Page 7 of Mimosa (Murphy's Pub #2)

Chapter Seven

The night was coming on fast and Mims stood in front of his mirror after each change of clothes, scowling. “I look like a…shit, I don’t even know.”

He took out his phone and called Abs. As soon as his friend answered, Mims whined, “I cannot find anything to wear, and I want to look good tonight.”

“Be right there,” he said and ended the call.

Abs truly loved making people look their best.

It wasn’t three minutes before Abs was bursting into the room with an armful of clothes.

“How did you get here that fast with clothes?”

“I expected your call,” he said nonchalantly as he tossed the pile of clothes on the bed. “Let’s get to work on you.”

Mims laughed a little but he wasn’t laughing for long. In fact, he was grunting as his clothes were taken from him roughly and new ones were being forced over his head before he was spun around in circles so Abs could contemplate.

As he stood with his chin resting on his fist, he stared at Mims. “That’s a little better. Try that with those black pants.”

“The shiny ones?”

“Problem?”

“No,” he insisted quickly, unwilling to spark the ire of the guy. He got on the pants and was spun a couple more times.

“Better. Now, those shoes of yours with the little heel, the what? Three inch heels, I think they are, and then we’ll get this choker on you,” he said of the satin ribbon he took from his pants pocket.

After the shoes and choker were on him, a little padlock hanging from the ribbon on his throat, Abs started on his hair. “Next time, get me when your hair’s still wet. But I think some body is in here somewhere.”

“I have body in my hair!”

“You don’t show it! Stop moving.”

Mims laughed to himself as he was made over by Abs. Usually, he could pass Abs’s inspection easily, but that night, it was different. He wanted to look his absolute best, and Abs was good at makeovers. Especially last-minute ones.

Cosmo had been totally clueless when it came to fashion and what would rile up the weekend crowds, but Abs had mentored him, and now the crowd waited to see how hot Cosmo looked each and every weekend.

“Make up?”

Mims looked into the mirror on his vanity and saw the two pimples on his chin, so he pleaded, “Please? Not a lot, though. I have no idea if he…you know, likes that.”

“Don’t make you too pretty for the rough and tough cop. Got it.”

Abs got some foundation and cover up on him, a little bit of shadow over his lids that made the gold flecks in his eyes pop, and of course, curled his lashes. “I still want to put false eyelashes on you.”

“I told you, I have fine lashes, they just don’t curl enough.”

“I know. Believe me.”

When Abs was done, he stood in the full length mirror with Mims as he looked over himself.

He had a white crop top under his orange mesh, tight white jeans and his brown heeled boots.

Having his hair spiked a little gave him another inch in height and his eyes positively glowed. “Thanks, Abs.”

“Go get him.”

“You don’t mind?”

Abs barked a laugh and asked, “Why would I mind?”

“Another cop. We were stressed about one, and now two might be here, knowing all our stuff. I don’t want to cause you guys more stress.”

“We love Taran. And sure, we don’t know Sonny yet, but…well, if you ever think he’s going to hurt us, you will tell us, right?”

“Of course!”

“Then that’s all any of us needs to know. Now, let’s go wow ‘em!”

Abs was wearing shorts and a long sleeved shirt, which would be a strange combination anywhere except Colorado. That was a normal ensemble, though his clothes were all black and he had thick drawn liner to match around each eye, as well as long fake lashes.

They met the others at the bottom of the stairs, as they usually did, so they could file in together behind the long bar in the front of the pub.

The pub was old school, wood tables, chairs, the bar itself, and metal fixtures, signs and ornaments. It looked like any old pub in Ireland, only it was much bigger, and most Irish pubs didn’t have a string of hot guys dancing behind the bar.

As they emerged, the crowd parted for them and began to whoop and holler as they rushed to the bar. Hippy got there first, crawling up onto the surface of the bar and juggling three bottles of peppermint schnapps.

The crowd went insane as usual, but the others were too busy taking drink orders as Hippy was the first to entertain everyone.

Mims was already pouring vodka into the blender with coffee liquor and heavy cream to make the pub’s famous White Russians, and Abs was beside him, making enough mixture for five Cosmopolitans.

“The crowd is thick tonight,” Abs yelled. “Did you see him?”

