Page 8 of After Midnight

“We’ve got some time before the early show kicks off,” I said, saddling up to the bar. “Wanna grab a quick dinner somewhere?” My confidence was running unusually high.

The man smiled but shook his head. “Unfortunately, I’m still on the clock. I have to be back home by eight-thirty to babysit my sisters, so I need to get all my hours in before it gets too late.”

I shrugged, not wanting to show my disappointment. “You have sisters?”

He smiled, and I could see how much he loved them just by the goofy look on his face.

“Yep, one’s eight, and the other is eleven.”

“Quite a bit younger then.”

He nodded, generously tolerating my attempts at small talk. “They are.”

Not letting my bruised pride detour me, I tried again with my proposal. “So, what about those eighties shows? I could come hang out with you after my set. I’ll be done by eight.”

He looked at me for a moment, seeming torn. “Do you likeThe Princess Bride?” he asked.

“No idea. Is it any good? Fair warning, I’m not into Disney princess movies.”

He laughed hard. “It’snotthat, I promise you, but it is my sisters’ favorite movie. It’ll also give you a solid foundation for building up those pop culture references you were speaking about. So, if you don’t mind watching a gloriously camp film alongside two preteen girls and their big brother, then it’s a date.”

My face split into a wide grin. Did he saydate? “That sounds perfect,” I said as a happy, bubbly feeling bloomed in my chest. Visions of spending an evening with the hunk, snuggled up on a couch with the lights dimmed as we watched a movie, ran through my mind until he threw a bucket of cold water over my lustful imagination.

“You think that now, which I’m guessing means you’ve never been around preteen girls before, right?”

When I shook my head, he chuckled. “In that case, this could be a rather entertaining evening… at least for me,” he said.

My set didn’t earn the biggest laughs of the night, but I also didn’t get booed off the stage. Ashton had been right. When myjokes fell flat, and I switched gears to tell the audience how I’d ended up in this time slot, they howled with laughter. At one point, I caught sight of Rodney’s red face at the side of the stage, which made me go at him even more.

By the time my set wrapped, I knew I’d created an enemy in Rodney, but I’d also gotten my revenge. I was on a high and nearly stood the bar guy up so I could watch Rodney bomb, but ultimately decided I’d rather hang out with the handsome man I’d just met, even if I had no idea what to expect. Besides, I had several more weeks with the early crowd, and I needed to do some serious research if I were going to pull this off. I was lucky tonight, having connected with the audience, but I needed to build upon the Rodney set rather than rely on it for all the laughs.

As I walked toward the bar, Ashton intercepted me. “Better, but you need to get your ass in front of more audiences!”

The criticism stung, but I knew he was right. I needed more practice reading and relating to my audiences, no matter their demographics. I expected that would come with time and experience, I just hoped it wouldn’t be too painful getting there.

Chapter three

Dominic

Ihonestly had no idea why I trusted the guy. I didn’t want to admit it might be because he lit my libido up like a Christmas tree. Tall, well-defined arms, slim body, and eyes that were mischievous but kind. More than anything, I think his eyes might’ve been what got me.

I immediately regretted inviting him over, especially with the girls around, but then I figured if he gave me any trouble, I could easily toss him out.

“Before I walk out of here with you, I need your full name and phone number,” I said, pulling my phone out of my back pocket.

He chuckled and took my phone, typed in his contact information, and handed it back. “Dillon Pearson. This is your real name, right?” I asked and he chuckled again.

“Yep, last I checked.”

I nodded and made no secret of texting the details to Miss Rita’s phone, telling her I was bringing a new friend home to watch a movie with the girls. That way, she had enough time to do some research on him before we arrived.

“Fair’s fair, mystery barman,” Dillon said, grinning at me. “What’s your name? I don’t think I ever got it.”

I returned his smile. “Dominic Lawson. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Dominic,” he repeated, letting my name roll off his tongue. The sound sent a little shiver through me that I hoped he hadn’t noticed. “Maybe I should get your number, too, just in case you’re a serial killer or something.”

It was my turn to chuckle. “I could say I wouldn’t hurt a fly, but then, I do own a fly swatter,” I said. “Seriously, though, if I were a bad guy, you wouldn’t have had to go fishing for an invite to my place.”

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