Page 17 of Ordinary Secrets

“No problem. Where’s your friend?”

Arella rolls her eyes, but her irritation doesn’t shoot through my mind like it should. “Javina’s girlfriend flew back from a work trip early as a surprise. Apparently, that means Javina needs to go to the airport and ditch me here by myself.”

“You’re not by yourself. You’ve got me.”

“But won’t you be up there?” She points at the stage, just as the opening band’s final song ends.

The floor vibrates with an eruption of cheers as the lead singer waves at the crowd. The lights go wild with bright neon colors flashing back and forth. The singer says his last thank-yous, then vanishes behind the black curtain with the rest of his band. Slowly, the stage lights dim out as the cheering fades and transforms into a loud hum of conversation.

I have little time left, so I throw a hand up to get one of the four bartenders’ attention. The guy with an eyebrow piercing spots me right away and offers me a curt nod as he finishes the drink he’s making.

After he sets two drinks in front of a young Asian couple, he approaches me. The name tag pinned to his upper chest readsmitch. I’ve never seen him before, so he must be new.

“What can I get for you?” Frustration simmers in Mitch’s gut. I wonder what from.

“I’ve got my card on file under Trey Grant.” I gesture to Arella. “Anything she wants is on me tonight.”

Mitch squints his eyes. “Huh? What d’you mean you’ve got your card on file?”

“Just tell Sophie I’m covering her bill.”

The guy scoffs. “And you are?”

I don’t expect the new guy to know who I am. Still, he doesn’t have to come at me with that snippy attitude. Twisting on my seat, I hop off and head toward the nearest table.

“Excuse me,” I say to the group of men shoving onion rings into their mouths. I grab the little acrylic sign off their table. “I’m just gonna borrow this for a sec.”

I hand the sign to the bartender, then point at my face. “That’s me. Tell Sophie this guy is getting this girl’s bill, ’kay?”

“Cool.” Mitch tosses the sign back to me, and I catch it easily. He’s lucky I’ve got good reflexes, or I would have dropped it from his shit throw. From under the bar counter, he pulls out a laminated menu and shoves it at Arella. “Be back in a jiff.”

I should speak to Sophie about Mr. Rude and Unfriendly later. He’s not someone I’d want bartending at my joint. No doubt, Sophie doesn’t want him either.

After I return the sign to its original table, I reclaim my place next to Arella, who’s reading the menu. “What’re you in the mood for?”

“Thank you, but you don’t have to pay for me.”

“No worries. Sophie gives the entire band and crew a huge discount. She says we help bring in most of her income.”

I check the time on my phone. Monique is probably freaking out right now about me not getting mic’d up. I’m gonna hear it from her later about how I purposely do things just to piss her off, even though that’s never my goal. If Arella wasn’t such a vital puzzle piece to finishing my parents’ research, I’d be back there already.

While Arella focuses on the menu, I focus on her as if staring longer will make my mind power kick in. So far, nothing.Damn, she’s beautiful though.Undoubtedly the prettiest Ordinary I’ve ever laid eyes on. Strands of wavy locks fall out of her braid, framing her rosy cheeks. Long black lashes surround her hypnotizing brown eyes, and her nose has that delicate small and rounded shape about it. All her features fit with her sweet and gentle demeanor.

Arella sets the menu down and turns to me with a shy smile. “Am I that interesting to watch?”

I smile back sheepishly. “A little.”

Mitch returns with that same snippy tone. “You decide on somethin’ yet, sweet cakes?”

Sweet cakes?I can’t stop myself from shooting him a dirty look. Mitch pretends like he doesn’t see it, but I sense it when he does, the moment his nerves spike. Subtly, I give him my bestI’m this close to hitting youface.

“I’ll have some water and the chicken nachos, please,” Arella says, never acknowledging Mitch’s stupid pet name. Maybe she doesn’t care that he called hersweet cakes, but I do.

“Cool.” Mitch snatches the menu from her, then leaves.

Now that he’s gone, it’s time for me to make good on my mission. “So, Arella, do you work anywhere besides Sunrise Daycare?”

Her shoulders stiffen. “How do you know where I work?”

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