Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
I glanced around me, instantly noticing how the volume dropped a bit. The nook was by no means cut off from the rest of the club, but Vegas knew how sound worked. At least here, we could carry on a conversation without shouting. The ceiling was lower, and the two large sofas with accompanying chairs were boxed in on three sides.
I aimed for the corner of the couch farthest in, and Gina and Neil followed. But then Kai sat down on the other end, while Jason and Sonny went for the chairs, and that posed a juvenile problem for me. One that proved how fucking insane I was. It was gonna be a tight fit for Roe, but I wanted him next to me.
It was my birthday party, wasn’t it? That’s right. So I decided.
Work was what we all had in common, meaning it didn’t take a genius to figure out we dove for shop talk. Jason and Kai were curious about our Travel Back show, and Gina was happy to divulge the concept.
“Basically, Jake and Roe will travel the world and take the viewer back in time to various events,” she said excitedly. “For instance, they’re going to Eastern Europe and Italy for the first episode to talk about the plague and how it spread across Europe. And in the fourth episode, I think they’re visiting Mexico to cover the rise and fall of the Aztecs. It’s gonna be fucking amazing!”
Her obvious excitement rubbed off on me, and I sat forward a bit to see Kai easier. “We’re gonna draw parallels between then and now too—like, you’ll see what it looked like back then and what’s there nowadays. Part history, part travel and tourism.”
“Sounds like a great project,” Sonny noted. “I’m guessin’ it’ll be a fairly large production.”
I inclined my head. “Aside from Roe’s and my crew, we’ll have a topography team on-site for aerials and so on. We’ll need a fuck-ton of footage for the animators to work with.”
“I was gonna say—must be a whole lot of studio reconstructing,” Jason said.
Yeah, that was gonna be the biggest job of all. Hence why so many were involved.
I spotted a familiar figure emerging from the mayhem in the main club area, and Roe wasn’t alone. He had Juan with him too. I’d learned Juan was in charge of the bartending staff tonight but wasn’t mixing any drinks himself—which was good. I wanted him here as a buddy, not staff.
They didn’t arrive empty-handed. Both men were carrying large trays filled with alcohol, mixers, and snacks, and I was ready to make room for Roe.
“Anyone interested in getting smashed?” Juan beamed.
“You know it.” I sat forward some more and jerked my chin at Roe. Get over here.
He smirked faintly and eyed the others on the couch. “Excuse me, everyone!” He rounded the table and—Jesus Christ, he pulled the most drunken stunt and tumbled down on top of us, his head landing on my lap.
“Fuckin’ idiot,” I laughed.
“Oh my God, Roe!” Gina laughed too, startled.
Roe smiled, pleased as punch, and pretended to sleep.
Not exactly what I’d had in mind.
Roe opened his eyes again and blinked up at me. “Remind me not to close my eyes again. The world’s spinnin’ too fast.”
I chuckled and helped him up, and he scrambled closer to me. Wait, was he—yup, he planted his fucking ass on my lap and leaned back against the armrest. Even when Kai opted to sit on the couch across from us instead.
“Consider this my throne for the night!” Roe clapped his hands and rubbed them together, then zeroed in on the booze on the table.
Gina shook her head in amusement and cuddled up with her husband a couple feet away. Roe would fit next to me now, but he didn’t move.
He bobbed his head to the music and started mixing us some cocktails, prompting the others to join in. Nobody turned down free booze. In the meantime, Juan introduced himself as the man who’d discovered Jake and Roe, to which Roe and I cracked up.
“So how did you meet?” Gina asked, puzzled.
I chuckled and scratched my nose. “Roe and I bartended at the gay club Juan works at.”
“I’m part owner now!” Juan informed us proudly.
No shit? Roe gave me a glass just in time, so I raised it to Juan. “Congratulations are in order. That’s cool—”
“Fuck me, this is my song.” Roe interrupted.
I snorted. Every song he liked was his song. But maybe this Katy Perry tune wasn’t gonna work for me, ’cause Roe couldn’t sit still. I didn’t know who’d once taught him to dance, but he had a knack for it. And he wasn’t afraid to move seductively.
Dude.
He was sucked into a conversation with Juan and Gina about a Katy Perry show they’d both been to—like, oh my God, you were there too?—and all I could focus on was Roe’s ass. Shit. I took a gulp of my drink, tasting vodka and tonic and lemon and fucking hell, quit moving.