filigreed silver leather so finely done it resembled liquid metal.
At second glance, he realized it was tooled in the shape of acat’s face. He grinned. “Beautiful. And very you. Prepare to beat them off with a stick.”
“Why do you think I brought you?” She laughed and jerked her thumb toward Mena’s. “Let’s grab something to eat.”
In no real rush, they took their time at dinner catching up and enjoying each other’s uncomplicated company. It was good their one-time fling hadn’t ruined anything, Augustine thought. Dulcinea was too good a friend to lose.
She pushed her plate away and glanced toward the window. “Sun’s down. Streets are filling up. You ready to go celebrate the New Year?”
He finished his beer and sat back in his chair. “Born ready, baby.”
They paid their bill and took to the streets, masks on. The crowds were thick as expected but not nearly what they’d be during Mardi Gras. Augustine took Dulcinea’s hand and pulled her through the throng toward Bourbon Street. Without saying it, both understood they’d only be together until one of them found a partner for the evening, but until then they’d stick to each other’s side, celebrating
Nokturnos
like they had since they’d run the streets with the rest of their crew.
Bourbon was just as it always was—loud and boisterous and full of people. The fae in attendance were mostly local but there were probably some who’d come to town for the event, plus a ton of human tourists, looking for a night of all-out fun. Some of the tourists were probably here to gawk, but any fae living in New Orleans either got used to that or stayed out of the Vieux Carré.
“Let’s get another drink,” Dulcinea shouted over the strains of “Sweet Home Alabama” pouring from one of the bars.
“I’ll buy you a drink, kitty cat.” A well-oiled tourist grinned at Dulcinea, his lids already heavy with alcohol. His friends hooted their approval of his idea, their LSU T-shirts giving them away for the college boys they were.
“And so it begins,” Augustine muttered.
Dulcinea raised herself to her full height and notched her head to look down at him. In her platform boots, she was easily over six feet. “How generous. And how broad-minded you are.”
“Broad-minded?” The guy looked baffled.
“Not to care that I’m a man.” She leaned in and batted her lashes at him. “Do you want your good-luck kiss now or—”
“What?” His eyes widened. “No!” Laughing, his friends hauled him away and in seconds, they were swept away with the next wave of people.
Augustine shook his head. “You’re awful.”
Her smirk said she disagreed. “Awful funny, you mean. He was just a kid. I’d break him in two. Better he think the rejection was his idea.”
He snorted softly. “Yeah, but sooner or later, one of them’s going to get riled up about it.”
One shoulder lifted in casual defiance. “Like I said, that’s why I brought you.”
“Dulce, I can’t get into a fight tonight. If it weren’t for this mask, I wouldn’t even be here. I just want to have some fun, not give the Elektos another reason to come after me.”
“Understood.” She lifted a finger. “But I can’t help it if men are drawn to me like cats to cream.” She made flourishes with both hands up and down her body as if to illustrate her charms. “
This
is a lot to contain.”
He crossed his arms and tried not to smile. “If you’re trying to contain it, you might have worn something besides skintight chain mail.”
“Pfft. Spoilsport. You didn’t exactly wear a sack.” She planted her hands on her hips, causing a small traffic jam as the crowd flowed around her. “Besides, it was laundry day.”
“Well, if nothing else was clean you really had no choice.”Laughing, he grabbed her arm. “C’mon, crazy woman, let’s get that drink.”
The line for beer moved quickly and a few minutes later, they had to-go cups and were heading for an empty span
At second glance, he realized it was tooled in the shape of acat’s face. He grinned. “Beautiful. And very you. Prepare to beat them off with a stick.”
“Why do you think I brought you?” She laughed and jerked her thumb toward Mena’s. “Let’s grab something to eat.”
In no real rush, they took their time at dinner catching up and enjoying each other’s uncomplicated company. It was good their one-time fling hadn’t ruined anything, Augustine thought. Dulcinea was too good a friend to lose.
She pushed her plate away and glanced toward the window. “Sun’s down. Streets are filling up. You ready to go celebrate the New Year?”
He finished his beer and sat back in his chair. “Born ready, baby.”
They paid their bill and took to the streets, masks on. The crowds were thick as expected but not nearly what they’d be during Mardi Gras. Augustine took Dulcinea’s hand and pulled her through the throng toward Bourbon Street. Without saying it, both understood they’d only be together until one of them found a partner for the evening, but until then they’d stick to each other’s side, celebrating
Nokturnos
like they had since they’d run the streets with the rest of their crew.
Bourbon was just as it always was—loud and boisterous and full of people. The fae in attendance were mostly local but there were probably some who’d come to town for the event, plus a ton of human tourists, looking for a night of all-out fun. Some of the tourists were probably here to gawk, but any fae living in New Orleans either got used to that or stayed out of the Vieux Carré.
“Let’s get another drink,” Dulcinea shouted over the strains of “Sweet Home Alabama” pouring from one of the bars.
“I’ll buy you a drink, kitty cat.” A well-oiled tourist grinned at Dulcinea, his lids already heavy with alcohol. His friends hooted their approval of his idea, their LSU T-shirts giving them away for the college boys they were.
“And so it begins,” Augustine muttered.
Dulcinea raised herself to her full height and notched her head to look down at him. In her platform boots, she was easily over six feet. “How generous. And how broad-minded you are.”
“Broad-minded?” The guy looked baffled.
“Not to care that I’m a man.” She leaned in and batted her lashes at him. “Do you want your good-luck kiss now or—”
“What?” His eyes widened. “No!” Laughing, his friends hauled him away and in seconds, they were swept away with the next wave of people.
Augustine shook his head. “You’re awful.”
Her smirk said she disagreed. “Awful funny, you mean. He was just a kid. I’d break him in two. Better he think the rejection was his idea.”
He snorted softly. “Yeah, but sooner or later, one of them’s going to get riled up about it.”
One shoulder lifted in casual defiance. “Like I said, that’s why I brought you.”
“Dulce, I can’t get into a fight tonight. If it weren’t for this mask, I wouldn’t even be here. I just want to have some fun, not give the Elektos another reason to come after me.”
“Understood.” She lifted a finger. “But I can’t help it if men are drawn to me like cats to cream.” She made flourishes with both hands up and down her body as if to illustrate her charms. “
This
is a lot to contain.”
He crossed his arms and tried not to smile. “If you’re trying to contain it, you might have worn something besides skintight chain mail.”
“Pfft. Spoilsport. You didn’t exactly wear a sack.” She planted her hands on her hips, causing a small traffic jam as the crowd flowed around her. “Besides, it was laundry day.”
“Well, if nothing else was clean you really had no choice.”Laughing, he grabbed her arm. “C’mon, crazy woman, let’s get that drink.”
The line for beer moved quickly and a few minutes later, they had to-go cups and were heading for an empty span
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