“You make these yourself, darlin’?” Beckett asks and when I just nod and keep typing, he hums a noise. “Girl’s got skills, Tate. Make sure she comes back.”
I side-eye Tate and catch him rolling his eyes so I just keep typing. We work through the afternoon and into the early evening. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve both made but when a group of girls shows up and starts partying with the others I start packing up.
“Where are you going? Why don’t you stay and have a few drinks with us?” Tate asks but I shake my head.
He grabs my wrist to stop me from sliding my laptop into my bag, causing me to send him a questioning look. He glances over to the girls doing shots at the kitchen island and then back to me.
“Come on, Savy,” he says in a lowered voice, “I could really use some girlfriend backup here.”
I look over to the girls and find half of them looking our way with calculating eyes and sigh.
“I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to get to work. I have a shift tonight.”
My stomach does a slow flip with nerves but I ignore it. I made a deal with him so I lean over and kiss him quickly, hoping it’s enough to keep the cats away from him for tonight. Tate must not think it’s enough because he pulls me back and hits me with full tongue and lips until I’m breathless. He rests his forehead against mine with a sigh.
“Fine but you should shoot me your schedule so I know when you’re available. I know you work at the library but where else do you work?”
I dodge the question by grabbing my phone. “I need to order an Uber. One sec.”
He covers my phone with his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll drive you home. Anything to get out of the line of fire here.”
I nod and gather the rest of my stuff up and follow him out.
“Hey! Where are you going, T?” Ash calls after him.
“I’m taking Savy home. She has to work tonight.”
“Meet us at Masks, then, and don’t say you have to do schoolwork. You did that all day.”
Tate just throws a hand up into the air in acknowledgment and guides me out the front door to his car. I spend most of the drive back to my apartment gnawing on my bottom lip and wringing my hands in panic. They’re all going to be at Masks tonight and Ash always sits close to my cage. I’m terrified that going to work tonight will be a nerve-wracking ordeal that I might not survive.
ASHER
Itoss back the last of my drink with a growl and push away the girl who won’t take no for an answer. She keeps leaning against me and trying to climb onto my lap and I keep pushing her away. I finally have enough and snarl at her.
“Fuck off. Take your skanky ass somewhere else. I’m not interested.”
She pouts like I just took away her favorite toy and flounces away in a huff. Her friend is grinding down on Jude’s lap and snaps at me, “What’s your problem?”
Jude laughs and covers her mouth. “Don’t bait the zoo animals, sugar. Especially when they haven’t been fed for a while.” He grins at me. “You can’t say happiness without penis and his is covered in dust.”
I let fly the one-finger salute at him and turn my chair towards her cage. Something’s off with my Butterfly tonight and it’s pissing me off that I can’t talk to her to find out what. I can’t even put my finger on what’s different with her other than she’s wearing a full harlequin mask tonight instead of the half mask she normally wears. I hate that I can’t see her sweet, pouty pink lips.
She’s wearing my favorite rainbow wig with all the fat curls falling to sweep gently against her lush ass. An ass that’s perfectly showcased in hot pink leather pants. The shiny white leather bustier barely contains her full breasts and my mouth waters just thinking about getting my lips and tongue on those tits. Her wings match the rainbow hair and flutter with every move she makes but she’s off somehow. Most nights, it feels like she’s almost dancing for me and me alone but tonight she’s mainly kept her back to me. If she was mine, if we were together, I’d say she was pissed off at me for something and was ignoring me.
I wave the waitress over for another drink and when she sets it in front of me, I lean close so she can hear me over the loud music.
“Is everything okay with the Butterfly tonight? She seems…off.”
One perfectly sculpted cherry-red eyebrow goes up and I can see the amusement all over her face as she pats me on the shoulder.
“Sorry, Ash. You know I can’t share anything personal about the dancers…even if you are her biggest fan. I’ll pass along your concern to her, though.”
I toss a bill onto her tray in dismissal, cursing to myself. Yeah, you do that. Go tell Butterfly I’m worried about her. Maybe she’ll finally crack and open her cage to me. I watch the red-headed waitress drop off a few more drinks and then move to Butterfly’s cage and pass her a bottle of water through the bars. She motions her down and speaks into her ear. My eyes are glued to her reaction, hoping for a look, a glance my way but all I see is her shrug one smooth pale shoulder and then she goes back to dancing with her back to me.
Fuck! Fuck this and fuck her. I throw my fresh drink back, slam the glass down and push to my feet. “I’m out!” I call to the guys and make to leave but Tate jumps up and follows me. Whatever, I’m done pining over a chick that doesn’t have any interest in me. What kind of idiot waits two years for a woman he’s never even talked to? I don’t even know her fucking name, for pity’s sake. I’m done. Done watching, done waiting. Fuck her and her wings.
“Come on, man, get in. I’ll drive us home. We can swing by tomorrow to grab your bike.”
