“Whoa,” I whispered, unable to contain it.
“This guy’s incredible,” the guy on my right said.
“What are they playing?” I asked.
“Blackjack. He hasn’t lost yet. Must be one of those genius card readers or something. But the dude next to him’s getting mad.”
Kopano showed his cards with a no-nonsense face, and everyone in the crowd cheered as if watching a magician’s magic trick. The spirit circled the table, seeming to grow excited as money exchanged hands and one of the guys at the table stood up, shouting about cheating. Others eagerly stepped up to argue who would play next. A tall girl in a short dress rubbed Kopano’s shoulder, but when he looked up it was my eye he caught and held. My heart rate went rapid-fire and I cleared my throat, backing out of the crowd.
I’d taken only a few steps away when I heard a crunching thunk and shouts erupting behind me. I was shoved from behind as the swarm of people heaved. A fight had broken out at the poker table. Kopano! I stood on tiptoe, trying see him. On the other side of the frenzied crowd I spotted him walking away unscathed from the chaos with his brown dress jacket over his shoulder, head down.
I moved when hotel security flocked to the area.
My heart was still beating fast as I looked around the massive ballroom brimming with life. Jolts of apprehension zapped my belly at the sight of each short-haired boy, but I was thankful none of them was Kaidan. I shook my head, staving off wonderings of where he might be.
Another throng of people had formed around the dance floor. Curious, I grabbed a nearby chair and stood on it. Apprehension filled me about what I’d see, but it was only Blake break-dancing in the center of the open space. And that boy could dance. He was pulling off better moves than I’d seen on prime-time dance shows. Anyone would envy his ability. Other guys would also be envying the number of girls he’d be pulling in after this stunt. The whisperer swooped next to me, making my breath hitch.
It was time to give this demon a show.
I caught sight of the person I needed. The demon followed as I went to the laughing couple. Marna reached up and straightened the guy’s tie, but her hand dropped in surprise when she saw me standing there with my evil shadow.
“Sorry,” I said to the guy. I grabbed Marna’s hand. “Time to do some shots.”
“Wicked.” She squeezed my hand and didn’t spare a backward glance for her abandoned prey.
I led her straight to Trevor, nudging our way through the waiting customers and propping my elbows on the ledge. Marna squeezed in next to me. The demon poked his nosy, smoky head between us, but we didn’t acknowledge him.
When Trevor saw me, I smiled at him and he bypassed the other customers.
“Finally back,” he said. “Ready to pound another beer, blondie?”
I shook my head. “Two tequila shots with lime.” He raised an impressed eyebrow and grabbed the bottle.
“Hey, we’ve been waiting over here longer,” a man yelled.
“Be right with you,” Trevor told him.
I glanced at my watch. Hour one was over. I could have three drinks. Trevor set two golden shots in front of us with a shaker of salt. But no limes. I looked up as he called the other bartender over and tossed him a lime wedge. The other guy grinned and nodded. What were they doing?
“If you girls want your limes, you gotta come and get ’em.” Trevor and the other bartender stood side by side in front of us, balancing lime wedges perpendicularly between their teeth.
Marna laughed, licked her wrist, and shook some salt on the damp skin. No problem. I could do this. I followed suit, salting my wrist, and we both picked up our shot glasses. When we looked at each other to toast, there was a moment of understanding. An apology. An acceptance. A kindred spirit.
We clinked glasses, licked the salt from our skin, threw back the shots, and leaned over the bar. The guys leaned in as well, and I barely registered the people around us whooping over the sound of my heart pounding. I tilted my face and bit the lime from between his teeth without even touching him. But as I took possession of the fruit, he dragged his warm tongue across my bottom lip. The scent of tequila with the sensation of his tongue and the flavor of lime had me pulling away, dizzy with thoughts of Kaidan.
“That was fun.” I almost leaped from my skin at the demon’s sour voice. “Now what?”
“Another shot,” I said to Trevor.
“Tequila?” he asked.
I paused, indecisive. I needed to up the stakes. I took in the faces of the people pressed to the bar around me. There were about ten of us, and many more at our backs. I had a purse full of money. I leaned to the girl next to Marna, who held an empty wine glass.
“Hey, wanna do a shot with us?” I asked her, upbeat.
“Me? Oh, no. I can’t handle liquor, only wine.”
“Aw, come on. It’s New Year’s!” I beamed at her. “I’m buying you one.”
I watched her colors turn from a misty reluctance to an eager orange.
“Okay, but just one!” she said.
“You’re doing a shot?” asked her friend on her other side.
“I want to get shots for everyone at the bar right now,” I told Trevor. His eyebrows flew up.
“Everybody? You know how much that’ll cost?”
“Yep. Don’t worry, I’m good for it.” I winked, my first ever wink at a guy. My skin throbbed with adrenaline.
I took a consensus vote from nearby girls as to what drink we should have. They came up with some shooter I didn’t know. Trevor got busy, lining up a row of at least twenty small tumblers.
