Page 101 of Firecracker

Arden felt the tension exit Mila’s body, her hand still on her back.

“Shit,” Mila muttered. She crossed the room and dropped into an empty chair, exhaling a long breath. “Okay, I get it. But you shouldn’t have done that.”

“I’m sorry.” Tyler set his hand on his chest. “I had good intentions.”

“Youalwayshave good intentions,” Mila muttered. “But sometimes you need to stay out of other people’s business.”

Tyler’s face fell.

Arden’s heart softened. He did mean well. He cared about people. But yeah, he couldn’t fix everything for everybody. She returned to the couch where she’d been sitting next to him, and now she set her hand onhisback, leaning her head against his shoulder.

“Are we ready to go?” Jamie asked brightly.

“I am,” Arden answered.

“Yeah.” Mila stood, her mouth still in an unhappy line.

Tyler stood too and faced Mila. “We good?”

One corner of her mouth kicked up. “Yeah. We’re good. You know what?”

“What?” Tyler’s face relaxed.

“It kind of felt good having Garth want to get back with me. And me telling him to fuck right off.”

Tyler grinned.

* * *

“This is not what I expected.” Arden took in the supper club with wide eyes and a breathless smile.

“Me either,” Mila said, taking a seat at the table for six she’d reserved at the Firefly Lounge and Supper Club.

“It’s very upscale,” Emma added, setting her small clutch purse on the table. “I’m glad we dressed up.”

Tyler had to agree. Nearly every table in the elegant club was full of men in suits, women in party dresses, couples and groups of all ages. He hadn’t wanted to pre-judge, but he’d kind of been expecting something tacky. The décor was sort of old Hollywood glamour, with glittery chandeliers, white tablecloths, and leopard print upholstery on all the chairs. Screens on one wall had multicolored images swirling.

“It’s a prix fixe menu.” Mila picked up a martini menu. “We get a martini, a salad, and an entrée for one price. And they have, like, two hundred kinds of cocktails.”

“Where’s the stage?” Emma asked.

“I think they perform right here on the floor,” Mila said. “Oh, this sounds good! The Firefly Martini—vodka and passion fruit purée.”

“That does sound good,” Emma agreed.

“Think I’ll stick with a dirty martini,” Liam said.

A waitress in a curve-hugging black dress arrived to take their drink orders. “The shows run every twenty minutes,” she told them. “The next one starts in five minutes.”

They all ordered drinks, and Jamie and Tyler decided to order coconut shrimp and calamari appetizers to share, even though that was over and above the prix fixe menu.

The place hummed with music and chatter and energy. They’d just been served their martinis when the lights dimmed and the music changed to “Danza Kuduro” by Don Omar. The crowd started clapping as shimmery curtains at the far end of the club opened and a woman stepped through them.

She was gorgeous, Tyler had to admit. A silvery, swingy skirt and a matching low-cut top barely covered slender curves and long legs, and she started dancing to the sexy Latin beat.

The crowd quieted, people turning in their seats to watch.

“Wow,” said Arden next to him, eyes wide watching the sexy dance moves.

---