Page 5 of Alive At Night

“I don’t think bribing people with gut-rot coffee counts,” I added.

“It wasn’t a bribe.” She set a lamp down on the corner of her desk with unnecessary force. “It’s called beingnice. Because I do not, in fact, bite people’s heads off when I talk to them.”

A forbidden smile lingered on my lips. “If you’re sonice, why have you never brought me coffee?”

She glanced at me over her shoulder, her brows drawing together. “Whereisyour coffee?”

A shrug. “I gave it to a woman who spilled hers.”

“Oh.”

“No comeback?”

Well, well. Today was just full of surprises, wasn’t it? Hopefully, this was the last of them.

Juniper answered with a flick of her eyes, but that was all. The office fell quiet as Juniper continued to unpack. Since I didn’t have anything other than the one framed picture of my family to set on my desk, Arlo helped me set up my laptop first when he swung by. Juniper didn’t speak to me again until after he left, and I nearly choked on my own tongue when she did.

“So, where are we getting drinks after work?”

Dear God. She was serious, wasn’t she? While there might have been a bit of familiar mischief dancing in her expression, there was also earnestness.

Ignoring her, I grabbed my phone and typed a short message to Cameron.

I hate you.

CHAPTERTWO

juniper

I’D ALWAYS HATED THE feeling of sweat. I hated the stickiness, the sensation of wet clothes clinging to an even wetter body. There wasn’t anything more uncomfortable.

This meant that tanning sessions, any sort of exercise, and tropical vacations were typically things I happily passed on. Air-conditioning was a must-have, and I preferred a heavy winter storm to a heat wave any day. My dislike for sweat wasn’t good for my weight or wallet, but sacrifices occasionally had to be made in life.

It was a mild fall day today; it wasn’t very warm.

But my blood was running hot.

I’d take anything,anythingover this. I would sprint across a tropical beach in the middle of a July heat wave if it meant I could snap my fingers and magically make Julian Briggs disappear from my office.

Ouroffice.

I wrinkled my nose and resisted the urge to do a pit sniff.

I was stress-sweating. I had been for hours, but it had only gotten worse since I’d declared I would be joining for celebratory drinks after work. Was I interested in getting drinks with Julian and some law school bro of his? Hell no. Even if Cameron was easy on the eyes and made my legs feel a little bit like jelly when he’d flashed those dimples at me.

But I’d grown up with a terrible habit: committing to any and all things that were a surefire way to piss Julian Briggs off.

I glanced at my watch. Five o’clock.

Julian had already left, and the last thing I wanted was to be alone at the bar with him, allowing the opportunity to pick apart and replay everything I’d said today. But enough time had passed that Cameron’s four o’clock meeting must be done. He’d likely be there by the time I packed my things and managed to find the Bellflower Bar.

I unplugged my laptop, stashing it in my bag next to that stupid envelope I’d found in my mailbox this morning, which reminded me that I needed to call Gemma ASAP. Firstly, to tell her that her irritating brother had ruined my first day of work, and secondly, to ask for her help in figuring out what to do about this damn wedding invitation.

After waving to Daphne on my way out the door, who flashed a friendly smile, I checked my phone for directions. Only a five-minute walk, which meant it wasn’t worth pulling out my earbuds. Unfortunately, my audiobook would have to wait until after I made it through a round of drinks with Mr. Buzzkill.

The Bellflower Bar was charming. It was the type of place I would have picked myself—exposed brick walls with eclectic framed pictures, a modern flair with a nod to the classics, warm but not stuffy. A local pub that wasn’t afraid to redecorate every now and again. And it was clearly well-loved, considering how busy it was for a Monday afternoon.

“St. James!”

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