The Job (Auctioned) by Cara Dee (highly illogical behavior txt) 📕

He grinned. “A fucking bar, obviously. We haven’t gone out together, just you and me, in four years.”

His grin was infectious, and there was no need to twist my arm. I was game.

Twenty minutes later, we stepped out of a cab outside Mandalay Bay and made our way into the casino. Of all the bars in Vegas, EyeCandy was in my top three, no doubt. It had a sweet vibe with its interactive dance floor and cozy booths, and nothing catapulted me back to the eighties and nineties like leather furniture lit up in purple and a DJ playing Cher.

It was one of my favorite remixes, to boot.

Maybe I would’ve gone with another song, but the DJ couldn’t know that I’d had “Strong Enough” on an endless loop for a month after shoving Boone out of my life.

“This goddess helped me get past our breakup,” I half joked and slapped Boone on the back. “Don’t read into the lyrics, ’cause they’re entirely too accurate.”

Why did I have to be so goddamn honest all of a sudden?

I blew out a breath and aimed for the bar. I was in a Gimlet mood.

The place was barely half full, and it felt too intimate to grab a booth, so I parked my ass on one of the stools at the bar and gave the bartender a chin-nod. Boone got settled next to me and spun his stool to face the dance floor.

“What do you want?” I asked him.

He squinted at the bar over his shoulder. “Uhh… Negroni.”

Nasty. I couldn’t stomach Campari since we’d stolen a bottle from Ma in high school.

“Do you remember…?”

He let out a chuckle and spun around in his seat again. “I thought we were gonna have to take you to the hospital.”

I shuddered.

After ordering our drinks and opening a tab, I glanced behind me, surveying the crowd tonight, and bobbed my head absently to the new pop remix playing.

I was gonna feel more upbeat soon, right? It felt forced now.

“What did we get wasted on after we learned we were gonna be Ace’s guardians?”

I hummed and thought back. That’d been some cheap, foul shit too. “Some peach liqueur. Christ, Ma has shitty taste in booze.”

Boone grinned but said nothing.

Maybe he was thinking on those days too. We’d been terrified. A single phone call was all it’d taken. We’d gone from believing that grieving a lost friend was the worst that could happen, to discovering there was a toddler out there with our name on her. And then when the lawyer asked if we would proceed with Tia’s wishes and actually take care of this slip of a girl… I shook my head to myself. We’d been two dumbasses; of course we’d hesitated first. Even as we knew there’d been no option. If our friend’s final wish was for us to raise her daughter, so be it.

Boone nudged my shoulder with his. “What would we do without her today, huh?”

I didn’t wanna think about it. As soon as the bartender handed us our drinks, I held up my glass. “To the best daughter in the universe.”

He clinked his glass to mine and took a swig.

I followed suit and felt the lime and the gin explode in my mouth.

Back in the day, I didn’t need a drink to get me in a party mood. Now, I was waiting for the alcohol to make me feel similar urges as in the past, to hit up a club, to go crazy, to sneak in to pool parties, to drive out into the desert and run around just for stupid kicks that only made sense after a line of blow.

Growing up, I’d just never had any fear. I’d thrown myself into the dumbest dares and most reckless ruses, knowing I’d be okay in the end because Boone had always been next to me. We’d protected each other.

“Why are you lookin’ all broody?” he asked.

I smiled ruefully and emptied my drink, then gestured to the bartender for a new round of the same. “I’m getting old and nostalgic.”

He smiled back. “Bring me with you.”

I chuckled and ran a hand through my hair. “How many pool parties and nightclubs have we snuck in to over the years?”

“Hundreds. It’s the duty of a Vegas kid.”

I exhaled a laugh.

“Yeah, maybe. I’m not really feeling it anymore, though.” I dropped my chin in my hand and rested my elbow on the bartop. “I want barbecues and soccer games and watching Ace light up at a new pin.”

Boone nodded and dropped his gaze to his drink, though not before I got a glimpse of the same desire in his eyes. Maybe that was why he was pushing for a house. He wanted to settle down and have family moments too.

Jesus Christ, how I’d missed having him in my life. The fucker gave my life meaning. Without him and our girl… Another thing I didn’t wanna think about. It physically hurt.

“I know the feeling,” he said into his glass. At the same time, my second drink arrived. “I think there’s still some hell-raisin’ left in us, though. Hey,” he addressed the bartender. “You got bottle service around here?”

I cocked a brow at him.

“Yes, sir.” The bartender reached for something under the bar and produced a tablet. “Our menu is right here.” The screen came to life and showed items only idiots would pay that much money for. For chrissakes, I didn’t even wanna use someone else’s credit card for a $500 bottle of vodka.

Soon as the bartender gave us some space, I leaned in and eyed the menu closer. “Are you outta your damn mind?”

“Oh, come on.” Solid argument by my brother. “I have no interest in setting you loose in a club, but I’m not ready to head back to the hotel room. I want drinks and a trip down memory lane. Does that work, princess?”

I tapped my fingers over my lips and couldn’t help but grin. It was what he did to me. Same thing back