“That was fun,” she whispered.
Several people began to applaud. Claire looked around for the first time since the song had started. The other dancers had vacated the floor in favor of watching her and Tai. A happy little shiver ran the length of her shoulders.
“Bloodbound dancing,” she said, unable to stop grinning.
“New hobby,” Tai said.
“Definitely.”
Thirty
At two in the morning, the usual time, Claire turned the sign on the door toClosed. She straightened and cleaned alongside the two servers who hadn’t clocked out yet. By the time she told them good night, her first guest was tapping on the glass. Nova peered inside and waved, and Claire hurried to unlock the door.
“Happy seven-month anniversary. I would’ve brought wine, but it seemed pointless given the setting.”
“Do you want anything now?”
Nova tilted her head and studied the bar as if envisioning her options. “Maybe not yet. Unless I need to have an open drink when he gets here?”
“No, no, nothing like that. First priority is hanging out. The setting is supposed to be secondary.”
“It won’t be secondary for Tai,” Nova said.
She wasn’t wrong, but Tai had insisted on this “test” being as low-key as possible, not the focus of their friend time. Not that he wasn’t taking it seriously. He planned to arrive at 2:30, once everyone was settled in, presumably with at least a few drinks.
Over the next half hour, the others arrived—all but Ryker and Leslie, who were in Tennessee for the next week.
Philippa brought a bakery tray of scones, half iced and half not. “Obviously the iced ones are for Tai,” she said as if he might eat half a tray by himself. Claire hugged her, knowing the gesture came from her friend’s love for him.
The bar wasn’t tense as they waited for him, not exactly. They still felt wholly comfortable together. But there was an awareness too of the gravity this night would hold for him if it went badly.
Logan announced upon arrival, “I’m slaked and chill,” to which Nova rolled her eyes.
“Bro, the whole point tonight is to have a drink and see how he does.”
“What?” Logan blinked like an owl. “I thought it wasnotto have a drink, to make it easier.”
Nova pointed at him with both hands. “Ladies and gentlemen, ADHD strikes again.”
“Oh, speak for yourself, sis.”
“Everybody calm down about Tai,” Claire said. “We are here to celebrate seven months together and to enjoy the company of friends. Don’t y’all stare at him or whatever when he walks in.”
Mackey showed up last of the pre-arrivals at 2:27 and immediately asked for a drink. As Claire poured for him, he leaned over the bar as if holding up a weight on his back.
“Everything okay?” She pushed the glass toward him.
Mackey took a deep drink, and his fangs were down when he answered. “My shift ended at midnight, but I didn’t leave until two. Barely had time to shower.”
His loose auburn curls did look slightly damp. “Tough patient?”
“Emergency surgery. Was expected to take about four hours, took seven.”
“Oh, Mac. Did you lose them?”
He sipped again, and his faint smile showed none of his teeth. “We pulled him through. Actually…I pulled him through. I saw something on the imaging that human eyes couldn’t spot, and then once we were scrubbed in, it started to go wrong, and I had to…” He shook his head. “But he’s going to be okay. He’s got a brand new baby, his first kid, and he’ll get to go home to her.”
Claire rested her hand on his. Mackey rarely looked anything other than composed, but tonight a hint of strain showed between his eyes, around his mouth. “I’m proud of you.”
