Page 51 of Face Off

“Fine,” he said. “I’m finished.”

Lyric picked up her purse from the stool. “I don’t need to sit here while everyone insults me.”

Briggs rose immediately. “Lyric.”

“I’ll meet you at dinner.”

“I’ll walk with you.”

“I know where the elevator is.”

He stopped while she carried her champagne toward the door, apparently unwilling to leave the drink she’d spent five minutes criticizing.

The moment she disappeared into the hall, the entire bar exhaled.

Briggs looked toward the ceiling. “Nobody say anything.”

Ryan drank his beer.

Easton’s mouth opened.

“Especially you,” Briggs warned.

“I was going to ask whether you wanted another drink.”

“You were going to ask whether emotional hostage situations qualify for airline miles.”

Easton looked offended. “That’s better than what I had.”

Cade slid his glass toward Briggs again. “Sit down.”

“I’ve been ordered to sit three times in ten minutes.”

“Then recognize the pattern.”

Briggs returned to the stool and accepted the whiskey Rider placed in front of him. Bliss reached across the bar and squeezed his hand without forcing him to discuss anything.

His fingers closed around hers briefly.

“I’m sorry she was rude to you,” he told me.

“You don’t owe me an apology.”

“She’s here with me.”

“That still doesn’t make her behavior yours.”

Ryan glanced toward me.

I caught it and lifted one eyebrow. “What?”

“You really did learn some shit.”

“I’ve always known some shit.”

“You used to apologize when other people stepped on your foot.”

“I recently told a theater professor that his failure to plan didn’t constitute permission to ruin my weekend.”