Page 49 of Vodka And Virtue

I stood off to the side, camouflaged by other couples, but close enough that I could keep an eye on him. His expression was hostile. His brow was furrowed, jaw set tight, and I could see he was clenching his teeth from the way the muscle in the side of his face ticked. The man was full of anxiety or anger.

Was he angry at someone in the crowd he had come with? Maybe they had rejected him? Dumped him?

I continued to keep my eye on him throughout the remainder of Kelley’s routine. When he finished, I met him backstage behind the curtain. Limericks didn’t have a dressing room, only a long hallway that led out back behind the lounge to the dumpsters. Kelley leaned against the wall, loosening the ankle strap on his red heels.

“Whew! I’m beat. My feet are killing me.”

“Well, it was worth every blister. Your performance was amazing, as usual.”

He laughed, waving me off. “You’re too sweet. I think I’ve earned myself a drink. I just need to slip some clothes on first.”

Kelley reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a pair of black joggers and a white crop top, and exchanged his heels for a pair of black ballet flats. I had never met a man who was such a mix of feminine beauty and masculine strength. Kelley represented the best of both sexes. His makeup was flawless, accentuating his natural beauty. He moved with grace, his muscular, lithe body reminded me of a panther, sleek and powerful. On stage, he wore lingerie and looked better in it than most women. But off stage, his clothes seemed to blend into a unique style of femme/masc fashion that suited him perfectly.

“Let me walk you in there.”

“Well, that’s a first, and I won’t say no to a gentleman.”

I didn’t want to alarm him, so I kept the man’s strange behavior to myself. But I planned to keep Kelley within my sight for the rest of the night and walk him to his car when he left.

At some point in the evening, Carlisle pulled me aside. “Are you—are you flirting with Kelley?”

I wrapped my fingers around his bicep, squeezing reassuringly. “Not at all, sweetness. I’m just doing my job, keeping him safe.”

“Is there a problem? Is he in danger?”

“I’m not sure. Let me worry about that. You worry about the bar.”

I hated to see him frown. “Well, now I’m worried.”

I smiled, hoping to tease him into relaxing. “Is this a thing with you? Are you a worrier?”

“Not typically. Except when it comes to the people I care about.”

I leaned in, my lips brushing over his ear. His citrus and sandalwood cologne tickled my nose. “I care about you, too. You don’t know how good it makes me feel to have someone like you worry over me.” I pulled back and looked into his eyes. “I promise I’ll be fine. You do your job, and let me do mine, alright?”

He swallowed and nodded, pushing his hand through his hair. I think he was trying to convince himself everything was going to be okay. I hated to make him doubt himself and his instincts, but I couldn’t have him distracted all night, worrying over me and Kelley. There was probably no real threat to either of us. I was only behaving the way I was trained to do in this situation; remain vigilant, be prepared, eliminate the risk to others.

Kelley finished his second drink and paid his tab, then shuffled off his barstool and headed for the front door. I caught up with him outside.

“Leaving so soon? Let me walk you to your car.”

“You’re not trying to come home with me, are you?” He laughed lightly to be polite.

“Not at all. Just doing my job.”

He hesitated, like he was going to say something, but then shook his blond head, dismissing his thoughts. I followed him across the parking lot and waited as he stowed his duffel bag in the trunk. A car rounded the median, blinding us with its bright headlights. I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the glare until the car passed us by.

It was pure instinct, a gut reaction, that made me drop my arm at the last second, just in time to push Kelley out of the way as the car careened closer to us, threatening to run us down. He landed on his knees between the parked cars, and I threw my body over his, bracing for the inevitable impact.

The tires screeched loudly, the smell of burnt rubber assaulting my nose as I kept my head down. When I heard nothing else, I lifted my head, but only for a split second as the car's headlights filled my vision, robbing me of sight completely.

Footsteps. Kelley screamed in my ear. I grunted as a white-hot pain seared through my ribs.

“That’s a warning. Next time, I won’t be so generous. Stay away from him!”

I didn’t recognize the voice. The warning made no sense. Who was I supposed to stay away from?

The car peeled away, and blessed darkness fell over me with the spotlight removed from my face. I grabbed my side, trying to scramble to my knees, rolling my body weight off of Kelley, only to be tackled back to the ground.

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