Page 50 of Danger
We slip out, trying for normal and landing somewhere near suspiciously stiff.
I take one step and nearly collide with Kevin, one of the other bartenders, who is holding a box of limes.
I freeze. He freezes.
“We were just—” I start.
Sawyer, somehow worse under pressure, blurts, “Nothing. We were nothing.”
Kevin’s eyes flick between us. Then the closet door opens again. Trouble ducks out. Then Rogue. Then Charming.
All in a slow, horrible line emerging from a tiny closet.
Kevin blinks.
We all blink back.
This is the most eye contact I’ve ever had with another human, and I hate it.
“I didn’t see anything,” Kevin says quickly.
“There’s nothing to see,” I say at the exact same time Sawyer says, “It’s not what it looks like.” Which is a terrible thing to say when no one asks.
Kevin nods too many times. “Cool. Cool.”
He twists and speed-walks the other direction like the hallway is on fire and we started it.
We stand there in silence.
Rogue exhales. “Well. That’ll be a rumor by morning.”
“By morning?” Trouble says. “You know he’s texting someone right now.”
I close my eyes.
I’ve got to check on Danger. I have bigger problems than being mistaken for part of whatever deeply concerning brother orgy Kevin thinks we’re running.
Sawyer and I make it to the bar, pretending we’ve been there the whole time. Rogue and Trouble lean against the counter like this is just… a normal place to stand. Normally. Casually. As people do.
Danger comes in first, has that same look I see on peoples faces when they come in after a long week. His eyes sweep the room once before landing on us.
On me.
He heads straight for the bar, for the whiskey bottle closest to him, and tosses it back. Then he sets the bottle down.
“You okay?” I ask, because I don't know what else to say.
A slow smirk pulls at his mouth. “Yeah.”
The way he says it makes me suspicious, maybe a little nervous.
“I got an idea.”
I raise an eyebrow. “A bad idea?”
“Most of mine are.”
Before I can ask what that means, his hand slides to my lower back. “Come here.”
