Page 14 of Evil King

I looked over at Colette to join in her ribbing and noticed that she had a scarf tied around her neck that hadn’t been there this morning. I reached out and yanked it off, revealing a hickey of her own. “You’re one to talk!”

Colette poked out her bottom lip. “Observant bitch.”

Avery sat back in her seat and started to laugh. “Wow, this dinner is more needed than I thought.”

We got to Hotaka and were quickly ushered to a private table in the back of the restaurant. A few wine glasses with white wine in them had already been set up, and thick, board-page menus were sitting on top of ceramic plates with chopsticks laid in a peak pattern on top of them. We got settled, each placing our orders for some of Hotaka’s famous sushi, and then settled into our wine for some conversation.

“Okay,” I started. “Who goes first?”

“You obviously, Miss Knows-The-New-Delinquent,” Colette replied.

“He’s not a delinquent.” Deon’s new tattoos, grown-out facial hair, developed muscles, and looming presence splashed across my brain. “Although I guess I can see how you’d get there, but no! You two have stuff too. Why doIhave to go first?”

“Ugh.” Avery reached out and grabbed one of Colette’s and my chopsticks. It just so happened that each set had a different colored cap to match the theme of the restaurant. Mine were white, Colette’s were green, and Avery’s were blue. Avery wrapped the tops of them in a cloth napkin and then stuck them behind her back, no doubt mixing them up, before brandishing the napkin again with only the neutral-colored tips sticking out. “Okay, Cherri. Pick one.”

I grabbed the tip of one of the chopsticks and slid it out of the napkin to reveal its blue cap. I wiggled it at Avery. “Looks like you’re first, gorgeous.”

Avery rolled her eyes and then redirected the napkin to Colette. “Pick to see who goes second.”

Colette went back and forth between the tips for a while and then grabbed one and pulled, revealing her own green-capped chopstick. “Shit.”

Avery unwrapped the last chopstick and swapped it for hers in my hand, and the sushi arrived just a few minutes later, right on time. Once we were settled with our food, I looked across at Avery. “Okay. You’re up.”

“Well, mine’s easy,” Avery said, side-glancing Colette. “Alistair and I are…dating.”

With her mouth already full of sushi, Colette gasped. “Really?” She finished chewing her bite before asking, “How did you get Nathan to go for it?”

“I didn’t,” Avery replied and turned to wink at me. “I asked the queen.”

I nodded. “And I said yes. Nathan agreed because he knew it was in his best interest.”

“That’s so exciting! So he gave you that, then?” Colette asked, nodding at Avery’s neck.

“Obviously. He came over last night and we got a little carried away.” I opened my mouth, and Avery cut me off. “No. Not all the way yet, but close.” She poked one of her chopsticks out toward Colette. “All right. Your turn.”

“That’s it?” Colette asked, looking at me with her nose scrunched up in disgust. “I already knew most of that.”

I giggled. “You were the one who brought it up again. Your turn.”

“Well…” Colette poked at her neck. “I suppose I have no business talking aboutyourdelinquent when I got this from one of ours.”

Both Avery and I stopped eating and stared at Colette. “Wait. Jaxon?” I yelped.

“Turns out he likes a goody-two shoes.”

“And you’ve liked him forever,” Avery said.

“Seriously!” I screeched. “I didn’t know that.”

“I swore Avery to secrecy. I have a reputation to protect. How would it look for me if everyone knew that I liked that rapscallion?”

Colette took a bite of her sushi, and Avery and I took the opportunity to roll our eyes. Sometimes, Colette thought she waswaymore important than she was. If something was happening with her and Jaxon, that was good. She needed someone who was a little rough around the edges.

“Needless to say, we skipped lunch in the interest of something a little more…sweet,” she finished. Again, I opened my mouth, but Colette stopped me. “Not that sweet.” She looked at Avery. “But close.”

Avery started to clap. “Time for the big reveal!”

Colette did a shimmy in her seat. “I’m so excited.”

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