Page 6 of Petals of Blue, Part One (Wilted Duet #1)

One

BLUE

“Blue, babe! Come take a shot with us!"

Shit. I strut my ass around him for the sake of tips, flirt a little to keep his college buddies coming back, and this is what I get. "Awww, sorry, Dale. I have a mess to clean up." Lie. Christ, I hate working the floor.

"Boo!" The blond, curly-haired guy pouts, but he's soon distracted by Bethany breezing past. My bestie is fucking stunning and far too sweet for these young frat boys. Especially not the one drooling over her; they look like they could be siblings.

"You're too sexy to clean shit, babe." Dale leans in, the stench of vodka making me just as nauseous as his pet name for me. "Have a drink with me."

Classic fucking asshole. Whatever happened to people saying please? And what makes this douche canoe think I'd trip over my high heels to hang out with him? I bet he's at least five years my junior.

"Maybe some other time, Dale," I say, adding a slight rasp to my voice to keep him hooked. He may be an entitled jackass, but he gives good tips. And good tips mean another girls’ night out. Or brunch. Ooo, or pizza.

"Blue!" my other bestie shouts.

With a girly wave, I leave Dale's table and hustle—elegantly—back behind the safety bar and sidle up to Janine. "'Sup?"

She glances at me with a frown while cracking the top of another beer. "What? Oh, I figured you could use a rescue."

I kiss her bare shoulder in appreciation. "Thanks, love."

Janine hums, her short black hair sticking to her neck as she powers through a lineup of Vodka Sevens.

"Screw that guy," Bethany huffs, coming up behind us to take a sip of water. "His friends are creeps."

I nod, laughing at her shiver of disgust. Both of us kick off our heels and slip our tennis shoes on so we can get back to helping Janine. Thankfully, the three of us can stay behind the bar now that a few waitresses are off their breaks.

We quickly fall into our usual rhythm mixing drinks, ignoring sexual innuendos, and generally making it through another busy night at Serpent's Kiss.

A very familiar beat roars through the club, drawing a grin from me and my girls. “Shots” by LMFAO draws the crowd to us, giving me the boost I need. Bopping my head and jumping up with Janine and Bethany between pouring shots is the vibe I fucking live for.

Sneaking a lemon drop with my besties, I tilt my head back and let the thump of the bass flow through my body.

"SHOTS!" the crowd screams, making me grin. The people I serve may be incredibly handsy, judgmental, rude and a ton of other shit at times, but they're the definition of fun. And fun is what I live for these days.

With a big ass grin, I turn on my heel with a bottle of tequila in my grip. "Raise your hands if you're fucked up!" I bellow and relish the excitement I receive in return.

God, it feels good to help the people of Chicago have a good time.

For the time being, I lose myself in their smiles and happiness.

This line of work makes it easy for me to get lost in my head as I move through the motions.

Instead of losing myself in my dark thoughts, I flirt, dance, and smile my heart out.

As the night winds down and partiers are stumbling out the door with security on their asses, my shoulders begin to slump.

"You okay?"

Glancing up from the now spotless counter, I find Kevin watching me worriedly. "Hey." I smile. Kevin's a great guy, and one of my best friends. "I'm good. You leaving?"

He glares at me, his dark eyes pinning me in place. "Not until you do, Blue. You know that."

I roll my eyes and finish my closing tasks. It's nice to have someone looking out for me, especially at three in the morning. "Thanks, bubs," I say to Kevin as he locks the door behind us.

He grumbles at the nickname, making me laugh. I'm appreciative of how he escorts me to my car every night he can. "Drive safe, Blue. See you tomorrow."

"See ya."

My feet scream once I'm sitting, and I glare at the heels I toss in the back. I'm ready to sleep for at least twelve hours. Unless Violet wakes up early. Please let tomorrow morning be the day she actually sleeps in.

I turn the car key and dread the five-minute drive to my apartment, but I have to do it.

Sleep. I need sleep.