looking around the backbar and paying closer attention to the names on the bottles. On the shelf to levels above the Black Velvet, a swashbuckling face leers out at me. Captain Morgan! He's Caribbean, right? Grabbing that bottle, I pour a five-count into a fancy glass, then replace it on the shelf. What's next? Something fruity?

I poke around, finally finding a dusty bottle of banana liqueur. Banana and rum? There are worse combinations. And I bet these men have never spent a day in their lives away from South Portland, let alone visited a Caribbean island. How will they know any different?

Mayday! I need some help! What is a good Caribbean drink to make.

Sarah texts right back.

Rum Runner

3 count Light Rum
3 count Dark Rum
2 count Banana Liqueur
1 count Blackberry Liqueur

1 oz Pineapple juice

Put the shaker glass over the glass you are pouring in and Shake it up really good. You like them!

Splash of Grenadine

Cherries/Oranges/Pineapples for garnish or whatever you have

Send me a picture when you're done

The bottle of the banana liqueur is dusty and unopened. Guess no one uses this.

This is complicated but I will give it a try.

Looking around for the rest of the ingredients, I just have the Captain
Morgan, no dark rum. I'll just double up on the light rum. Blackberry liqueur I type into the search on my phone. There is a picture of a bottle that looks crown gold purple with fancy gold trimmings with a second crown for a cap. Looks expensive. Chambord I repeat as I look up on the shelf. Sitting high, I found it, the crowns.
I mix the ingredients together, but before I serve it, I take a picture if it and send it off to Sarah.
Sarah: You forgot the garnish. But looks good.
Shoot! In my opinion, the garnish is the best part! Oh well, I don't think he really cares. I doubt he is here for fruity garnishes. Besides he won't know it's supposed to come with fruit. I serve it with a smile and hope he likes it. I just made my first real drink, ever.
"Looks good!" The younger one says, and takes a sip. "This isn't bad!"
I breathe out, relieved he likes my concoction. I might be able to do this job after all.

#

"Suzanne! That is too much!" I can't believe she is offering me her carriage house to live in. That is a lot to give.
"Isa, There are hardly any apartments for rent and the ones that are available are crazy-expensive. Especially two to three bedroom apartments" Suzanne shows me her phone open to the Rentals section of the online Press Herald to show me the lack of inventory. "And, you would need to sign a year's lease. Who knows where you will end up in a year?"
"True. I don't know where I will be or what I'll be doing." Very good points, Suzanne.
"Besides, I talked to Henry about it. We didn't want to rent out the carriage house because he didn't want me to have to deal with tenants while he's not here. But he doesn't want me to be by myself." She walks toward the front door. "If you stayed in the carriage house, I won't be alone when he isn't here and I won't have to deal with strangers renting from us." She opens the door and walks out. I follow. "Come on. Let me show it to you before you say no again."
Following Suzanne across the drive to the carriage house, I look over to the Ark across the street. Too bad I don't know how to paint. I could channel my inner Homer if I were to live here.
The carriage house is closer to the water than the main house. The first floor is a three car garage with an extra bay for storage. I follow Suzanne up the stairs to the apartment.
"It's only a two bedroom, it's partially furnished. The electric isn't separated from ours, so you don't have to worry about setting up an account." She shows me the kitchen and the bathrooms. This is perfect.
While I'm walking around, checking out the carriage house, my fingers start playing with my starfish pendant, twirling it between my thumb and index finger. "You really don't mind me staying here?"
"I want you to stay here." Suzanne insists. "We can have coffee together in the morning, We can gave dinner together at night." I guess I didn't realize how lonely she really is. "When you have your baby, I can help you. We can set up a nursery in here." We walk into the smaller of the bedrooms. "Simon will feel much better about not being around if you were right next door."
I walk around, She's right. This would be the perfect situation for everyone, my baby included.
"Suzanne, Thank you! Thank you for everything!" I really can't believe how much she is doing for me. Tears start to roll down my cheeks.
"Does that mean you'll move in?"
"This is perfect."
"This way you'll have your own 'apartment.' You'll look better than Ben who lives with his parents when it comes to your custody case." Suzanne smiles. "Besides, it gets lonely here and it's a great way to keep my best friend nearby.
I can't believe she is moving me into her carriage house. Suzanne is very generous. She's right. Having my own place will look good in the States eyes when it comes to custody of the boys and it will give me a nice place to bring my baby home to.
"We'll be neighbors!" I say, embracing my friend. "Thank you!"
"What do you think about Jack retiring?" The article Suzanne sent spelled it out. Jack must have had his talk with his team in Nashville. It sounds like he is doing more than "scaling it down." He is retiring. A show here and there sounds more like a hobby than a full out career
"I think the new song he released is about us." I let go of Suzanne and walk over and look out the window and watch the waves crash at the rocks.
"I don't doubt it." Suzanne stands next to me and looks out the window too. "He had it pretty bad for you. You know?"
"Yah." Agreeing with her with an unenthusiastic tone. Although I'm not a thousand percent convinced he had it hard, I know I had it pretty hard for him, and I still do.
I want to tell Suzanne about how creepy Jeff is. She was right. I wonder how she knows about him?