“So are you okay with it?” Serena nods as if coaxing me to say yes. That conversation we had a few months back comes rushing back to me. Serena told me she was a waitress at the Black Bear, and I thought she was kidding. Iinsistedthat she waskidding.
Shep struts by along with a younger crowd—more of Teagan’s friends, Iassume.
“How about we revisit this conversation? I’m sort of throwing a birthday party in the nextroom.”
Teagan shakes her head, clearly ticked off that I’m not warming to her bright idea of boys and booze. “Excuse me, but I’ve got a shift to finish. I’ll talk to you guys later.” She leaves in a huff, displacing her chair in a loud manner as it scrapes against thefloor.
Marlin shakes his head at me in disappointment while rising from his seat. “I’ve got a shit ton to finish,too.”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I stand to meet him while silently demanding he side withme.
“Because it’s not a big deal, Lex. You’re making it something more than it is. To be honest, I was shocked when she was headed to Barnes. Heck, I was shocked whenyouwent toBarnes.”
My mouth falls open as my brother walks over and gives me a quick embrace. “Chill out, would you?” he whispers before taking off, and all the barflies scuttle around him until he hits the door. A man in uniform gets them everytime.
Rush offers up a quick embrace and heads over to his friends at anothertable.
“Hey.” Sunday pulls me back into the moment. “How about we check on that birthday bash? You don’t mind if I crash, doyou?”
“Not at all.” I lead her to the poolroom where the party seems to be raging at top teen decibels. Teagan has a tiara pressed to her head, and she’s dancing with an entire circle of boys. Great. Axel is going to hate me for pimping out his baby sister to a bunch of future frat boys—at the infamous BlackBeernoless.
Shep steps up, and his eyes light up as soon as he sees Sunday. “Who is this, and how fast can you introduce us?” he teases. Or at least I think he’steasing.
“She’s family, and she’s way too young for you.” I look to Sunday. “On second thought, you don’t have to hang out with a bunch of teenagers. Why don’t you hang out with your girlfriends instead?” I glare over at Shep. “This room is suddenly swimming withpiranhas.”
Sunday laughs as if it were the funniest thing in the world, but her eyes linger over Shep’s a moment. My God, now I’ll have to worry nonstop about the fact both she and Serena are hypersexual. When did chastity belts ever go out of style, and how fast can I bring themback?
Sunday disappears as if she read my mind in a thought bubble floating above myhead.
Shep smacks his lips with disappointment. “You do realize I’m not apredator.”
“I do realize you work for your father.” I change the subject on a sexual dime. The truth is, I need a reprieve from all things hormonal. “Hey—are you up on all your father’s newacquisitions?”
“I should say so. I was at the meeting this afternoon. He’s grooming me to take over one day.” A waitress offers him a drink—pineapple-tini, a nonalcoholic drink Teagan had her heart set on. It’s nice to see the bartenders here are willing to play along and make all of our Freedom Fest fantasies cometrue.
“Really? Do you remember the idea Abby Wilcox pitched? A blonde about yea high, with a perverted look in her eyes and a panache for Collins boys? Ten bucks says she’s already gifted you her bestline.”
“I do know Abby.” He squints at my uncanny ability to detail her, no doubt. “And yes, I might have a date with her later thisevening.”
“Never mind your nasty bedtime habits. What was shepimping?”
“Some restaurant review site called Epilates orsomething.”
My stomach bottoms out. “EpicureanElite?”
“Yeah, that’s it. Axel said it was genius, and he was right. It’s brilliant is what it is.” Shep cranes his neck past me in Sunday’s wake. “Hey, is shesingle?”
“Like I said, she’s family.” My body slaps with shock as I try to grasp what might behappening.
“I get it.” Shep holds his hands up in surrender. “By the way, if you have any questions for Abby, you can ask her yourself. She’s right out there.” He points his beer in the direction of the bar. “Every time I hit the Black Bear, I find her glued to a stool. She’s quite the fixture.” His brows pitch as if she were a fixture he wouldn’t mind decorating his body with. And knowing Shep, I’mright.
But I’m too blind with fury to even think about Shep or what he does with his body. I’m so blind with rage I’m about ready to eviscerate little Miss Wilcox right here at her favorite point of interest. I’m about to hang her by her heels on the nearest light fixture and have Teagan and her guests use her as apiñata.
I speed out into the bar thick with coeds, the band playing a little too loud as I weave my way through bodies, and I stopcold.
Standing less than ten feet away is a familiar head of dark hair with his arms wrapped around a petite bleached blonde. Her skirt is so short it hardly qualifies as the proper accouterment. He looks up and carefully peels her off of him because he’s simply a gentleman. It’s an all too familiar scene, and it sends the bile rising in the back of mythroat.
Axel darts for me. “Lex—it’s not what youthink.”
“That’s what you keep saying.” I bolt through a crowd of bodies and right out into the ice-coldnight.
“Lex—wait!” Axel catches me by the wrist and spins me into him, his face transformed with agony. “I swear to you, this wasn’t what it lookedlike.”
“It never is. Save your excuses.” I yank my hand free. “Just tell me this. Did you approve of Abby Wilcox working with yourfather?”
“Yes.” He nods so enthusiastically as if it were something I should want, too. “She’s on her way. I’ve signed off on everything. I’ve even asked Teagan to get the copyright rolling so she can move things along. I don’t want her anywhere near my restaurant. Orus.”
My mouth falls open. “You approved of this? Have you lost your mind?” I push past him as I speed to my car. “Go back inside and help yourself to that strumpet that’s attached herself to you. You haven’t changed one bit. And don’t think you’re doing us any favors.” I hop into Frank and start the engine. “There is nous.”
