Page 10 of Fangs and Fudge

Vena: I’m betting a solid 9. And the girth! That could destroy a girl. Just think of the ride, though, right?

And the lust-glaze was back.

Me: Anchor.

Vena: You’re right. I bet he’d look just as big in jeans that tight. I’ll check tonight.

Shaking my head in defeat, I pocketed my phone and returned to my section.

As I cleaned, I kept an eye on the newcomers. Some mingled with Buzz as he closed down the bar. A couple of guys followed Shepard back to the office. But MC lingered, leaning against the stair rail, his focus aimed directly at Vena. After a moment of watching her, he pushed off from the rail and walked over. She was bent at the waist, ass up in the air as she fished something from under a booth table.

When she righted herself, she turned to find him only a step away. I thought I’d have to hurdle the half wall that separated my section from hers, but she appropriately retreated a step and gave him a polite smile.

“Did you need something?” she asked.

“Looks like you have a heavy tray,” he said. “Can I carry it to the back for you?”

Expecting her to turn even a helpful request into a sexual innuendo, I braced myself.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I can carry my own tray.”

Stunned, I stared at my best friend of over a decade. Had my two-second lecture actually sunk in? None of my lectures ever really sank in when it came to her libido, and yet, her eyes didn’t stray to MC’s muff mallet. Not even once.

Anchor appeared behind MC and swooped in to take the tray. He shot MC a warning look and said, “I got this.”

MC raised a brow, but judging from his smirk when Anchor walked away, MC considered the warning more of a challenge.

Vena returned her attention to cleaning, and MC drifted to the bar with the others. As long as Vena didn’t start flirting with MC, I knew that we wouldn’t have any issues.

After we closed our sections and clocked out, Buzz walked us to our car.

“How was everything tonight?” he asked.

“Good,” I said. “We made some decent tips for a short shift.”

“Buzz, how long are the new guys staying?” Vena asked randomly.

“As long as it takes.”

She opened her mouth to ask another question but stopped when she saw a black cat near our car.

“I swear, you’re still a cat magnet,” she said with a side glance at me.

“Let it go, Vena. That was years ago.”

“It feels like just yesterday that I was grounded for a week for a crime I didn’t commit.”

“Do I want to know?” Buzz asked.

“I wanted a cat really bad and thought I could sneak one home and keep it in my room without my parents knowing.”

“And you blamed it on Vena?” he asked.

I flashed him a mischievous smile. “Vena was always getting into trouble. It was more believable. Besides, I didn’t think my parents would call her parents.”

Vena snorted. “They did, and you still have a thing for cats.”

I shrugged and looked at the black cat.

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