Page 55 of Stay with Me

She nodded. “So your life’s going to change. Ain’t going to be easy, but it’s going to change.”

I turned slowly and looked at Roxy.

“Shots anyone?” she offered.

“Shots! Shots! S-S-S-hots!” Katie shrieked, snatching one of the glasses as she bounced her shoulders back and forth. A freaking second later, her shot was gone.

“Impressive,” I said.

Katie grinned.

After Roxy took her shot, both of the girls looked at me, and I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

“Told you,” Katie said.

Roxy frowned at me. “I want to see you taste liquor for the first time, and I poured you the good shit.”

My stomach coiled tight. The idea of seriously drinking, of not having control and ... I couldn’t even think about it.

Sighing, Katie reached over and grabbed my shot. “Snooze, you lose.” She downed it and then cracked the glass off the bar top. “Yeah, I just said that. And yeah, I got to go and make some mon-nay! See you later, bitches!”

I watched Katie spin like a ballerina on her heels and head for the door just as it opened and two other girls walked in. One of them, a busty redhead, curled her lip in Katie’s direction and then whispered something to her friend, causing the other lady to giggle.

Eyes narrowing, I realized I didn’t like that.

Katie stopped, looked the redhead straight in the eyes, and said, “I’ll cut a bitch.”

Roxy’s mouth dropped open.

I snorted. Yep. Like a pig in a cozy blanket.

The redhead paled and the other woman flushed.

“And those bitches back there won’t serve you, so you can go hang out at Apple-Back down the street.” Katie glanced over her shoulder at us. “Right?”

Since I figured I had some ownership over the bar, I nodded. “Right.”

“Be gone, bitches.” Katie all but ushered them back out the door, pausing to throw us what looked like a gang sign. “Peace out, home skillets!”

Roxy and I were quiet for a good minute and then I looked at her. “Katie’s always been a wee bit different, but I’ve always liked her.”

She nodded as she grabbed up our shot glasses, grinning. “Oddly enough, she has been right with some of her predictions. She told me something once ...” Her tiny button nose wrinkled. “Something I really should’ve listened to.”

I gaped. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“Nope,” she remarked. “But I love that girl. Crazy shit always happens when she’s in here. And I like herfeelings.”

“Feelings ...”

“Feeee-lings,” Roxy crooned loud enough that Reece’s table turned in our direction again.

Namely Reece.

His lips were hitched at the corners as he watched Roxy spin around like a drunk go-go dancer and place the shot glasses in the tray to be cleaned. She twisted back to me and pointed. “Nothing more than—”

“Feeee-lings,” I sang, just as badly and loudly. Probably more badly. “Trying to forget my feeee-lings ...”

“Oooof loooove,” Roxy belted out as she spread her arms and bowed dramatically.

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