Page 70 of Brage & Dinah

"I can take them their orders." She started making the second drink.

"Girl, you're younger than me, and they're on the prowl tonight. I wouldn't do that to you." Coco leaned against the counter.

"Do you want me to call Roar for you?" She glanced over at the men. They were already deep in their drinks, and probably bar hopped before hitting The Fire Ring.

Coco tilted her head. "Why would you call him?"

"I thought it would make you feel better to have him here while you serve the customers." She finished the first order and started on the second one. "Though Elling is by the door. He's good about watching the room and keeping everyone in line."

"Wait." Coco lifted the first tray. "Go back a second to Roar. I heard a weird...something in your voice."

Lizzy approached the counter. "What about Roar?"

Put on the spot, Dinah could only be honest. She hadn't broached the subject before, because other people's private life was none of her business.

"I asked her if she wanted me to call Roar and see if he could be here while she served Table Seven and Eight." She looked back and forth between the two women and caught them looking at each other with no expression. "If I misspoke, I'm sor—"

They both cracked up, coming together and leaning on each other. Putting the last glass on the second tray, she wrinkled her nose. She'd stepped over the line.

"Oh, my God. That's the best thing I've heard all night." Coco wiped the corner of her eye. "Roar..."

Lizzy slapped Coco, making her laugh harder. Picking up the last tray, Dinah walked around the counter to step away from the other women. She'd deliver the drinks herself while they entertained themselves at her expense.

Coco followed her and pushed her through handing out the drinks and excusing them both before the men had time to hassle them.

Walking back to the counter, Dinah said, "I'm sorry if I offended you."

"Girl, you did no such thing." Coco led her over to Lizzy. "We've joked that people were going to think we had a sister wives thing going on with Rain. We know how it looks, but I only rent a room in their house."

"Okay." She wanted to drop the subject.

"Coco and I rented the house together for five years before I met Roar. It made sense for him to move in with me. He's always at the clubhouse, so our living arrangement works for everyone." Lizzy squeezed Dinah's arms. "I'm sorry if we made you uncomfortable. We've made all three of us living together the butt of our jokes since the beginning and have been waiting for someone to assume the wrong thing—you've actually made our night. The truth is Coco is my best friend. That's it."

Dinah pressed her hand to her chest. "I'm embarrassed."

"Don't be. Seriously." Coco walked backward to cover her tables. "I won twenty dollars off our bet that someone would ask and Lizzy thought too many people around here knew us that they wouldn't ask. I've been waiting for someone who didn't know, so thank you. I'll even buy you lunch with my winnings soon."

Dinah shook her head. Those girls were crazy.

And, she really liked them. Making friends wasn't something she'd planned on when Brage kidnapped her.

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