Flirting Under a Full Moon - By Ashlyn Chase Page 0,76
without giving it much more thought. She wiped down a table and was about to get Sadie another drink when the office door burst open.
Claudia appeared shaken. “Emergency staff meeting,” she called.
Emergency staff meeting? When had they ever had one of those? Brandee had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Sadie aimed a concerned frown at the office but continued to shuffle her cards.
Shit. What did Angie tell her?
“Kathie, can you hold the fort for a few?” Claudia asked the part-time bartender.
“Sure.”
That meant Brandee and Robin were the “staff” needed in the meeting. As if her feet had just met a bad alchemist and turned to lead, Brandee took her time getting to her destination.
Kurt slid off his bar stool as she passed. “I’ll watch the place, kiddo,” he whispered.
“Now, Brandee,” Claudia snapped.
Shit.
She made it into the room and shut the door behind her. Angie stood with her back to them, hugging herself.
Brandee hated that her best-case scenario was only Claudia calling them in to say Angie had been fired for taking off without notice. Somehow she knew it was more than that. Waaay more.
“Ange?” When she didn’t turn around, Brandee went to her friend and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Angie shook her head, then looked away.
“Uh-oh,” Robin said. “We’re not all getting raises, are we?”
Claudia let out a deep breath. “This is serious. Everyone have a seat.”
Brandee took the chair closest to the door just in case her worst fear came true and she had to barricade everyone inside. How the hell she’d accomplish that, and what she’d do afterward, was anyone’s guess.
“Angie, do you want to tell everyone what you told me?”
“No,” she said in a small voice.
“Uh, that wasn’t exactly a request,” Claudia said.
When Angie didn’t follow through, Claudia sighed. “Okay. First off, everybody, don’t say anything to Malcolm and Wendy about this when they come in. I’ll need to consult Anthony when he gets here, but I’d like both of you to tell me what you know.”
Oh, no. Please say anything but, “Paranormals are running around the city and calling Boston Uncommon home.” As calmly as Brandee could, she asked. “Know about what?”
“Angie?” Claudia waited until Angie folded her arms and turned away. “Oh, for the love of…Angie seems to think our bar is full of what she calls ‘paranormals,’ in other words, vampires, werewolves, and—”
Robin leaped to her feet. She screamed and bolted before Brandee could get up and block the door.
“Oh, crap! Angie, how could you?” Brandee couldn’t wait around to hear her answer. She ran after the frightened waitress.
Kurt grabbed Robin around the waist and lifted her off the ground.
She thrashed in his arms. “Let me go! There are vampires and werewolves after us.” She tried kicking him. “Let. Me. Go!”
The dozen or so customers seemed stunned. A few rose and moved toward the door.
“Stop,” Sadie yelled above the din.
Everyone froze and gave the fortune-teller their rapt attention.
Sadie laughed. “You can’t honestly believe there are such things as vampires and werewolves. I don’t see anyone ‘after us,’ do you?” She held out her arms and swiveled from side to side. “Everyone, take your seats and finish your drinks. I’m sure when the poor girl calms down, she’ll realize there’s been some kind of crazy misunderstanding. Maybe someone’s playing a joke on her.”
Most of the patrons joined her in an amused chuckle.
Brandee took advantage of the momentary distraction to call Nick. She tucked herself in the ladies’ room, making sure she was alone.
“Wolfensen Investigations.”
“Where are you?” she whispered.
“Not far from Boston Uncommon. The mayor’s office. Why?”
“Angie told.”
“Fuck—I mean, shit. I mean—I’ll be there in five minutes.”
The line went dead and Brandee returned to the bar, hoping Nick would know what to do.
***
Nick ran inside Boston Uncommon, half expecting to find total pandemonium. What he didn’t expect was a bar full of frozen bodies, but that’s what he saw. Humans in various poses, most of them staring in one direction.
“Jesus, it’s about time you got here,” Kurt said.
Nick followed Kurt’s voice and found him in the center of the action, holding a frozen waitress.
“What the…”
“Sorry. It was the only thing I could do. Claudia over here…” Kurt tipped his head to point to the manager, who had her hands on her hips and was leaning forward with a frown on her face, “was demanding I let Robin go. But she was the one screaming ‘vampire’ and ‘werewolf’ and trying to run for the door.”