Live music started up from the resort behind me, and I tapped my fingers on the armrest of my chair. This was why I chose this particular spot on the beach because the music was rather good. I’d walked up and down this beach yesterday, checking out small bars, restaurants, and other tourist traps. The urge to stay here in Florida near Julia was strong and getting stronger, and if I did that, I’d have to get a job.

I stood up, needing to find a drink and to get out of the sun for a few minutes. Walking up to the beachside bar, my gaze automatically went to the band. They looked young, barely of adult age. There were three guys and a girl. She was the lead singer, her eyes closed and her hand gripping onto the microphone as she poured her heart into the song she was singing. I didn’t know it, but I felt it.

“Can I help you?” The bartender broke my stare.

“Yes. Can I get a beer, please? Whatever you have on tap is fine.”

He nodded, turning back and grabbing a frosty mug. Sliding it across the bar at me, I handed him a twenty. “Start a tab, please?”

“You got it. On vacation here?” I almost laughed. Did I have a neon sign on me? I knew I wasn’t as white as a ghost, thanks to good genes and tattoos, so he must have good radar on who the newcomers were.

“Kind of. My sister lives here. I’m visiting her for a while and thinking about staying.”

He nodded. “Where are you from?”

“Denver.”

“Ah. I used to live in Colorado Springs. Been here about ten years, though.”

“Nice place,” I commented, my eyes drawn back to the band. It wasn’t even that they were that spectacular. They were okay, but they reminded me so much of me with my friends a lifetime ago. It had been all I’d wanted. I’d been so dumb.

I sipped my beer, volleying between watching the band and watching the bartender move around the bar. It was steady even at this hour. I suspected it was even busier at night and wondered if they needed any help.

When the bartender came back around, he smiled at me. “Doing okay?” He indicated my half-drunk beer.

“Yeah, I’m good, man. Hey, you guys need any help? I’m a bartender in Denver.”

He stopped wiping the counter and looked up at me. “Yeah? How long are you here for?”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure. At least a month, could be more if I decide to stay. I have nothing keeping me in Denver.”

He wiped his hand on his shorts and held it out to me. “Calvin. Everyone calls me Cal.”

I held out my hand and shook his. “Johnny. Nice to meet you, Cal.”

“We’re short staffed. If you’d like to help, I’d love to have you.”

“You the manager?”

He nodded. “Yep.”

I indicated the band. “You have live music at night, too?”

“Oh yes. We have the newer, just starting out bands during the day and our bigger, more popular bands at night. We usually only do headliners from Thursday through Sunday, though. Those are our busiest nights.”

“Where do you get your headliners from? Are they all local?”

Cal turned when a waitress needing a beer called him. He filled it quickly and turned back to me. “Some of them, yes. We have a good reputation and get a lot of bands that approach us. We even had one from California during Spring Break. This place is crawling with college kids at that time.”

Impressive. “That’s fantastic. I scout talent for the bar I work at in Denver.”

Cal’s eyebrow rose. “Yeah? So you’re into music?”

‘Into music’ is an understatement, but we’ll leave it at that. “Yeah. You could say that.”

Cal nodded. “Nice. I’d love to have you. I could use help with lining up the talent. It’s hard to do it all and have any sort of life, if you know what I mean. I’d love to pick your brain while you’re here too, so that when you go back home I’ll know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve managed so far, but I know now that I’m in over my head.”

I had no idea what he meant because I had no life, but I nodded anyway. “Absolutely. Do you have a website that showcases the talent you’ve had before?”

He blinked, his eyes looking blankly at me. “Uh, no. Should I?”

I nodded. “That’s the first thing I’d get set up. If you’re having bands contact you because of your reputation, and you are a must do for Spring Breakers, then we need to get you a website. You can put snippets of performances from your past bands, and an application for new talent, including a place where they upload a demo.”

“Shit.” Cal rubbed his hand over his face. “When can you start, man?”

I downed the rest of my beer and held out the glass. Cal took it, replacing it with another full frosty glass. “How about tonight?”

“Perfect. Damn, I’m glad you stopped in here. Looking forward to learning from you, Johnny.”

I nodded, taking one last gulp of the cool liquid before sliding off of the bar stool and making my way around the outside restaurant. For it being mid-afternoon, the tables were about half full, and there were five to six people around the bar. About twenty people stood around near the band in bathing suits, most of them carrying plastic cups full of beer.

My eyes slid back to the band, watching the guitar player as he strummed the strings. That same feeling I always had made my stomach clench, and I forced my eyes away from him and to the drummer. They were pretty good for their age. They reminded me of my band. God, I hadn’t seen those guys in years and wondered what had come of them.

I stepped back onto the sand, the bright sun forcing me to put my sunglasses back on. I headed back for my chair, hoping to soak up a few more rays before heading back to Julia’s to prepare for my first night at The Outrigger.

“Why did you get a job? You don’t have to worry about paying for anything here,” Julia protested, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “You’re here to visit and relax, Johnny.”

“I want to work,” I defended. “Plus, I’m not doing it full time. Just a few nights a week to get out of your hair and be able to save some money.”

She wrinkled her brow. “Which place is it?”

“The Outrigger.”

“Party bar,” she mumbled, leaning over and kissing Calia on the nose. “What are you going to do with your life? You’ve been out for two years. Have you thought about it? I mean, not that tending bar isn’t something to do, but I know that’s not what you want for the rest of your life.”

Had I thought about it? Only a million times. I’d spent too many years locked into a life I didn’t want but hadn’t had a choice about, plus two years locked behind bars. “I don’t know, Jules. I’m kinda doing what I can for now, bartending and saving money until I see if my record can be expunged. That kind of hinders my options, you know.”

I reached out for Calia, and Julia settled her in my arms. My heart raced the second her soft skin touched mine. This little girl was perfection. Her big eyes blinked up at me like she knew who I was and loved me anyway. This beautiful baby was just like her mom.

“I got you something,” Julia said, watching Calia instead of making eye contact with me. I knew what that meant. It meant that whatever she got, I wasn’t going to like. “But you have to promise not to be mad.”

“You shouldn’t spend money on me,” I argued. “You’ve got a family now. And why am I going to be mad, Jules?”

“You are my family,” she argued back. “Carter and I both wanted to do this for you. I’ll be right back, okay? You have to promise.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, not saying a word as she smiled thinly and walked to her bedroom. If she cared that I didn’t promise, she didn’t say anything. What was she up to, and why did she think whatever it was would make me upset? Okay, so I didn’t like anyone to pay me attention or buy me things. She knew this about me, but never stopped doing it anyway, so why should I be surprised?