Page 53 of Best Served Cold

A flicker of guilt tickled my chest as everyone but Kai averted their eyes. Stone had been headlining at the club for almost two years, but our old bosses had vilified him and purposely lied to us to create discord between us and Stone.

We’d all fallen for it, and we all felt like shit for it.

“Yeah.” Kai nodded as Nick untangled himself from him. “It’s kind of perfect if you think about it. You’re part of the original crew that was here when I started. You’re one of us, even if we haven’t been all that welcoming.”

Stone glanced around, still hesitant.

River and I had started at the club the week before Gray was hired, and two weeks later, Kai and Nick started. Before Biggs bought the club from our previous bosses, the turnover rate for dancers and bar staff had been insane. Things were way better now and we’d had the same crew for six months, but the five of us were the ones who’d lasted the longest.

It felt like the end of an era.

“Please stay.” Nick put his hands together and gave Stone his best pleading face. “Pretty please with a blowjob on top?”

Stone spluttered as everyone but me gaped at Nick.

“What?” Nick blinked innocently and pointed to a shot glass Jett had filled with the ironically named shot. “It’s a blowjob.”

River howled and held up his hand for a high-five. Nick slapped it and pointed to the barstool in front of Stone. “Sit.”

“Yes, sir.” Stone sat.

“Ooooh. Sir. I like that.” Nick tugged at the hem of his tiny crop top. The thing barely covered his chest and kept slipping up and showing his nipples. “From now on everyone here has to call me sir.”

“You got it, Angel face,” I said.

“Zane Elvis Masters.” Nick fake-glared at me, but his expression quickly melted into a grin. “I can’t believe your middle name is Elvis.”

“Did Riv tell you our first names were going to be Lisa and Marie if we’d been girls?”

“He did not.” Gray flashed River some side-eye.

“Are your parents superfans or something?” Jett asked.

“Our mom was,” River said, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice. “So were her parents. Her middle name was Priscilla. Dad was more of a classic rock guy, but they had a deal that she got to choose our middle names since she was the one who carried us.”

“What’s your middle name?” Nick asked Stone, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group.

“What’s your first name?” Kai asked. “If you don’t mind telling us.”

Stone looked at Nick.

“What? I told you I’d keep it a secret. I’m like a vault.”

“Are you a vault, or do you have a really bad memory and forget most of what you’re told?” Gray teased.

“Hush now.” Nick plopped down on Gray’s lap. His crop top rolled up his torso and got stuck under his armpits. “I think I shrank this in the wash.” He smoothed his hand over the material to unroll it.

“You think?” Gray flicked one of Nick’s exposed nipples. “I don’t remember these hanging out the last time you wore it.”

Nick sat up straighter and yanked on the bottom of his shirt. It sprang back up like cartoon roller blinds. “Yup, definitely shrank it. Guess I’m gonna have to keep this as a sexy-time shirt.”

“Probably a good idea,” Kai said affectionately and ruffled Nick’s hair.

“So, I have something for you,” River said, uncharacteristically shy as he clutched a large envelope to his chest.

“You do?” Kai said.

River nodded. “It’s not much, but I thought maybe you might want something like this for your new place.” He held the envelope out to Kai.

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