Page 34

Layla

“Teag, let me in,” I plead.

“Just…give me a few minutes, okay?”

I pause, not wanting to leave him alone. “Do you want me to stay in here?”

After Norah checked his costume to make sure everything was where it should be, Teagan clomped down the hall in his platform boots to the bathroom. I followed him in, and he all but threw himself into a stall, closing and locking the door in my face, before vomiting in the toilet.

“No, you can go…” he barely gets the words out before he’s heaving again.

“Okay. I’ll come check on you in a few minutes.”

As I exit the bathroom, a large black-haired cat woman slinks toward me. It takes me a second to realize it’s Eamon in full costume. All three Irishmen are good-looking, and obviously, Teagan is the only man for me, but it would be an outright lie to say Norah’s fiancé doesn’t look damn fine in his attire. The black, leather bodysuit clings to him like it was painted on.

I let out a whistle. “Looking good, Kennedy!”

“Thanks,” he says dryly. “Remind me to never let Norah and Teagan challenge each other again. And no tequila. Ever.”

“Deal. Though after today, I don’t think Teagan will even consider it.” I throw a thumb over my shoulder toward the bathroom door. “He’s riding the struggle bus at the moment.”

“Aye, that’s what Norah said. I came to help.” He starts to rub a hand over his face.

“Ah-ah! Hands off!”

“Fuck. How do you lasses wear this shite? It’s suffocating.” The scowl on his made-up face just adds to his Grumpy Cat persona, making me giggle.

“Good luck with Teag.”

“We’ll see,” Eamon says doubtfully, pushing open the door. “He may not be very keen to listen if he’s this worked up.”

It’s so baffling to see Teagan in this state since he usually welcomes a challenge with open arms. I’ve never even seen him lose his temper. Shaking my head, I make my way back to Norah to see if she needs help with anything else. I find her talking to Dr. Andrews, the department head. He lifts his eyes when he sees me, waving me over.

“Miss Diaz! You’ve done some extraordinary work today!”

My face heats at the praise. Compliments always embarrass me.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Ms. Grady tells me you’re hoping to pursue a career in makeup application. How would you feel about joining the department? We could use your talent on the team.”

Norah told me this was a possibility, but having the confirmation is still a shock to my system. I never thought that my dream could become a reality.

“I would be honored, Dr. Andrews. Thank you!”

“Excellent!” He claps his hands together before extending one to me. “Come see me next week and we’ll discuss the details.”

“Of course,” I say, accepting the handshake. “ Thank you so much!”

He smiles warmly. “Alright, it’s almost showtime. I’ll be out in the audience if you need me.”

Norah reaches over to squeeze my hand. “See? I told you he’d love your work!”

My cheeks hurt from grinning so hard. I can’t believe that my dream is becoming a reality. Even if this just becomes a side job, it’s still more than I ever thought possible. And now that my family is learning to be more supportive, it’s just that much sweeter.

“Thank you, Norie, for pushing me to do this,” I tell her sincerely. “I wouldn’t have done it on my own.”

She smiles sweetly at me. “All you needed was one open door. You did the rest. Now, let’s go check on your man and get him on stage.”

We don’t have to go far. Eamon and Teagan are walking toward us, the former draping an arm over the latter’s shoulders. Catwoman is murmuring something to the devil, who is nodding his head weakly. He looks so sullen, but not nearly as queasy.

“You’ve got this, mate.” I hear Eamon say.

“We good?” I ask once they are within earshot.

Teagan blows out a breath before meeting my gaze. “Aye, Lovely. Or at least, we will be.”

“Kennedy and O’Brien!” Rowan hollers as he stalks toward the group. “Huddle up! Just like before a match. Let’s go!”

Teagan and Eamon look sideways at each other before shrugging and following orders. They form a small circle, arms hooked over each other’s shoulders, heads bent together.

“Alright, listen up, boyos. This isn’t like a regular match, yeah? This is bigger. Our opponent is unlike any we’ve ever faced. But do we back down from a challenge?”

The other two mutter a weak “no”.

“Ach, c’mon, you can do better than that! Do we back down from a challenge?”

“NO!” They roar.

“Fuckin’ right, we don’t! Because who are we? ”

“Seahawks!”

They’re swaying back and forth in their little circle, chanting and yelling. It’s ridiculous, but it’s working. Teagan is no longer sulking, but grinning from ear to ear. Eamon’s eyes are bright with determination. Norah and I, however, are laughing our asses off.

“Now let’s get out there and show them that it takes more than some face paint and tight costumes to keep us down!” Rowan challenges, putting an arm in the middle of their circle.

Once they’ve all stacked hands, they roar “Seahawks” one last time, and break. Norah snorts and then ushers them to stage right.

“Alright, Seahawks, don’t forget to smile your biggest smiles, bat those lashes, and sway your hips for all you’re worth.”

Rowan gives her a haughty look before prancing onto the stage, blowing kisses and twerking while spinning the lasso over his head. The tassels on his costume bounce with his movements, scattering a kaleidoscope of color over the floor. He gives the audience quite the show and they’re eating it up. By the time he reaches his marked spot, Teagan is taking his position. He looks over at me, so I blow him a kiss. With a wink and a wicked grin, he squares his shoulders and struts onto the stage, twirling his long devil tail. He took Norah’s instructions seriously, and is swinging his hips so hard I’m afraid they’ll dislocate. He stops and pivots, angling his body to show off every aspect of the costume. Someone in the audience whistles loudly, causing him to quirk a brow before shaking a finger at them. I dissolve into a fit of giggles so hard, I’m crying.

It’s not until Eamon takes his place that I compose myself, but that only lasts a moment because he grabs Norah’s face, planting a hard kiss on her mouth. He releases her and swaggers to join the others. While slinking his way across the stage, he claws at the air and hisses at the crowd. Then, without warning, he drops his body low, rolls back up seductively, and slaps his ass. Norah is holding her stomach and crowing with laughter. I think we all expected Rowan to rise to the challenge, but the other two killed it. I’m so proud of them, but mostly Teagan. He faced a fear, and in true Teagan fashion, made it a joyful experience .

I watch as the trio of Irishmen take a bow to a standing ovation. Ro is still blowing kisses and circling his lasso, while Eamon and Teagan hold up their tails and flip their long wigs over their shoulders. Norah catches my attention and rolls her eyes at their antics, but there’s nothing but love and affection in her gaze. Not just for Eamon, but all of them. She doesn’t have biological relatives anymore, but she’s proof that people don’t have to share DNA to form families. Family can be found in the group of people that love you for who you are and encourage you to be the best and most authentic version of yourself.

And I’m lucky enough to have two.