get in here and drink until they black out.
“So I want to see you have a good time tonight because without you, Club X wouldn’t be here. Smile, enjoy yourself, and make those customers see why you’re the best in the business, okay?”
Everyone around me yells and claps, and I join in when I see him looking at me like I’m ruining his big night by not being as enthusiastic as the rest of these people. Why not, right? I’m happy and loving life, so why not give my father some bit of happiness too?
“Any problems, you know to see your section leaders or me, but see them first,” he says, and everyone laughs.
“Okay, have a great night!”
More clapping before the crowd of my co-workers breaks up and people start their prep to get ready for opening. Even though I made it for his nightly pep talk, I don’t know where he’s got me scheduled, so I follow him into his office.
“Cade, what can I do for you?” he asks as he rifles through a stack of papers.
“Not sure what you want me to do tonight.”
He looks up and smiles like he’s thrilled about what he has to tell me. “Oh, I want you up at the main bar, for sure. I want you playing to those people here from Tampa Scene Magazine. Lots of smiling and do that thing you used to do with the bottles. People love that.”
“I didn’t realize people still read magazines.”
My father rolls his eyes. “It’s online. They just call it that, I guess. I don’t really know, to be honest. I just know that the publicist I hired for this has all these people coming in to take pictures and record videos of the crowd to put all over social media. She also has them doing other things I don’t really know about, so if someone sticks a phone or a mic in your face tonight, turn it on like only you can, okay?”
Thank God I had six cups of coffee today or I wouldn’t be of any use to him for this anniversary shindig.
“Got it. Turn on the charm. Anything else?”
He thinks for a second and shakes his head before something comes to him. “Oh, yeah. Is that girlfriend of yours coming tonight?”
Something in the way he calls Hailey my girlfriend makes me bristle at the very sound of it, and I shake my head. “She’s not coming, no.”
“Fine. Then you’ll be able to be the guy you were last summer?”
I nod, not really sure what he means by that. “Yeah, I guess. I might be a little taller. I think I had a growth spurt this year.”
“Stop busting my chops, Cade. I’ve got about three million things going on right now. You know what I’m talking about.”
Yeah, I know. I didn’t want to think about it, but I know.
“Sure. I’ll be that guy for you tonight.”
“Great. Now have a good time and come find me if you run into any problems. I put Maya at the back bar and made sure we’ve got a bunch of promo shit going on back there, so she’ll be happy. Cici and Cam are at the upstairs bar that gets the least amount of business. And you’re at the main bar with the twins.”
“Katelyn and Kalli?” I wonder aloud, not sure those are even their names. It’s been a few months, and everyone just calls them the twins.
My father thinks for a minute, as if he isn’t sure of their actual names either. “Kalli? I think it’s Kylie.”
“So Cade, Katelyn, and Kylie at the main bar. Going for a theme?”
He shakes his head, clearly not amused by my question. “I’m going for the two most gorgeous females behind the bar and the one and only Cade March. Your reputation precedes you. Use it to your advantage.”
“My reputation precedes me? I haven’t tended bar on a regular basis here for nearly a year, Dad. I doubt anyone even remembers me. You’re going to have a hell of a lot more success with the twins, I think.”
“Don’t kid yourself. I’ve been in this business a long time. I know when someone is memorable.”
Now it’s my time to not be amused. “I think you might be biased then. Put your faith in the twins.”
As I make my way toward the door, he says, “One of the people from that magazine or whatever it’s called remembered you, so I think you made an impression on her, at least.”
“I think she