“I’m calling a family meeting,” he announces.

Internally I facepalm, knowing Jesse is going to stroll in here and go completely over the top. He will want to invite everyone over once the bar closes and throw some extravagant party to keep me distracted. Always attempting to play the role of my protector in his own quirky way.

However the reality of the situation is, Jesse is the one who needs the distraction. If he was to ask me? I would beg him to take me home.

Sarah joins us at the bar as Brad smirks and shakes his head; he too knows Jesse has concocted some plan to try to get us all out together tonight. When Twisted Sister first opened it was a weekly occurrence. We would all get together for drinks, whilst I secretly checked out the competition. You know the best cocktails to have on the menu and what not.

“Alright, what’s the deal?” I say, throwing my hands up in the air. “Spit it out, Jess.”

“I vote we close this place down early and hit up the town.” He wriggles his eyebrows at me and I roll my eyes.

“Yes! Let’s!” Sarah chimes in. She’s young, flirty and freshly eighteen. She has also been school-girl crushing on Jesse since the day she first laid eyes on him. The whole thing is entertaining to say the least, mostly because Jesse is so oblivious.

He throws an arm over her shoulders. “See this one knows what’s up. How about it, Brad? Becksta?”

“I don’t know about you guys,” Beck says. “But I’m not going to be the one to explain to the boss why we closed up early on a Friday night.”

I lower my palm between the stools Becky and I sit on, offering her a silent high-five. When she reciprocates, I giggle and turn to face Jesse. I’m pretty sure Sarah is the only one here who doesn’t know the truth about who owns the bar, but I like to keep my cards close to my chest.

“Mmm, Becky’s right,” I add with a disapproving tone, Jesse flashes me an evil eye but stays quiet. “C’mon Jess, I’m done here anyway. These guys will survive without us.”

“Meeting adjourned,” Jesse mumbles, proceeding to walk head down, through the back of the bar towards my office; like a puppy with his tail between his legs.

* * *

“I’ve been waiting for one of you to call, I have some things you may find interesting,” Stanley greets, answering the phone.

“Fire away,” Jesse says.

Once I convinced Jesse that we were in fact not going to drink away our responsibilities, he drove us back to his place where we now sit, speaking with the one other person who knows the ins and outs of the past twelve years.