Page 175 of Rising Heat
“Fine,” I insist. “Great. Who wants wings?”
“Already ordered them,” Marco says, and looks back at his phone.
Bex continues to watch me like she’s already drafting tomorrow morning’s interrogation.
I look down at the menu still clutched in my hands.
I am never coming back to this bar.
Ryan arrives around nine-thirty, slipping into the booth beside Marco like he’s been there all night.
“Look who finally decided to show,” Tyler says.
Ryan steals Tyler’s beer before answering.
“Some of us still had to work.”
Tyler rolls his eyes.
“Help yourself.”
“Planning on it.”
He takes another sip before his attention drifts around the table, landing on Bex.
“Mack said there’d be a journalist.”
Bex laughs.
“Is that your idea of an introduction?”
Ryan reaches across the table.
“Ryan.”
“Bex.”
She takes his hand.
“You’re the best friend.”
“Last I checked.”
Ryan doesn’t drop his gaze.
“Nice to meet you, Princess.”
Bex just blinks at him. I notice it immediately because Bex almost never reacts before she’s decided how she wants to.
“Princess?”
Ryan shrugs slightly and reaches for Tyler’s beer again.
“You’re sitting here like you already own the place.” He takes another sip. “But you’d absolutely leave a Yelp review if the service disappointed you.”
Bex laughs before she can stop herself, surprised enough that she lowers the wine glass afterward like she needs a second to recover.
Interesting.