“This guy’s incredible,” the guy on my right said.
“What are they playing?” I asked.
“Blackjack. He hasn’t lost yet. Must be one of those genius card readers or something. But the dude next to him’s getting mad.”
Kopano showed his cards with a no-nonsense face, and everyone in the crowd cheered as if watching a magician’s magic trick. The spirit circled the table, seeming to grow excited as money exchanged hands and one of the guys at the table stood up, shouting about cheating. Others eagerly stepped up to argue who would play next. A tall girl in a short dress rubbed Kopano’s shoulder, but when he looked up it was my eye he caught and held. My heart rate went rapid-fire and I cleared my throat, backing out of the crowd.
I’d taken only a few steps away when I heard a crunching thunk and shouts erupting behind me. I was shoved from behind as the swarm of people heaved. A fight had broken out at the poker table. Kopano! I stood on tiptoe, trying see him. On the other side of the frenzied crowd I spotted him walking away unscathed from the chaos with his brown dress jacket over his shoulder, head down.
I moved when hotel security flocked to the area.
My heart was still beating fast as I looked around the massive ballroom brimming with life. Jolts of apprehension zapped my belly at the sight of each short-haired boy, but I was thankful none of them was Kaidan. I shook my head, staving off wonderings of where he might be.
Another throng of people had formed around the dance floor. Curious, I grabbed a nearby chair and stood on it. Apprehension filled me about what I’d see, but it was only Blake break-dancing in the center of the open space. And that boy could dance. He was pulling off better moves than I’d seen on prime-time dance shows. Anyone would envy his ability. Other guys would also be envying the number of girls he’d be pulling in after this stunt. The whisperer swooped next to me, making my breath hitch.
It was time to give this demon a show.
I caught sight of the person I needed. The demon followed as I went to the laughing couple. Marna reached up and straightened the guy’s tie, but her hand dropped in surprise when she saw me standing there with my evil shadow.
“Sorry,” I said to the guy. I grabbed Marna’s hand. “Time to do some shots.”
“Wicked.” She squeezed my hand and didn’t spare a backward glance for her abandoned prey.
I led her straight to Trevor, nudging our way through the waiting customers and propping my elbows on the ledge. Marna squeezed in next to me. The demon poked his nosy, smoky head between us, but we didn’t acknowledge him.
When Trevor saw me, I smiled at him and he bypassed the other customers.
“Finally back,” he said. “Ready to pound another beer, blondie?”
I shook my head. “Two tequila shots with lime.” He raised an impressed eyebrow and grabbed the bottle.
“Hey, we’ve been waiting over here longer,” a man yelled.
“Be right with you,” Trevor told him.
I glanced at my watch. Hour one was over. I could have three drinks. Trevor set two golden shots in front of us with a shaker of salt. But no limes. I looked up as he called the other bartender over and tossed him a lime wedge. The other guy grinned and nodded. What were they doing?
“If you girls want your limes, you gotta come and get ’em.” Trevor and the other bartender stood side by side in front of us, balancing lime wedges perpendicularly between their teeth.
Marna laughed, licked her wrist, and shook some salt on the damp skin. No problem. I could do this. I followed suit, salting my wrist, and we both picked up our shot glasses. When we looked at each other to toast, there was a moment of understanding. An apology. An acceptance. A kindred spirit.
We clinked glasses, licked the salt from our skin, threw back the shots, and leaned over the bar. The guys leaned in as well, and I barely registered the people around us whooping over the sound of my heart pounding. I tilted my face and bit the lime from between his teeth without even touching him. But as I took possession of the fruit, he dragged his warm tongue across my bottom lip. The scent of tequila with the sensation of his tongue and the flavor of lime had me pulling away, dizzy with thoughts of Kaidan.
“That was fun.” I almost leaped from my skin at the demon’s sour voice. “Now what?”
“Another shot,” I said to Trevor.
“Tequila?” he asked.
I paused, indecisive. I needed to up the stakes. I took in the faces of the people pressed to the bar around me. There were about ten of us, and many more at our backs. I had a purse full of money. I leaned to the girl next to Marna, who held an empty wine glass.
“Hey, wanna do a shot with us?” I asked her, upbeat.
“Me? Oh, no. I can’t handle liquor, only wine.”
“Aw, come on. It’s New Year’s!” I beamed at her. “I’m buying you one.”
I watched her colors turn from a misty reluctance to an eager orange.
“Okay, but just one!” she said.
“You’re doing a shot?” asked her friend on her other side.
“I want to get shots for everyone at the bar right now,” I told Trevor. His eyebrows flew up.
“Everybody? You know how much that’ll cost?”
“Yep. Don’t worry, I’m good for it.” I winked, my first ever wink at a guy. My skin throbbed with adrenaline.
I took a consensus vote from nearby girls as to what drink we should have. They came up with some shooter I didn’t know. Trevor got busy, lining up a row of at least twenty small tumblers.
