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Mary-Sue snorted, then pointed down at the list. “There’s some good ones.”

“Angel dust, forbidden fruits, hotter than hell?”

“My personal favorite is The Devil’s Phlegm.”

“I’d like to say that sounds like a delight, but I’d be lying.”

“Give it a go.”

Aaron handed the drinks menu back. “Go on then.”

“Coming right up, Boss.”

He craned his neck forward, looking at the other end of the bar, the busier end, with the huge crowd gathered around. He could see Jett, but he was busy, shaking cocktails and chatting away. He hadn’t even noticed Aaron had come in, too engrossed in his work.

Aaron watched him from a distance. Jett in his element. Jett smiling, laughing, serving drinks, chatting, posing for pictures. He was the top guy, the undisputed king of the barmen, and he even had the trophy in the office to prove it.

Aaron was the top of the underworld, shady, working in the shadows, the bad side of the human psyche, but there was Jett. He shone in the light, there to see. He worked to make others happy, to ensure they had a good time. Aaron tore people down and made their lives a misery, but Jett, he lifted them up. He dedicated his life to giving people a fun night, a sprinkle of happiness in their otherwise droning lives. They were at opposite ends of the scale.

Heaven and Hell.

“Here’ ya go,” Mary-Sue said with a smile.

Aaron didn’t pick up the glass. He didn’t even look down at it. “Something’s come up, and I’ve got to go.”

“What, right now?”

“Yeah.”

Aaron put his hand on the box and pushed it towards her. “Can you give Jett this? He doesn’t have to wear it if he doesn’t want to.”

Mary-Sue put her hand on top of Aaron’s, pinning him to the box. “Go over there, give it to him, and tell him he’s done good.”

Aaron shook his head. She didn’t understand. How could she? He was a bad person, and Jett was a good one. He had to ignore his heart, his lust, and distance himself from Jett. He and Jett weren’t suited. Jett was meant for someone good, meant for someone like Marlon Steel. He had to do the selfless thing, and let Jett go. He cared about him too much to drag him down to his level.

“Just once, just tell him he’s done good once, Jesus, Aaron, he deserves it.”

He looked back down the bar at Jett. Jett with his head tipped back, laughing. He didn’t need Aaron’s praise or amazement. Everyone else in the club was giving it to him.

“Please,” Mary-Sue said, squeezing his hand.

Aaron breathed heavily out of his nose. “Fine.”

Mary-Sue removed her hand from Aaron’s then shooed him away. He tucked the box under his arm, and started making his way across the bar, glaring at anyone that dared to stay in his path for too long.

As he got closer, his eyes locked on the man in front of the bar. Perched on a stool, in an expensive suit to rival Aaron’s, sat Marlon Steel.

Marlon Steel was gazing up at Jett, grinning like a smug cat. A semi-circle of people surrounded him, hanging on his every word. Jett was grinning, too. His eyes were taking in Marlon. Those traitorous blue eyes were looking at someone else with amazement, with joy, with brightness, and Aaron hated it.

He kept walking, expression darkening the closer he got to Jett. His fury transmitted to the surrounding crowd, and they parted, tripped, and struggled out of his path to be free of the intimidating waves he was giving off. Aaron caught some of the conversation. Marlon’s adoring crowd awed at his every word as he described the dog shelter being built.

That was his power, being a good guy, but Aaron, a self-confessed asshole, could see through it. No genuine nice guy sought awes, and applause. They didn’t brag about what they did under a guise of being “nice”. Marlon was an asshole, just a different kind of one.

Jett looked at Aaron, and the anger seeped away. The smile on Jett’s face stretched wider, rounding his cheeks into ripe apples. Aaron was struck dumb. He couldn’t believe minutes ago he was planning on walking away, severing his reliance on Jett, handing him over to Marlon. He’d had a second of contemplating doing the “right thing”, and he was never going to do it again. He was a selfish bastard, took anything he wanted with no apology, and there was no way on earth he was letting Jett go.

Marlon stopped mid-sentence, then turned to see what had stolen Jett’s attention. He looked Aaron up and down, taking him in. He grinned at Aaron, waving him closer, but Aaron still caught it, the scrunch of annoyance on his face.

The semi-circle entourage made way for Aaron, and he stepped up to the bar.