Page 25 of The Dating Prohibition
in the back that could serve as the private dining room for her speakeasy supper club. There were dark wooden fixtures and
floors. The bar itself was worn and the counter needed to be replaced. But there was character all around.
Kendra imagined renovating to have unisex bathrooms. She envisioned putting a few booths against the long brick wall with
pub tables and seating, and stools along the bar. There was plenty of shelving that still looked sturdy and the private room
was bare and could be set up the way that she always imagined.
The kitchen itself was small, but she imagined herself utilizing the space much in the same way she would when she cooked
holiday dinners for her parents. Before the family renovated their kitchen, the space was tight, so they knocked down some
walls to create a more open floor plan, allowing for greater space to move around. But even with their five-burner cooktop
and double oven, she would be able to adequately feed no more than fifteen people without any of the food coming out cold.
Unless it was meant to be served that way.
In a lined notebook, she scribbled, “Max seating for twelve, two unisex bathrooms, bar counter, stools, new booths, resurface
and polish the floors. Two windows need replacing.”
She listed out every possible expense that she might have at this particular location to do the math and figure out what she might need in addition to her savings to cover the property.
As she unlocked her phone to access her calculator, she added up her cost estimates for each of the line items along with what she thought to be a reasonable bid for the short sale and blew out a breath.
“There goes all my money,” she muttered.
Her mind raced through revisions to her loan application and she scribbled down some notes for what additional research she might need to do.
“You good over here, Keke?” Dawit, the owner of the cigar bar, was rarely behind the bar in the evenings when the establishment
was packed, but his team wasn’t due to start for another hour. He always opened the shop to check inventory and restock the
humidor before things got hectic.
“One more gin and tonic, please.” She grinned with a nod. Kendra and Logan had been visiting this bar for years, seeing it
through one relocation and several upgrades. A family business, they were acquainted with Dawit’s parents and siblings, who
traveled frequently between DC and Addis Ababa. They’d known Dawit almost as long as BJ, so Kendra’s nickname was cemented
into the fabric of their relationship.
“You’re hard at work over here.” He rested his palms against the counter and leaned forward intently.
“Yeah, just trying to figure out if I can get my business off the ground.”
“This isn’t for the faint of heart, Keke,” he cautioned.
“I know it, but I want to do it. It’s not worth it if you don’t want to put effort into it.”
“Well, as long as I’ve known you, you’ve achieved everything that you set your mind to. So I know you can do it.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, finishing off her drink and taking in their surroundings as he grabbed a clean glass to make a
fresh cocktail. “You guys own this building, don’t you?”
“Yep, we bought it a few years back, completely gutted it and renovated. It was expensive, but we make it work and we’re busy
all the time.”
“I remember the old spot and y’all moving over here. I’ve definitely noticed how many people come in here so regularly. My hope is that once I’ve set up my business that it will have some of the success that you all do.”
“Definitely. We build regulars over time and we support each other. Word of mouth and community are everything. So, if you
need anything, just call me. I’m happy to talk through logistics and all the back-of-the-house things.”
“I really appreciate that, D.”
“Of course. And I’ll get that gin and tonic started for you.”
She nodded and turned her attention back to her MacBook. She copied the link to the short sale listing and iMessaged Auntie
Mack from her computer.
Kendra: Hey, Auntie. This is the one that I’ve got my eye on currently. I think that it could be exactly what I’m hoping for.
Auntie Mack responded almost immediately.
Mack: Wonderful. Let me know how it goes, and I’m praying for you.
Kendra: Thank you for being so supportive through all of this.
Mack: Always, my love.
She sent a text to BJ with the same listing.
Kendra: Hey, check this place out.
Ben: Hey. Oh, are you looking at bidding on this?
Kendra: Yes, it’s a short sale that’s going to be at auction next week.
Ben: I know that building. It’s got a really special history in DC.
Kendra: Really?
Ben: Yeah. You know what, are you free tonight? Maybe we could go grab a bite and strategize for your auction.
Kendra paused, her mind swirling around whether the conversation would also take them back to the other night and what they
did. Maybe he wants to do this again? But what about Katie? There was too much to unpack to think that conversation would be productive. She exhaled deeply through her nose, drawing
her shoulders down from her ears.
Kendra: I’d love to, but I actually have plans tonight with the girls. We’re going out.
Ben: Girls’ night, huh? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.
She smirked as she started to type her response––tempted to allude to Shonda wanting to set her up with someone, but she decided
to leave him guessing.
Kendra: No promises.