Page 24 of It's Holy Matrimony, Baby

I glance over my shoulder and the sign on the door reads open, which means that it must say closed on the other side. Approaching her, I drop my phone back into my bag. “I came in with Nox.”

“You must be Beck.” She smiles, her blue eyes brightening. “Jack told me about you this morning.”

“Jack?”

“He sometimes works at the hotel as a bartender.” She moves around the counter to the nearest booth. Reaching between it and the café case she does something and then places her hands on the front of the booth. The booth begins to roll back. “Would you mind giving me a hand? I need to get everything set up.”

“Sure.” The whole row is on wheels, which I didn’t notice before, and it glides across the wooden floorboards, opening up a huge backroom with a bar and a stage.

“We usually leave all this open, but we’re expecting a crowd, so I needed to move the furniture into the storage room.”

“This place is...” I don’t have the words to describe it.

Grinning, she rests her hands on her hips. “It’s Mayhem. Completely crazy. But it works.”

“Hence the name?”

“Exactly.” She nods. “Coffee?”

“Please.” I follow her back into the storefront.

“How do you take your poison?” She starts setting up the coffee machine.

“Nox said I should ask for the Casey special. I don’t know if that pertained to coffee or—”

Lou laughs heartily. “Double espresso with two shots of coffee liqueur and cream. I can make you one if you want.”

“I think I’ll stick to that.” I glance to where black liquid is dripping from the machine into a cup.

“Okay.” She joins me at the register and notices the album. “Violent Nation, huh?”

I trace the signed label with my fingertips. “I have a soft spot.”

“I get it,” she says.

“Can I get that Sophie Valentine too? I’ve never seen that cover before. Nox told me a story earlier about Sophie and a boy. Do you think he’s the mystery man?”

She snaps open a bag and carefully slides my Violent Nation album into it before handing it to me. “It’s on the house. Casey special discount. But I can’t give you the Sophie.”

I reach for my wallet. “I wouldn’t expect—”

“No. I mean it’s not for sale.” She moves to the coffee machine now that it’s stopped dripping.

“Oh.” Damn it. I doubt I’ll ever come across the same CD again.

“But you can listen to it. In one of the booths.” She finishes my coffee and puts it down between us. “I can put it on for you and you can listen for as long as you like.”

She comes around the counter and leads me to the first booth where she puts the CD on. “Just make yourself comfortable. Nox will be a while.”

I nod to her as she leaves the booth and then I pick up the headphones that hang on a hook on the back wall. The music instantly soothes my nerves. I take my bag off and sit on the floor, letting Sophie’s voice wash over me. What a mess. Getting divorced was something I never thought I would have to worry about. And now I have a man who for whatever reason refuses to be amiable. A lost ring. And only a short while to make it all go away.

What a mess I’m in.

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