I’m prepping the bar the way I like it, knowing that it’ll be busy. I prefer it that way, as it means I won’t have a chance to feel anything.
My truck isn’t ready yet, something Syrus apologized profusely for. I know it’s not his fault. Apparently, someone’s car blew up in Shep’s garage, causing chaos.
Syrus had someone drive him back to the club last night, and then he drove me home. I appreciate that he worries about me, and he promised to get my truck for me today. Trivia night ran a little later than normal, and then I had a hard time winding down after the chaos of the day. It made for a rough night falling asleep.
There’s a heaviness in the air. It feels like the razor’s edge between a rainstorm and lightning. The anticipation of change is making me feel really twitchy.
I went for a run this morning with Syrus, or rather, he broke into my house to coerce me into going with him so he could feed me bagels and coffee. If he still has my keys, is it considered a Band E? I suppose since he’s the law he’d be a better judge of that than I would be.
He’s my own personal shadow until I get the truck back, which means he also drove me to work. I’m dragging all around today, and it was easier to simply accept the ride as graciously as possible.
Yawning, I pull out an energy drink from the fridge behind me in response to my exhaustion.
“Game faces, people!” I yell, opening the can with a scowl.
“Was that for us or you?” Emmett snorts as he passes me.
“Ugh, both,” I admit. “We open in twenty minutes, and I’m being reminded that six in the morning is not an hour I’m used to seeing.”
“Me either,” he chuckles. “We’ll be ready. You might need to mainline a few of those, Silva.”
“Nah, once we get into the flow, I’ll be good,” I promise. I unfortunately have some experience with not sleeping well.
Thank god for really good concealer.
Yes, I’m wearing makeup to work tonight. It’s understated, though Syrus gave me a long look and a kiss when he picked me up tonight. I have a feeling he notices more than most guys do, and may be looking forward to seeing if this is also smudgeproof.
Spoiler: it is.
My leopard sheer undershirt is my nod to color, and I have a leather crop top over it with black cargo pants. My combat boots are comfortable and stompy, and my hair is pulled into a braided messy bun. I wanted to look like someone who doesn’t take any shit, and as the lights go down and the doors open, I hope I pulled that off.
Syrus has been a wealth of information today, and explained that we have visitors in town. I have no idea if they’ll drop by the club, but I have to admit that if these guys are looking for intel,this place is a bevy of information. New people make me twitchy overall because they’re not vetted.
I need to get Lark on finding out who these guys are, but without names or eyes on them, that’s a tall order to ask for.
It doesn’t help that Syrus told me he didn’t trust the beta that he was speaking to last night. If they’re looking to talk to me about a cold case, they’ll be shit out of luck.
I’ll soon be too slammed to carry any sort of conversation, and I promised to keep my mouth shut in exchange for Widows Peak’s safety. This place continues to be paid for in the terror and trauma of those still at the Henderson mansion.
It doesn’t matter how nice the cage is, it’s still no way to live. Gideon is still free to do as he pleases, while we get our freedom.
Inhaling deeply, I find it too difficult to smile. It’s a good thing I have a reputation for being grumpy. Finishing off my energy drink, I toss the can in the trash and signal to my backup bartender to take the opposite end of the bar from me.
It’ll be easier to keep out of each other’s way, and we’ll be able to split the bar to take care of customers. As expected, people pour into the club after work, and I get busy quickly.
The hours fly by, and I glance in Maura's direction to find that she’s speaking with a gorgeous man I’ve never met before. Keeping my eyes on her, my hands continue to pour drinks on autopilot. I’ve been doing this for a lot of years, it’s almost second nature to me.
Is this who Sy was talking about?The neon lights make it difficult to see him, but he has tattoos over his tan skin, and he has brilliantly white teeth as he smiles at Maura.
I notice that he’s collecting three different drinks, which means he’s either having a bad fucking day, or he’s here with other people.
Tearing my eyes away, I hand out drinks and take payments as I work.
If they want to talk to me, they’ll have to put on their big boy boxers and come to my side of the bar. Otherwise, they can keep their mysterious personas. Syrus is right about the town getting ready for the first snow.
People have been talking about how they’re preparing as they drink their beers, and bitching that they're never ready to see fall go. The leaves are a gorgeous array of colors, which is simply another reminder that winter can never seem to wait its fucking turn. This also means at some point before it gets too bad, we’ll have an influx of omegas in town.
It happens every year, as if the threat of not being able to drive through the mountains to get to us fuels their desire for a different future. When that happens, they’ll need a place to stay. While the rumor mill is strong here, I haven’t heard much about the alphas and their beta friend who are in town.
