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“These really aren’t so bad,” she said softly. “Juniper was being mean… Close your eyes.”

I let my lids flutter shut obediently, listening as the scissors snipped and feeling the gentle fall of the strands on my nose, making it itch.

Elsie worked quickly as I patiently waited, snipping and combing for a few turns before her hairdryer hummed to life, blowing the hairs off my face before she brushed and dried my bangs.

“Okay, done! No, wait!” she said quickly as I started to swivel, aiming for a look at myself in the mirror. “Let me fix your makeup first, we’ll do a grand reveal.”

“Okay, okay, I’m waiting.”

She grinned, using a makeup wipe to tidy up the mascara before dabbing on a bit of extra concealer and a fair bit of peachy blush. “You really are gorgeous; ever thought about dancing?”

“I’m a terrible dancer.”

“You’re so hot you could be doing the Macarena, and you’d still make good money,” she said, tapping on a bit of pinky nude lipstick with her finger.

“Until I busted my ass falling off the stage, sure.”

She rolled her eyes, motioning for me to turn. “Okay, okay, but look! Tell me it wouldn’t all be forgotten with a face likethat!”

I turned, catching myself in the mirror with a flicker of surprise. Elsie had managed to take my too-blunt bangs and shape them into something that worked with the soft curls in my half-dry hair. The makeup was an upgrade too—a little more done up than I usually went for, with plenty of colour to my cheeks giving me that healthy, sun-kissed glow I’d always envied from Kaylee.

“Damn.”

“That’s what I was saying!” She said proudly, brushing my hair behind my ear. “Stunning.”

Heat licked up my back.

“I-I should get this drink to Juniper.”

Her eyes glittered with triumph. “If you give it to me, I’ll go up to the roost and give it to June. I’m sure Ren is eager to get an eyeful of you anyway.”

“The roost?” I asked, choosing to ignore the jibe about her covenmate. I couldn’t exactly pretend that I wasn’t interested after we showed up soaked together.

Elsie pointed above us, and I tilted my head up to look at the loft. “June’s atelier; she’s probably up there sulking.” She took my hand to help me up, turning me around with a gentle nudge toward the curtain to the main bar. “Knock ‘em dead, Striker.”

I looked over my shoulder at the vampire. “Thanks. I’ll see you later?”

“I’ll be on stage before you know it. Try and watch my number! If you’re not slammed, I mean.” Elsie tucked her hair behind her ear shyly, her ruby eyes meeting mine for several beats that stretched between us like minutes.

When I found my voice, the words tumbled out of my mouth clumsily, making her grin. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

vi

. . .

Over the next week,Ren, Cole, and I fell into a natural rhythm—when the blond bartender decided to actually show up, at least. Dana and Ren weren’t joking about him being fucking unreliable, late more often than not, but it seemed to me that was just part of his devil-may-care attitude.

And, even if Ren bitched about it when he left us hanging, she always had a smile for Cole whenever he did manage to show.

As annoying as it was, I’d decided it was none of my business. Cole—Blondie to the guests—could come and go as he pleased. As long as I was still making enough money to consider finally putting a payment on my credit card, it didn’t make a difference to me.

Besides, when he was around, the three of us made a hell of a team. It felt like I’d been working at O for months instead of just a handful of days, muscle memory returning in full force.

At first, I’d been super turned off by feeling that I was backtracking my career goals, but the more I got to know my coworkers and the patrons, the easier it was to ignore that little voice in my head that sounded way too much like my dad berating me for not using my degree.

When I let myself relax a little and enjoy myself, I was having the time of my fucking life.

“Am I good to go for a break?” I called down to Ren, wiping a bit of spilled tonic water off the bar with a rag.