Page 93 of Best Served Cold

I thought back to what I’d eaten today. A protein shake for breakfast, a container of leftover spaghetti and an apple at work, and more coffee than was probably safe.

Had I eaten dinner? Or anything since noon?

I checked the time on my phone, my vision swimming slightly. I hadn’t consumed anything other than water and coffee in over ten hours.

Did I eat yesterday?

My head was murky as I picked through my memories. I’d had food, same as every day this week, but not nearly enough of it.

Static exploded in my vision and the world swayed around me.

Fuck. I leaned back against the bar, using it to steady myself.

How long had I been here? An hour, maybe a bit longer?

Had that been drink six, or five?

And why had the last one been so strong?

Had the pretty bartender given me a double?

The time on my phone caught my attention again as the EDM song blasting out of the speakers ended, a pulsing beat and a sensual-sounding tune taking over.

It was the perfect stripper song.

The twins were at work now. Did they know about this song?

“What’s this song?” I shouted at the person a few feet from me.

She swept her gaze over my piercings. Her features softened and she sidled closer. “This song?” she asked, leaning in so she could hear me over the music.

I bent closer so I wouldn’t have to shout. “Yeah. What’s it called?”

“I wanna be your slave,” she said in my ear, her voice sultry and low.

“Thanks.” I tapped River’s name in my contacts and opened a text thread with him.

Noah: ever heard of a song called I wanna be your slave?

Noah: its good

Noah: 1 of u should dance to it

Noah: listen

I tried to hit the voice record, but my big fingers slipped and I hit video instead.

Whatever. A video worked too.

“What are you doing?” the woman asked, pressing up against my side.

“Telling my friends about this song.”

“Hey!”

A rough shove between my shoulder blades nearly sent me sprawling. I bobbled my phone. My fingers were too clumsy, and it slipped from my hands and clattered to the floor.

“The fuck!”

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