Page 37 of Last Call at the Doghouse

CHAPTER 12

As the night wore on, Armi kept telling herself that she shouldn’t complain about weeknight customers. She needed all the business she could get in order to make The Doghouse a success. Locals, tourists, couples, and friends out for the evening kept the place hopping. In a way it was great, but didn’t they have jobs? Places to be in the morning?

Even Tyler stayed too long, hanging out at the bar making googly eyes at the bartender, before finally offering Stella a friendly goodnight and heading out the door.

Armi did her best to act as if nothing had changed. Not that she was much of an actor. She’d been told her face revealed everything, good and bad, but she made an effort. She smiled, she chatted, she attempted to appear relaxed when all she wanted to do was escape. It would be so easy to go upstairs and stay there. For the night. For the weekend. Forever. How long could she hide from the truth?

Dammit, she’d survived Andrew’s betrayal and she’d survive this one. At least Andrew hadn’t tried to lie to her face and deny what he’d done. No, he’d been happy to be caught, relieved even. The ass.

She hadn’t seen either betrayal coming. Both had hurt. Why the hell would she ever put herself in a position to be hurt again?

As the crowd finally thinned, Mary joined Armi at the bar. “What’s wrong?” she whispered after a few moments of silence.

“What makes you think anything is wrong?” It was a good attempt, at least she thought so, but her friends didn’t fall for it. They knew her too well.

Stella joined them. Naturally she’d been eavesdropping. “Please. As if we don’t know you at all. Duncan?”

“What makes you think it’s a man?”

Stella rolled her eyes.

“Okay, it is a man, but it’s not mine this time.” It was, but she wasn’t ready to go there. She looked at Mary, stared into innocent blue eyes. “I hope I’m wrong. I hope what I heard is a wild supposition or an out and out lie. But in case it’s not, I have to tell you; Sonny Camden is not who he seems to be.”

Instead of looking confused or pleading ignorance, Mary sighed and looked away. That settled it; Duncan had been telling the truth. Mary smiled widely as she waved goodnight to the last couple to leave the bar. Armi scurried in that direction and locked the door behind them. She took a few steps down the front wall to switch off the OPEN sign. That done, she allowed herself a sigh of relief.

“I know Sonny,” Armi said as she rejoined her friends. “Well, I knew him, a long time ago.”

Mary’s smile was long gone now that they were alone. At least she didn’t try to lie. There had been enough of that going around. “He told me y’all were high school sweethearts. That’s why he asked me to keep our relationship a secret until he could tell you himself.”

What could she say? Her friends had no idea about the magic that happened all around them. They ignored anything unnatural, the way most people did. It was easier than facing an unpleasant truth.

“How did you meet Sonny?”

“He came in one afternoon when you weren’t here.”

“I’m always here.”

“You were checking out something to do with the motel renovations, I think. Anyway, you weren’t around.”

Convenient…

“Sonny flirted a little, I thought he was cute, and he bought me a drink.”

Bingo…

“He put something in your drink,” Armi said.

“It was iced tea!” Mary argued.

“I remember that guy,” Stella said. “Cute enough, I guess, but a little slick for my tastes.”

Armi couldn’t hide the truth anymore, she couldn’t pretend. Her friends deserved better. “Sonny is a wizard. We were not high school sweethearts; he slipped me a love potion so he could get into my pants.” She could still remember the overpowering sensation of love, of need. She’d been completely obsessed with Sonny. Maybe the obsession had been unnatural, but it had felt real.

“That’s…”

“Ridiculous?” Armi interrupted Mary’s challenge. “I know how it sounds, believe me.”

Stella grimaced, but said nothing. Mary pursed her lips. Was she pushing down an argument?