Page 113 of Craving Venom

“Miss me already?”

“You’re my favorite person in the world,” she rushes out.

“Uh-huh. What do you want?”

She groans. “Okay, so Xaden asked me out tonight, and—”

I grin. “Oh shit.”

“I know, right?!” she squeals and I swear my speakers crackle. “He just texted me, like, five minutes ago. He wants to take me out on a real date, not just grabbing drinks after my shift or whatever, but an actual date-date, and I can’t say no, Faith, I won’t say no.”

“So you want me to cover your shift.”

Tria gasps. “You get me.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re so lucky I love you.”

“So you’ll do it?”

I sigh, dragging it out. “Hmm, I don’t know. I was really looking forward to a night of reading case files—”

“FAITH.”

I laugh. “Yes, I’ll do it, you desperate little gremlin.”

She squeals. “I fucking love you!”

“Yeah, yeah. Now go freak out over what you’re going to wear.”

“Oh my God, you’re right. What do I wear?”

I chuckle. “Something that makes him regret not asking you out sooner.”

“You are my favorite person.”

“Duh.”

“Okay, I have to go. I need to raid my closet and possibly buy a whole new outfit in the next thirty minutes.”

I shake my head. “Go be hot.”

“I am hot.”

“Then go be hotter.”

She cackles before hanging up.

I set my phone down, sighing through my nose.

Tria is excited, and if it were anyone else, I’d be giving them so much shit right now. But Tria? I’d cover her shift a hundred times over if it meant seeing her this happy.

I pull my hair into a loose ponytail, adjusting my work shirt in the small bar bathroom. Corrine is already behind the bar when I step out, setting up glasses. She glances up when she sees me, flashing a knowing smirk. “Covering for Tria?”

I snort. “I got guilt-tripped into covering her shift.”

Corrine raises a brow. “You mean you agreed the second she asked?”

I roll my eyes. “Fuck off.”

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