Page 5 of Pack Apollo

"How's it going, Billie?" Ross asks, voice raised enough to be heard.

"Going to be a good night," I yell back. It's the same conversation we have every night I'm here. Same words, different day.

I let the vibe of the bar suck me into it, swaying as I fill a few more orders. Then my song comes on, and I abandon Ross to the craziness. Jumping up on the counter between Trinity and Fran, we fall easily into step with one of the dances we've done together for months now. A few body rolls, hip swinging, some quick footwork, and a drop or two to our knees and the people are getting louder and pushing forward a bit as though they're trying to get a better look. They know better than to get carried away because Ross will toss their asses out, but that doesn't stop them from letting the intoxication most of them are feeling to get a little wild.

As the song rolls into the next one, Trinity jumps down behind the bar to help serve and after a few songs, she and Fran trade out. Then it's my turn again.

The first person I see as my feet touch the floor is my Uber driver, Palmer. Closing the distance between us, I call out loudly, "I hope you aren't drinking and driving."

I don't know what inspires me to flirt with him, but I blame the high of the bar that I'm riding.

His smile lights up his face. "No, I was just hoping to get a soda if you have it."

The skepticism is in my expression, and I can't help it as I grab a glass bottle from the cooler underneath the counter and hand it to him. "I hope this doesn't mean that you're my new stalker or anything."

Shaking his head with that smile that hasn't gone away, he passes me a five dollar bill, saying, "Hundreds of drunk people all in the same place is good for business."

It's my turn to laugh before moving on to help other customers. The next time I look down the counter, he's gone.

Hours go by in the blink of an eye. I manage to get a good video of us dancing where the only thing visible is our legs and the patrons. At the end of the night, I post it as a tease for tomorrow night. The video from the beginning of the night already has thousands of reactions and comments.

After the last person leaves and the doors are locked, Ross counts the cash out before handing us all five hundred each.

"Damn, we really did have a good night," I tell him, stuffing my share in my pocket.

He snorts, still counting. "You can say that again. We were wrapped around the building all night."

"Need help with cleanup?" I ask.

"Nah," he says, like always. "The crew will be here shortly."

"Thank God," Fran sighs. "No offense, Ross, but I'm pooped and my feet hurt."

We all laugh, knowing good and damned well that we're all feeling it, too.

Hopping up on the counter, I slide over to where Fran and Trinity wait. The latter offers, "You guys are more than welcome to share my Uber tonight since we're all going to the same place."

"Carlston is actually already waiting for me outside," Fran admits. "Thank you, though."

"Ohhhh," Trinity coos, heckling her.

"I'll take you up on that," I say, stopping it before Fran starts offering details like she's done before. I'm not a prude by any means, but at three in the morning and dead on my feet, the last thing I want to be doing is chatting about someone else's sex life. Especially an alpha like Fran. Some of the stuff she's told us before is pretty intense, and once she starts, she doesn't quit.

Once we're outside and I take my first breath of fresh air in hours, I feel some of the tension leave my shoulders. It's going to be a night where I pass out, and I'll be lucky to make it back to the dorms before I do. I'm exhausted.

I blindly follow Trinity over to where a car sits idling. It isn't until I've slid into the backseat that the scent hits me and my head jerks up to find a gaze meet mine in the rear view mirror.

"Are you stalking me?" Palmer asks, grinning.

A laugh bursts out of me and I can't stop it if I wanted to.

Trinity looks confused as she looks from me to him. "Am I missing something? Do you guys know each other?"

"He was my driver earlier," I fill in.

"Oh, gotcha," she says relaxing into the seat. "I always call Palmer to drive me home. He's literally the best."

For whatever reason, his name leaving her mouth gives me chill bumps and makes my face go warm. I sit back and close my eyes to avoid them both. The last thing we need is my scent to go crazy in this small car with my emotions running high. Spearmint fills my head and it seems to be the only thing I can think about. Every now and then, Trinity's sharp floral scent mingles with his and makes my head spin. But, twenty minutes goes by quicker when you fall asleep and that's just what I do.

---