Lars pulls me back so that he can go in first. Perry is still in the chair, only he’s propped his feet up on the side of my desk and is rocking back and forth on the chair’s back legs.
“Having fun?” I ask.
“I was starting to think you weren’t coming back and was working on a plan B. I think better when I pace, but this will have to do.”
“What star sign are you?” Lars asks.
“Aries, why?”
He huffs in a way that tells me he should have guessed that. For … reasons, I guess? I have no idea what an Aries is supposed to be like, but I’m guessing it’s Perry.
“For fuck’s sake,” Lars mutters before handing over his phone.
Your luck is here, Aries! You’ve had a rocky few days, and you’re in for a close call or two, but you’re finally on the right path. Today is your day to ask for what you want, knowing it will be a yes. It’s time to take those yeses and spin them into gold, the way only you can do!
Close call or two? Ask for what you want?
Well, if that’s not specific enough for us, nothing is.
Lars is watching me, and I shrug. “Wedidsay if it was relevant …”
“Well, fuck me.” Lars pulls a small set of keys out of his pocket and walks over to Perry. Before he unlocks the handcuffs, he spends a moment patting down his jeans—I’m assuming to make sure he doesn’t have a weapon on him.
“What is it?” Perry asks. “What did it say?”
“Today’s your lucky day.”
His whole face lights up. “I knew it. I had a feeling about today.”
Lars gives a wild look to the back of Perry’s head as he movesaround to unlock the cuffs. “You had a feeling you were going to be shot at?”
“Of course not. I just woke up knowing I was going to like today.”
“Youlikebeing shot at and handcuffed to a chair?”
Perry, rubbing his suddenly free wrists, scowls. “You know, it’s like you’re deliberately misunderstanding me.”
“Why would I do that?” Lars flicks a look my way. “We’refriendsnow.”
“Really?”
I swear it’s killing Lars not to say no. “Well, we’ll see.”
Perry stands, hands stretching high overhead, wrists red raw. Then he reaches for the cup of water and takes a long sip. “Okay, so first, I need to be fed and to get out of these pants. After that, we work out what to do next.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
PERRY
Lars,being the great guy that he is, heads down to the cafe to pick up my backpack. His plan is to tell whoever’s working that I’m sick and not to expect me for a few days, but I don’t see how we’re going to unravel a whole-ass wannabe murder plot in that time.
Which means there is a very high likelihood that I’m going to lose my favorite job ever.
Maybe this is the universe’s way of getting even with me.
I chew on the granola bar St. Clare pulled from his desk drawer and look out over the nightclub. It’s a great view. Still daytime, so the club isn’t exactly thriving. There are a few people at the bar, drinks in front of them, working their way through ribs or wings or whatever, but otherwise, it’s mostly staff going about their day and getting ready for tonight.
Maybe working in a bar could be fun? Less personal, probably, but more staff to shoot the shit with.
