“This is bullshit,” the drunk shifter grunted. A line of blood trailed from his lower lip where it had split.
“What’s bullshit,” Ollie said, “is that my officer friend outside is going to have to do the paperwork to get your ass thrown in lockup instead of doing jack-all his last two hours on duty. He gave me a ride to be nice, and now you’ve ruined his night.” Ollie shook his head in disappointment. “Very unfortunate.”
I glanced at the door and saw a uniformed cop staring through the glass doors as Ollie shoved the drunk guy out of the bar. The two men exchanged a few words, then the beat cop took the drunk, leaving Ollie to return to the bar.
“Thanks,” the server said, rubbing her wrist.
“No problem. Any time.” I grinned at her, then went back to the booth.
Ollie slid in across from me.
I glared at him. “What the fuck took so long?”
“I told you. Work. Being a detective has a shit-ton more paperwork than being a beat cop. I swear, had I known, I never would have gone for the promotion. Besides, I didn’t think I’d be running in a drunk-and-disorderly while off the clock.”
I watched the cruiser pull away from the bar. “Looks like your buddy there is actually doing all the work. Why’d he give you a ride? Don’t you have your own car?”
“I, like a good citizen, don’t drink and drive. Gonna get a cab back home.”
Ollie scooped up the drink and downed it in one gulp, wincing at the burn in his throat, then waving for a server to bring him another.
“That was a twenty-dollar cocktail,” I said, staring at the empty glass.
He shrugged and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Anyone who said money can’t buy happiness never tasted Hendrick’s gin.”
“That shit tastes like licking a Christmas tree,” I said in disgust. “I can’t believe you like that stuff.”
Ollie raised an eyebrow at me. “You are a heathen.”
I ignored that. “Can we get on with this? That dick of a shifter has me in a piss-poor mood. Do you have some info on my assignment? Toronto is great and all, but I’m not here as a tourist.”
“Nate, you sure know how to have a good time,” he said dryly.
“This is work. We can’t do this stuff on the phone, we have to do it in person. I simply want to get it over with and continue with my assignment. We can be buddies later.”
The server returned with another drink for Ollie and slid another glass of whiskey in front of me.
“On the house, babe,” she said, winking at me before walking away.
“Son of a bitch,” Ollie said, watching her go. “I see you still have your touch with the ladies.”
I waited until the server was out of earshot. “Spill. What do you have for me?”
Ollie nodded to my glass. “Drink. Stop nursing that shit. Where are you staying while you’re in town?”
Flipping my phone over, I checked the time. “Maybe picking up a short-term apartment rental somewhere when we’re done here. Might find a studio available for less than a grand a week.”
“Good God, man. Just rent a hotel room. It would be cheaper,” Ollie said.
“Cheaper, but less private. I like privacy.”
Across the bar, the server who’d given me the free drink eyed me. I held her gaze until she looked away, blushing and smiling. As fun as it was to flirt, I wasn’t really in the mood for a romp in the hay. All I cared about was figuring out where to bed down for the night and get proper rest. From the look I was catching from the server, the last thing she wanted was rest.
In all my years, I’d never really cared where I laid my head at night. A one-night stand, a buddy’s couch, a hotel, or a hostel—who cared? A bed was a bed. As a lone wolf, I’d never really had a home or family to speak of. So why give a damn where I slept?
Tearing my eyes away from the hot server, I glanced a few booths down. A man and woman sat, snuggled together. She held a glass of wine and was laughing at something the guy whispered into her ear.
For a moment, I wondered what it might be like to have that. A person to share life with. Someone who knew you inside and out.
