Laken’s brows furrowed and his lips parted, but I was saved by Goldie serving him those two drinks. “Okay…” He drifted. “I’ll see you around.”
Facing Maggie once again, I felt like my insides might’ve come out. With a smothered whine, my hand wrapped around the frosted glass of my Dragon Ice and I slurped the rest down. Goldie’s frozen drinks were the best, and if it wasn’t frozen, I wasn’t drinking it. Even Maggie sipped her Back from the Dead (which is basically a dirty martini). The cold mixed with my boiling gut, and whatever chain reaction started in my stomach—it didn’t feel good.
What the hell happened to me? I couldn’t seriously be jealous, could I? Absolutely not. It had to be something else. Were the stars aligning? The planets? Where the fuck was Mercury? Maybe my cycle would be coming early.Whoa, the tavern felt really hot suddenly.
Trying to distract myself from my own demise, I glanced around the room and listened to others’ conversations. Someone had to be having a worse night than me, right?
A brokenhearted middle-aged woman, two men getting drunk before going to get tatted, a twenty-something-ish girl having a breakdown debating getting bangs, and a father who needed a break from his wife.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” I listened to a woman with short burgundy hair who sat across the bar. “You can’t just find two people willing to dress up for a seven-year-old’s birthday party.”
Thatgot my attention.
The blonde woman by her side grunted. “Shit, did you already pay them?”
“No, thank the Gods. But Olive is going to be so upset, it’s next weekend!”
An idea flickered in my head. A mad, devious little idea born of spite and rage.
“I’m sorry,” I interrupted. Leaning across the bar, I looked past several others to get their attention. “Did I hear you needed people to dress up for a birthday party?”
The mother nodded. “The ones I hired got sick. Do you know someone?”
Set and trapped. “I do actually, my coworker and I are looking for some side jobs to earn a little money. We’d love to do it!”
Devious plan or not, her face lit up. Maggie shifted beside me, but I didn’t pay her attention. The woman spilled me herinformation, where she lived, and when to arrive. At least one of our nights had improved.
Did I hope to see Laken a little frazzled about a dress-up party? Absolutely. Did this idea come from a place of bitterness? Undoubtedly. But nevertheless, it’d be easy money in our pockets, so in the end, it felt justifiable. I’d done the right thing. I helped a fellow town member, will make a seven-year-old’s birthday, and helped lessen the debt. A win-win.
Maggie stared at me as I reeled around to her.
“What?” I shook my head.
Her brows rose. “Are we going to talk about this?”
Well, if she’s going to twist my arm.“Did it have to be Eliza Hamilton? He knows how much I don’t like her; he doesn’t even like her! So why in the hell is he here? With her!” Was it all a lie?
“Reece,” my friend uttered, but I’d been unhinged and could not stop.
The image of those two became branded into my head. A cursed image. I’d rather gouge my eyes out than see it again, I’d rather—
“Reece…” Maggie warned again, and though my mouth continued rambling, I noticed the worry in her eyes. “Reece!” At her raised voice, I followed her stare to my arms—where they steamed.
Oh Gods. No, this was worse than… Oh Gods, this was fire-spitting chicken shit.I needed out.
Leaping out of my seat, I dropped to the ground. Slightly buzzed and completely discombobulated, I stumbled throughthe crowd. The place had grown cramped, loud laughs and cheers rang in my ears, but I focused myself on getting out. They’d all be dead if I didn’t. Pushing bodies left and right, tossing a choked-up “Excuse me,” I got to the door as fast as I could. As I reached for the handle, someone from outside pulled it open and I shoved through before they could.
I gasped when I saw the Gods hadn’t betrayed me yet—rain poured past the awning. Perfect for a woman literally needing to cool off. My sleeves were already scrunched past my elbows, but I shoved them up farther and let the rain hit my skin. It’d take a couple minutes for my magic to chill the f—
“Reece?”
I faced the town as my eyes widened and my face pinched.Mother-clucker.Spinning and folding my hands behind my back, I stood eye to eye with Laken Augustus.
“Yes, Laken? What do you want?”
He studied me. “I saw you run out; you looked like you were in trouble so…”
“So you followed me? Why? Don’t you have someone to entertain in there? I’m fine, as you can see.”
