Lucky Strike (Super Harem #1) - Catherine Banks Page 0,19

chance. One date and we can see what you want to do from there. Tomorrow?”

“I can’t tomorrow,” I said and looked down. Tomorrow was my first date with Transistor.

Speaking of Transistor, he hadn’t messaged me back and I still needed to send him the pictures of those creatures. For some reason, I felt like he was the only person I could tell about the creature talking to me.

“Sunday?” Hurricane asked.

I nodded. “Sunday is open.”

He smiled. “Lunch or dinner?”

“Lunch,” I answered immediately. I was already going to be nervous and wanting to start the date as soon as I could. So, the sooner the better

“We’ll come pick you up from your room at eleven, okay?”

My room? I wasn’t supposed to go to my room. But I couldn’t have them pick me up from Austin’s room...

“Hey,” Austin said behind me.

Hurricane and he bumped fists, and before my awkwardness at the situation could allow me to make a fool of myself Austin hugged me.

“Your new room is eighteen twelve,” he whispered in my ear as he pulled back.

He and Hurricane began discussing the fights earlier, and I was incredibly impressed that Austin had done that so smoothly.

“Lucky Lucy here is all over the news again,” Austin said and smiled. “You’re scheduled for over a dozen interviews starting Monday. The Director just told me.”

So, he’d gone to see the Director without me. How had that conversation gone? Had Austin threatened him? Would the genetics director get fired?

The bartender sat the pitcher of margaritas in front of me.

I picked it up, gave him a big smile, and walked back to the table where Alura was talking to Vortex with a scowl.

With a thunk, I set the pitcher between them. “Behold! The nectar of the gods!”

She squealed. “Margaritas!”

Austin and Hurricane joined us, carrying empty glasses for our use. Austin stole a chair from another table to sit between Alura and me.

I filled all five glasses and raised mine. “To another victory.”

Everyone smiled and we clinked our glasses together. “Victory!” they yelled.

“To Violet Strike for defeating ninety percent of the creatures with one epic explosion,” Austin said.

“Explosion!” Alura yelled as she clinked her glass against mine.

The others followed her lead.

“Explosions!”

By the eighth toast, Alura and I were too busy laughing and drinking to even know what we were toasting to.

Vortex ordered food, and I ate way more than usual.

The guys told us funny rescue stories, and by the time I stumbled toward my new room, my face hurt from smiling so much.

Hurricane and Vortex escorted me.

“Thanks for tonight,” I said around a hiccup.

“You sure you’re going to be okay?” Vortex asked. “We can stay for a bit, until you’re asleep, if you want.”

I looked up at him from beneath my lashes. “Are you flirting with me, Vortex?”

Placing a hand on either side of my head, he trapped me against my door.

I felt no fear, though. Warmth flooded me, and my lower body throbbed.

His face moved closer, and he said, “Your safety is more important than flirting. I won’t lie, the thought of being in your room does excite me.” He stood straight. “But I’m first and foremost a gentleman.”

Hot. So hot.

“We’ll leave you to sleep,” Hurricane said.

I spun to face him, stumbled, and face-planted into his chest.

After he helped me straighten, I asked, “Can you send me those pics I took?”

He smirked. “I need your number to do that.”

I held out my hand, palm up.

Two phones were set in my hand, which made me giggle.

“Double trouble,” I whispered.

Putting my number in their phones was more difficult than it should have been. The numbers were blurry, and I had to squint to make sure I did it right.

They took their phones back, took turns kissing me on the cheek, and waved as they walked away.

It took me three tries to open my door. After locking it, doing a sweep, and changing into pajamas, I unlocked my phone and sat on the couch to check my messages.

The first message was a group one with my duo of sexiness. The next was from Hurricane with the pictures.

The creature looked even more strange than I remembered. I forwarded them to Transistor and dialed his number.

“You alright?” he asked.

The question caught me off guard as I’d been expecting a “hello” first. “Uh, yeah.”

“You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?”

“How’d you know?” I asked and looked around the room again.

“Your words are slurred. So, tell me about your battle and these pictures.”

“You tell me why you were calling me right when I got the notification