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Chapter 8
Darren
There's one singlebar in Seabrick. The Croaking Parrot. Garish in decor, it at least offered a quiet place to think and a stiff drink.
"Another one?" The bartender behind the counter asked, fluttering her lashes at me in an attempt to flirt.
I nodded, pushing my empty tumbler toward her. "Make it a double."
The bartender, Trixie, giggled. "You're going to regret drinking on an empty stomach. Why don't I get you some wings to go with it? On the house."
I didn't respond, allowing her to make her own decision. I didn't want to eat. I wanted to drink. To forget the weird twisting sensation in my gut.
Why had seeing Wynn with Piper bother me so? It's not like they haven't kissed and more in my presence. The others included. There was nothing new about that.
So, why?
I thanked Trixie as she sat the tumbler in front of me. Sipping from the glass, I savored the scotch as it burned down my throat. Very few things were consistent in my time alive. Times change. As did tastes in clothing and music. One thing that never changes was a good scotch.
"You going to tell me what's got such a sexy man like yourself drinking here alone on a Thursday night?" Trixie leaned on the bar, pushing her chest against her arms in her attempts to tantalize me.
Long knowing to keep my troubles to myself, I sat my tumbler back on the bar. "Just enjoying a night on my own."
I hoped she would leave it at that.
Trixie giggled. "Well, I get off around two if you'd like some company?"
I didn't answer her, staring down into my drink.
Thankfully, another patron called her away, letting me sulk and drink alone.
As soon as the sunset, Wynn had appeared out of nowhere. Knocking on our hotel door as if he had every right to be there. Which he did. That didn't make it feel any less intrusive.
One would think I would be used to the Durands butting into my life. They'd been a shadow over me for the last few hundred years. Nothing has changed. So, I shouldn't feel any different about it now.
Except, I did.
I liked being on my own away from the manor. Even if it was with Piper.
In fact, I haven't broken away and gone out on my own in years. Antoine didn't forbid it. He encouraged it every century or so. It kept the lot of us from trying to kill one another.
However, in these modern times, it was safer to hide from those who would notice my inability to age when we were together. People were nosy by nature. It was even worse now that you could find anything out about anyone online. It was one of the reasons Antoine had his finger in several industries. The humans he worked with would start to question things if they ever knew the truth.
The door to the bar opened, and my shoulders bunched. I didn't need to turn to know who had entered the bar.
"Oh, my, look at him." A woman nearby gasped to her friend. The pheromones in the room rose, making my nose itch.
"Come home with mama," one of the other women purred.
"Alice, you're married," her friend giggled.
"I'd be anything for him."
I snorted.
"But he's with someone. Poo." the first one pouted. "Think they're together."
"By the way he's about to devour her in front of everyone, I'd say so." She sighed longingly. "Lucky bitch."
