Sylvie's POV
I order pizza for dinner and when it gets here, we turn on a movie and put a blanket on the floor as we eat.
"Ok, random question. What is Holden's middle name? I asked him once before we were dating and he wouldn't tell me. When I looked at his info from hiring, he left it blank."
The kids chuckle and Tate takes a long drink of his soda. "I remember him always being so embarrassed of it...OHHH....you just gave me the best idea. Whenever he calls me Tatum, I'll use his middle name. Freaking genius, Quinn, Thanks!"
"Woah! Don't get me in trouble for this! I'm just asking!"
"Well, you coulda just asked him now that you're dating, but you decided to be sneaky........"
"I....you.......Seriously?"
Julianne laughs, and it makes me smile. I'm determined to get this girl to come out of her shell a little this weekend.
"It's Ernest," Julianne smirks.
"Ernest?"
"Jules, I'm gonna call him 'Ernie' when he calls me Tatum. It's gonna piss him off so hard!" Tate cackles as he reaches for another slice of pizza.
"It was our grandpa's name. Our dad wanted it for his first name and our mom refused. So they compromised with it for the middle," Julianne says as she ignores her brother.
"I'm sure Holden appreciated that," I chuckle as I eat my pizza.
"I'm pretty sure he broke a kid's nose once who had found out and started teasing him about it. I don't remember most of the details because I was just little, but I remember dad screaming at him for forever. Do you remember that Jules?"
"No," she says as she shakes her head and picks at the pepperoni on her slice.
The room gets silent as the kids think about their dad, or Holden, and finally Tate shakes his head and shrugs. "I'm still gonna call him Ernie and hope he won't break my nose."
"Or bust your butt," Julianne grins.
"That too......"
"So what should we do tonight?" I finally ask to break the silence. "I have to work at the bar tomorrow evening, but we can do whatever, as long as it's legal, tonight!"
Tate stares at me incredulously until it makes me uncomfortable. "What?"
"Have you forgotten where we live? There's literally nothing to do here that's still open...That's legal for minors."
"Oh...Right...Well, wanna play games or have a movie marathon?"
Tate and Julianne both fight a smirk and say at the exact same time.
"Games"
~*~
We have the best night ever playing all sorts of board games, and I had fun spanking their asses in Phase 10...My favorite game
"This game is infuriating," Tate groans as he throws down his cards once I go out on the tenth phase, and I chuckle...I totally cheated, but Holden wasn't here to tattle on me this time.
I'm already missing him so much. Does that make me a loser?
"Alright, what's next?" I ask as I look at the two teens, and both of them give me a surprised look.
"What's next? Quinn, it's almost 3am!" Tate says
"Stop it!" I gasp as I look at the clock on the stove. "You're kidding me!"
"How the hell do you have so much energy?" Tate asks as he stretches out his back and stifles a yawn.
"....I own a bar that doesn't usually close until 2am?.....Does this make me cooler than you?"
"I guess a little," Tate says as he looks at Jules. "I'm out. Night." He stands up and kisses her on the head, and then he gives me a smile. "Night Quinn."
"Night Tate. Don't snore too loud please...I'm a light sleeper."
I can hear his snort down the hall, and I turn to Jules and give her a smile. "Wanna play something else or are you pooping out on me too?"
"Can I ask you something?" She asks quietly, and it surprises me. She's hard for me to read. She's quiet, but it's obvious she takes it all in. A part of me thinks she could talk your ear off if she got comfortable enough with you.
"Of course, lady."
She blushes slightly as she looks at her fingernails. "Have you ever had a guy act like he liked you, and then wouldn't give you the time of day after a while?"
I'm silent as I process. "I take it you have?"
She sighs as she finally looks at me. "When we first moved here, I thought this guy liked me.
And then one day it stopped. He quit looking at me, talking to me...I haven't really initiated anything but I don't get it. Do you think Tate scared him off? Or Holden?"
"They better not have....." I growl. The protective brother thing is SOOO played out. Let us girls have some fun too! But seriously, I'm about to kick this guy's ass myself!
"I'm just...He's soooo cute and so nice and...."
