Page 49 of Wicked Flirt
Anytime. You got this! Go, Lexi, go!
Lexi smiled, actually feeling calmer with her friend’s cheerleading. She tucked her phone away and opened the first box of decorations—festive garland for the periphery of the room. She could do this no problem. Just focus on the event. One step at a time. She looked up to the high ceilings with punched tin tiles. She needed a ladder or a stepstool to reach.
She asked the bartender where to find one, and he gave her directions to a back storage closet. She dragged the stepstool out and got to work, starting in the front of the bar. She’d done half the room when Marcus returned with some boxes, setting them down on the floor.
“Lex,” he boomed across the room, “I’m getting you some help.”
She pressed the sticky double-sided tape in place and looked over at him. “I’m good.”
He ignored her and went into the back. A few minutes later, he returned with two twentysomething cute hipsters she’d never met before. “This is Sara and Caleb. They’ll give you a hand.”
She gave them a friendly wave. Sara had long pink hair, a nose ring, and wore a black T-shirt with cutoff shorts and black tights. Caleb had curly messy brown hair and wore a short-sleeved blue shirt with white palm trees and brown corduroys.
Her new helpers jerked their chins at her with a friendly, “Hey,” as Marcus watched them like a hawk. Seeming satisfied with their response, Marcus turned to her. “I parked you a block away. I’m going to get the rest of the stuff.”
“Thank you!” she called after him.
He lifted a hand in acknowledgment and kept walking.
She sighed, watching his broad capable shoulders disappear through the door. Nothing better than a man who’s got his shit together.
“He has that effect on women,” Sara said.
Lexi stiffened. “I’m sure.”
Sara nodded. “Everyone on staff has a crush on him, even one of the guys.”
“That’s nice,” Lexi said evenly. “Could you find the box with the tabletop decorations? Caleb, maybe you could set up the long table over there.” She pointed to where she wanted it. “Marcus said there was one in the basement storage.”
“On it,” Caleb said.
Sara lingered. “So you and Marcus are official, huh? He called you his girlfriend.”
She felt herself flush. “Yeah, I guess it’s official.”
Sara lowered her voice. “Just be careful. I heard—”
“Marcus and I are good. I don’t want to hear the gossip.” She was past that. She knew this man, had taken a risk, and now she was in deep. She had to learn to trust in him.
“Suit yourself,” Sara said cheerfully before heading to the bar for the next box of decorations.
~ ~ ~
Two hours later, with the event in full swing, Lexi was happily guiding people through the activity stations. Sara and Caleb helped her for the rest of the night. It turned out Sara was a waitress/artist and Caleb was a dishwasher/musician. They were really good with the customers, and she could see why Marcus would want them on staff. Marcus jumped in frequently to help and had done the white twinkling lights by himself, but he was also busy managing stuff behind the scenes, working with the kitchen staff, and jumping in to help with bartending.
The crowd just kept building as the king and queen of the bar contest spread through social media. They had twenty people enter the contest and put a poll on their fave social media hangout. Their friends were voting, sharing, and coming in to see the results. It was awesome.
Hurricanes were flowing freely, along with purple martinis made with blueberry vodka, and the fave of the night, the King’s Cup, a champagne and vodka concoction in commemorative gold goblets she’d ordered special for the occasion with “Mardi Gras at The Burrow” printed on one side. The music was a cheerful Cajun zydeco. Later for the masquerade speed dating, she’d switch the music to jazz.
She stopped by the long table, where Sara was teaching people how to make floats out of miniature cereal boxes. “How’s it going?” Lexi asked.
“Awesome.” Sara lifted a small Froot Loops float with gold glitter and green feathers glued all over it. “This one’s mine. I had to make an example.”
“Nice!” Lexi turned to Caleb at the bar, who was egging people on to get more votes in the king and queen poll. He smiled over at her, and she grinned back. She turned back to Sara. “We’ll wrap this station up in an hour and give out the prizes. Clear the table completely because it’s going to hold dessert later. Everyone gets beads just for participating.”
Sara grinned. “No flashing, huh?”
“No flashing. I’ll get you a few necklaces to wear, and then you can hand out the others.”
