Page 9 of Crazy Thing

Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to see that my sister and three of my brothers have found love. If that’s what floatstheir boats, then I’m all for it. But love isn’t an interest of mine.

I’ve got shit to do.

In my experience, relationships only slow you down. They only distract you from what’s truly important in life—building a legacy, an empire.

Full disclosure—every now and then, I need to get laid. Finding a willing bed buddy is never a problem. But before taking any woman to my bed, I make it abundantly clear to her that I’m not looking foranylevel of a relationship.

Just sex. Only sex. I’m not interested in anything more.

Karli grabs a French fry off of Archer’s plate. “Any progress yet with the waterfall situation?” she asks.

Archer tucks his fries against his chest like a kid who doesn’t want to share. “Why are you assholes always eating my food…?” he grumbles.

Karli responds by leaning over and stealing another French fry.

My brothers start filling the girls in, repeating the information we’ve poured over a dozen times already. They keep on discussing, but I zone out of the conversation. No time for idle chatter. The workday isn’t over for me. I’m still on the clock.

I turn my attention to my phone, sifting through the newest emails in my inbox and moving things around in my calendar.

Then, the door opens again and I feel a whoosh of incense-scented air sweep through the room. I instinctively glance up.

And I spot Ziggy Beaumont fluttering into the bar.

She’s still wearing that long, flowy skirt, with her wavy pale-pink hair trailing down her back. She’s adorned with colorful bangles and glittery gemstones dangling from herears. Still just as beautiful as she was earlier today. Goddamn.

Daphne waves an arm in the air, trying to get her sister’s attention. “Zig—over here!”

“Oh my gosh!” the pretty fairy girl says with a chuckle, starting in our direction. “Finding parking out there was a nightmare. And whose idea was it to put the parking lot in that tiny, little alley out back?!”

When our eyes meet, the laugh falls off of Ziggy’s face. Her slight shoulders go rigid and her delicate nostrils flare.

Instead of joining us at our table, she abruptly turns. She bolts straight for the bar. “What the hell?” Daphne peels herself out of Felix’s arms. “I’ll be right back.” She scampers off after her sister. The other girls follow along.

I stare across the bar, my eyes on Ziggy.

She’s perched on a stool at the bar where Inez and Nolan are now shoulder to shoulder, mixing drinks. Ziggy is gesturing wildly with her hands as she speaks, like she’s giving the bartenders instructions on exactly how she wants her drink.

When Nolan slides a glass across the counter to her, Ziggy takes a little sip. She shakes her head in disapproval. That causes the rest of the girls to laugh. Inez adds a few more ingredients to the cocktail and Ziggy sips again. But she’s still not satisfied.

Then Ziggy is out of her seat and rounding the counter. Before I know what’s happening, she’s slicing lemons and grabbing liquor off of the shelf. Then she’s tossing ingredients into a pitcher.

A grin tickles the corners of my lips. She’s a strange, little creature. I wonder what she’s whipping up over there.

Moments later, she’s handing out samples of her cocktail creation.

Daphne takes a sip and her eyes roll back into her head. Inez finishes her glass in one long gulp and quickly pours a refill from the pitcher. Nolan tips his glass back, tapping the bottom like he doesn’t want to miss a single drop.

Meanwhile, Ziggy beams proudly at her adoring little crowd. And I can’t take my eyes off her.

It’s been well over a decade since I last saw her. Since she went roaming to some other nearby town, and I moved across the country to complete my education. Even still, it’s a strange miracle that our small world hasn’t forced the two of us into the same room at some point over the years. All I know is, Ziggy Beaumont is still just as captivating tonight as she was during our teenage days.

She turns her head suddenly and catches me staring. The moment her eyes fall on me, her forehead crinkles and her lips pucker into a sour scowl. It’s like her whole mood shifts in the blink of an eye. Yet all she did was glance in my direction.I seem to have that effect on people these days.

But I can be the bigger person here. I can act civil and melt some of the tension.

So I force a grim smile. One that she doesn’t return.

Well, damn.

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