Page 52

“Well,” I interrupted slowly, taking the opportunity for what it was. Prime flirting material. “I think you’d make some great tips.” I winked, making the vampire growl, even though her carefully constructed outrage was severely undermined by the twitch of her lips, hinting at a smile.

“You’re delusional.”

Juniper might have a prickly personality, but with her full thighs and generous bust, wrapped up deliciously in a lace bodysuit she’d paired with a little leather miniskirt and matching knee-high boots hugging her calves…

Yeah, she’d make a killing.

Ren breezed through the curtain to take the crate from me, a dark eyebrow raised. Clearly, the vampire had been listening in. “Come on, Juniper, we all need to pull our weight,” she reasoned. “Think of all the extra work poor Striker is going to have if you don't help.”

“What if there’s a fashion emergency?” Juniper shot back, crossing her arms. “Who’ll fix the costumes?"

"Peaches takes her top off in the first thirty seconds of her number; it will be fine,” Dana commented as she headed past with another box. “It’s not like we planned for this; three of the servers have some fucking stomach bug, Xuxuzinho. C’mon, for me?”

This earned a giggle from Elsie, who was obviously enjoying herselfwaytoo much with this turn of events. Maybe the secret weapon wasn’t the little blonde after all—it was the entire coven.

The redhead groaned, perhaps sensing that this four-on-one dogpile was only going to get worse the more people walked by.

“This is so not what I meant when I said I wanted to get fucked tonight,” she shot at Ren, who shrugged with a chuckle, disappearing back to the main bar with Dana following behind. “Fine! But only this once. And I want to be assigned to the VIP only; I’m not dealing with any cheapskates on the main floor."

"Deal!” Dana shouted back at us. “Now was that so hard?”

Elsie smacked a kiss against Juniper's cheek, leaving behind a print of pink lipstick. “Yay! Thank you, Junebug!”

“Junebug?”

“Yeah, look scary and hiss a lot but are harmless,” Cole said, throwing his jacket onto the coat rack just on the other side of the bar’s wall as he leaned through the curtain.

“Blondie, nice to see you’ve made it.”

“And on time!” He chuckled with a proud little puff of his chest.

The lights flashed twice, letting us know that we were open to patrons, and Juniper rolled her eyes.

“Barely,” she muttered. “Break a leg, Els.”

“Thank you!” the blonde vampire called back, turning to me as Juniper headed into the bar to get a tray. “Did you get a chance to look at the food?”

I had, if only barely, between running bottles, prepping extra garnishes, and helping Kaylee get into the insanely tight corset she’d be wearing on stage tonight.

The day had barely begun, and I was already exhausted.

“Yeah; I’ll bring you something sweet on my break, okay?”

Elsie smiled, her sharp little fangs poking out from under her lips. “I’d love that.”

“Striker! Look alive!” Ren shouted, and I made a move to step past Elsie, but she stopped me with a hand on my chest.

“One sec,” she said softly, reaching up to press her finger onto my cheek, picking up a stray eyelash. “Make a wish?”

I couldn’t help but laugh, blowing the eyelash from her finger.

I really hope to kiss you tonight.

“What’d you wish for?”

“Can’t say.” I gently took her hand away from where my heart was hammering in my chest. “Or it won’t come true, you know how it is. Have a good show. I’ll see you in a bit?”

“Yeah, for sure,” she answered, her preternaturally pale cheeks pinking in the low backstage light. “You’ll crush it.”