Page 55 of Tricked in October
“Um, yeah…maybe.”
“Let me give you my number. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you. If you’re up for it, let me know.”
“Um…sure.”
Davis stood and faced her, leaning over the bar. “Mind if I get the check?”
“You’re leaving already?”
“Yeah, I should get Cooper home. Not everyone appreciates a dog in here.”
“Well, I’m the owner, and I don’t mind.”
Davis’s attention went to Christian as he said, “It’s getting too crowded in here.”
She wasn’t sure she liked this quality of Davis’s. Was this jealousy? “Fine. And don’t worry about it. You know your money is no good to me.” She forced a smile.
He grunted and yanked his wallet out of his back pocket, tossing a ten-dollar bill onto the bar top.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He spun around and whistled. “Coop, let’s go.”
Cooper sprang to his feet, obeying.
“I’m going to take off too, here’s my card. Call me.” Christian winked as he handed her a business card and then he was gone.
She wanted to call after Davis and ask him to stay and let him know that she did want to talk to him, but a loud screech sounded through the bar. The old sound equipment complaining. It had to be babied, everyone knew that.
Yet, when she glanced at the sound booth, horror vibrated in her chest. Her mama was making her way to the stage, a mic in her hand.
Oh hell.
The song began and her mama swayed on the stage, one hand holding the mic near her mouth and the other in the air. Kelsey had no doubt in her mind her mama was about to cause a scene.
With Davis on his way out, that would leave her, Maddie, and Julian to handle her. Depending how wasted she was, Kelsey worried the three of them wouldn’t be enough.
But she spotted Davis near the door and he turned around, making eye contact with her. She shrugged and willed a wobbly smile. He dropped his head, rubbing a hand over his neck and headed back to her.
Wordlessly, she and Davis stood next to one another, watching as her mama sashayed her hips across the stage, flirted with the crowd, and tore off her sweater.
When the song finished, her mama stepped off the stage, nearly falling, and Davis rushed to help. Kelsey pinched her eyes shut for a moment, keeping her head down as she hurried to her mama.
When she reached her, she had a bloody shin and was laughing. But Kelsey couldn’t muster sympathy for her. She was doing all she could to keep the business afloat while trying to save it, and her mama wasn’t helping matters.
“Mama, we had a deal. You’re not supposed to be here,” she snapped, hooking an arm under her elbow to help her up.
“Kelsey,” Davis warned.
“What?”
“Not now,” he said, taking her mama’s other side.
“No, no, Kelsey is right. We did have a deal. I’m not supposed to be here. Because being at a bar might tempt me to drink.” She leaned in close to Davis, pushing a finger to her lips. “But…shh. I have a secret. I’m already drunk.”
“Shocking,” Kelsey muttered, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, love bug, I was really trying,” her mama said.
“I know you were, Mama.”
