Page 36 of Brandt's Rule

“What if she wants somebody else?” Barron asked.

“They might die, too,” Brandt answered.

“Is she yours? Sure sounds like she’s yours,” Barron said.

Brandt swallowed and looked in the direction she’d ridden off in. “I can’t have her. But I can’t watch someone else have her either. She’ll have to leave if she wants someone. She can stay as long as we’re just here, not together but not with someone else either.”

Barron shook his head. “Yep, dumbest fucker that ever fucked,” he said again as he walked off and left Brandt standing there.

~~~

Tempest rushed home, hoping to find Bailey still at the coffee shop, closing it up for the day. Grinning to herself as she pulled up in front of the shop, she quickly shut off her engine and hopped off her bike. She ran up to the glass front of the building and pressed her face against it, knocking non-stop until an obviously rattled Bailey walked quickly from the back of the store to the counter where the register was to get a view of the front windows with a scowl on her face. She saw it was Tempest and smirked as she shook her head and slowed her pace as she progressed toward the door.

“Why are you knocking on the glass like that?”

“Because I wanted to get your attention, quickly. Hurry up and get dressed. We’re going out,” Tempest said.

“Out where?” Bailey asked, brightening a little.

“Vince’s Place.”

Bailey scowled again. “I love those burgers as much as anyone else, but I already ate them twice in a row. I’m kind of burned out.”

“Not the restaurant part. The bar part,” Tempest said with a grin.

“The bar part?”

“Yes. I told them first round is on me. That’s the way to invite people to go out for drinks, right?” Tempest asked.

Bailey took a moment to assess Tempest’s excited demeanor as well as her question. “You’ve never been out to a bar, have you?”

“Yes, I have. Well, kind of, with my parents when we were in Paris a time or two, but not as an adult. Not to drink and bond with friends.”

“Dear Lord, what have you gotten yourself into?” Bailey murmured.

“What? Did I do it wrong?” Tempest asked.

“No, but you gave the impression that you could drink, and were familiar with it. If you drink, you might actually fall over drunk, and how impressive would that be?”

Tempest laughed. “No, no chance of that. I can handle it, I’m sure. Is that what you’re going to wear? Is that what I should wear?”

Bailey looked down at her jeans, teeshirt and apron. She lifted a hand to smooth over her hair that was in a messy bun with clips holding her bangs back. “No, if you’re going out, you need to dress to impress. But I don’t have anything else here. I really need to change first.”

“Are you finished here?”

“Almost. I need to finish the kitchen, then I can run home and change real quick. Do you think Remi will be there?” Bailey asked.

“I think so,” Tempest said.

“Damn. I need to come up with something good to wear.”

“Will you hurry?” Tempest asked.

“I still have things to finish up.”

“I’ll do it. Just go home and come back as soon as you can. I’ll get this done and throw on something else.”

“You’re sure?”

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