Page 51 of Cat’s Guide To Romance

“I know.” Sparkle slips through the opening before I can stop him. “But I’m not going to sit around watching you drown when I can help.”

“I’m not drowning.”

Ryan passes behind me. “He’s drowning.”

I glare at him.

Sparkle ties on one of the spare aprons and steps up beside me. “What’s your setup?”

“You seriously don’t have to do this.”

“I want to.”

Something about that shuts me up. Sparkle studies the bottles, taps through the register, checks the garnishes, then asks Lars two questions about our specialty drinks. Less than five minutes later, he takes his first order. And then another. And another. Fuck me. He’s good.

I knew he bartended at Flutter and Fangs, but knowing it and watching him work are two entirely different things. Sparkle doesn’t hesitate. He’s fluid and confident, his tail swaying behind him while his hands never stop. He smiles at customers, remembers orders shouted at him through the music, and somehow makes everyone feel like they have his complete attention.

I nearly overfill a glass because I’m staring.

“Lucien.” Sparkle snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Drink.”

“Right.”

He smirks and turns back to his customer. I’m fucked.

With Sparkle behind the bar, the line finally starts shrinking. Ryan brings me an update on the blood delivery, and I tell him to start limiting the rarest types until the shipment arrives.

Sparkle overhears us. “How much do you have left?”

“Enough if people spread out what they order,” I say.

He glances at the menu above the bar. “Then why don’t you discount the blood drinks you have plenty of?” Sparkle grabs a bottle and pours without looking at me. “You said the problem is everyone ordering the same types, right? Put two drinks with the blood you have the most of on special. Make them a couple bucks cheaper. People will order those instead.”

“That’s a good idea.” Why the hell didn’t I think of that?

Sparkle studies my face before his ears rise again. “Can you change the menu board?”

“With a snap of my fingers.”

“Then snap away, demon.”

I do, changing the board with a flick of magic. Within minutes, the specials start selling. By the time the replacement blood arrives, we still have enough of the original shipment that I could kiss Sparkle. I want to kiss Sparkle anyway, but that’s unrelated. The register at the east bar becomes the next problem. I start toward it, but Sparkle catches my arm.

“Where are you going?”

“Register.” I wave to the offending piece of equipment.

“Cass already moved everyone to the other register. Fix it tomorrow.”

I open my mouth. Nothing comes out.

Sparkle pats my cheek. “Good demon.”

He walks away and I stare after him.

Lars appears beside me. “I like him.”

For the next two hours, Sparkle somehow becomes part bartender, part problem solver, and part adorable little dictator. Cass gets snippy with a customer, and Sparkle asks when she last took a break. Apparently, the answer is long enough ago that he sends her away with a snack and orders another server to cover her tables.