Cleo figured it was an easy solution. Apparently, Wraith saw it differently. He turned to Barry.
“Get her a menu.”
Barry snorted. “I haven’t seen one of those in years.”
Wraith’s eyes hardened. “Then start fucking looking.”
Barry sighed, clearly frustrated, and she felt a pang of guilt. The man bent down, sifting through a pile of papers. When he had no luck, he moved down to the edge of the bar. A minute later, he popped back up and placed the menu in front of her.
She scanned it, biting back her amusement. Much like the bar itself, the menu hadn’t been updated either.
“Know what you want?” Wraith asked.
“Can I get a cheeseburger and fries?”
Barry gave her a bored stare. She understood. He basically had to jump through hoops only for her to order the most popular item on the menu. She offered a smile, which wasn’t returned.
Barry turned to Wraith. “Usual? Cheesesteak and onion rings?”
Onion rings? She hadn’t seen that on the menu.
Wraith nodded.
When Barry started walking again, Cleo lifted her hand in hopes of getting his attention, but his back was already turned. Too late.
“Barry,” Wraith snapped, then lifted his hand, waving one finger.
“What do you need?”
Wraith lifted his chin toward Cleo.
“Would it be possible to change my fries to onion rings?”
“Anything is possible.” Barry rolled his eyes and walked away.
Cleo peered around the room. There were two older men sitting on the opposite side of the bar. Neither was looking in their direction. It was extremely quiet, making her wonder how they survived without patrons. Then her eyes caught the black curtain.That’s how.She wasn’t exactly sure, and there wasn’t a sign. But if she had to guess, that led to the strip club.
“Do you come here a lot?”
“Sometimes.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he was referring to the bar or strip club. She didn’t. It was none of her business.
“It’s got a warm vibe. It reminds me of my Aunt Anita’s house.” She turned in her seat, knocking her knees into his thigh. When she looked up, Wraith was staring down at her. “I think it has the same wood paneling she had in their living room.”
Wraith scowled. “Knox said you guys didn’t have family except your mother.”
Cleo lifted her brows. “Oh, well, she wasn’t really my aunt. She was our neighbor when I was little. She used to have her niece, Mandy, come stay with her for the summer, and we became really good friends. We played a lot at her house, and she called her Aunt Anita, so I got into the habit of doing it too. After Mandy went back home, Anita told me I could still call her aunt. So I did.”
His gaze softened. “You still tight with your friend?”
A pang stabbed her heart, and she ducked her head. “No, Anita moved two years later, so no more Mandy. I didn’t know her phone number, so there was no way to keep in touch.”
Barry placed the drinks in front of them. Cleo clamped her lips when she saw her soda with ice filled to the rim. It wasn’t a big deal. She could drink it with ice. She reached for the glass, and Wraith shot out his arm, blocking her.
“She said no ice.”
“Shit!” Barry grabbed the glass. “That’s right. Gimme a sec, sweetheart.”