“Not yet. I might not see him at all with this crowd.”

“Oh, you will.”

As Mims took the money for the drinks, he let his eyes roam the faces in the crowd. No sign of Sonny yet, but even if he were there, Mims would be hard pressed to see him.

Haze joined Hippy on the bar and they did a little dirty dancing for the patrons. The tips rolled in when they did that. Goldie sidled up to him, and his deep voice rumbled through Mims. “You see him?”

“Abs has a big mouth.”

“This entire pub is like a small town! What do you expect? There are no secrets here.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re the tall one. If you see a sexy Latinx man with piercing dark eyes, point him out.”

“Wow, that’s…broad.”

Having to look up drinks wasn’t anything new, but when he got one he’d never heard of, he was so stressed about finding it in their digital library of drinks, the name of it completely passed his notice until he found it and read it on the page.

The Great Heist.

“Okay, that cannot be a coincidence.”

He turned and saw Sonny, smiling right at him. He closed out the e-reader and walked over to the bar, leaning as much as he could. “Funny.”

“Never made one?”

“I’ve made a few, but none of them great,” he said, laughing. “How about a shot and a beer?”

“Perfect.”

“When you get a minute, I’ll be on the patio. Bring my shot and beer.”

“I’ll do a round soon. See you then.”

Abs was right next to him when he pulled back. “That’s the guy? Holy hell!”

“Told you.”

“Where’d he go?”

“Patio, but Goldie just went for a round and we’re about to do a trick. After, I’ll go.”

“No,” Abs said, and got a beer from the fridge and took off the top, handing it to Mims to hold while he poured a shot of upper-shelf whiskey. “If he’s not into whiskey, you drink it. Calm your nerves.”

“I don’t drink whiskey!”

“Make an exception.”

Cosmo was there before he could take the shot. “Did you see him?”

“Yeah.”

Cosmo teased, “He’s into you. Big time. I saw him and he watched you like you were the only guy in the pub.”

A bottle flew by them as Abs tossed one to Haze and the crowd cheered.

“Get out of here and go see the guy. We have this.”

“Okay,” he said, then laughed. “Twist my arm!”

He took the beer and shot, setting them on a tray before heading out from behind the bar and through the crowd to the patio.

The patio was an outside spot that was surrounded on three sides by the building and one side by a chain linked fence. Once he got back there, walking through smoke and vapor, he saw Sonny watching him from a table near the fencing. He got over to the guy and set down his tray. “Do you smoke?”

“Nah, but it’s a little crowded in there for my preference.” Sonny pushed out one of the other chairs at the table with his foot. “Sit for a minute.”

“I just started working. I’m not due for a break yet.”

“I don’t think your boss will mind.”

It’s true. Murphy only jumped their asses if they were fucking off a lot, and they rarely did, so he’d only jumped on one of them exactly one time. After taking the seat, he was across from the beautiful man who was wearing a muscle shirt, and he hadn’t shaved, so his whiskers darkened and outlined his face perfectly.

“Where is your partner?”

“In there. He is watching the exits, but I guarantee no one else will show. They don’t even want to pretend to want to stake out the place.”

“Homophobes?”

“Yeah. Homophobes and assholes.”

After taking the shot and a drink of the beer, Sonny set the bottle back onto the tray and pushed the whole thing aside so he could reach over and grab Mims’s hand. “Might as well start our act.”

His hand was hot and it held Mims’s tightly, like he wasn’t allowed to get away. Mims liked that. A lot. “You know…what if it turns out that…I mean, if you, or if I…?”

“It’s pretend for now. If that changes, we’ll figure it out.”

That disappointed him considerably. “Shame.”

“Yeah. Sure is a shame.”

Mims smiled and Sonny smiled right back at him, and the way his lashes fluttered as he lowered his eyes, Mims’s heart skipped a few beats. “God, you’re sexy,” Mims blurted, and then snatched his hand away from Sonny’s so he could cover his face with both of his own.

Mims soon felt Sonny grabbing each of his wrists to pull his hands from his face. With a deep, stern voice, Sonny said, “Don’t do that. Don’t ever cover that face.”

With his clenched and eyes narrowed at him, Mims melted, and knew for sure that he’d never cover his face again in the man’s presence. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m glad you think I’m sexy.”

