While waiting for Miri to fill her drink order, Callie leaned on the bar and observed the crowd. Another couple had just disappeared into the side corridor, on their way to the basement. Something was going on down there tonight.

Were they having a party?

“There is a lot of traffic today.” She pointed her chin in their direction.

Miri put two drinks on Callie’s tray. “It’s Wednesday.”

“So?”

“Demonstration day. Must be something super interesting to attract so many.”

“I wonder what it’s about.” Callie lifted the tray.

“Who knows?” Miri leaned closer, her chest almost touching the bar. “Maybe your boyfriend is demonstrating whipping techniques?”

“Ha, ha,” Callie chuckled while nervously glancing around. “He is not my boyfriend,” she whispered.

“Right.”

After delivering the drinks, Callie stopped by a couple of tables and collected new orders.

“I’m dying of curiosity.” She handed Miri the tickets. “Do you think they will let me watch during my break?”

Miri shrugged. “You can ask your boyfriend. He is the boss and what he says goes.”

Good idea. If she could find him. When she’d gotten to work, Brundar was already down in the basement, and he hadn’t surfaced yet.

Was he busy?

Or was he avoiding her?

She had a strong suspicion it was the second one.

Coward.

If he didn’t want to hook up with her anymore, all he had to do was say so. This hide and seek game was ridiculous.

Callie felt her cheeks heating up, but this time it was anger and not awkwardness that was causing the blush. She’d give him another hour, and if he didn’t come up by then, she would call him, using the emergency number he’d given her.

The hour was almost up when Callie spotted Franco emerging from the side corridor. Pushing people out of her way, she rushed over to him.

“Franco! Wait up!” she called as he opened the door to the supply room.

On the other side of it was the employee entrance, and if she didn’t stop him, he would leave before she had a chance to talk to him.

Holding the door opened, Franco turned and scanned the crowd for his caller.

She waved at him.

He lifted a brow.

“Do you have a moment? Or are you in a super hurry to get out of here?”

He smiled. “For you, I can spare a moment.” He opened the door wider. “Please, step into my office.” He waved her on into the supply room.

“I heard you guys are holding a class down there. Can I watch? I mean, during my break.”

He shook his head and patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Callie, but I have a policy about keeping the nightclub’s personnel and that of the lower level separate. If you worked downstairs, it would have been a different story. But you’re not old enough.”

Disappointing to say the least. “Any chance you’d change your mind about the age limit? I know that until recently it used to be twenty-one.”

He shook his head again. “It works better this way. Most of the members are older. And we want to make sure no one gets in with a fake ID. Other nightclubs have got in trouble because of nonsense like that, and those were just regular clubs.”

“But you know me. You know I’m over twenty-one.”

“That’s enough, Callie.” Franco used his drill sergeant’s tone. “I don’t have time for this.”

That commanding tone and that stern look might have scared most people into compliance, but not Callie. Not while she was mad and on a mission.

Another day? Maybe?

“Can you at least tell Brad to call me? Or come up and see me?”

He cast her a curious look. “I will when I come back.”

“Thank you. And sorry for bothering you, sir.”

The formal address seemed to mollify him. “It’s okay.”

The thing was, Franco didn’t come back. Or if he had, Callie had missed him.

She’d waited and watched people leave from that freaking side corridor all night, but there had been no sign of Brundar or Franco.

“Come on, Callie.” Donnie looked impatient. He’d been waiting outside and then came in looking for her.

She buttoned up her light jacket. “Let’s go.”

“Finally.”

It was after closing time, and she was taking her sweet time getting ready to head home, just in case Brundar finally showed up. But it wasn’t fair to Donnie. With both Franco and Brundar busy elsewhere, he was stuck with walking her home.

“You can drive me home. It will take less time.” It wasn’t fair of her to take more of Donnie’s time than necessary, but after the noise and the smells of the nightclub, Callie preferred walking. The ten minutes’ stroll in the crisp night air was relaxing, and listening to Donnie talk about his latest comic starring Bud, the mighty slayer of rogue vampires, was fun.

Most nights Donnie seemed to enjoy it too.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Are you kidding me? Walking you home is the best part of the night for me.”

Talk about awkward. Maybe Miri was right.

Had Callie been too preoccupied with her own problems to notice that Donnie wanted to be more than a friend?

“I want to ask you something, Donnie. What do you think of Miri?”

He shrugged. “I’m thinking of a comic she could star in. She’d make the visuals stand out. But I can’t think of a story for her.”

That wasn’t what Callie had in mind. But maybe she could steer him in the right direction. “She could be Bud’s girlfriend.”

Donnie shook his head. “Nah. They don’t fit. A comic needs contrast. The strange looking guy with an ordinary looking girl or the other way around. You can be Bud’s girlfriend in the story.”

She lifted her hand. “Please, don’t. I need my privacy.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll change the way you look. But I can base a character on you.”

“I can live with that. Who would you cast as Miri’s boyfriend?”

“Let me think…”

Donnie looked up to the sky for inspiration, which meant he didn’t see himself in that role. A pity.

“I know. A computer nerd. Maybe a hacker.”

A more direct approach was needed. “How about a comic book nerd?”

It took him a moment to catch her meaning. He laughed, his big body shaking. “Me? No way. Miri is cool, but she is too cool for me.”

“What’s your type?”

“Someone like you, or Fran.” The way his voice got all soft when he said Fran’s name said it all.

“Fran is cute.” The girl was a student and worked only on weekends.

“Yeah. But she ignores me. Probably thinks I’m a dumb bouncer. All muscle and no brains.”

“She doesn't know you. You need to talk to her. Show her that you’re much more than muscle.”

“How can I do it when she barely says hi to me?”

“Easy, give her one of your comics. With a dedication.”

“What, just shove it in her hand?”

“Yeah. Bring a few to give to other employees too if it makes you feel less awkward.”

Donnie nodded. “It wouldn't hurt to do some PR.”

“Exactly. That way everyone will know how extremely talented you are. Just don’t bring the ones starring Brad.”

“No way. Even I wouldn’t want to mess with your boyfriend.”

And just like that her good mood vanished. “Stop saying that. He is not my boyfriend.”

“Then what is he to you?”

“I wish I knew. For a few days, I was stupid enough to think he was. But how can he be when he spends nearly all his evenings and nights downstairs? Playing with other women? That’s not my definition of a boyfriend. I have no wish to become one of his many whatever he calls them. His playmates or scene partners or whatever.”

Donnie stopped and turned to face her. “He owns half of the club, and he is into that shit. A guy like that can’t be monogamous. Part of his job is to teach and demonstrate, and he can’t do that while keeping his hands off. What did you expect? That he would quit everything because he likes you?”

“Yeah, I kind of did. Silly me.”

“Come here.” Donnie pulled her into a bear hug. “You can either accept Brad the way he is or find someone else. Those are your only two options. You can’t change him into who you want him to be.”

“I know.”