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They had their work cut out for them.
OVERCROWDED THOUGHTS
She quickly weaved her way through the crowd to the bar, not wasting a minute elbowing people aside as she got behind the bar. Jezebeth was bouncing around as best as she could from customer to customer, who were waving their money at her like animals.
Mykie jumped in and started taking drink orders as well but couldn’t help but wonder where Caspar was. Didn’t Jezebeth say he was there?
“What the hell happened?” Mykie asked when she finally was able to meet Jezebeth in the middle as they made drinks that needed similar liquors.
“I don’t know, but apparently, someone tipped off a bunch of college houses that we were doing a cheap drink night. They all came in at the same time and started waving cash at me, so I didn’t want to turn them away.”
“Who would tell them that? You’re not giving out drinks for less, are you?” Mykie asked, grabbing the pineapple juice.
“Maybe a dollar or two less?” Jezebeth said weakly, shaking the martini she was making.
Mykie groaned.
"We're selling way more drinks than usual, though! So, it will even out in the end, I'm sure. Maybe even a surplus!" Jezebeth called out as Mykie walked away to the other side of the bar to hand over the drink she made.
After asking the next customer for their order, she met Jezebeth back in the middle. “Where’s Caspar, by the way? I thought you said he was helping behind the bar?”
“I told him you were coming, so he moved to start helping with the drinks for people at tables. Your other one, Ryker, is out there too,’ Jezebeth explained, scooping ice into her cup.
Mykie paused. “Ryker is here, too?”
“He just picked up a tray and started helping out,” Jezebeth said with a shrug. “He’s helped out before, hasn’t he? Besides, he wouldn’t shut up until I said I would tell you to come.”
Mykie shook her head. “Yeah, I just—I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him in a few days, and I’m supposed to go with him to the funeral tomorrow and we haven’t discussed it. Do you think he still wants me to?”
“I don’t know. Maybe ask him? He seems to be coming this way,” she said, gesturing with the cup in her hand toward the tables in front of the bar.
Sure enough, Jezebeth was right. Ryker had a notebook in his hand and was coming her way. She knew the moment that he smiled that he noticed that he realized that she was there. He came over to her side of the bar and maneuvered his way to the front of the crowd.
"How have you been, Princess? You haven't been returning my phone calls," Ryker said, an easy smile on his face.
She felt a burst of irritation flow through her at his smile. Did he really care? Nothing stopped him before from showing up at her house, so what stopped him now?
"That's because I didn't want to talk to you," she said with a scowl. She moved to go to the other side of the bar, but he stopped her with a hand on hers. It laid on top of hers, and it wasn't forceful at all. She could have slipped out of his reach easily, and he knew it, too. It was the only reason why she turned around and continued to speak instead of stalking off like she originally intended.
"I thought you said you wouldn't lie to me," she said quietly. "You said it yourself, we're the only ones that are going to understand each other. So, why would you lie to me?"
An emotion crossed his face that she couldn’t catch. She was almost certain it was surprise and most likely fear.
"I didn't know that I lied to you. I'm sure if you explain—"
"Come off it, Ryker," she snapped. She leaned forward and lowered her voice to a hiss. "I know you're a Vultureanda Cantil. How long did you think you were going to keep that a secret from me?"
Ryker's face paled and all expression was wiped off his face. "Mykie, please. I wasn't purposely keeping it from you. I was waiting for the right time to tell you, so you didn't think it was something mean and malicious."
"Why would I think it was malicious? Chance explained everything to me, how you've been acting the part of the perfect underling for the Vultures so you can gather information."
"Chance? He explained?"
“Yes. I’m just upset that you lied to me when I asked you what you knew. You knew the Harpers were working with the Vultures. Why did you tell me you didn’t know anything about who your parents were working with and about their death? Why didn’t you tell me that you knew I would be in danger?”
“I didn’t know, believe me. I’m not in that kind of position to know enough yet with the Vultures and—“
"Actually," She sighed and closed her eyes. Now that he was in front of her, she felt her anger dissipate, thinking of their recent conversations. "You don’t have to explain. I know why you might have thought that I wouldn’t have taken it well.”
