Apartment 3B

25. Making It

Kabir

Jess and I worked immensely hard for the coming weeks. We spent all our time decorating Spirits, getting our liquor license, promoting it while the interior was still under construction and everyone was sick of us talking about "our very own bar" all the time, which didn't deter us for even a second.

In the first week, we had found out that there was a substantial amount of space between the back entrance and the main street that it opened to. We decided to design an outdoor setting which we could even rent out for small gatherings, if not big parties.

It was almost complete by early February and we planned to have the opening night party on Valentine's day.

"I'm so fricking pumped, man. Started from the bottom now we here, right?" Jesse exclaimed the morning of our opening, waking me up with less than friendly punches.

"Ah, gosh. Let me wake up first," I replied with obvious annoyance.

"Come on, grumpy. It's our big day today!" There was no stopping this man, he was an enormous ball of energy and apparently, so was everyone else.

"Happy Spirits Day!" I heard screams as the girls entered our room with Hayley bursting party poppers and Lainey carrying champagne bottle-shaped and other colourful balloons.

Lunes came and planted herself right between me and Jess. She spread her arms and pulled us in what could only be described as a bear cuddle.

"Get off your asses, we have work to do," Luna screamed.

"What work? The place is ready with literally the red ribbon to cut at the door as well. There's nothing to do, let me sleep a little longer." I groaned, fighting back smiles.

I glanced at Jesse to ask if he had concocted some evil plan with the girls but he quickly replied before I verbalized my concerns, "I didn't do this, it's all them!" He waved his hands in defeat as we were still being coddled by Lunes.

Hayley chimed in, "In addition to being Valentine's Day and Spirits Day, it's also spa day!"

Jesse beamed, "-and we don't have to pay for it because you girls will?"

"Ofcourse, it's on us. Let's go treat ourselves." Lainey declared, spurring everyone in action. They didn't allow me to complain or oppose and I found myself complying to them.

"I'm not going to fight you because I know there's no point, so let's do this." I tell them.

Jess laughed, "That's all the appreciation you're going to get, you'll have to make do with that."

"Yeah yeah, are we going to discuss feelings for the rest of the day or get mani-pedi's?" I wrapped the conversation and everyone got ready for the day out.

We got ourselves throughly pampered and I even gave in when the masseuse came in asked us if any of us wanted to get a massage.

The next stop was apparently clothes shopping, "Guys, I've my trusty gray suit lined up especially for today," I told them.

"You mean the one you lent Jess? You can't wear that." Lainey said with genuine shock.

"She's right, let's go and make our bar owners look pretty," Hayley wrapped her arms around me and Jess possessively as we walked into a store.

At the fourth store and possibly the hundredth fitting, Hayley approved of one in the first look, "Yes, bravo, this is perfect," she kissed her fingers in a stereotypical Italian manner to exaggerate how pleased she was.