Closing Time

17.

"Another day, another dollar, eh, Ryleigh?"

I returned the demon's grin with a smile. "You got it. What do you want today?"

"Feeling like... hmm... a Long Island Ice Tea actually. Add a Cosmo and a Mai Tai."

"Yup." I nodded and turned away as I jotted it down. "Give me a few."

"You got it." She paused. "By the way, you seem to be in a much better mood today."

"Oh, is that so?" I replied dryly, my back to her as I rummaged through the bottles. "What makes you think that?"

"You've been kind of moody the past few days."

"Have I now?"

"Yeah... did something happen?"

I shrugged as I turned back around to face her. "Not that I know of."

"Weird..." She narrowed her eyes and searched my face as I cleaned out the shaker. "Might just be my imagination."

"Yup."

"Hmm..."

She trailed off as continued to hum and stare away at me while I worked on her drinks. Luckily enough, I was quick at my job and she left with her tray within five minutes.

Was I in a good mood? No.

Was I in a better mood? Yes.

The comments about the damn hickey had finally died down after three days of endless taunts, endless suggestions, endless invites, and endless speculations.

I'd decided to cover up with makeup on the second day- didn't work. Those guys knew. The third day had been a turtleneck. Another fail. A scarf the next day. Utter, utter fail. Today. No scarf, no turtleneck, no makeup and a barely visible hickey. I felt like I was in some kind of a fairy tale with a moral about not hiding my true self or some shit.

"Ryleeiiigh..."

I exhaled softly. If anything, Lou needs a fairly tale about not hiding his true self around other people.... actually, that's a bad idea.

I placed my chin in my palm and turned to look at him. "What is it, Lou?"

"Pay attention to me." He sang again as he tapped the counter with his finger.

"Take my place and fulfill all these orders, then I'll gladly entertain you."

"Is that so?" He smirked, raising a suggestive brow. "Entertain me how exactly?"

A groan escaped me at that horrible line. I straightened up as I shook my head. "You keep conveniently forgetting that I'm seeing someone."

"And you keep conveniently thinking that I care about their feelings." He winked at me, dark eyes twinkling with his usual excitement. "He won't even know I was there. I'll be so sneaky even you won't know I was there."

I laughed at that as I crushed ice to fill up a glass. "If that's how it's going to be is there any point in even having you over?"

"There are several points in having me over." Lou piped up defensively amidst laughter from some of the other patrons.

"You trying to convince me or yourself?" I paused to look up at Lou. Mike actually seemed amused about the entire situation despite his usual stare-off with the wall. "Your game seems rather off today, Lou."

"My game is never off!" He scoffed. "If anything, all it will take is one night to convince you..." He trailed off suggestively.

"If anything," I mocked, "you've been coming here for several nights now and I'm no closer to-ugh-sleeping with you back then as I am now."