Page 20 of Come As You Are
“What’s the word?” I asked, and he raised his head, staring at me blankly as if he hadn’t just shown up in my office and was surprised to see me there. I waved at the tablet. “I assume you’ve got more good news for me.”
“Unfortunately, not.”
I shook my head. Mal had almost no sense of humor. “Lay it on me,” I said, then snapped my fingers. “Hey, has Festus said anything to you about the security cameras?”
Mal’s brow creased for a moment before he pursed his lips and shook his head. “Not that I recall. Why?”
Staring at Mal, I schooled my expression and hoped my inquiry came across as mere curiosity. “No reason. Just check in with him, okay?” I knew my question didn’t come across as entirely out of the blue, but I also didn’t want to lay all my cards out in the open yet. Something was going on in my club, and I wasn’t sure who I could fully trust.
Even as I thought that, Antonio’s voice whispered that I could trust Sebastian, but that just confused me more. If it was truly my brother’s voice offering guidance and not just my wishful thinking, then wouldn’t Antonio tell me I could trust Mal as well?
In any event, Mal was talking about the pageant idea Vee had come up with and why it wouldn’t work for us. I held up my hand, and he stopped talking.
“We’re doing it,” I said. “I think it’s a good idea and a way to get some camaraderie going between the club owners.”
Mal grumbled but wrote something down on his tablet.
“Is there anything else?” I asked as I stood up.
Despite what I thought were clear signals that I was done with this conversation, Mal followed me out of my office and down the stairs. As we emerged into the club, the group at the bar burst into laughter. I was both surprised and happy to see that Sebastian and Vee were still here, but Mal sniffed.
“I hope they don’t expect to get paid for this,” he said.
“I’m sure they don’t,” I said, and then walked over to join them.
Sebastian
I headed downstairs tojoin Vee at the bar, my mind still on that moment in Olivia’s office where I thought she was going to kiss me, my body reeling from the abrupt dismissal. The tension between us in the office had been intense, and I was having a difficult time switching from my awareness of Olivia to having to act like my normal self in front of my friends. I swore I could still feel her watching me as I crossed the dance floor and took up a position behind Vee, but refused to look up at her office window.
Toby slid a bottle of water over the bar top to me, and I gratefully accepted it, hoping the cool liquid would help turn my thoughts away from Olivia and how much I wished that kiss had happened. But then I turned to take in Vee and realized my current state wasn’t only because of Olivia. If I were being honest with myself, this feeling had started when Vee brokedown and Olivia and I cradled him between us. I had been aware of Olivia—I was always aware of her—but also of Vee and how much I liked having him in my arms. I wanted them both, and wasn’t that a kick in the ass?
The realization was so stunning that I didn’t hear what the others were talking about until Maria nudged me and asked, “So, how do you feel about that, Bastian?”
“About what?”
Laughing, Toby reached over and ruffled my hair. “He’d definitely need a wig.”
“Of course. And some gloves.” Maria picked up my hand and examined my nails. “It’ll be easier to cover them up than make these babies presentable.”
“What is wrong with my fingernails?” I asked. “And what are you guys talking about?”
“They want to have you go undercover at the Grotto,” Vee said.
“Excuse me?” I couldn’t have been more shocked if Vee had told me they were planning my wedding.
“Think about it, Bast,” Toby said, leaning in so his voice didn’t carry. “We know Orsino’s spying on Illyria.” He nodded to Vee, and I realized he’d told the others about how he’d come to be working at Illyria. Vee had probably apologized as well, if I knew him, and it seemed that Toby and Maria had forgiven him. “And we know there’s someone here who is working for him because that’s how Vee got hired. Doesn’t it make sense to give the bastard a taste of his own medicine?”
“And you think I’m the person who should do that? They’d recognize me in an instant. I’d never even make it into the club.”
“That’s why we’d put you in drag,” Maria said.
I took a large gulp of water before answering, trying to wrap my head around the ridiculous scheme the three of them had come up with in the few minutes I’d remained behind in Olivia’s office. Maybe that moment had rattled my brains more thanI thought because the more I considered it, the more it made sense. If I could get myself into the Grotto, maybe I’d catch a glimpse of who our saboteur was or overhear Orsino talking about it.
“I’m gonna be a fucking ugly queen,” I said.
The other three laughed while Maria clapped me on the shoulder. “It’s not about being pretty,” she said. “It’s about having fun.”
I gave her a sour look, and she laughed in my face.
