Page 8 of The Havenport Collection

Cecelia

T he Tipsy Whale was nothing like I remembered it.

Gone were the splintered wooden barstools and sticky floors, and now the bar featured a live edge oak bar and strategically dimmed recessed lighting.

The walls were adorned by tasteful photography and charcoal prints by local Havenport artists.

The formerly cracked and peeling booths had been reupholstered, and everyone was drinking out of actual matching glassware, not the cans, bottles, and plastic cups I remembered.

Going to the Whale on a Thursday night was kind of an event for locals.

Since the town was filled with tourists and out-of-towners on the weekends, Thursday nights were sacred in Havenport.

It wouldn’t be just a quick drink with Nora.

I would likely see many people I knew, a few people I was distantly related to, and at least three former classmates.

The thought of having to tell people I was unemployed, single, and living with my mother made me want to vomit up the quinoa she had made me for dinner.

Per Nora’s explicit instructions, I was wearing the new jeans she gave me.

I hated to admit it, but they were pretty amazing.

Painted on and hugging every curve but so soft and comfortable.

Some sky-high red pumps, a black tank top, and red dangly earrings completed the outfit.

I decided to skip the usual truckload of makeup in favor of some mascara and tinted moisturizer, and my hair was down and sort of behaving.

But while I may have looked put together, on the inside I was a mess.

Nora waved from her wrought iron barstool. “Over here, sweetie. I saved you a seat.” I sidled up next to her and hopped on the stool, stashing my purse underneath. “Wow,” I said, looking around and taking it all in, “this place looks incredible.”

Fran, the no-nonsense bartender and owner of the Whale, made her way over. Nora pushed my hand away and declared, “Cece will have a Moscow Mule and I’ll have another—you can put it on my tab.”

“Is that an actual copper mule glass?” I said, marveling at Nora. “What happened here?”

“Oh sweetie, Christian happened here. Or I should say Christian and Dante happened here. They approached Fran about investing—she turned them down multiples times first, of course—and then they helped her renovate and market the place, and business has been booming. This place is full seven nights a week.”

As I sipped my delicious cocktail, Nora gave me the lay of the land.

“Whitney Fields…oh my God, girl, stay away from her. She is an MLM zombie. If you make eye contact she will start shilling her weird-ass protein powder and you will never escape. I’m surprised she isn’t handing out samples right now in this bar.

Fran has kicked her out a few times for trying to make people shakes on the sidewalk outside.

And don’t look to your left. It’s Lance Reynolds. ”

“What? Lance from high school?” I crane my neck around to get a better look. I can’t believe he still lives here.

“Oh yes. And he is still as weird as ever. He comes here once every few months to prowl around and make women uncomfortable. One time I was here alone, and he came up and said to me, ‘you have the body of a stripper who let herself go.’”

I almost spit out my mule. “You can’t be serious. What does that even mean?”

“I think he honestly thought it was a compliment. Maybe he was hitting on me? But I told him to fuck off and left. I should have kicked him in the balls, but now that this is a classy joint, Fran gets mad when people start fights.”

I nodded, wiping my mascara and still laughing. “It’s crazy to see how much has changed and how much is still the same.” I was really worried about coming out tonight. But it was turning out to be fun. I had missed this place.

“How has it been so long? I feel like I see you all the time but always in the city.”

“Well, Xavier didn’t like it here. He said the town was weird, and he really didn’t like my mom.

So we didn’t come up much. And I always told myself that I’m a big-city girl and wanted to spend all my free time there.

” And that was the truth. Deep in my heart I knew I was a city girl.

But I did miss my hometown. Looking back, I should have come home for holidays and to visit in the summer.

I missed my mom. I missed Maggie and Josh and their kids.

I could have left Xavier in New York, or better yet, kicked his ass out months ago.

“I get that. And I go to New York so frequently for buying trips that I guess I never stopped to think to invite you here.”

I was about to respond when I felt a commanding presence next to me.

“Cecelia Leary. So glad to see you again.” I looked up and was momentarily stunned by the piercing brown eyes and chiseled cheekbones of Lucas Kim.

His smile faded as he turned his attention to Nora. I watched his eyes slide up her body with a predatory gleam. “Nora.” He gave her a stern head nod and turned his attention back to me.

“Are you visiting from New York?”

“No, I’m here to stay for a bit, hang out with family, decompress.”

“Well, we are thrilled to have you back. I am hosting a fundraiser for the women’s shelter this weekend at the Yacht Club. I hope you can come. HavenFire will be playing and we are raising money for such a good cause.” He gave me a panty-melting smile.

Originally opened in the 1930s during the depression to house women and children with nowhere to go, the Havenport Family Crisis Center had evolved over time into a full-service organization that offered housing, financial support, job training, and education to women and children who were survivors of domestic violence.

My mother had been volunteering there for decades, and the community frequently rallied to help upgrade the plumbing or hire additional counselors whenever needed.

Havenport threw birthday and graduation parties for the children who lived there.

Our former mayor Burt always dressed up as Santa and handed out gifts at Christmas.

I was a bit taken aback and impressed that someone like Lucas Kim was involved.

I gave him a friendly smile. “That sounds really fun, Luke. Since my mother will very likely not take no for an answer, I will most definitely be there. Nora, are you going?”

Nora looked up from her phone, which she was pretending to be fascinated by. “I wasn’t invited.”

Luke rolled his eyes and gave her a piercing stare. I fought the urge to fan myself. “Nora, everyone is welcome. Even you.”

“I’m probably busy.”

He took another step closer to Nora, putting them inches apart. “Too busy to help families in crisis and survivors of domestic violence?”

