Page 91 of Total Creative Control
There was something bright and enquiring in her expression that made Aaron avoid her eyes. “No, it’s just… It’s been a long few weeks, I suppose. You know, leaving—Starting a new job and everything? I’m a little frazzled.”
“There’s a lot of that about.”
“Yeah?”
She knocked back the rest of her champagne. “I was talking to Lewis—”
“Hey, gorgeous.” Tag, who had broken away from Chika and Marc, sidled up and slipped his arm through Aaron’s. He smiled, running friendly fingers up and down his arm. “Need a refill?”
Aaron looked down to find he’d already drained his Bloody Vampire. He was pleasantly tipsy but wasn’t intending to get drunk tonight, hoping for some writing time later. Desperate for it, in fact. He needed to get back into the zone. It had been weeks since he’d written anything outside of work.
“I’ll have a beer,” he said. “But let me get it. You don’t have to wait on me.”
“Hey, zombie barista, remember?” Tag pulled a gruesome face and leaned in to jokingly nuzzle Aaron’s neck. “Do you want brains with that, sir?”
Ticklish, Aaron was laughing and pulling away when Toni grabbed his arm and said, “Oh. My. God.”
“What?” Aaron and Tag said together.
Toni just nodded towards the door, her eyes very wide. When Aaron turned around to see what she was staring at, he jolted so hard he just about hit the ceiling.
Skye Jäger stood in the doorway, glowering at everyone as if he’d walked straight out of Aaron’s daydreams, trademark leather trenchcoat flaring out behind him, dark glasses reflecting the shimmering party lights.
Only it wasn’t Skye Jäger.
“That’s Lewis,” Aaron said faintly, his heart doing strange wobbly things in his chest.
Just as he said it, Lewis’s gaze snagged on their little group. For a moment, he just stared, his expression impassive. Then he gave a curt nod and turned away to stalk towards the bar. The crowd parted before him. And who could blame them, faced with a man who looked like that?
Dressed as Skye, Lewis was breathtaking.
“Oh my God, is that Mr. Hunter?” Chika asked, pushing in to see what the fuss was all about. “It is! He’s come as Skye Jäger. That’s awesome!”
The corner of Toni’s mouth ticked up in amusement. “Are you sure?” she said, raising a brow in Aaron’s direction. “He looks more like the Green-eyed Monster to me.”
Aaron pretended not to hear that. He wasn’t sure what Toni thought she knew, but whatever it was, he knew better. Lewis had made his feelings painfully clear at Safehaven—if he was jealous, it would only be because seeing Aaron hanging out with theBow Streetteam reminded him that he’d lost him onLeeches. And there was no point in Aaron wishing otherwise.
“Come on,” he said, grabbing Tag’s hand and turning away. “Let’s dance.”
Aaron had never been into clubbing, and fortunately, the hotel ballroom was nothing like a real club, but the music was loud, the crowd was mostly young, and the bar was free—and since Aaron was already a bit boozed up, it wasn’t too hard to let go. Chika and Marc followed them onto the small dance floor, while Toni tottered over to join Jason and his heavily pregnant wife at one of the tables. Behind them, Aaron noticed Lewis drawing attention at the bar. Jay Warren was with him, and they were laughing together, taking selfies.
Determinedly, Aaron turned his back and focused on the music, on Chika and Marc larking about next to him. On Tag, who was dancing very close, displaying his delicious, nearly naked body to anyone who was watching. Life was good, Aaron told himself. Life was great!
And he had absolutely no business pining for things he couldn’t have.
Between the music and the Bloody Vampires, Aaron was able to lose himself in the moment. In several moments, in fact. About an hour of them. It was fun, letting go, pushing everything out of his head except the rhythm and the movement of his body.
Dancing like no one was watching.
Except that wasn’t quite true. Because every time Aaron happened to catch a glimpse of Lewis—which was often, given that Lewis was prowling around the ballroom—it seemed that Lewis’s gaze was on him, or just sliding away from him. Even when he was with other people, his attention seemed to be on Aaron. One time, Aaron looked up to see Mason leaning in close to Lewis, his expression very intent as he spoke quickly, gesticulating with his hands. But it was obvious Lewis wasn’t listening. He was nodding absently, his gaze repeatedly flicking towards Aaron and away again.
Lewis’s attention was messing with Aaron’s head—but it was undeniably thrilling. It provoked him to show off, to dance a little more sexily and rather closer to Tag than he otherwise might have done...
Eventually, though, the buzz waned, and Aaron began to feel hot, tired, and thirsty. Turned out that wizard robes were bloody annoying on a dance floor. No wonder you never saw Gandalf or Dumbledore strutting their funky stuff.
He signalled to Tag that he was going to get a drink and Tag leaned in, one arm looping around his neck to whisper-yell into his ear. “I’ll come too!”
Chika and Marc followed, Marc heading to the bar to fetch them more drinks while the rest of them collapsed into an array of chairs and loveseats clustered around a low table near the bar.