Page 27 of Hot Under the Collar

The small crowd that had surrounded them burst into laughter.

“Burn!” Mark shouted. He riffed some air guitar.

Leo leaned in. “Please forgive Mark tonight, Andrew. He’s not usually like this. I promise.” He kept gliding his tongue along his teeth. The pale makeup couldn’t hide the way he owned a room. If anything, it sharpened it. Under those stupid fangs and eyeliner, he looked older somehow. “Seriously, though. Lynne and I go way back. She used to date my brother. Our dads co-owned this bar a long time ago. We’re like … family.”

“Did someone say family?” Her dad bear-hugged Leo from behind and sent his fake teeth flying back into his hands. “Cheers to Jake!”

He caught Lynne’s eye and they both cackled.

“Cheers to Jake!” the fire crew echoed. As if on cue, Ruby swung in with a round of shots, and the guys all chanted, “Jake! Jake! Jake!” until Leo downed his in one gulp and winced at the sting.

When the jeering quieted, Andrew asked, “Who’s Jake?”

A couple of the guys froze. Lynne’s dad stared at her like he’d just stepped in shit.

Leo saved them all, of course. “My dad. It’s a … long story. Lynne can tell you more about it later.”

Andrew glanced at Lynne, and then it felt like everyone was staring at her. “Okay, all. Enough nostalgia for now. And, Dad, enough with those bear hugs. We’re not insured for hugging accidents. Let me get that old fashioned for you, Leo.”

“And the cherries?”

“Of course. Can’t forget something to rot those vampire teeth,” she teased. “But how are you going to do that, uh, trick of yours with fake teeth in your mouth?”

Leo’s expression was cocky, as if he anticipated someone was going to ask this. “I’ve been practicing,” he said. “Just as good as ever.”

Lynne suddenly felt the room grow hot and excused herself, leaving Andrew to take in all this new information. But she trusted Leo to not make things uncomfortable, disclose anything they’d done in the past. Andrew didn’t need to know what had happened between them. Did he? It didn’t matter now. She was with him. Besides, in a half hour, Leo would have him as drunk as the rest and convinced he’d made a new best friend tonight.

As she disappeared, she heard Andrew ask Leo, “What trick?”

All night long, Leo laughed from the other end of the counter, cheeks flushed, surrounded by regulars who’d watched him grow up. He moved like he belonged to the noise. Like the noise belonged to him. And when “Thriller” played on the jukebox for what felt like the fifteenth time, Leo started doing the choreography from the music video. A larger-than-expected crowd of patrons joined him in perfectly sloppy sync. Everyone was clapping by the end of the song. So it was no surprise when a slim Elvira-dressed woman sashayed up to him, started chatting, and Leo showed her his cherry stem trick.

But just before the bar was about to close, he was back at Andrew’s side, asking questions about his students, soccer, life. He excused himself to the bathroom, and Andrew turned to Lynne. “That kid’s really something.”

If only he knew the half of it.

Ruby was kicking everyone out as Leo stumbled back to his bar stool. His friends all bid him goodbye. But Lynne grew concerned. He really did look drunk tonight. Glassy eyes. Slow blinks like a cat. It was getting harder for him to stay focused and steady.

Her dad tapped her on the shoulder. “I think the kid needs help back home, Lynny. We’ll put Andrew to good use, if you can spare the ten minutes.”

Leo suddenly looked wide awake. “Nah. Just send me home with Mazzy. I’ll be fine.” He looked a wreck, and no one believed him.

Lynne gulped and glanced at Andrew. “It’s okay. I trust you,” he said. Simple as that. But the words landed heavier than jealousy would have. Andrew turned to her dad. “I’d be glad to help, Dale. Where do you need me?”

Within seconds, she was left alone with Leo.

“So here we are again,” she sighed. “Let me go grab my coat.”

She stayed near but didn’t brace Leo up as they shuffled toward the back door. Instead, she mumbled something about being cold and kept her hands tucked in her pockets.

The minute they stepped out into the frigid end-of-October air, Leo said, “We’re good, right? I don’t want this to be weird for you.”

“No,” she brushed off the comment. “He’s fine. We’re fine. Everything’s fine.”

Leo huffed. “I don’t know much about women, but I know when it’s said like that, it’s probably not fine.”

She didn’t want to argue about this, didn’t want to drag it out. “Leo, it’s just … let’s get you home.”

They walked in silence, their footsteps the only sound between them. She kept their pace slow so he wouldn’t stumble.