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“How’s Pete working out?” I asked Carlie. “He seems to be fitting right in.”
She nodded. If there was one thing that was certain, if someone passed muster with Carlie, they had to be okay. She didn’t tolerate slackers.
“I’m thinking of moving him upstairs.”
“That’d be right. As soon as we get someone decent in, you take them upstairs. I’d like a break occasionally, you know. Maybe a few days off to spend with my boyfriend.” She huffed.
The lights reflected on Dee’s hair, making it appear to glow, giving her an ethereal look. She turned but, if she spotted me, she didn’t acknowledge it. No, wait, she had. She bit at the nail on her little finger. That gesture. She always did that when she was agitated. She’d seen me but she had chosen to ignore me. I’d not acknowledge her either.
“Are you asking for time off?” I asked Carlie.
“Not particularly. I’d just like the option.”
“Well, I can get someone from upstairs to fill in if you need. You just have to ask.”
Carlie scowled. “There’s no one up there with bar management experience. Babs has been here the longest but she’s happy just working the bar without the added responsibility. Pete has bar management experience, and he’s great with the customers.”
“Well, there you go. If you want to take time off, Pete can come back downstairs. I can get Sally to run things upstairs.”
“Sally isn’t your pig slave, you know. And it’d be better if Pete stayed downstairs, that’s all I’m saying.”
I caught Dee looking at me. From the look on her face, she was conflicted. She might’ve accepted the deal I’d made with Pete but that didn’t mean she’d accepted me. Pete could be very persuasive when he needed to be.
When I’d called him, he’d been reluctant to meet with me.
“I don’t think we have anything to say to each other,” he’d said.
“You want to play in my club? You want to get ahead? Then make sure you come in to see me this afternoon.”
I’d had no doubts that he’d turn up.
When I put the offer to him, he’d been only too happy to jump at it. He’d done a complete 180 in his attitude.
“Dee’s not going to like it,” he’d said.
“Well, part of the deal is talking her into it.”
And now here she was, acting like I didn’t exist.
“You like her, don’t you?” said Drew, sitting down beside me.
I glowered at him. It wasn’t a situation I wanted to explain.
“You never looked like that at any girl, not even Violet. Did you even love Violet or did you just want to keep her away from Razer?”
Again, I didn’t think that was worth answering. I’d liked Violet. I’d been able to see us together. We had a lot in common. And lust, I’d had a bit of that too. My feelings for her seemed so uncomplicated now, even though it’d cut me to the core when she’d picked Razer over me. I mean, she was a great chick and we’d have been perfect together, but I didn’t love her.
But Dee was different. She fascinated me, and my feelings for her were all jumbled up in a huge mess that could never become unjumbled. “Like” was not really an emotion in that mess. It was too safe, too simple.
Drew might’ve been right about Violet. He was completely wrong about Dee, though. She’d been my best friend’s little sister. Even without the tragedy, that would’ve made her off-limits. Her hating me and wanting me dead was also a big obstacle.
“You really don’t sound like a guy who wants to get anywhere with his music,” I said. “Those kinds of guys know when to keep their mouths shut.”
Drew screwed up his face then grinned. “So, you are saying there’s a possibility that I might play upstairs again sometime?”
“You never know.”
Dee had turned on her stool so her body faced away from me. I wanted her to accept this arrangement. She’d crushed on me big time once. I wondered how I could get back just a small part of that. I wanted to protect her and encourage her.
“I’ve been working really hard with Jackson. You should listen to me some time.”
