assembled the shaker and other tools of the craft. Just as I was finishing upstairs, I heard the doorbell ring. Elsa answered the door and I was surprised to hear not one, but two men’s voices coming from downstairs. As I descended, I found both William and Aidan in the entryway.
“Hello there,” I said, amused at the picture before me. “I assume you two met on the sidewalk?”
“Something like that,” Aidan said quickly, turning his attention toward Elsa. “Is that a martini you’re holding?”
She smiled and nodded. “Lily has been trying to convince me that this is a good drink, but I don’t care for the gin. Would you like it?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” he said, his Irish lilt more on display than usual.
I looked over at William. “Follow me and I will get you a drink,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows. William came along, and as soon as we were alone in the dark of my dining room where I kept a small bar, he grabbed me and pulled me toward him.
“You smell good,” he said, burying his face in my hair and then he kissed me. “And you taste good.”
“Thanks for being such a good sport,” I whispered. “I hope you don’t mind being with all of these people.”
“I have been waiting to see if you would introduce me,” he said. “I wasn’t sure you wanted them to know about us.”
“I wasn’t sure either,” I admitted. “It’s less complicated when we’re alone.”
William kissed me again. “Darlin, complicated is my middle name. Now come on, or your friends will think we’ve run off.”
We walked back into the kitchen, everyone suitably outfitted with cocktails. After a round of drinks, Aidan said he would take Elsa and Lily with him in his car. I tried to look over at Elsa and gauge her response, but she wouldn’t let me catch her gaze. Even hard-as-nails time-walkers need a boyfriend, I mused, and I was happy she had found someone who suited her so well. As we walked to our cars, I gave Aidan directions to the club.
William opened the door to his car and helped me in. “Aidan and I know each other,” he said, moments after pulling away from the curb. “I don’t think he wanted to be the one to tell you, to surprise you, so he sort of changed the subject back at your house. I didn’t realize that he was Gabriel’s deputy, otherwise I would have said something last night.”
I wasn’t surprised. After everything I’d been through in the last few weeks, I was prepared to hear anything.
“How do you know each other?”
“Occasionally I have worked for the Council unofficially to help them locate things,” he said. “Aidan has been my contact for some of the assignments in Europe.”
His connection to Aidan struck me as too close for comfort. “Did you know about me from Aidan before we met?”
“I knew you would ask me that,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t. It’s a coincidence, call it fate, but I swear I had no idea of your involvement with the Council. I’ve never even met Gabriel.”
It was obvious he was being honest from the moment he began to speak. I also knew he was aware I would pick up on any deceit in a minute.
“You’re right,” he said. “I know you can read me and I can often hear your thoughts, too. Makes for an interesting relationship, don’t you think?”
“How easy is it for you to hear my thoughts?” I asked, as we pulled up in front of the club.
“It varies. Sometimes it’s so clear, it’s as if you’re in my head. Other times, it’s more of a vague whispering. Why?”
“I’m taking a survey,” I said, climbing out of the car. “You’ll find out later.”
We walked into the club together, but split up inside. He went backstage to find Cat and John, while I scanned the room for my friends.
I spotted Aidan standing near a booth in the corner of the club with a clear view the stage. As I walked over, he slid in, inserting himself between Elsa and Lily. I slid in next to Lily, arriving at the same time as our waitress, who came to take our drink orders.
“I recommend we start with Champagne, or in this case, sparkling wine,” Aidan said, frowning at the wine list. His dismay made me laugh. The Treasure Chest was definitely a beer kind of nightclub; any wine on their list would need to be drunk with caution.