Page 10 of Mine

Neither did fantasizing about a stranger in a coffee shop.

THREE

PEPPER

Bodies pressedagainst mine as people danced, voices muted by the music that thrummed so loud it reverberated in my bones. I searched for Tommy, my stomach twisting with nerves at being in a crowd. Venues like this used to appeal to me, but now I was so completely out of place, I just wanted to evaporate into thin air.

It had been too long since I’d gone out into the world on a Friday night. My skin prickled as I felt eyes on me, on the short black dress and heels I wore.

The entire outfit practically screamed that I was fun, right?

Then again, maybe I was overdressed. And that maybe made menotfun? Who the fuck was I even dressing for, aside from myself? It wasn’t like I was going to meet someone, even though Tommy would have loved to see that happen.

Beaumont’s was a well-known live music venue I used to frequent a few times a week back in the day. Back then, it hadn’t been more than a seedy dive bar, but over the years it had grown into something more chic and high end. They still had the old neon beer signs on the wall behind the counter, dim blue lights, and the random dollar bills pinned to the ceiling, though.

While I had a special place in my heart for Beaumont’s, it wasn’t my scene anymore. It hadn’t been for over a decade. Now I listened to music in my office, and it was through the lens of—could this make us money? Could Rosethorn benefit from having an artist like this on our roster?

“Pepper!”

Dan’s voice boomed across the bar and I turned, spotting him standing at a small round table in a roped-off area with a good view of the stage. I waved and wove my way over to him. One of Beaumont’s bouncers opened the rope for me and I stepped into the section.

“Since when does Beaumont’s have a VIP area?” I asked.

“Since I graced them with my presence,” Dan teased.

I grinned and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Hey, handsome.”

Silver glitter shimmered beneath the blue lights on his dark brown skin, his simple black T-shirt showing off broad shoulders and abundance of corded muscles. I’d known Tommy for over a decade, and I cared deeply for him—but Dan was my favorite. He was everything good in the world, and had a deep love for music that gave him the ability to make magic in the studio.

He also knew when I was struggling with just one look at me. He was far too intuitive for his own good. And just like that, he narrowed his gaze on me. “What’s going on with you? You can’t even come over for dinner because you’reso busy? You never text. You never call. I’m sick of it.”

I wrinkled my nose at him as he shoved a beer into my hands. “Well, any time you invite me over, Jeff is also usually invited, so…”

Dan shook his head. “We don’t invite him over anymore.”

“Really?” I scowled in surprise. When Jeff and I divorced, most of our friends gravitated towards him. Only Tommy and Dan kept up with me, but last I heard, they still grabbed the occasional lunch with him. “Since when?”

He made a face. “Mm, no. Not getting involved with any of that. You better talk to my husband.”

Damn it, Tommy. What aren’t you telling me?“Speaking of, where is he?” I asked, glancing around us.

“Getting us real drinks and stools so our feet don’t ache. I’m too old to be standing here until three a.m.”

I relaxed a fraction. “Thank god. I’d be leaving early if that were the case.”

“So would I. But, I want to hear this guy. Tommy has been thirsting over his videos online. He has a little crush, I think. Which is good. Keeps things spicy after nine years.”

I took a sip of my beer and shifted to be across the table from Dan. There were other standing tables too, each crowded with people clinking glasses and chatting. This area had more breathing room than the rest of the bar, which was completely packed. I looked up at the stage and spotted a single electric guitar waiting for the next set. “Well, we’ll see what happens. He dragged me here for this too, so he must think this guy is someone special. Found him on Instagram or something.”

“Oh, yeah. Hasn’t shut up since. The comments are all either women or Tommy lusting over the guy.”

Ha.“Hope it’s a burner account. Also, I’m sorry I’ve been…”

“MIA?” he asked flatly.

“A bad friend.”There, that was progress, right? Showing my feelings. Admitting I’d been staying away from anyone and everyone who reminded me of the absolute humiliation Jeff had caused.

Dan sighed and took a long sip of his beer. “Maybe a little bit. I can’t blame you for putting your head down and just working for a while. Honestly, I hate Jeff. I never liked him. I told you that years ago when we first met, but you and Tommy didn’t listen to me.”

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