Page 72 of Wrecked

The bouncers have been on high alert, double-checking IDs and making sure anyone on our banned list stays away.

I stopped in every club and bar in town and told them about the two recent incidents we’d had. Turns out, The Bronco wasn’t the only place drugs have been circulating. It wasn’t until I got to Velocity and struck up a conversation with the owner that I realized we needed to start a council. We might be competition, but no one will be in business if people start getting hurt in our establishments.

I ring the bell to signal the drink specials are over. Suzanne and Jessica are still chatting it up at the bar, and I see that Rory has joined them.

“Let’s turn it up!” I call out.

Paulie turns on the disco ball, and the lights spin around the room. Glowing, sparkly squares dance on the walls.

Hands are in the air, and people are grinding close to one another. Happy drunks and sloppy sippers are breaking it down in the bar. The ones who aren’t dancing are at least having a good time.

I move back behind the bar and take more orders, helping the bartenders get through the final rush. Sometime around midnight, the bar settles down to a manageable pace. There are still customers, but the pre-clubbing crowd has left and moved on to Velocity.

“You’re kicking ass,” Suzanne boasts. Her rum and Coke is long gone, replaced by a draft.

“Thanks.” I grab my water from beneath the bar and drink. “We’ve been increasing our social media presence—posting more on Instagram and Facebook and also creating a special Snapchat filter.”

Jessica’s mouth falls. “That’s an amazing idea. What is it going to be?”

It’s already designed, but it puts a McConaughey’s banner across the bottom, so I can’t show her yet.

“You’re just going to have to wait until it’s finished, like everyone else.”

Jessica leans forward and practically shouts in my ear, “I was telling Suzanne about Adam.”

“Yes, for the last two hours.” Suzanne looks none too pleased with her bar conversation.

I stifle a giggle.

“Leave the girl alone. She’s excited,” I say as I take a rag to wipe down the sticky bar.

Jessica is practically swooning. “Seriously, Leah, Adam is like—” She pauses, unable to come up with the right words to describe him.

Honorable, loyal, dedicated, the most real person you’ll ever meet.

She looks up to the ceiling and makes a fainting face complete with a lip bite. “He’s such a gentleman. He drove me home, walked me to my door, kissed me good-bye, and everything,” she gushes.

I stop mid motion.

“He kissed you?” I ask.

“On the cheek. So chivalrous.” She’s practically melting into the stool with how bad she’s crushing on him right now.

I drop my head to the side in confusion. “If he brought you home, then why are you here?”

“Oh, no, not tonight. This was last week when we went bowling,” she says.

“You haven’t seen him since?”

“He works a lot.” She grabs her glass with her pretty manicured hands, all soft and dainty. “I need advice. I want to do something special. Something to let him know that I’m the girl for him. You’re really good with this sort of thing, and you’ve been spending a lot of time together. What does he like? What should I do? Please, Leah, I need you!”

I look over at Suzanne and Rory. They’re about three stools down, making out.

“He loves camping,” I say. “Take him to the lake for the weekend. It’s his favorite place in the world.”

Jessica scrunches her nose. “Camping? I’ve never been camping.”

She thinks about the idea for a minute, and I take an order from someone.