Beckett gave her a questioninglook.
She leaned towards him to talk over the crowd. “He has his own channel and he’s hilarious.” Her minty breath was warm and cool on his neck as shespoke.
Beckett tightened his arm around her while he scrambled for a response that would keep her close. “You’ll have to show me when we gethome.”
She nodded, her eyes big. Trent chose that moment to lean forward and talk in her other ear, causing Daisy to move to that side. Beckett trailed his fingers up and down her arm while keeping his eyes on the stage, hoping he was putting off an air of casual familiarity with Daisy that would tell Trent to backoff.
Mimevizzion waddled out on stage with a bag of props. He took his time setting things down, making funny faces as he did so and letting the anticipationgrow.
Beckett didn’t relax until Trent leaned back in his seat. He waited for Daisy to lean into him, but she stayed in the exact center of her chair, her hands wrapped around her soda. Their food arrived and Beckett offered his chips up for the table. The ladies dug in while they watched theshow.
Mimevizzion called an audience member up on stage and had him put on a bowler hat. As soon as it settled on the guy’s head, a sappy love song came over the speakers. Mimevizzion took it off and the music stopped. He looked stunned. Then, he put the hat on his head and theMiami Vicetheme song came on. He bobbed his head and threw on a pair of wraparound sunglasses. The audience laughed at his antics. He took the hat off and the music stopped. When he put it back on his volunteer, the speakers blared, “Lollipop, lollipop. Oh, Lolli,lollipop.”
The poor guy yanked the hat off himself, which only made everyone laughharder.
Trent leaned up to say something to Daisy. The guy just couldn’t leave her alone. Beckett put his hand in front of Trent’s face, which wasn’t difficult with his arm across Daisy’s chair. He gave the guy a hardlook.
Trent shoved Beckett’s hand and he inadvertently hit Daisy in the head. She jerked forward and flipped around to stare at Trent. He pointed at Beckett. Beckett glared. “He pushed my hand,” he said right when the music cutoff.
Daisy blindly checked her hair by patting differentsections.
“Here, let me scoot out and I’ll walk you to the ladies’.” Trent began tostand.
“She looks perfect. She doesn’t need to leave.” Beckett braced his hand on the back of his seat, ready to get up ifnecessary.
“Why don’t you let her decide what she needs?” counteredTrent.
“Why don’t you keep your hands to yourself—you’re all overher.”
“I’mall over her? You’re smotheringher.”
“Excuse me.” Daisy jumped to herfeet.
Beckett hadn’t realized he had stood up. Right now, he towered over Trent. The only thing keeping him from bumping chests with the guy and knocking him over was the chair betweenthem.
The whole club had gone quiet. Beckett glanced at the stage to see Mimevizzion pressing both hands to his cheeks, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide as he watched the two of them. Their argument had hijacked theshow.
“I’m going to have to ask your group to leave,” said a balding man in a black vest and white button-up shirt. His tag said “manager.”
“No. It’s not them.” Daisy waved her hand towards the group. “I’llgo.”
“Me too,” Trent said quickly. He reached for Daisy’s arm to guide her out of the maze of too-close chairs and tables. This place was a fire codenightmare.
Beckett pushed Trent’s hand away. “You’re not taking heranywhere.”
A woman gasped, “Did you seethat?”
“Beckett.” Daisy’s hand went to his shoulder. “It’sfine.”
He focused on Daisy. Her hair was still in place, her dress fabulous, but there were worry lines framing her mouth like tinyparentheses.
“I suggest the three of you take this outside.” The manager left no room for argument. Trent’s jaw hardened and he stomped off. Beckett motioned for Daisy to go first. She went, her head held high. He stuck right to her heels, not wanting to give Trent a moment alone with her in the lobby. As he walked, cell phones followed him and he realized that they’d beenfilmed.
His stomach soured. This was notgood.
Chapter Sixteen
Daisy managedto get out of the club with her chin up. She hit the safety of the parking lot, where the only cameras on the premises were there to discourage breaking and entering, and her hands shook. She had no desire to show her face in the club again aftertonight.
