Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Nora
“ G ood night, Nora. See you tomorrow, dear.”
“Good night, Mrs. Hackenbush.” I wave to my boss, and glance at the clock on the wall. The public library is officially closed. My shift is finally over, and I’m free to get the hell out of here.
I tidy the check-out desk, gather my things and look around. Beige walls, beige furniture, beige everything. It’s a museum of monochrome and all I crave is a kaleidoscope of color.
Boy, do I need to shake things up.
Losing Tanya did more than break my heart—it woke me up. Nobody has a guarantee of a long, happy life, no matter how careful they are. At any point, anybody could be hit by a bus or shot by a spray of bullets in front of a pub.
How many days do any of us have left on this earth? There’s no way to know.
Life is for living.
Shrugging my jacket on, I tie the belt around my waist and fish my phone out of my purse. There are a few playful texts from Brendan waiting for me. Since our coffee date on Friday night, he’s been making me smile with flirty texts.
Not that it’s been one-sided. I’ve gotten in a few sexy comments, too.
Good morning, angel. Wishing you a great day of shelving books.
I laugh at his term ‘morning’ because he sent that at eleven. Must be nice to come from family money and be able to sleep in on the weekend. Eleven is still technically morning, but I was here at eight.
Nibbling on a raspberry macaron and counting the moments until I taste you again.
Heat warms my cheeks, and I glance around to see if anyone witnessed me giggle like a schoolgirl. Nope. My persona of level-headed maturity is safe. We divided the spoils of his dessert indulgence, and I might head home right now and have something sweet myself.
I’ve got a family thing tonight but am free tomorrow. Any chance you might risk your ovaries and hang out?
I tap the screen to respond…
As it happens, I’m free and would love to.
While I wait for his reply, I sling my purse over my shoulder and wave goodbye to my boss.
Grand. How was the library today?
Same as always…BORING!
My poor angel. Your chance to shine is coming. I know it.
Wow. Investor, bouncer, and now a fortune-teller.
So many skills yet to be revealed, angel. Just you wait.
I picture the seductive look on his face as he types that, and desire tingles over my skin like a wave of sparking energy. I groan and then decide I need to get out of the library before someone hears me.
Behave, I’m in a place of hush and be good.
What fun is that?
None.
And that’s the problem. Because even the thought of Brendan revealing his skills has my heart racing. That kiss…my lord. If that was any indication of what that man can do with his tongue, I don’t know if I’ll survive.
But I’ll enjoy my final moments.
Poor girl. I promise to excite you tomorrow.
I bite back my squeal and step outside before I embarrass myself. The crisp air hits me like a slap to the face, its sting threatening inhospitable temperatures to come. The sky is speaking the same language, wearing a mix of gray and blue.
The honk of a car horn draws my attention away from my path to the bus stop. Kate’s car is pulling out of one of the parking spots out front. She slows to a stop beside me and rolls down her window. “Get in. It’s colder than a witch’s tit out there.”
True enough . I’m not about to say no to a ride home. Sliding inside her little hatchback, I set my purse between my feet and grab my buckle. “Not that I’m complaining, but…we didn’t have plans I forgot about, did we?”
“Oh, we have plans. Big plans! Guess who just got hired at Legend!” She drums her palms against the steering wheel. “We did. Yes, we did!”
“Seriously? Both of us?”
“Yup! We train Wednesday night.”
“Ohmygoodness, it’s happening!”
She waves her arms dramatically. “And to celebrate, we are dressing up and going out for a night on the town.”
“We are?” I fight not to groan. Being boring all day is exhausting. I was looking forward to grabbing some Thai takeout, reading a few more chapters of my vampire romance, and trying out my new battery-operated companion—the Lioness.
“Yes, we are.” She grins, flipping into full-on hype mode. “We’re going to a local charity event. Very popular. Very fancy.”
I stop short. “I have nothing to contribute to a charity event and nothing to wear that would work for something fancy.”
Kate waves away my concern. “There will be two-hundred other people there with padded wallets. They’ll do fine without us. And as for having nothing to wear, I’ve got you covered. I have an entire closet full of dresses Jordan the Warden wouldn’t approve of.”
A laugh escapes me before I can stop it.
“Please, chickie. I promise we’ll have fun.” Kate flashes me her very best puppy dog eyes and all thoughts of wearing down the new batteries I bought dissolve.
“Fine, we’ll go out, but we better not go back to my place because my father won’t let me out of the house in anything remotely scandalous.”
Kate shrugs with mock seriousness. “It’s not scandalous if you look hot.”
When Kate said the charity event would be ‘fancy’, she undersold it—by a lot. As we pull up to the building in a late-model hatchback with a missing hubcap, I realize it’s nothing short of a full-on black-tie event. My stomach twists, but it’s too late to back out. A young guy in a red jacket has already jogged over to give Kate a claim ticket. “Enjoy your evening, lovelies.”
