Both hounds chortled, but I was not amused. It rankled my pride being here. Apologizing looked a lot like groveling, and I didn’t intend to show my belly to these brutes. Thatvulnerability was reserved for Zephyr because I trusted him not to exploit it.
And wasn’t that a novel thought?
The bouncer waited for the bouquet, but I didn’t hand it over.
“I’m not in the habit of entrusting sentimental gestures to creatures with hourly rates,” I told him.
That earned a joint chuckle and the continuation of their good humor, but neither of them moved.
A bead of sweat rolled from my temple to my jaw, and I wiped it away with a grimace. “Your boss in?” I hedged. “Maybe I could talk to him instead.”
“Maz isn’t taking guests right now.” The second one shrugged. “He’s got a full schedule.”
“Right,” I muttered, jaw tight. “Wouldn’t want to interrupt whatever pressing matters keep a strip club mogul busy before lunch.”
With their point made and my options reduced to leaving the flowers in their questionably capable hands or leaving, I chose the latter.
Turning on my heel, I headed back toward the limo and was halfway there before I hatched another plan. I had plenty of practice sneaking out of Maslow’s club; it couldn’t be so different to sneakin.
But that would be crazy. Maybe a little desperate. Certainly not behavior becoming a centuries-old demon. It smacked of angst-ridden teen with a boombox on his shoulder, throwing pebbles at a bedroom window to get attention. The specificity of that scenario made me frown. Maybe Colette wasn’t the only one who watched too many movies.
On the subject of bedroom windows, one slid open above me, and a head popped out. Wavy white hair framed Luxe’s cranky face like a hovering cloud.
“What are you doing, Becky?” he barked.
I looked up and across the building’s painted brick edifice. All the upper-level windows had bars affixed to the outside except the one the little demon currently leaned out of. He looked different from how I usually saw him. Less finessed in a pink crop top and a black ribbon choker with matching bows tied around his horns.
I debated ignoring him, but the Dollhouse doors opened both ways, and if the men outside wouldn’t admit me, maybe the ones inside would.
“Came for a visit,” I called up. “Think you could let me in?”
He slid farther out, perching his ass on the window ledge to flash his pleated black skirt and smooth brown legs. “Are those flowers for me?” he asked. I couldn’t tell from this distance, but I would have bet money he was batting his lashes.
“Zephyr,” I replied flatly.
Luxe crossed his arms and turned up his nose. “He doesn’t want anything from you right now.”
I grimaced. Considering how isolated the Dollhouse dancers were, I should have expected word about what happened between Zephyr and I to travel. It seemed my apologies would begin earlier than expected.
“I know,” I replied. “That’s why I’m here. I’m sorry.”
Luxe tilted his head and simply said, “Prove it.”
The weighty heat of the sun bore down on my shoulders until I was practically steaming inside my jacket. I passed the bouquet from one slick palm to the other. “I’m trying,” I said, then huffed. “I will. Can you open the back door or something?”
“Cannot,” he chirped. “Mazzy boarded it over after your last not-so-secret rendezvous.”
Of fucking course he did.
I growled to myself, then muttered, “Pretty sure that violates fire code…” My gaze cut toward the limo where Colette reposed in the driver’s seat, committed to letting me clamber out of the grave I’d dug myself.
In the window above, Luxe began to shimmy back inside. “Have a nice day, Becky!” he called brightly.
“Luxe!” I snapped.
His head poked out again like a sassy little groundhog. “It’s Darby,” he replied. “I’m not on the clock.”
I couldn’t decide whether his providing his real name was a threat or an invitation, but I decided to take the gamble. “Okay,Darby…” I squared myself with the building, every inch the tragic fool making declarations to a balcony. Romeo with heatstroke. Except my Juliet was somewhere inside, and I had to get through his pint-sized bodyguard first.