Before he did something to upset Sonny, like running to hide his embarrassment, he rose slowly and said, “I need to get back to work. Are you gonna be here a while?”

“I am.”

“I’ll be back. To, uh…take your next order.”

“Sure thing.”

He didn’t run back, but he walked quickly, giggling and ready to scream with joy. Abs saw him first thing, then the others crowded around him as he returned to the bar. “What? Why are you blushing? Did you guys sneak upstairs or something?” Abs asked.

“No! Of course not! He’s just…”

Goldie chuckled. “He’s sprung.”

“God, Goldie, that is so…nineties!”

“How would you know?”

“I watch movies from that bygone era,” Abs said as if that should explain it all.

Cosmo was the voice of reason. “Mims, he’s super hot. I’m happy for you.”

“Happy? We just…talked a couple of minutes.”

Cosmo nodded to the right of them and they all turned to see Sonny, smiling just as widely as Mims was. Cosmo went to him to take his order, and Mims giggled before he got back to work. “I swear, he’s just…I can’t even explain it!”

“Good for you,” Hippy said, and kissed the top of his head. “Happy for you.”

Mims thought of the conversation he’d had with Abs and his smile faded. “You’ll get someone too, just as sexy!”

As he watched Hippy’s eyes cut to Cosmo, then away, he grunted, “Yeah. Sure.”

Before he could shed the tears for Hippy that were threatening to fill his eyes, Cosmo was back. “He has to run, but he’s coming back. He wants you to call him.”

“He has to go?”

“Yeah.”

Mims rushed over to Sonny and handed him his phone. “Here.”

As Sonny added his number to Mims’s phone, he said, “Remember when you text me, to be careful of what you say. Nothing about…well, you know.”

“I’m a hacker. I know how much information cops can get. Are you okay? Why are you leaving?”

“Oh, nothing about all this. I have to run to help my mother for a few. She’s got this new table, and it needs to be put together. She always asks me to do this stuff, even though I know she can do it herself. It’s her way of getting me there to give me the third degree.”

Mims smiled, feeling both warm that he’d drop everything for his mom and jealous that his own never called him for help. “Okay, if you can’t get back, call me tomorrow and we’ll…set up a, you know…”

“Date. I’ll be back. Believe me. Be ready for me.”

Mims watched him pushing through the crowd and his heart nearly stopped. Abs grabbed his hand, pulling him back behind the bar. “Come on, Mims, you’re drooling!”

“Can’t help it. I just…can’t help it.”

They did three less than synced routines on the bar while Hippy and Mims kept making drinks. Mims did a few passes around the pub, as did Cosmo and Haze, picking up the bottles and glasses that Murphy hadn’t gotten to. Some nights, people stopped him to talk for an hour, and he never dissuaded them. It was important to him to keep his patrons happy.

So when they started getting low on glasses, they knew Murphy was stuck jabbering with someone. After gathering two other trays full of them, he came back a third time with a full tray of empties, and Abs whispered into his ear, “Right on time for last call.”

Abs jerked his chin to the other side of the bar and there was Sonny, leaning back on the bricks, staring. “Damn…”

“Yeah, damn,” Abs said with a giggle. “Hey guys, Mims took more passes than all of us, so let him head out early,” Abs said to the others.

Haze was the only one that didn’t look thrilled. Mims went to him, stood on his tiptoes and hugged him around the neck. “I’m gonna be okay. Stop worrying.”

“If he so much as looks at you the wrong way, Mims…”

“I know, and I love you for it.”

When he got to Sonny, however, Sonny’s eyes were right on Haze instead of Mims.

“Hey. Want to…go for a ride or something?”

“Why ask me? Why not ask that guy?”

Mims suddenly smiled so widely, he felt like his smile could sprout him wings to fly. The guy was jealous. It had been years since anyone had been jealous of him. “Well, I could, being that he’s my very best friend, but I’d rather go with you right now.”

“Best friend?”

Finally, he was looking at Mims. “Yeah. Has been for years and he’s seen me naked, sure, but only when I was changing. We don’t…do that stuff together.”

Sonny grabbed his hand and led him outside, “We’ll talk more about that. Right now.”