Learn From Cigarette Burns

My cousin sighed softly as she examined me with her piercing stare, as if determining whether or not I was being completely honest with her. When she finally decided, she let out another quiet sigh and then slowly a smile pulled across her lips.

“You’re really serious about this?” She questioned. “You want to open up a bar?”

“Yeah,” I replied, “I’m sick of the place I’m working at right now. Everyone who works there are fucking bitches.” I growled. “If I don’t get out of there soon I’m gonna beat the shit out of someone and get fired.”

“Well … I mean … it’s takes a lot of work to run a bar. You have to go through all the qualifications, specifications, make sure you don’t violate any heath laws and what not.” Jennifer said. “But before all that you have an actual place.” After this my cousin paused, giving me a sudden knowing look.

“I’ve found a place on the other side of town, sort of by Jared’s apartment complex. It has a relatively large stage for bands and stuff. At least, larger than most stages in a bar.” I replied.

“You’re going to talk to Johno about it, you know, for like money and stuff?” Jennifer questioned. “Or are you going to talk to uncle about it?”

“I was planning on talking to my dad about the money part of it. I don’t want to bug Johno about money. I mean,” I paused, looking for the right words, “I don’t know. I still feel weird about asking money from anybody, you know?”

Jennifer tilted her head back, letting out a loud laugh that she was notorious for. “Babe, get used to it. You and that O’Callaghan boy are married. You’ll be sharing one another’s money for the rest of your lives.”

“I know, I know, but … I don’t know.” I sighed. “The point is that I’m going to ask my dad for some money for the down payment and stuff. He knows more about property sales than I do.”

“So if you do open up this bar, I get a job there, right?” Jennifer grinned.

I rolled my eyes as I suppressed a smile. “Of course,” I replied, “that’s why I told you about my plans in the first place, silly. I was going to ask you if you wanted to be a bartender.”

“A bartender?” Jennifer repeated. “I don’t have a license though.”

“You can get it in one week, or two weekends, or two weeks … however you want to do it.” I mumbled, somewhat distracted by the sound of several distinct thuds making their way down the stairs. “Anyway, think about it,” I said, “and let me know if you’re interested. Can you keep an eye on the kids? I’m gonna help John with his things.” Without waiting for a reply from my cousin, I got up and made my way from the den and into the living room.

Standing beside the couch was my husband as he went through the cell phone in his hand. Hearing my footsteps approach, he looked up and then gave me a soft smile. “Hey sweetheart,” he said quietly, who’s that I heard you talking to in the den?”

“Jennifer.” I replied. “She agreed to watch the kids while we go out to dinner.”

“I thought David was going to come over after work?” John asked curiously.

“Well, it’s his first day today, babe. I imagine he’ll be too tired to watch the twins and Patch. We’re lucky that Jennifer even agreed to watch them. Those three are a handful.”

“Yeah,” John agreed, “they do get pretty rowdy when they’re all worked up.”

I smiled as I reached over and punched my husband’s side playfully. “You’re usually the one that gets them all worked up and then you disappear into the bedroom so that you don’t have to deal with the aftermath.”

John giggled cutely before he reached over and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. “So … you remembered to call and get those dinner reservations for 6 o’clock, right?”

“Of course,” I replied, “I’m no slacker like some people I know when it comes to making reservations.”

John laughed once again and then leaned over, kissing my cheek softly. After that, he rested his head on top of mine and then sighed quietly to himself. “I have a couple more bags upstairs that I have to grab before we head out, okay?”

“Alright,” I replied, “I’ll be in the car,” I told him. “Make sure you say goodbye to your kids before you head out, okay?”

“I will.” He promised before he released me and heading back up the stairs.

I went back into the den to inform Jennifer that I was leaving. On the way back out, I grabbed my purse and cell phone, and then took hold of John’s luggage, towing it outside. It took me a couple of minutes to maneuver the luggage into the trunk and by the time I was done, John emerged from the front door with two bags slung over his shoulders and a sad look on his face. I couldn’t help but frown slightly as he approached.

