Party Foul - Abby Knox Page 0,15

Hill, and it would be his fault.

“Where you think you’re goin’?” Mavis said to him.

Confused, Levi answered, “Gonna go check on them girls, make sure no one’s bothering them.”

Mavis smirked. “They’re fine.”

Dammit, she could see right through him. Sometimes Levi thought Mavis could read his mind. With her long, flowing robe-like jacket and piles of costume jewelry, she even looked like a psychic.

Levi laughed bitterly. “Mavis, them girls ain’t paid for a single drink all night, but they’ve been tipping Honey and Griff like royalty. They are making a spectacle. One of these drunk dudes at the bar is gonna start harassing them to go to an after party, and I have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Levi could see the wheels turning in Mavis’ head. She smirked. “Why does it gotta be you, though?”

“I thought that was my job, to take care of the customers.”

Mavis cackled. “I see how you take care of the customers.”

Oh my god, had she seen…

His panic must have shown on his face despite his attempts to stay chill. “Relax, big fella. I didn’t see anything last night other than that really pretty one with the nice boots follow you out back when you tossed Jerry Walls. And I know it didn’t take you 20 minutes to get rid of that loser. I can put two and two together after running this place for 25 years.”

Levi didn’t know what to say. “Sorry, boss. I was unprofessional.”

Mavis squeezed his arm. “Relax. I ain’t gonna fire my best bouncer. Just be careful. I don’t want to see that tender heart get broken.”

Levi scoffed. “Tender heart.”

Mavis looked past his shoulder, and Levi followed her gaze to table 12. He looked back at Mavis, who seemed to be sizing everyone up.

“Be careful, son. That’s all I’m saying.”

Levi brushed off Mavis’ comments as he wended his way through the Friday night crowd full of drunk dockworkers, grizzled fishermen, and factory shift workers, over to table 12. The luminous angel in the red sweater had to be practicing black magic, because he felt all the air leave his lungs when she deigned to look at him.

She rattled him, but he hid it well. He’d gotten good at never letting anyone see him stumble. “I just want to make sure everyone is okay. I’ve already called a cab in case anyone needs to leave quickly.”

He said this while not taking his eyes off of Fiona, who sipped a cocktail the same color as her sweater while she stared up at him through a stray lock of hair.

“A cab,” said the one in the print black shirt. “That’s so cute.”

“Finn, don’t be a snob,” said Fiona, who turned to Levi. “Thank you so much. That’s super sweet of you.”

“But you have a driver coming—”

“Now Finn,” hushed Fiona. “Let’s not be rude. Of course I’ll accept a ride home at the behest of my knight in shining armor. Thank you so much.”

“We’re fine,” said her friend. “Right, Fiona?”

Fiona appeared to be ignoring her friend and stood up to approach Levi. His heart rammed against his sternum. He could already smell her perfume, and all the memories from last night came tumbling back.

“Actually, I was wondering if you’d be interested in a job tomorrow night.”

“I have a job. Busiest night of the week, Saturday.”

She cocked her head. “Can we talk privately?”

“Fiona,” said Finn and one other young lady, both speaking together like a chorus. It nearly made Levi bust out laughing at the identical inflection in both their voices.

Fiona placed her hand on his arm.

“Follow me,” he said.

“Come on, Fi.” That had sounded like the girl named Finn, but Levi couldn’t be sure.

Fiona turned to them briefly.

“Finn, Kaylee, Pete, I won’t be long. I have business to discuss with Mister…”

She turned to Levi with a questioning look. “Oh. Uh, Levi,” he said, kicking himself for the “uh,” which made him sound like a complete dumbass.

A sweet smile spread across her lovely face, and she held out her hand. Levi was flattered and destroyed by that smile, but the way she held out her hand, he wasn’t sure how to take it. What did she want him to do, bend over and kiss it, or shake it? Levi was confused. So he split the difference and took her hand in his, wove his fingers though hers, and steered her toward a dark nook in the exposed brick wall around the corner from the pool tables at the far end of the bar, out of sight from