“Oh, we intend to.” Kate flashes the valet a smile as she gets out and then rounds the car to slide her arm into mine. “Don’t we, chickie?”
“Yes, we do.”
This place is lit up like an opening night in Hollywood, big spotlights dancing across the facade of a massive brick building, illuminating every polished brick and shimmering glass panel. Our heels clack against the pavement until we arrive at the red carpet and my breath hitches.
“Geez, Kate. There is a literal ‘red carpet’.”
“Don’t panic. We’ll be fine.” Kate squeezes my arm tighter. “Many of the one-percenters come to donate, but there will be normal people, too.”
I glance around at the ushers in sharp suits holding velvet ropes open for women in elegant dresses, and my breath hitches. They’re collecting event invitations, greeting the guests, and then escorting the ladies up the steps and into the massive brick warehouse.
I spot a row of Harleys parked along the curb, the collection shiny and menacing at the same time. Butterflies flutter in my stomach at the thought of Brendan.
He said he had a family thing.
He also said his family were big investors in the community.
Is Brendan here? Wouldn’t that be a kick if he’s inside? A wild flurry of excitement overwhelms and now, instead of trepidation, I’m dying to get inside.
Kate gave me one hell of a makeover, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so sexy. The dress she picked for me is a rich wine red with a corseted top that pushes my boobs up and makes ample use of my curves. The skirt is layered and flares out over my hips, dropping lower in the back than in the front. And paired with gold, strappy heels, I feel like a goddess.
Brendan won’t even recognize me.
If he’s here, I mean…geez, I’m totally getting ahead of myself.
“Why do you think bikers would be at a fancy charity event?” I ask Kate as we walk towards the entrance.
A smirk plays on her lips. “Because it’s a charity cage fight event! Bikers love fights.”
Cage fight? That’s a new one.
“Good evening, ladies. May I have your invitation?” Kate hands the guy at the door a black invitation with gold and green embossing. He takes it, and with a nod of approval, we step beyond the velvet rope.
Inside, it’s like I’ve been transported into an entirely different world.
This is no ordinary brick warehouse. Everything around me screams luxury—chandeliers glinting overhead casting soft light on beautifully dressed people mingling around tables adorned with green and black linens and glittering gold centerpieces.
I am so out of my league. I brush a nervous hand down the front of the corseted bodice and focus on breathing. “Someone is going to realize we don’t belong here and kick us out.”
Kate throws her head back and laughs. “Then let’s get a few complimentary libations into us before they do.”
“Brilliant plan.” Although, I don’t know if drinking will soothe my nerves or fuel them further. I guess we’ll find out.
We make our way over to the bar and step into line. There are servers walking through the crowd with flutes of champagne, but I’ve never acquired the taste for it. I prefer a Cosmo, an old-fashioned, or a pitcher of sangria.
Although, this doesn’t seem like a sangria event.
While we wait in the queue, I glance around, marveling at how everyone looks so effortlessly glamorous while I feel like a total fraud. My father has allowed me to splurge on a few nice things over the years—a cashmere coat, a few Gucci scarves, and Channel rubber boots—but nothing like this.
“What’s your poison, ladies? Cami and Shay are master mixologists.”
I turn to the man speaking to us from behind the bar. He’s decked out in a black-on-black tux, with tousled dark hair and an easy smile that could charm anyone right off their feet. His emerald green gaze locks onto mine for a moment too long and I realize he asked us a question.
“Do you have any specialty cocktails tonight?” Kate asks.
He points to a gold frame propped up on the serving counter and the list of the night’s cocktails. “We’ve got a Knockout Punch, the Southpaw Sipper, and the Jab and Hook.
I read the ingredients of the Knockout Punch: dark and light rum, pineapple, and orange juice, grenadine, and garnished with an orange slice. Yum. “I’ll have a Knockout Punch, please.”
“I’m going Southpaw Sipper,” Kate adds.
While the two bartenders make our drinks, I sneak a few extra glances at the guy behind the bar. He’s young—a couple of years younger than me—but with those eyes and the teasing smirk, he reminds me so much of Brendan, it’s crazy.
“You’re all set, ladies.” The charmer behind the bar slides our drinks across the polished surface and winks. “Enjoy your evening!”
“Cheers!” Kate raises her glass toward me with an eager sparkle in her eyes. “To our new jobs and making Tanya proud.”
I clink my glass against hers and take my first sip. Flavors burst against my tongue—refreshing yet tart—and I smile, channeling a little of Tanya’s zest for fun. “To fulfilling our dreams.”
I miss Tanya and still can’t wrap my head around what happened, but I honestly feel like she’s with us, guiding us toward the happiness she always believed we deserved.
That means a lot.
Kate and I take another drink and then she shakes off the melancholy of us losing our friend. “Come on. This is a celebration. Let’s go find our seats.”