CHAPTER4
RAFF
“I know you.I can’t put my finger on how I know you, Mr. Handsome, but I do.” One of the women from tonight’s office party is very drunk. She’s holding onto my arm and swaying slightly. She’s exactly the right age to have watched one of my sets on YouTube, or maybe she’s been at a festival where I’ve played and danced the night away. I thought the baseball cap, short hair and casual clothes would make me invisible. I should have been more careful.
The last thing I want is the press getting wind of where I am and doing some kind of exposé. I wince as I imagine the headlines: Burnt Out Bad Boy Superstar DJ Found In Snowflake Falls! They’d be delighted. I’m sure they’d dig up someone from my past to make some kind of unsavory comment about what I did one Christmas past.
I smile vaguely at the woman. “I get that a lot. Would you like some more Prosecco? Or a glass of water?”
“Okay.” She’s distracted by a guy dressed as a reindeer trying to do a complicated breakdancing move on the dancefloor.
I walk over to the bar. Billie’s swapped last night’s elf costume for leather pants and a Nirvana t-shirt, topped with the branded Santa hat that Wyatt makes his employees wear during the holidays.
I put my hands on the bar. “Lady over there needs a glass of water. She’s quite a bit more than tipsy. I’ll take it over.”
“Coming right up. They’re all so rowdy tonight! Who’d have expected a bunch of accountants to party like this?” She pours a big glass of water and adds some ice.
I take the glass and turn around as the drunk woman comes swaying up.
“DJ Extra! OMG!” Her eyes are round and excited.
“I’m not the DJ. We have a mix of Christmas tunes playing, but I could look for something more exciting for you.” I hand her the water, hoping to distract her.
“We saw you at Coachella. You were really, really, really amazing…” Her voice slurs. I take a glance at Billie, who’s rolling her eyes and smirking.
“Really?” I wink at Billie. My hope is she thinks this woman is talking crap. In the back of my mind, I wonder what my game plan is here. At some stage, I should probably say something to Billie. But what if she hates what I have to tell her? It sounded like she’s had her fill of bad boys from her conversation with the barista. I don’t want her to get the wrong impression.
Hell, the first google result for my name is a photo of Dave and I standing up on a Ferris wheel, clutching bottles of tequila. We nearly got arrested for that.
“You gotta dance with me, okay? Wait until I tell my friends.” She tries to drag me onto the dance floor. I let her, glad she hasn’t asked for a selfie yet.
Billie laughs and shakes her head as the woman begins twerking to “All the Single Ladies,” barely staying upright. I hold on to her arm so she doesn’t fall over. She’s going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning. Through all the flailing arms on the dance floor, I spot a guy in a tired-looking suit leaning over the bar. He’s trying to flick the end of Billie’s Santa hat. She bats his hand out of the way, but he’s persistent.
What the fuck does he think he’s doing?
I lead the drunk woman over to a seat at the side of the dance floor. I think she’s forgotten who I am. When I turn back to the bar, the guy’s still bothering Billie and I stalk over to him. He’s a couple of inches shorter than me and maybe fifteen years older, out of shape and seedy-looking.
“Give me a kiss, Santa Baby. It’s part of the package.” His voice is raised.
“May I help you?” I put on my most officious-sounding voice.
“No.” He doesn’t look around.
“You’re bothering one of my employees.” I wedge myself in between him and the bar. I’m right up in his personal space and I couldn’t care less. He’s not getting a single inch closer to Billie, and if he tries, I will flatten him. I glare into his beady, red-rimmed eyes.
He steps back. This loser’s all bark and no bite. “Wait, hey. Look, I didn’t mean anything. She’s just…”
“Don’t blame it on her. Take responsibility for your own behavior. Now, are you going to treat her and everyone else here with respect? And leave a glowing five-star review? Or…” I’m still glaring at him.
He holds up his hands. “No harm, no foul. Sorry, ma’am. Okay, buddy?” He starts backing away. This guy’s a pushover.
I turn back to Billie. “You okay?”
“Thanks, boss. I had it under control, although I wanted to tip some of that peppermint schnapps over his head. I’ll be happy when these guys are safely locked up.”
“Hey, there’s an idea. Give me a second.” I find Darius, who’s typing something on a keypad.
“Let’s move the escape room entry forward by an hour,” I say.
