“I met someone tonight who wants to adopt you,” Josie said as she lifted Phantom into her lap, stroking him gently until he woke, stretching, blue eyes blinking up at her from his fluffy black face.
Nigel stalked by, giving her a haughty look for checking on the kittens without greeting him first. He was always great with her foster babies, though, once they were old enough to leave their playpen and romp around the apartment with him. He was like the cool older brother, showing them all the best playground hacks while he feigned annoyance when they tackled him and batted at his tail.
“Get over here, you,” she said, extending a hand in his direction, and he walked over, purring as she gave him a neck rub. “You know you’re my boy. The little ones are only temporary.”
It was a tough but necessary rule for any animal rescuer. If she kept the kittens she saved, she wouldn’t have room to save more. But she loved helping them find perfect homes. She still had to vet Jules as an adopter, but her gut said whichever kitten or kittens she adopted would be lucky to have her.
Josie fed the remaining kittens as quickly as she could without rushing them. Then, she hurried downstairs to rejoin Adam behind the bar. They poured more drinks, and for the first time in weeks—maybe months—she had enough customers to warrant last call.
She walked over to Eve, who was sitting by herself now, still sipping whiskey as she looked at something on her phone. “You’re still here.”
Eve looked up. Something in her had softened over the course of the evening as her camera-ready makeup wore off, exposing the woman Josie had gotten to know over the last two weeks. “Thought I should stick around in case anything went wrong.”
“Is that so?” Josie cocked a hip against the bar.
“Who’s going to help you break up the next bar fight?” she said, lips curving into a sardonic smile.
“Somehow, I don’t think this group is the fighting type.” Josie swept her gaze around the bar. Two women were kissing in the back, while a couple of men slow danced together on an imaginary dance floor in the center of the room. She never would have imagined turning this place into a gay bar. She’d balked at the idea when Eve first presented it to her. But now that she was standing here looking at the results? “Thank you for pushing me on this and for having the vision to see it in the first place.”
“You’re welcome.”
“We’re closing in a few minutes.”
“I know,” Eve said, draining the last of her whiskey.
“Don’t go anywhere, you know, just in case…” She winked, but she wasn’t thinking about bar fights, and she didn’t think Eve was either.
“I won’t.”
Josie cleaned up behind the bar, a ritual she’d completed a thousand times. Tonight, she had Adam at her side, watching and helping, learning what needed to be done. She wished her last customers good night as they headed out into the night.
“We’ll be back,” one of the men told her, pulling her in for an impulsive hug. “This is exactly the kind of place I’ve always wanted to see in this neighborhood.”
“I’m so glad,” she told him, feeling the prick of tears behind her eyes.
Elizabeth came down from the rooftop. They finished closing up together, and more hugs were exchanged before she sent Elizabeth and Adam home. And then she was standing in the middle of her empty bar, this brand-new space that already felt like home in a way Swanson’s never had.
And she wasn’t alone. Eve rose quietly from her barstool, walking over to join Josie in the center of the room. Music still played over the sound system, an instrumental version of one of Josie’s favorite pop tunes. In the sudden absence of conversation, the music seemed much louder.
“Okay?” Eve asked quietly, reaching out to brush the tears from Josie’s cheeks. She hadn’t even realized they were there until Eve’s fingers were rubbing them away.
She nodded, blinking as more tears fell. “Really okay. Better than okay.”
“Good.”
Josie wrapped her arms around Eve, hugging her tightly. Cheek to cheek, they held on to each other, swaying to the rhythm of the music. Josie hadn’t had any alcohol tonight except for that one shot Adam had given her twelve hours ago, but her head was spinning, drunk off the euphoria of a successful night, the aftereffects of the adrenaline that had fueled her through her shift, and the woman in her arms.
Eve sighed, and Josie felt the tension go out of her spine as she settled closer against her, relaxing into their embrace. She felt so small in Josie’s arms. So petite. So…mortal. She’d been this larger-than-life presence all night, effortlessly and tirelessly managing theDo Overcrew while she mingled with customers, interviewing them and answering their questions about the bar. Eve Marlow, business mogul, television host, all-around badass.
Right now, she was just Eve. Josie trailed her fingers up and down her spine, rewarded by a shiver and a hitch in her breath. Eve turned her face, lips pressed to Josie’s cheek.
“Eve,” she whispered, arms tightening around her. “You’re fired.”
“What?” Eve drew back to meet her eyes, confusion etched between her brows.
“TheDo Overcontract is complete, right?”
Eve nodded.
