I suppose I have a few of my own, but I don’t want heaviness tonight. Besides, I’m going to think before I allow my insecurities to do the talking.
Along the lines of getting things out of the way…there is something I should add to my resumé. I just don’t want to come across as shallow or self-important.
I sit forward. “Everly, I—”
“Hey, there, Ox.” A slap on my shoulder and a familiar voice dig into me.
Turning, I clasp Cliff’s firm grip. “Howdy, pardner.”
He makes a scoffing sound. “Don’t you go getting all Texan on me, Ox. We gotta go home when this is over.”
Marlene, clinging to his side, flinches ever so slightly, but she shakes it off, makes goofy, knowing eyes at Everly, and begins chatting her up. Cliff gives me a not-so-subtle thumbs-up before inquiring about my trip home. Why do friends and family turn obnoxious when they detect a little romance?
The four of us chat for a minute, and then Cliff and Marlene move along, probably preferring to be alone as much as Everly and I do.
“You think what’s happening between those two is serious?” I ask Everly as we begin our way back to the car once we’ve finished our drinks, her hand nestled in mine.
“It’s hard to say with Marlene. She dates a lot, and not always the greatest men. But I’m getting a weird vibe off her where Cliff is concerned.”
I tuck my free hand in my coat pocket. “Not too weird, I hope. Cliff is a solid guy, so I’d hate to see her mess with him. He lost his wife a while back, and as far as I know, this is his first foray into the dating scene since.”
She looks up. “You’ve known him a long time?”
“He’s worked for LHS for ages.” Here’s my moment. “Listen, Everly, I—”
“Woohoo, well looky here. The hotshot’s gonna have him some fun tonight!”
My stomach and my fist coil. Mike sways towards us. Crawford is at his side, steady, but with eyes showing signs he’s thrown a few back himself. His mouth twitches like something is super funny, though he hangs in the offing while Mike leers, oozing his gaze up and down Everly.
“’Bout time you found you shome action.” Mike’s words slur.
Everly’s fingers in mine clench. My blood begins a rolling boil. I return the squeeze and bend to her ear. “Give me a sec, okay?”
Mike glares but doesn’t fight me too hard when I step him off the path, hauling him into a short alley between two buildings and pressing him to the bricks. “You’re drunk.”
“What of it?”
The fumes in my face make my nose bunch. “This isn’t that kind of event, dude. It’s a Christmas tree-lighting, for crying out loud.”
“It’s whatever I want it to be. What’s it to you, anyway, Saint Knox?”
He hurls the moniker as if I’m supposed to be insulted. “It’s a lot to me when you’re disrespecting my date and stumbling around like a fool. And all while wearing the company logo.”
“Hey, it’s the only coat I got.”
“If you’re gonna misbehave in public, buy a new one.” I edge closer, borderline in his face.
He gets all the way in mine. “Pay me more, and I will.”
More? He’ll be lucky to have a job once Rand and I have a talk. “You know company policy.”
He bats my words away. “Nobody follows that.”
“They do starting now. See, Mike, you’re the reason the rest of the kids can’t have nice things.”
His glare heats, raising my guard. I’ll swing if I need to, but I sure don’t want to. “Get out of here and buy yourself something to wear on your own time.” I pivot, staying one eye on the loser I’ve put up with way too long. “Crawford?”
Mike’s sidekick shuffles into the shadows with us. Everly, fist to her mouth, watches from the end of the alley.
