Okay, I got it! Absolut Vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice, and..."

"And?"

"Peach schnapps?"

"Correct! Now, Mojito."

I had spent the last two hours at Jimmy's apartment trying to learn how to make cocktails. Sara was taking a couple of weeks off, and Jimmy had picked me to work alongside him—though, at first, I wasn't exactly thrilled about it. But when he mentioned how much bartenders made compared to waitstaff, I had a change of heart. More money, better tips—it was a no-brainer. Plus, it would give Chrys a chance to take over my position, which, in turn, meant Ed could drool over her while helping her get familiar with the club.

"White rum, club soda, lime, mint leaves, and... sugar."

"Correct! Cosmo now."

"Absolut Vodka."

"You can also use Stolichnaya—that's top quality too," he pointed out.

"Harry said Absolut is the best," I defended.

"So you're taking his word over mine?" he smirked, clearly amused.

"No! Of course not," I countered quickly.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Why does everyone think there's something going on with me and him?" I sighed, flipping through my notes, trying to refocus.

Jimmy chuckled. "You can't blame people for stating the obvious."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Obvious?"

"He talks about you all the time."

That had me looking up.

"He does?"

Jimmy nodded. "I mean, the guy has never hung out with a girl before. He just sleeps with them and rides off into the sunset."

"Kinda like you?" I shot back, unable to ignore the way he had treated Anne.

It wasn't my business—Anne knew what she was getting into—but that didn't make it any easier seeing her crushed, especially when Jimmy wasted no time shoving his tongue down someone else's throat hours after she had been in his bed. Anne could pretend she didn't care all she wanted, but we both knew she was hoping for more. Classic mistake—thinking you could change someone by making them care.

"If you're talking about Anne—"

"Of course I'm talking about Anne," I snapped.

"I know you don't have feelings for her, but at least acknowledge her existence, Jimmy. Don't rub it in her face. At least pretend to be a decent guy."

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "Where did this come from? How did we go from Harry talking about you to Anne?"

"Harry doesn't talk about me like that. He's just a friend."

Jimmy let out a short laugh. "He's no better than me, Ella. He fucks whatever's standing. I don't see you pointing the finger at him. At least not anymore. Have you forgotten who he's sleeping with?"

He was testing me. Trying to see how much I knew.

"No," I answered bluntly. How could I forget? The thought of him with her still made my stomach turn.

"Yet, you don't have a problem with him?" Jimmy pushed. "He's fucking—"

"Stop it!" I cut him off sharply. "What Harry does is none of my business."

And it needed to stay that way.

"Absolut Vodka, lime juice, triple sec, cranberry juice," I recited, forcing the conversation back to cocktails.

"Correct!" Jimmy clapped his hands, but the light mood was long gone.

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I know you have feelings for him, Ella. Try to deny it all you want, but he can't reciprocate."

I swallowed hard, not wanting to hear it but knowing I had to.

"You know you're one of my best friends," he continued, taking my hand. "The only girl I don't want to sleep with—"

"Ew!" I pulled a face.

"You'd love it," he teased.

"Not in a million years, you moron," I shoved his arm.

"Shut up and listen, stupid," he chuckled. "I don't want to see you get hurt. Harry's one of the most decent guys I know. He likes you—that much I can tell. But he doesn't know how to love. He's like me, Ella. We make great friends, but we're not boyfriend material."

I hated how much sense he was making.

"He's used to getting his way," Jimmy went on. "Sleeping around, having fun. He's with Charlie, but he's still hooking up with other girls."

Wait. What?

I stiffened. That was new. I had assumed he was just with Charlie, not playing the field. Did that mean he was using her rather than the other way around? Had I been wrong about him all along?

"Don't look so shocked," Jimmy said, watching my expression.

I was. I knew Harry was a flirt, but for some reason, I thought—no, I assumed—that whatever was going on with Charlie was at least exclusive.

Jimmy sighed. "You need to move on from Michael. Yeah, I know we agreed never to say his name again—he's supposed to be 'son of a bitch' or 'bastard,' but whatever. Just don't move on with someone like Harry. You'd end up back at square one. We bartenders? We're not cut out for normal relationships. Too many options, too little time."

I swallowed. Was there a tiny part of me that thought—deep down—that if Harry left Charlie, maybe we could see where things went? Had I misread everything? Maybe it was all just friendly banter—sometimes inappropriate, sure—but no harm done.

Jimmy must have seen something in my expression because he squeezed my hand. "Whatever you decide, it's your choice. Just... be smart."

I nodded, barely able to process my thoughts.

If I was going to help his niece, I needed to do it in a way that didn't involve him.

***

"Hi," I greeted the young woman at the Corner Café.

She smiled, a familiar dimpled grin. "Hi."

"I'm Ella Cameron. I'm representing Blake Enterprises," I said, awkwardly offering my hand.

"Blake Enterprises?" She tilted her head. "Oh—I'm Gemma. Gemma Styles."

She stood up and shook my hand. She looked just like her brother.

"What would you like to drink?" I asked. 

"I'm good," she said noting the mug already in front of her.

I gestured that I was going to grab something from the counter, using the moment to collect myself. Meeting her made everything real. And terrifying. What if this went wrong?

Returning to the table with a steaming cup of coffee, I inhaled deeply before diving in.

"You said this was important?" she prompted.

I reached into my bag, pulling out the envelope.

"It came to my attention that your daughter needs surgery. We were approached by your doctors."

It wasn't exactly the truth—I didn't want to reveal that Jimmy had told me or that 'Blake Enterprises' was really just Chrys's family.

Gemma's eyes widened. "Yes?"

"This is a check to cover the initial expenses," I explained.

She reached for the envelope, her fingers trembling. The moment she opened it, she froze.

"Oh my God. Fifty thousand dollars?" her voice cracked.

I swallowed hard. "I know it's not enough, but I'll have another check for you by the end of the month."

Her palm covered her mouth as sobs overtook her. Tears streamed freely.

I stood up instinctively and wrapped my arms around her. She clung to me like she had known me for years.

"Thank you," she choked out between gasps. "Thank you, thank you."

Tears blurred my vision. "Honey, thank you for letting us help. Thank you for being a wonderful mom."

She pulled back, kissing my hands. "I don't even know what to say."

"There's nothing to say," I assured her, finishing the last sip of my coffee. "I'll be in touch."

As I walked out of the café, I felt lighter than I had in a long time.

Harry could do whatever he wanted. He wasn't my problem.

But that little girl? She was my priority.