Page 7 of Midnight’s Captive (Stroke of Midnight #2)
That could have gone better. Ash wanted to punch something, anything, but mostly himself. He’d ruined his shot because he’d been too fucking gobsmacked that the hot bartender was the Jack. When had that happened?
He followed his escort back to the bar area. The pretty redhead with the pale skin was still behind the bar, wiping down the bar top and watching the patrons. She’d been there most of the night while he waited—others had helped out, but she seemed to be in charge. The Jack had told him to set the next meeting up at the bar. Ash needed that second appointment. Needed the chance to convince her to help him. He slid onto the same barstool he’d had earlier.
“Whiskey, no water?” the redhead asked.
“Yeah. Same tab too.” All his credits were in the Jack’s desk drawer. The one he’d left to cover his tab should have plenty left.
“Get what you needed?” She slid his drink in front of him.
“Not even close,” he said and laughed cynically. He sipped the whiskey, enjoying the way the alcohol burned on the way down. “The Jack said you could get me in to see her again.”
She studied him, then waved his escort over. Ash couldn’t hear what she asked, but Daryl nodded.
“You’re telling the truth.” She sounded surprised and he was slightly offended.
“So that next appointment?” He didn’t want to be a dick, but he’d spent all night waiting for the first meeting. He didn’t have time to wait that long again.
“Keep your shirt on.” She paused, looked him up and down. “Or, you know, don’t. I could use something pretty to look at.”
She smiled and he couldn’t resist smiling back. She was cute, but she didn’t rev his engine the way the Jack did.
How fucked up was that? Today he’d met two of the most powerful women in the city and was totally hot for one of them.
One could help him and one could hurt him. Actually, both could easily ruin his life—ruin Hope’s life. He had to figure out how to prevent that from happening.
“Soonest I got is two nights from now.” She flipped through an old-school paper notebook. If it had been a regular appointment calendar, he’d have hacked it to get an earlier appointment.
“That’s fine.” It wasn’t, but his options were rather limited.
He downed the last bit of alcohol. The warm burn hit again, this time followed by a head rush. Damn, was he drunk? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten drunk. It was too damn risky, especially in his room at Tremaine Headquarters.
He enjoyed the rush for a second longer, then refocused. He had to get back. “Can you close out my tab?”
“Sure.” After she’d processed the payment, she handed him the chip.
“Is there anything left on that?” he asked.
“Sure is.”
He grabbed her hand and turned it palm up, then dropped the credit chip back into it. “Keep the rest as a tip.”
Suspicion flared in her eyes and the flush of anger colored her cheeks. She backed away quickly, dropping the chip on the bar top. “I don’t do that.”
“Do what?” He’d missed something.
“Whatever it is you’re offering a lot of money for. I don’t do that anymore.”
What the hell? “I wasn’t asking you to do anything. I was just leaving you a tip.”
“Then you want information on the Jack.” Her eyes wide, she remained pressed against the bar.
“No. Not that either.” Though he wished he’d thought of it. Too late now. Though it obviously would have been the wrong move.
“Then why did you want to leave me a hundred-credit tip?”
“Shit! I didn’t realize it had that much on it.” Ash grabbed the credit chip off the bar and shoved it into his pocket. If she didn’t want the credits, he wasn’t going to throw them away.
“I’ll see you in two nights then.” He started toward the exit.
“Hey, what about my tip?”
Ash turned halfway and shrugged. “That’s all I had on me. You said you didn’t want it.”
At the door, he slipped his hand into his pocket. Fingering the credit chip, he decided to spring for a ride instead of walking back to headquarters.