It began to feel more and more like Luke and Nora were the only people in the room and I was looking in through a fishbowl.

Nora didn’t respond. She just sat there shooting eye daggers at Luke. She sighed dramatically, making her ample bosom heave. It did not escape Luke’s notice. They were engaged in some silent, sexy war I did not understand.

I shoved her to snap her out of it. “We’ll be there, Luke. It sounds like a great cause. Havenport is lucky to have you.”

He leaned in, gave me a peck on the cheek, and disappeared back into the crowded bar.

Nora went back to pretending to be fascinated by her phone. “Um…are you going to tell me what that was about?”

Nora attempted to give me a blank stare, but I was not buying it so I pressed her further. “Is there a reason you are feuding with the Mark Zuckerberg of Havenport?”

Nora rolled her eyes. “He is no Mark Zuckerberg,” she scoffed.

“Well, true,” I replied. “He is nothing like Zuck in that he is unbelievably hot.” I paused to take a sip of my mule. “And apparently very charitable.” I gulped. “Remind me why you hate him?”

“He thinks he’s hot shit. He wrote some fancy computer code and got rich.

Who cares? All he does is parade around town trying to get people to love him.

With his good looks and his charming personality.

Ugh. He makes my skin crawl.” Nora was obviously mad, and her face was very red.

I could not figure out why she was so fired up about a random guy.

Recognition dawned on me. “Oh, shit. Did you guys hook up? Oh, you so did.” I felt giddy.

Nora was unapologetically sexual and had enjoyed some incredible flings over the years.

She was one of those people who could have fantastic sex with someone for a while and then just move on with no hurt feelings.

Actually, I shouldn’t say that. Several of the men had some very hurt feelings when she wasn’t interested anymore.

She was definitely a hit it and quit it type.

I respected the hell out of her for prioritizing her pleasure and her needs but was honest enough to know that was so not my style.

The look on Nora’s face could have frozen lava.

“We most certainly have not hooked up. How could you think that?” She took a dramatic gulp of her mule.

Her indignation was hilarious. “We have some mutual friends and see each other from time to time. And I don’t like him.

Also the feeling is mutual. He hates me too. ”

“I didn’t see hate. It looked like he wanted to drag you into the bathroom and bang your brains out.

Or more likely he wanted to motorboat you.

” I laughed to myself. Nora was in the position of having a very round set of F cups that had been known to cause whiplash once in a while.

Some men were drawn to them like moths to a flame.

“Gross. I would not touch that jerk with a rented vagina. He is a man whore. He comes in my store all the time with a different willowy model type on his arm. Spends tons of money buying them fancy designer denim in size zero and flaunts his wealth and his stable of dumb dates.”

I was loving this. Nora was usually so cool when it came to guys.

She was protesting way too much. “So what you are saying is that he is not just an upstanding member of the community but also a loyal and generous patron of your small business?” I slapped my forehead.

“Of course. You’re right, Nora—he’s a monster. ”

Nora rolled her eyes at me and signaled Fran for another mule. “He’s a dick. You just don’t know him.”

At this point I was on a roll. “You’re right, Nora. He is probably terrible. Do you think his house is filled with adorable rescue kittens?”

Nora glared at me. “You are supposed to be my bestie. Do not poke the bear when it comes to Luke Kim. I will not play.”

“Okay, okay. I got it.” I held my hands up in surrender. At some point we would have a longer discussion about this lust feud. I had never seen Nora so worked up about a guy before, but I also knew it was probably time to let it go for tonight.

But of course she beat me to it. “So let’s talk about your love life, Cece.

Xavier was clearly not giving you the goods on the reg so you need to find yourself a boytoy to have a fling with while you are here in town.

Get some vitamin D, and you’ll feel better in no time.

” She tossed me a saucy wink. “Always works for me.”

Ugh. “Trust me, the last thing I need is guy drama.” I could do with some mind-blowing orgasms, that’s for sure, but they would have to be battery generated for the time being because the thought of dealing with men at the moment made me want to vomit.

“I have so much to figure out right now. My life is nowhere near where I thought it would be, and I don’t even know if I’m actually sad about that fact.

The last thing I need is a complicated penis in my life. ”

“Well, yeah. You don’t need a complicated penis.”

“Precisely,” I said, clinking her glass with relief, “you get it.”

“What you need instead is a GIANT penis,” Nora shouted. Oh my God, I forgot how loud she gets after a few drinks. I quickly turned around to scan the crowded bar to see if anyone heard and found myself staring smack-dab into the soulful blue eyes of my new boss.

He held my gaze as he walked a few steps over to where we were seated. Nora elbowed me hard in the ribs. “Speaking of giant penises.”

“Hi, Cecelia. Hello, Nora. Nice to see you both.”

He nodded at Fran, who immediately started pouring him a Binnacle IPA.

I was so dizzy with vodka and lust I didn’t know what to say to him. “Good to see you too. Why are you drinking here when you can drink your own beer at the brewery?”

“I’m meeting some friends.” He reached for his wallet as Fran placed a pint glass in front of him.

I pushed his hand away. “I’ll buy. It’s the least I can do after I forced you to hire me.”

He laughed and his eyes crinkled. “Well, don’t forget about the trespassing too.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s only a misdemeanor. Don’t get your boxers in a twist.”

A group of guys entered and waved at Liam. He collected his beer and looked me dead in the eyes.

“Thanks for the beer.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He nodded and then headed off to see his friends. I liked him. I liked his cocky grin and his mischievous eyes. I liked how passionate he was about his business. It was a good thing I had sworn off men, because Liam Quinn was trouble.