Page 3 of Submitting to Them
As the night wears on, I try to ignore thoughts of Kingston.I wonder who the woman was, who walked out with him.She was really pretty, with wavy brown hair and dark green eyes.It had been difficult to swallow my jealous reaction when she put her hand on his shoulder to put her shoes on.The gesture had seemed intimate for some reason.
Sighing, I shake off the thoughts.I was probably just imagining it.And nothing worse than turning a bomb threat into a reason for jealousy.
Soon enough, Nicholas-don’t-call-me-Nick arrives.My shift is over.But as I start to move toward the office to get my things, I see Natasha looking over at the clock behind the bar.Her last table is taking their sweet-ass time paying the bill.Their prerogative, of course—the pub isn’t closing anytime soon, but they could at least pay and then hang out.Natasha walks out to them to ask and they nod, reaching for their wallets…but they start gabbing again and from their body language, they’re telling her it’ll be just another minute.
She walks back to the bar, her mouth looking a little tight.
“Hey,” I say, “I’ll take care of them.You can go.”
“No, you probably have things to do, too.”She gives me a falsely bright smile.“But thanks for the offer.”
“Get your ass out of here,” I say.“You have a date.I have no plans whatsoever, and you’d be offering to take the rest of my shift if our situations were reversed.”
A look of conflict passes over her face, and then she nods.Decision made, now she looks relieved.“Thank you so much.I really liked this guy when I met him yesterday, I don’t want to screw up our first date.”
“Go, go,” I say.“Let me know after, okay?And be safe.Text me if you need me.”
“Will do.”She hurries to gather her belongings and then comes back out.She throws her arms around me.“You’re a good friend.Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I say, hugging her back.
I let Kevin know I have to text someone really fast about my change of plans, and I type up a message to Sebastian to say that I’m getting off work a little later than planned.I don’t include Kingston on the text.
I’m being petty.My dad taught me better.So at the last second, I switch the message over to our group text, and hitsend.
No problem, I’m still at work, too, Kingston writes back.
Of course he is.He went in at four a.m.And he’s still there at nine p.m.
I wonder if the woman from this morning is there with him.
Sebastian
Abdul’s is busy, and it takes me a minute to find Kingston among the full tables.I like this place because it’s an upscale bar, not a pub.People aren’t here to hook up.Well, some people probably are, but the vibe is relaxed, and there are a lot of business-type people.I don’t exactly fit in with my tats and leather jacket, but nobody’s giving me dirty looks, either.Besides, it’s Sunday.Lots of people are in jeans.
Kingston, included.Except his eyes are glued to his phone.I can tell from the wrinkle between his brows that he’s working.
“Shit man, give it a rest for an hour, okay?”I say as I take a seat across from him.
“What?”he asks, distracted.
“Stop working for a little while.”
He jabs at his phone screen a few more times, then sets it on the table next to his drink.“Sorry.It’s been intense.”
“Any theories about what happened yesterday?”
Shaking his head, he says, “Not a single one.The detectives aren’t sharing anything with me at this point.I think they’re suspicious I set the whole thing up, because I was there so damn early, but since there’s literally no motive, they have to let that go.”
A server comes by to ask if I’d like a drink.“Iced tea, please,” I say.
As the server walks away, King says, “Do you think you’re an alcoholic?After everything that happened, and Trina drugging you rather than you getting so drunk you blacked out, it made me think.”
He’s got a point.I’ve been wondering the same thing.
“I guess it doesn’t matter,” I say.“I haven’t missed alcohol for seven years.That in itself probably should’ve been a sign that I’m not an alcoholic.But given that I’ve gone so long without it, and not cared, I don’t know.Seems weird to start drinking now.I may as well stay sober.”
“Yeah.”He nods.“Makes sense.Have you heard from Ella today?”