"Have you talked to him?"
"...No, not really. I get so nervous around him. I can't see myself ever going up to him and talking to him."
"Is he dating anyone?"
"I don't think so."
"Ok, I'm dying to know who it is. Are you comfortable sharing that with me?"
"Gage Mackney," she whispers as her cheeks flush crimson.
I hide my smile. How totally creepy is it for me to acknowledge how cute that kid is.
"Maybe it has nothing to do with you, Jules...Maybe he does still like you."
"I don't think so," she sighs as she stands up from the table. "I'm gonna go to bed. Night."
"Night Julianne......Hey....."
"Yeah?" She asks as she spins around.
"Thanks for confiding in me. I won't tell anyone."
"I know," she smiles as she turns around and goes into their room.
~*~
"How pissed will Holden be if we pour water on her?" I hear Tate ask, somewhere in the distance. My eyes open, and I blink the light out of my eyes.
"Oh good, you're not dead," Tate deadpans as I turn and look and him and Jules, standing in the doorway.
"What time is it?" I groan, and when I look at my phone I see that it's 11am.
"Ah man! I never set my alarm. I'm so sorry! Why didn't you wake me up?" I ask as I sling my legs over the side of Holden's bed and stretch out my back.
I will never admit to him how much this mattress hurts my back.
I stand up and throw a hoodie on over my tank top. "Have you guys eaten breakfast?"
"No," Jules says softly, and I groan. One day alone with his siblings and I neglect and starve them. I'm a fantastic girlfriend.
"Let me get dressed and we will go to the cafe and have lunch. Sorry guys. I'm not an early riser like Holden is."
They leave and I get dressed quickly, and throw my hair up in a top-knot. As I'm slipping on my Toms, I open the door and slam my head into it.
"Ow!"
"You ok?" Jules rushes over as I'm holding my damn head like a fool.
"I'm fine," I smirk as I shake my head and try to brush it off. I'm also a total klutz.
"You sure?" Tate asks as he stares at me hard. "You already have a bump."
"I'm good. Let's go eat. Have you guys talked to
Holden at all?"
"He called this morning and checked in," Jules says.
Great. And I'm sure they told him I was still sleeping. I suck
We walk down the path to the cafe, and talk about little things along the way. When we get in and order our food, Tate looks out the window.
"Damn! Look at all the hot chicks!"
I look where he does, and on the boardwalk are at least two dozen girls, wearing skimpy bikinis and already acting drunk.
Tonight is gonna suck ass
"Holden told me that you guys needed to come to the bar with me tonight. Sorry guys."
"Oh, it's no problem at all," Tate says in an amused tone as he continues watching the girls.
Tonight is gonna SUCK ASSSSS
~*~
We get to the bar and the kids take their normal
place at table 11, I get the low-down from Ryan. I gave in last year and decided I needed a manager to run things when I couldn't be here. And it's been the best decision I've ever made. "Want me to stay tonight? I know it's overtime, but with Holden and Nico gone and Mack out sick, I'm afraid you....."
"Yes! Please that would be awesome," I interrupt before he can finish, causing him to chuckle.
"Ok, let me call Marissa and tell her I'll be home late."
"I owe ya. Thanks pal!" I say as I go into my office and grab petty cash so I can change out the register.
The rush starts faster than I expected. By 7, girls from the damn sorority are already coming in and getting smashed.
"I got soooo burned today," one chick says to her friend as she pulls down her bikini strap. "Look!"
"I told you to put more sunscreen on," her friend chuckles as she downs a Jell-O shot and bounces up and down a little. "Whoo!" She shrieks as she claps her hands and asks for another one.
I refrain from rolling my eyes since tonight I'll be making bank from these idiots, and instead glance over at the kids.
Tate is chatting it up with one of the girls, and I start to get nervous. Before I can think about it though, I have another group coming in and everyone is wanting shots.
Damn I should have brought in more people for tonight
At some point, Ryan bends down and speaks in my ear as he's pouring a shot at the exact same time.
"Take a timeout and go check on Holden's brother. I'm pretty sure someone just gave him a beer."