Page 12 of Hawk

“Thanks. I might not be looking to hook up, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look fabulous while I dance.”

“Well, you definitely hit the mark.”

I’d chosen an outfit that always made me feel sexy, and I’d even added a little makeup to my eyes and attempted to tame my messy curls. After the week I’d had, I needed something positive because no matter how many times I told myself there was no way I’d seen Butch at the Farmers Market—because seriously, even if hewasin town, what the hell would he be doing at a Farmers Market? He wasn’t exactly a fresh-produce kind of guy—I’d still spent the entire week looking over my shoulder.

When we arrived at the club a short time later, the parking lot was packed—not that it was surprising, considering how popular the Daddy Nights always were.

Keith dropped us off at the front door before going to park. We nodded at the big, burly bouncer who was working the door. I always felt better when he was working. He’d been around when they’d had problems with Sebastian, and I knew he wouldn’t let him in—not that we’d seen the guy in months—but knowing that he’d not only been banned but that there were people who worked there who could be trusted to keep him out made Kirby’s feel like a safe space to me.

We made our way to the back wall, where Jesse kept a table reserved for Andy and his friends. The table was currently empty, but I spotted Andy standing by the bar, talking to Jesse while he worked. When he saw us coming in, he leaned over the bar and kissed Jesse before heading in our direction.

“Hey, guys! You made it.”

“Like we would miss hanging out with you and celebrating your birthday.” Caleb pulled Andy into a hug.

“Who all will be here?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Just you guys and Julius. I thought about asking Jerry to come so he could meet Julius, but he ended up swapping shifts so he couldn’t come.”

Jerry was one of the firefighters who worked with Andy, and Julius was a hairstylist here in Vesper. They were both nice guys, but I didn’t see what Andy saw that made him think they’d be a good pair. I’d met Julius shortly after I moved to town, and none of the guys he’d ever shown an interest in were anything like Jerry. He liked them older and much more suave than Jerry—not to mention the fact that Julius was kind of high-maintenance. And while I didn’t know Jerry very well, he didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’d want to deal with that.

Keith had joined us at the table, and we’d just gotten our drinks when Julius showed up. He was super high-energy, high-drama, and maybe just high—who knew. But he was like a force of nature.

“Hey, guys, sorry I’m late. We had a hair emergency at the salon.”

“A hair emergency?” I’d never heard of an actual hair emergency before.

He sighed. “Yes. We have a new stylist. And bless her heart, someone was mean enough to book Mrs. Westbrook for a trim with her. Her first name is literally Karen.”

“Yikes,” Caleb said.

“I know, right? Everyone dreads when she comes in, which I’m sure is why whoever took the call tried to pawn her off on Sally, the new girl. But that was just mean. Sure enough, poor thing took off what Karen decided was more than a trim, and before you know it, she was demanding to speak with the manager and refused to leave until someone either”—he made air quotes—“fixed it or put it back the way it was.”

“Put itback?” I asked incredulously. I was pretty sure that was impossible.

“Iknow, right? And Sally did a perfectly fine job, but I had to baby Mrs. Westbrook a little and convince her it looked fabulous. Then, after that, I had to deal with Sally, who was in the back in tears because she thought she’d ruined the woman’s hair. Being the boss issotiring.”

He flopped down in the booth and grabbed my cocktail, taking a long drink before handing it back. “That’s good. What is it?”

“It’s called a Golden Cadillac. It’s my favorite drink.” It was pretty much the only thing I ordered. It was creamy and delicious, but it was also on the lighter end as far as alcohol content, so I could drink a few over the course of the night and still stay in control.

“Well, I’ll get the next one. Thatistasty.”

Our server came over, and we ordered another round. As soon as he left, I turned to Andy. “So did y’all do anything special for your birthday?”

“It was perfect. We went out to eat, and then when I got home”—he smiled—“Jesse’s grandmother had baked me a cake, and Victor and all of Jesse’s family came over for coffee and cake. That probably sounds like a silly thing, but it was the best birthday I’d had since our parents died.”

“It doesn’t sound silly at all,” I assured him.

“Not even a little bit,” Caleb added.

He gave us a sad smile and nodded. “Thanks. Now, enough about me and my birthday. Mika, you need to cut loose and have some fun. It’s Daddy Night, so let’s find you a man. Nothing says you have to go home with them, but a little flirting wouldn’t hurt. How about that guy over there?” He pointed toward a man standing at the bar.

He looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties, with the beginnings of salt-and-pepper hair at his temples. Don’t get me wrong—he was a nice-looking guy. I didn’t know much about fashion, but even I could tell his clothes probably cost as much as I made in a month. He was way too polished for my tastes. I liked my guys a little rough around the edges.

Of course, I’d seen wherethatgot me, now hadn’t I?

Not that any of that mattered. I hadn’t come here looking to hook up, even if hehadbeen my type.

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