Page 69 of Angels Fall

“I get off at five AM.”

“I’ll bet I can talk Pete into letting you off at midnight.”

Somebody asks me to pass the rolls. I do. I’m a gentleman.

“Tyler…”

“Come on. This is incredible and totally weird but still incredible. You just got conscripted into service by the most powerful real estate dude in Vegas. I thought this is what you wanted.”

She looks down at her plate. Pushes some peas around. “It is.”

She doesn’t sound sure. But before I can say anything to her, Bow-Tie tings his butter knife against his water glass. “Everybody. If I may…” He lifts his wine glass. “To Evan and Robert, for having us over to their warm, wonderful home. And to this glorious table of gorgeous people.” There’s some assorted joking about how gorgeous we all are. Then, “All of us here truly have much to be thankful for.”

I look at the table of happy people. I look at Robert. I look at Evan.

I look at Maddie.

Bow-Tie raises his glass high in the air and we all toast that which we have to be thankful for.

And for the first time in a long, long fucking time, I’m not faking it.

Chapter Sixteen - Maddie

Saturday nights at Pete’s are starting to feel strange. I mean, the money is still here. Better than ever actually. I think the devil outfit is a hit because tonight I’ve made a little over a thousand dollars for two stage slots and a handful of lap dances, and it’s only eleven thirty. But money… I just don’t seem to care about it much anymore.

That’s because you’re in love with Tyler, my angel says.

If she’s pissed off that I’m channeling her nemesis and not her for slut-time, she doesn’t show it. In fact, she’s really on this whole Tyler’s your one-true-love thing the past couple days.

Ever since Thanksgiving.

Which didn’t go anything like how I expected it would. I mean, who could’ve predicted I’d see my mom and dad again? They’ve invited me to France a million times but I never had any intention of going. I had this whole waking nightmare about going to France, seeing them living their new lives, and I’d just feel… left behind.

With Scotty.

I think that was the problem.

People move on after they lose loved ones. And that’s exactly what seeing my parents in France would mean. And since I had not moved on, well, that was a problem for me.

And then the fact that Tyler flew them over to surprise me. And he put them up in that penthouse at the Four Seasons. And… I smile thinking about the sex.

You should let him help you, my angel continues. I didn’t tell her to shut the fuck up, so she must be getting brave.

Devil? I ask. You got anything for me tonight?

He pops up on my empty shoulder holding a half-eaten ham sandwich, chews slowly for a few seconds, then shrugs. He’s gonna fuck things up sooner or later. You watch.

I am watching. Very closely. But Tyler is making all the right moves lately. He gave me space, but stuck around. Like… that’s not normal. That’s almost… considerate, right?

Right! Angel says.

He just wanted more putang pie, Devil chimes in.

Did you just say putang pie? I shake my head and he disappears. He’s losing and he knows it. Tyler is being pretty understanding about my stripper job, after all. Like, I’m sure he hates it. I’m sure he wants to tell me to quit. Hell, he probably wants to throw me over his shoulder and carry me out of here, then lock me up in his bedroom and never let me leave.

Which lately doesn’t sound all that terrible.

But he’s holding back on all that stuff. Giving me space or whatever. Letting me figure shit out on my own. Which I appreciate because I’m not actually stupid. I’ve just made a lot of stupid mistakes these past few years. My life since Scotty died has been one long string of pure panic. Like I was underwater and couldn’t breathe. Stuck under ice.