Sounds easy enough. A drink, some small talk, I can do that.
We push into the dark restaurant, and it takes a few seconds for my vision to adjust. The aroma of cooking meat, specifically pork, wafts toward me, and despite my best efforts to avoid it, my stomach growls and my mouth waters. What is it about bacon?
Mason leads me to a group of people that take up two large tables at the bar. I catch a flash of red hair, and my grip on his hand tightens. “Is that . . .?”
“It is. Rex and Gia are here.” He pulls me close to throw an arm over my shoulder just as we approach the table.
Gia’s eyes widen upon seeing us, and she rushes over. “I knew it!” Her gaze bounces between Mason and me just as Rex comes up behind her and wraps his big, colorful arms around her waist.
“Baywatch, you fuckin’ punk.” He leans forward and nips at Gia’s ear. “Did you know about this?”
“No, I mean, I figured after . . .” She shakes her head then blinks as if she’s snapped herself from her thoughts. “Well, come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
She grabs my hand and I look up at Mason. He nods for me to go, but before releasing me drops a long soft closed-mouthed kiss against my lips. My insides tumble at his open show of affection, his public declaration of our being together.
Gia heads to the far end of the table where two women are sitting. The blonde is absently rocking an infant carrier, while the brunette stands, swaying slowly with a baby strapped to her chest.
“Layla and Raven, I want you to meet my friend.” Gia pulls me up between the two. “This is Trix, my old roommate.”
The blonde, who I assume is Layla, peers up at me with kind dark eyes and a welcoming smile. “Trix, nice to meet you. Here”—she motions to a chair next to her—“have a seat.”
“Thanks.” I sit and try to adjust my dress. These girls are wearing more casual attire, cute worn jeans and biker boots or sandals, and suddenly, I feel self-conscious.
I turn my head to the dark-haired girl, and although she’s not purposefully looking unfriendly, her contemplative expression makes me uneasy.
She steps close, her hands braced on her baby, and I can’t help but feel like I’ve seen her before. “Who are you here with?”
My eyes move through the crowd of men at the tables, all of them facing the television screens that are plastered on every wall surrounding the bar. I search out Mason, who, like the rest of them, has his back toward me, the man he’s talking to nearly twice Mason’s size with dark hair and full-sleeved tattoos. My heart flutters with an anxiety I can’t shake, but I push it back and smile.
“She came with Mason.” The high pitch of excitement in Gia’s voice catches my attention.
“We’re going out on a date tonight.” I almost slap my forehead at how stupid I must sound, but I can’t shake the unwelcome feeling that prickles beneath my skin.
Gia props a hip on the table, her big smile framed with all that orange hair. “How in the hell did you and Mase hook up? Did you meet him at the club?”
Embarrassment twists in my gut, and I do everything I can to keep a confident posture. “No, um . . . he had some friends in town, and Angel and I were hired to dance for them.” I look between Raven and Layla, feeling more out of place than I’ve felt in a long time. I have nothing to be ashamed of.
The bar erupts in a mix of boos and groans, whatever happening on the television screen being some kind of disappointment.
“Oh my gosh . . . I know you.” Raven’s blue-green eyes flash with recognition. “You work at Zeus’s.”
“Trix, this is Raven, Rex’s half-sister I told you about.” Gia turns toward the guys. “The big guy over there? That’s her husband, Jonah Slade.”
Oh shit.
“. . . baby Sadie.” Gia finishes, but I’m crippled with panic as the pieces slide into place.
UFL guys. Rex, Jonah, and—
“Trix, I want you to meet the boys.” Mason appears across the table, a big grin on his face. “This is . . .”
Blake “The Snake” Daniels. I remember.
Play it casual, Trix. Remember he’s a total stranger to you.
Blake’s eyes are narrowed for a few seconds, moving between Layla and