Page 107

Monday.

Monday would be my alone time.

Marco, one of the new security guys that Dana and Nick had hired, with beautiful eyelashes and far too many poorly done stick-and-poke tattoos, leaned heavily against the bar. He flashed me a dirty grin that showed off lightly pointed teeth.

“Try to keep out of trouble tonight, eh, Striker?”

I rolled my eyes. “How much trouble can I get into with Blondie, Babydoll, Dana, and Elsie?”

“I, for one, fully intend on misbehaving,” Cole purred toward the vampire, waggling his eyebrows.

He’d been trying to get Marco’s number all week, but if I had to guess, the guy was straight as a board.

He hardly even looked the bartender’s way, sighing as he said, “Of course you do, Blondie.”

“You could come if you want, you know?” I offered, mostly to be polite.

He shook his head. “Pass.”

Even though it was a bummer Ren and Juniper wouldn’t be able to make it, I was looking forward to seeing what they were going to wear for their date.

I’d been gifted with an ultra-rare Juniper grin when I asked her about it, with the seamstress excitedly explaining that everyone wore costumes like the show and about the audience throwing bread at the stage. It sounded like utter chaos.

Cole threw me an exasperated look behind Marco’s back, and I suppressed a laugh.

I started on the pair of martinis the overly drunk vampire at the end of the bar ordered, thanking my lucky stars thatoverserving laws didn’t apply to people you couldn’t kill with alcohol poisoning.

Were they annoying as all hell? Yes.

Did they tipextremelywell? Double yes.

“Maybe Ren and Juniper will take pity on you, Marco. Give you something to do?”

He shuddered. “Nah, I’ll go home and watch TV or something. I don’t want any part of what those two are doing tonight.”

“Fucking, would be my guess,” Cole supplied, glancing at the ticket screen and pulling out a pair of champagne flutes and an ice bucket. To his credit he was only pouting a little.

“Isodon’t need the details,” Marco said with a roll of his eyes. He leaned in closer to me, dropping his voice so I had to strain to hear him over the ice in my shaker. “Juniper is…intense. Don’t you think?”

“Intense is a very nice way to put it, but sure.”

“Yes?” Ren answered, appearing from behind the thick black curtain that led backstage.

I pulled the top of the shaker, pouring the martinis before adding in the olives. I let her wait there until I had my money safely in hand before replying, “Sure, notsir. Do your job, nosy.”

She narrowed her eyes on her way to the point of sale, flipping through the remaining open tickets.

“Oh really, Pet?”

My eyes widened at the playful growl in her voice, heart rate accelerating with excitement. I shoved the cash into Cole’s hands as he went to step behind me and backed away quickly, tossing a wave over my shoulder.

“I’m going for lunch! Bye!”

“Chicken!” Cole’s laugh trailed after me as I disappeared into the back, all but running directly into Juniper as the heavy curtain swung shut behind me.

I just managed to stop myself from completely knocking her over, my arm hooking around her waist and steadying her as she swayed.

“Sorry, I should’ve been watching,” I said quickly, inhaling a lungful of her spicy orange and clove perfume.