I throw a towel over my shoulder, dip two glasses into the ice bin, and set them on the countertop behind the bar. My hands work on the drinks while my eyes scan the crowd for trouble, and my head throbs from lack of sleep.
“I asked for a double vodka, Bright!” One of the mouthy firefighters, Derek, tosses his half-empty glass onto the bar, and it spills over the girls minding their business next to him. He shoves his boxy shoulders between stools, practically knocking over the guy next to him, and slams his hand on the bar.
“And I gave you water,Derek,”I say without skipping a beat, my jaw tight with annoyance. The lights flicker across the heavy red drapes and upholstery of the Hollow, illuminating everything in a hazy, warm glow while still keeping it dark inside, other than the soft white glow from the bar.
“I come to your bar to drink, not to pay fifteen dollars for water!” Derek raises his voice, and beside me, my twin brother, Boone, chuckles under his breath.
“You haven’t paid for the last three drinks, Derek,” I remind him and give the waiting girls their rum and Cokes one at a time with my right hand. They take off as quickly as they can, and Derek slides into the opening, following me as I move on to the next waiting body around the rectangular bar.
“So what, you’re cutting me off?” he yells over the swell of pop music.
“Unless you're keen on your station peeling you off the road with a Halligan, then yeah, Derek–I’m cutting you off,” I say, turning to the guy beside him. “What can I get you?”
“This is bullshit, Bright!” he continues to argue as the guy orders two beers. I pull them from the fridge behind me, popping the lids off against the counter and sliding them across the bar. “Is this because of the Sunday thing? I told you, man, she’s not my type.”
“It has nothing to do with you calling my little sisterugly. This is because I don’t want your blood staining the concrete outside. It’s bad for business. But Derek,” I say, angling over the bar to remind him how much bigger I am than him and to steady my left hand on the countertop. I anchor myself and get in his face, lowering my voice. “If you don’t fuck off, it’s going to be a good enough reason for me to cave your face in,” I warn him with a smug smile. “You getwater, or youget out.”
Boone pushes up behind me as Derek takes a second to decide his fate before stumbling back away from the bar with a few choice swear words.
“He turns into such a mean drunk.” Boone clears his throat, and I unclench my entire body.
“He’s an asshole sober.” I shake my head and turn toward an explosion of cheers and hollering.
“The pussycats are back.” He slaps my shoulder. “At least that’s some happy news. They beat the Devils.” Boone hovers beside me, his hair asdark and unkempt as the scruff on his jawline, in his black Hollow t-shirt, cropped just enough to show off his torso of tattoos and body hair.
“Just barely,” I grumble. “Go clean some glasses or something.” I wave him off.
“You can’t boss me around, I own this place too,” Boone scoffs, flipping me off.
“I’m three minutes older and three inches taller. I can do whatever I want,” I offer him a tight smile.
“Real mature,” he laughs, but hauls one of the full trays over his shoulder, chatting as he makes his way through the crowd to the kitchen.
I leave the bar to Judd, who has handled a tougher crowd, and make my way over to the booth as the girls slide into it. I look to the table over, and Derek is glaring at me with his friends, his expression vicious enough to burn a hole through me. It’s only a matter of time before he starts shit, and we have to throw him out.
“Good game tonight, girls,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest to hide the violent tremor currently coursing through my left hand.
I run my eyes over Sunday, checking for any major injuries, but find nothing on her and am met with an annoyed look that makes me chuckle. Sunday is four years younger than Boone and me, with dirty blonde hair that she dyed as an act of rebellion to stand out from the pitch black color of ours. But she has the same big green eyes as Boone and that same goofy smile. They’re both big golden retrievers, wearing their hearts on their sleeves and walking around in need of constant protection.
I wish they made it a little easier.
“Did you actually have it on?” Kaia snaps with a smile. “Or did the Huskies game take precedence?”
“You were up behind the bar,” I confess, and she rolls her eyes. “First round is on me,” Ioffer as an apology. Unfortunately for the Hillcats, the hockey game brings in more bodies, and the Hollow, for all its worth, still runs on money.
“Hey, Bright,” Sunday speaks up as I turn to go get their drinks, and I know she’s about to ask for something because my name comes off herlips sweet as honey. She’s been using that tone to get what she wants her entire life.
“Yes, Sunday,” I wait for it.
“Do you think you could set up the karaoke machine?” She leans on the table and flashes that signature smile up at me.
“Tonight? No.” I scoff, and her smile turns agitated. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Bri,” she whines, and I shake my head.
“Absolutely not.” I stand my ground. “You guys already get it on Thursdays. I’m not opening it up just because you flash puppy eyes at me.Wrong brother.”
“Oh come on, Thing One!” Kaia starts to whine with her.