“What’s wrong babe?” I asked.

“Penny started crying when I told her goodbye, almost like she already knew it was going to be a while before I saw her again.” He said quietly.

“Maybe when you boys roll through Arizona we’ll drive out and see y’all.” I said.

“How about instead of maybe, you promise me that you will?”

I smirked softly and bumped my hip into his. “Promise,” I said, “now hurry up, let’s get to our dinner reservation before they give our table away.”

John muttered a few words under his breath as he shoved his bags into the trunk, leaving me to climb into the passenger’s seat. John joined me shortly afterwards, and we set off to our destination in without a single word to each other. Instead, we listened to the soft sounds of the music pouring gently from the speakers, and to the sound of the wind blowing in from the open windows.

A few minutes from the restaurant, he reached over, taking my hand in his.

“What were you talking to Jennifer about before we left?” He asked suddenly. “I heard my name mentioned so I’m curious as to what it was about.”

“Well,” I paused slightly, eyeing the busy buildings we passed, “actually it was about my job.”

“At the bar?” John questioned. “Have you turned in your two weeks’ notice finally like you’ve been planning for the past two months?”

“Hmm … no,” I admitted, “but … babe, I’ve been doing some thinking.”

“What kind of thinking?”

“I’ve been thinking of opening my own bar.” I confessed. “I found this place across town that I think will be perfect. It has a full bar and a stage for bands to play. I was going to talk to my dad about helping out with a down payment, and I asked Jennifer if she’d want to work there if I did decide to go through with it.”

“A bar?” out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smile. “Can we call it the ‘Titty Twister’?”

“‘Titty Twister’? After the bar on From Dusk ‘Til Dawn?”

John let out a cute giggle and then tightened his grip on my hand. “Well, that’s cool, babe.” He said, “but I don’t know where my name comes up in this.”

“Umm … well, Jennifer asked me where I was going to get the money to buy the place. She was wondering if I was going to ask you for money or my dad.” I said the last part quickly, hoping that the conversation would turn to something else shortly.

“You didn’t want to ask me for money so you’re asking your dad?” John asked. “But, Dee … it’s your money too, you know.”

“I know,” I sighed, “but, babe, most of our money is the money coming in from the band and stuff, so … it just feels like it should be spent on you and …” I trailed off, shrugging my shoulders.

“Sweetheart,” John said quietly, “everything I do is for you. I promised you when we were younger that I would take care of you. All the money we have … you can do whatever you want with it. It’s always been for you.”

“Oh, John,” I whispered, “I … we’re already paying mortgage for the house and we got the kids and all their medical bills for their doctors checkups, I just figured with my dad, he’ll just …” I trailed off once again, not knowing what else to say.

After we slowed to a stop at a red light, I saw him look at me out of the corner of my eye, so I gave him the courtesy of looking back at him. For a second I thought he was going to be upset that I chose to go to my dad for financial support for my potential business, but after a few seconds he smiled softly.

“I suppose that makes sense.” He said. “Your dad is the man with the load of cash after all.”

“Johno,” I grinned.

“Well, he does.” John laughed.

“I still have to put a lot more thought into this.” I sighed softly. “Maybe I’ll just get a 9 to 5 job somewhere and call it good.”

“Do whatever makes you happy, babe.” John insisted. “But to be honest, I think opening a bar would be pretty rad.” He said, nodding his head slightly as if trying to get me to agree with him.

I smiled and nodded my head once, “we’ll see.” I told him.

John squeezed my hand once more before he released it and then turned his attention back to the road as the light turned green. I took a deep breath, letting it out in a soft sigh as I examined my husband’s profile. He was leaving today for Warped and I would see him again until the end of August. By the time he came home he would be 21, having spent his birthday on the road. And who knows, maybe by the time he comes home we’ll have a new business to take care of as well.