Page 5 of Beauty Sleep

“What—” But before the Daddy can say another word, two of my roommates practically bowl into me, hugging me and slapping my back and waving the bartender down for drinks.

“Happy birthday!”

“You didn’t think we’d forgotten, did you? We just had to get pretty.”

“Hey, look—we brought along a harness for you. You’ll look great in this!”

The stranger’s voice easily cuts through all of theirs. “So… you were saying about going to Vibes?” He raises his eyebrows at me, and I blush furiously.

Shit.

Ididjust tell him that I don’t know if I want to. And he’s giving me an expectant look like he’s waiting for me to tell the truth.

But Robby’s already stepping in.

He’s the dad friend in the group,the first one to swoop in when someone’s being perved on. It’s usually me, and often I don’t even realize what’s happening until later.

“We might be,” Robby says, his voice suddenly Arctic-cold as he folds his arms like a bouncer. “Butyou’renot invited.”

A slow frown appears on the older man’s face, and he looks past Robby to me, like he’s expecting me to say something.

Shit.

“I—”

Robby breaks off my quiet protest by stepping between us, putting an arm around my shoulder. “Don’t worry, babe. We’ve got you,” Robby tells me firmly.

I blink, and then I’m being frog-marched to the other side of the bar to join the rest of our friends. While we walk, he kisses my temple. “You’re fresh meat, babe. You gotta be careful tonight.” Then he shoves me through a gap in the crowd.

“I—but—wait?—”

“Here’s the birthday boy!” Robby announces to the rest of the group.

A couple of my friends shove a champagne glass into my hand and pour it full. Someone else stealth-attacks from behind to put a stupid little foil paper birthday hat on me.

My mind is still whirling, and everyone’s talking at once. They’re showing off their outfits, and the different outfits they want to put me in. Apparently tonight is some kind of masquerade theme. They’re all dressed up in leather, rubber, feathers, you name it.

And they all think I’m coming along, too.

Shit. I have to make up my mind now, don’t I?

I swallow hard and turn to sneak a look at the other end of the bar… and a jolt of surprise shudders through me.

The Daddy is still there. And he’s watching me.

As he catches my eyes, he raises his glass slightly and smiles. But it’s not the warm, gentle smile that calmed me down before. This time, it’s bitter, sharp-edged, even ironic… like he’s laughingatme, not with me.

Or is that just my guilty conscience talking?

I feel shitty that my friends were rude to him. Robby definitely treated him like some kind of gross old perv for flirting with me. And the worst part is that I actually knew what I wanted, for once.

But I didn’t say a word about it.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” Robby snaps his fingers. When I finally look at him, he grins. “Wake up. Time for your birthday blessings!”

I’m still annoyed at everyone—myself more than anyone else—but there’s no missing the wrestling match happening right now over a plastic fairy wand. I think it’s part of Kurt’s costume, but right now, it seems to be the hot commodity.

Theo wins the skirmish and brandishes it at me. “My turn first! May you have a year of finally,finallygettinglaid. All. The. Time. Morning and night, if it’ll make you less grumpy before coffee.”

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