Between Friends by D. L. Sparks Page B

go.”
    I looked from Phil back to Lincoln. He had a smug look on his face that made it damn hard not to fire off a round in his chest. I turned and headed out the door and I heard him call out to me.
    â€œI’m lookin’ forward to workin’ with you, Special Agent Spencer.”
    â€œFuck you, Lieutenant Briscoe,” I shot back.

Chapter Six
    Idalis
    Club 404 was packed to capacity. I knew we had to be violating some sort of fire code tonight. The DJ had the whole club jumping. His mix had everyone cramming onto what little bit of dance floor there was left. Customers were screaming their orders out to the waitresses over the loud music and bartenders were happily filling orders and collecting tips. After their confusing, shouting exchanges, the servers could barely maneuver through the crowds, back to the bar with their orders.
    Before I had Cameron, I worked as a manager and an event planner for the Four Seasons, which kept me pretty busy. But once I got pregnant, Lincoln felt I shouldn’t be working. He encouraged me to slow down—more like insisted on me slowing down. I didn’t start working again until Cameron was almost two, when Linc surprised me by buying this spot. He was co-owner, but he always said that it was just on paper, that this was my project to do whatever I wanted to do with. And I had a lot of ideas for this spot. It took a little over a year but the word got out quick and Club 404 was on the map and I was making my own hours and home with my son whenever I wanted to be, making both Linc and me happy.
    The black T-shirt and skinny jeans from bebe I had on were a good choice. I was comfortable but had dressed up my outfit with some accessories for the pictures that people always wanted to take with me since I was the owner.
    My hair was pulled back in the front and hung straight down my back. I hated having hair in my face when I was sweaty and with all the running around I was doing tonight, I was definitely working up a sweat.
    If I wasn’t running around and pulling money from the bartenders’ drawers, then taking it back to the office, I was taking pictures or networking with radio stations or local magazines trying to get ad space and more exposure. Tonight my good friend Si-Man Baby hosting on the mic and he was working the crowd. He came over and gave me a quick squeeze.
    â€œYou looking good in them jeans girl.”
    I smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate you coming out tonight.”
    â€œAnything for you, you know that.”
    A few patrons walked up, asked if they could snap a few pictures. Si-Man and I obliged and then he disappeared into the sea of people and started hyping the crowd.
    â€œWhen I say Si-Man you say Baby!” he called in the mic, voice booming through the club. “Si-Man!”
    â€œBaaaaaby!” the crowd responded.
    I made my way to Dionne’s station, and instinctively she placed a bottle of water in front of me. We’d been tag teaming at this for almost two years, it was like we read each others minds. I popped the top on the water and let its coolness hit the back of my throat and cool my insides.
    I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and checked my messages. India texted me and let me know that she’d picked Cameron up from my mom’s and was on her way to my house. She also let me know that she didn’t appreciate me leaving her at Applebee’s. I responded and thanked her for picking him up and told her I wasn’t thinking about her or her trip to California.
    Just when I was about to head to the back office, I felt an arm snake its way around my waist and a pair of lips brushed my neck.
    I inhaled his scent and smiled. God he smells good , I thought.
    â€œI wondered if you were coming,” I said over the loud music.
    Linc turned me around and I looked up into his brown eyes before planting a kiss on his lips.
    â€œI told you I was, didn’t I?”
    â€œYeah, but it was