Page 23 of Mimosa

Abs was wearing shorts and a long sleeved shirt, which would be a strange combination anywhere except Colorado. That was a normal ensemble, though his clothes were all black and he had thick drawn liner to match around each eye, as well as long fake lashes.

They met the others at the bottom of the stairs, as they usually did, so they could file in together behind the long bar in the front of the pub.

The pub was old school, wood tables, chairs, the bar itself, and metal fixtures, signs and ornaments. It looked like any old pub in Ireland, only it was much bigger, and most Irish pubs didn’t have a string of hot guys dancing behind the bar.

As they emerged, the crowd parted for them and began to whoop and holler as they rushed to the bar. Hippy got there first,crawling up onto the surface of the bar and juggling three bottles of peppermint schnapps.

The crowd went insane as usual, but the others were too busy taking drink orders as Hippy was the first to entertain everyone.

Mims was already pouring vodka into the blender with coffee liquor and heavy cream to make the pub’s famous White Russians, and Abs was beside him, making enough mixture for five Cosmopolitans.

“The crowd is thick tonight,” Abs yelled. “Did you see him?”

“Not yet. I might not see him at all with this crowd.”

“Oh, you will.”

As Mims took the money for the drinks, he let his eyes roam the faces in the crowd. No sign of Sonny yet, but even if he were there, Mims would be hard pressed to see him.

Haze joined Hippy on the bar and they did a little dirty dancing for the patrons. The tips rolled in when they did that. Goldie sidled up to him, and his deep voice rumbled through Mims. “You see him?”

“Abs has a big mouth.”

“This entire pub is like a small town! What do you expect? There are no secrets here.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re the tall one. If you see a sexy Latinx man with piercing dark eyes, point him out.”

“Wow, that’s…broad.”

Having to look up drinks wasn’t anything new, but when he got one he’d never heard of, he was so stressed about finding it in their digital library of drinks, the name of it completely passed his notice until he found it and read it on the page.

The Great Heist.

“Okay, that cannot be a coincidence.”

He turned and saw Sonny, smiling right at him. He closed out the e-reader and walked over to the bar, leaning as much as he could. “Funny.”

“Never made one?”

“I’ve made a few, but none of them great,” he said, laughing. “How about a shot and a beer?”

“Perfect.”

“When you get a minute, I’ll be on the patio. Bring my shot and beer.”

“I’ll do a round soon. See you then.”

Abs was right next to him when he pulled back. “That’s the guy? Holy hell!”

“Told you.”

“Where’d he go?”

“Patio, but Goldie just went for a round and we’re about to do a trick. After, I’ll go.”

“No,” Abs said, and got a beer from the fridge and took off the top, handing it to Mims to hold while he poured a shot of upper-shelf whiskey. “If he’s not into whiskey, you drink it. Calm your nerves.”

“I don’t drink whiskey!”

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