Page 25 of Stella
Brew turns his head faster than the speed of light, his eyes narrowing. “Where?”
I snort a laugh, and Haze follows, slapping his knees. Brew’s annoyed gaze lands back on me.
“She’s my employee,” he says, like that explains it all.
“I thought she was both your employees?” I look between the two. “Or do you mean, she’smine?”
“Stella, fuck off,” Brew grumbles, moving away before I can bug him anymore.
“You’re brave, Stell, I’ll give you that,” Haze chuckles.
“Well, the sooner he makes the moves on Erica, the sooner he can stop moping around like a kid without a pacifier, he’s depressing.”
“Can’t say I disagree with you there.”
“What about you?” I turn my attention to him. “How’s Willow?”
Willow is the woman Haze was in a relationship with, married her, and — as the rumor goes — she kicked his ass out when they were conflicted over information to do with a case. Yeah, she’s a cop. I would never have pictured Haze with a cop in a zillion years, but hey, who am I to judge?
“How would I know? Haven’t seen her since the night Casey was snatched.”
Casey is Pipes ol’ lady, and let’s just say their relationship got off to a rocky start. I was there the night that me and Dad got to Casey first when she escaped. So Brew can go fuck himself if he thinks I don’t know what this club entails. I’ve seen a lot, and I don’t expect things will be pretty forever. It never is with a club like ours. “I heard she let you guys into the interview room and Pipes almost beat the wrong man to death,” I say.
Ah, memories.
“You seem to know an awful lot about an awful lot,” he gripes.
I tap my nose. “Not just a pretty face, Hazey. I’ve got ears, and eyes, and I’m not afraid to use them.”
“Do you have to call me that?”
“What?”
“Hazey.”
I shrug. “Better than callin’ you Pookie Bear.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “God help me.”
“Stell? Come on, we’re leaving!” Anshul calls as I start to back away from Haze.
I give him two double v’s with my fingers as I leave. “Later, Hazey.”
He flips me the bird as I laugh and take off with my friends. I only had one drink, not just because the drinks are really expensive in the club and I need to save my money, but also because I don’t want to get too hammered. I have work tomorrow, and then dinner at Dad and Indi’s place.
“What club are we going to?” I ask, falling into step with Cait and Anshul.
“Anything Goes,” Cait shrieks, clapping her hands together. “Though, I don’t think anything could top XXL. Thanks, Stell, that was freaking amazing!”
“Anytime,” I laugh. Maybe I will have a drink or two tonight. I mean, I deserve it. I could let my hair down a little, dance, just forget about work and all the tasks I’ve got lined up for tomorrow. That’s hours away. I’m young, and one of my best friends is getting married. Here I am, like an old Grandma, thinking about going home soon because I have to get up early. I can pull an all-nighter, I’m twenty-one, not ninety-one. Fuck it. I’m going to just go with the flow, enjoy my night, and not look too far into the future.
Tonight is the night we fucking dance.
I’ve lost count of the number of cocktails I’ve had, but it’s a few. The beat of the music as myself, Cait, Anshul, Angie, Josie and Alaska all dance in a circle while the other girls take turns in guarding the drinks. You can never be too careful around theseparts, and especially a hip club where men are lurking. We’re responsible; we each go to the bathroom in tandem, and never alone.
I know the skirt I’m wearing is short, and the spaghetti strap top shows the top of my rack, and I’m getting looks from guys, hell, I’ve danced with a couple tonight. Once they get handsy, I move back over to my group of friends. Why can’t you just dance with someone without them wanting to fuck you on the dance floor? As much as I like admiring men, it’s another to get it on with someone you don’t know. Maybe I’m broken, but I’ve never really wanted to leap on a man in a club, or get down and dirty in a bathroom stall. I’m up for just about anything, but when I do have sex for the first time, I don’t want it to be in some seedy bar. Spoiler alert; I’m still a virgin. I didn’t exactly plan on being a virgin at twenty-one, but I guess I just have high standards. There’s no way I wanted my first time to be at prom, or in the back of some guy’s truck after drinking cheap wine and not remembering any of it the next day. That’s how it went for most of my friends; they were too drunk to remember if they’d had a good time. I guess I just always thought when it was right, there would be a thunderclap, or something to indicate that yes, this is the right guy at the exact right time. Maybe I’m just a control freak, that could have a lot to do with it.
I laugh as Cait tips my head and pours the rest of the Blue Margarita down my throat, and I almost choke with laughter. We bump hips as I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, and a guy moves on over. He’s cute, tall, wide-set, and has pretty blue eyes; just how I like them.
