Page 7 of Beck and Call

"Let's just go and have a good time. Besides, if we have enough fun, she'll be insanely jealous."

She glanced back at her, over her shoulder. "I'm sure you're right." She tipped her chin in the direction of some men standing by the bar. "How about we start over there? If they don't make her jealous, they'll be one hell of a distraction."

Jana sauntered up to the bar, putting a bit more swing in her hips as she moved. Her long blonde hair was styled into retro pin-up waves and swung below her shoulders with each step she took. She stood out in her fire engine red dress and matching lipstick. It contrasted with her porcelain skin, pale hair, and pale blue eyes. She glowed so bright I felt invisible next to her.

When we got within a few steps of the men she'd picked out, she grabbed my hand and we moved to the bar. The magic dress gave me more confidence than I usually had, and I found myself matching her stride.

She leaned on the bar top, coyly teasing the bartender that he might be treated to an accidental peek if he gave her attention over everyone else waiting for a drink.

He set a napkin down in front of her. "What can I get you, beautiful?"

I wanted to gag. It was so cliché, but she smiled as if she found him charming. "Sidecar, please."

"Really, a sidecar?" It was the ultimate old lady drink, and not in line with the image she seemed to be portraying.

"It's retro. It's the twenties, our an-sisters cut their hair and bucked stereotypes. We need to continue their work and burn down the patriarchy."

"An-sisters?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "Like ancestor, but a play on words. I'm living in homage to our suffragette sisters."

"Okay, so we're burning down the patriarchy? How are we doing this, because I don't think we're going to win any battles with an old-fashioned drink and retro style."

"It's just to set the mood, my little Southern rose. The actual destruction of male dominated society will take place in the boardroom once I take over my family's company."

"I'll just be over here cheering you on," I grumbled.

Jana put her hand on my arm. "Why won't you let me give you a job? You're smart, and I'd be lucky to have someone like you on my team."

I gave her a half smile and quickly looked away. "I've told you why."

She squeezed my arm, then promptly let go. "It isn't charity to help a friend. Especially, when you would bring me so much more than I'd be giving you. The fundraiser we ran for the Humane Society was a huge success, and it wouldn't have happened without the marketing campaign you designed to raise awareness."

"I'll think about it," I replied.

We both knew I wouldn't. Jana was my one and only friend in the world. The only person who would notice if I went missing. Working for her would destroy the fragile equality we had, and potentially change our friendship forever. It was too much of a risk for me.

She gave surreptitious glances to the men near the bar while she waited for her drink. The bartender passed out a few glasses of wine, as this crowd was too fancy for a bottle of beer, before he reached us. He set down a chilled coupe glass, garnished with a lemon peel on her napkin.

Finally, he noticed I was standing next to her. He studied me, before setting down a napkin. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't quite pin you down. Ordinarily, I'd say you were a beer girl, but then what would you be doing here?"

I let just a little twang slip into my normally tightly controlled accent. "A beer would be lovely. Do you think they'd run me out of here?"

He dramatically clutched his chest. "A southern beauty, and a beer drinker. Marry me!"

I playfully swatted at him. "Now, don't go making a big fuss. Can you give me the fanciest beer y'all got back there?"

"Do you really want the fanciest we've got? I mean, you're here, so maybe you care if the barley was grown in space, but you seem like a Stella girl to me."

"Space beer?" I looked at Jana to confirm, and she shrugged and shook her head.

"Okay, I'm rich and space beer sounds ridiculous even to me, and I talk to my shoes," she commented.

He tossed a rag on to his shoulder, tipped his head back and laughed. That earned both of us the attention of the men further down the bar. "I think she should stick with something more normal, yeah?" he asked Jana.

"Definitely," she agreed.

He poured me a glass of the pale ale in a fluted beer glass and moved down the bar to serve more customers.

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