Page 51 of Indigo Sky

"Yeah, I think I can handle it," I said, even as I wondered how I was going to manage staying out until two in the morning every night when I had to be up at six for my day job.

"Really?" he asked, startled, as if he'd expected me to say no. "You sure it's all right?"

"It should be," I replied.

I worked at the gym Monday through Friday, and I worked at Midnight Lotus Friday through Monday. Working both jobs nearly every single day was likely to be draining, but with enough caffeine, I figured it'd be all right.

Honestly, I was just looking forward to seeing more of Indigo.Kate.

"Okay, as long as you're sure. I don't wanna run you ragged."

"I'll let you know if it becomes too much," I fibbed.

Even if the sleep deprivation drove me insane, I was unlikely to say anything. The situation was temporary. I could tough it out for a week or two and maybe take a day or two afterward to slip into a self-induced coma.

"Great. Thanks a lot, Rev. We'll see you in a bit."

We hung up, and then I showered, scrubbing away the grease from my hands and the sweat from my body. I dressed in my black button-down, black suit jacket, and black slacks, making a mental note to invest in another suit or two to change things up occasionally, and headed downstairs to find my parents getting dinner on the table.

"You're working tonight?" Mom asked at the sight of me.

"Yeah, I gotta fill in for Saul until he's back."

Mom and Dad had heard about the incident at Midnight Lotus last night. They hadn't worried much about it, especially after seeing I was fine. But now, hearing that Saul was out, Mom's brow crumpled with concern.

"Is he all right?"

I nodded, sitting down to quickly shovel some food into my mouth. "He sprained his wrist, fighting that guy off. He would've come in, but I told Sam I could handle it."

Dad eyed me with a skeptical look. "That's not gonna be too much?"

I was thirty-one years old, and Dad was looking at me like I was a high school student balancing school and a little part-time job down at McDonald's.

"I'll be okay," I said, stuffing forkful after forkful of lasagna down my throat.

Mom sat down beside Dad and nudged his ribs with her elbow. "I think he's just excited to see that girl."

Dad snorted. "You know, I think you might be right."

I didn't dignify the accusations with a reply, but I knew I was blushing stupidly, staring into my plate and fighting off a shit-eating grin. Because I thought we all knew that Mom was right.

I was really excited to see that girl.

***

As luck would have it, she was the first thing I saw when I walked into Midnight Lotus that night. Almost as if she had been waiting for me, she slid off her barstool and approached, wearing her skintight leggings and loose-fitting T-shirt, hanging off one shoulder. I took note of her bottom lip, how swollen it still was. The cut had started to scab over, but even though she was wearing lipstick, I could tell how angry and ugly it looked.

"This looks painful," was the first thing to come from my mouth as I boldly lifted my hand to gently run my thumb over the edge of her lip.

"Oh, it is. It splits every single freakin' time I smile."

"Guess you can't smile for a while," I said, dropping my hand back down to my side.

"I know. I'm trying not to."

"That's gonna suck for me," I replied, daring to take my chances with flirtation. "But you do what you gotta do."

Indigo—Kate, I kept reminding myself—groaned and rolled her eyes, but her cheeks were a deeper shade of pink, and her lips twitched as she fought off the smile she wasn't supposed to be smiling.

---