Page 11 of Not A Whisper

“Next time, I’m making you wear a trash bag,” Trip growls in my ear as he pulls me closer.

I look up at his face to find him staring daggers at a group of guys a few feet away from the door. Their eyes are fixated on me. Some wink when I catch their eye while others blow me kisses. I visibly grimace. Do women actually respond positively to this? On our other side, a little further away on the sidewalk, someone whistles.

“Hey, baby, nice ass! If you get tired of the kid you can come find me!” A man yells. “I promise I’ll show you the best night of your life, little momma!”

I don’t bother to look back to see who called out, but Trip comes to an abrupt stop which forces me to do the same. His hand tightens around mine as his whole body goes rigid. Uh-oh… One look at his face and I know this could get ugly fast.

“What thefuckdid you just say tomygirl?” he snarls as he turns around. His whole body starts to tremble as anger works its way through him. I tug at his hand.

“It’s not worth it,” I warn softly. “Come on, let’s go have fun. I never get to see you. If you start something, our night will be ruined.Please, let’s get a drink and have fun.”

Trip glares a moment or two longer at whoever called out, waiting for a response. When he doesn’t get one, he smirks. “That’s what I thought. Say one more thing to my girl and you’ll end up behind bars with me tonight, you hear?”

With that, he drags me toward the entrance of the bar.

“You’re ridiculous,” I mutter, but oddly enough, a stupid smile spreads across my face.

“Trash bag,” he reiterates through clenched teeth.

Thankfully, waiting to get inside isn't an issue. We’reswiftly ushered in by the bouncers who yell at the people loitering around the door to scram.

Inside, I’m taken back.

I suppose I expected soft lights, low ceilings, a quiet and soft ambiance. While there are wicker chandeliers hanging over large U-shaped booths to give a softer feel in those intimate spaces, the room is much bigger and brighter than I thought it would be. Most of the light comes from the massive display growing up and out of the middle of the bar. Thousands of LED string lights stretch toward the ceiling where exposed ductwork and steel beams reside before they branch outwards. It creates an almost tree-like focal point in the middle of the bar. On the other side of the room is a dance space, and beyond that, a band is playing on a stage lit up with cool blue and yellow lighting.

“Woah.”

Dragging my gaze away from the bar, I glance over at Trip. His eyes are lit up with interest as he looks around. When he looks down at me, his brows are raised and he gives me a half-smile.

“This is a cool place.”

I grin. Before I can say anything, my name is called. We both look toward the bar where I catch sight of Brenda. The afro she started wearing earlier this month is large and stands out, along with her bright yellow dress. She flashes me a wide grin and waves us over.

Suddenly, I’m nervous. How is this going to play out? I hadn’t asked Trip how he wanted me to introduce him. Should we have come up with a backstory? If I tell them the truth, that Trip was one of three guysblackmailingme, I’m sure that won’t go over well.

I squeeze Trip’s hand before dragging him through the crowd. When we approach, I realize Jonathan is there as well,on Brenda’s other side ordering drinks. He gives me a distracted wave before flagging down a bartender.

“Hey girl, you look fabulous!” Brenda embraces me. I let go of Trip’s hand to return it.

“Thanks, you look great as well.” Pulling away, I step back and turn to introduce Trip. Before I even get a chance to open my mouth, she looks up at him with surprise.

“Oh, I know you!”

I look between the two of them as they stare at one another. “You know Trip?”

“Yes! Don’t you work for Baniker Carpentry? I think you redid our back deck at our new house. We live at 206 Gravestone Drive.”

Recognition flickers across his face before Trip chuckles. “Oh yeah. You have three little girls, right? They were really into taking a swing with the hammers we had laying around.”

“Yup, they’re adorable but they can be terrors. I’m sorry they wouldn’t leave your crew’s tools alone.” Brenda chuckles. “I’m Brenda, in case you forgot. It’s been a while.”

Trip takes her outstretched hand and shakes it. “Trip Baniker. And don’t worry about it—they were just curious.”

“Baniker?” she repeats, a brow popping upward in surprise. “Do you own the business?”

“It’s my father’s, but I’ve taken over for him for a bit.”

Brenda looks impressed and shoots me a pleased, albeit smug, smile. “He can run a business, he’s good looking, patient with kids,andowns a motorcycle?” Her eyes fall to the helmets under our arms. “I like him already, Bri.”

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