“Love you.”
Lowering his eyes, Leo focused on his drink. Though he didn’t begrudge his friends their intimate moment, he couldn’t help but feel jealous. Mac had never been big on public shows of affection, but there were times where he made Leo feel like the most important person in the whole damn world. How had things turned to shit so easily? How could Mac alternate so easily between the perfect lover and cheating asshole? Leo had been so convinced and infatuated with the idea of love that he’d blindly followed his heart, had stupidly thought he was enough for Mac, soul mates or something equally ridiculous.
“I need some air.” Leo got to his feet.
Ruby grabbed his wrist. “I’ll come with you.”
“No. I just want a minute, yeah?”
“Let him go,” Nathan said to his wife.
Concern flashed in Ruby’s eyes, but she released Leo’s hand. “We’ll meet you back in the main bar, okay?” She held his gaze until he agreed.
“Okay. Yes. I’ll see you out front.” He didn’t wait for either of them to say anything else and headed for the exit, returning the jacket and gloves as he passed the cloakroom.
* * * * *
Jack stood in the open door and looked across the club. He leaned his head to one side as he caught sight of someone he recognized. Narrowing his eyes, he watched the man he’d helped earlier that day. Leo, he remembered. The man was clearly drunk as he bumped into a table, excusing his clumsiness to the people sitting at it, before leaving the club.
“Boo.”
Jack flinched and straightened up as someone pinched his side. He glanced at Misha and closed his eyes briefly, composing himself so as not to snap at the playful barman. Not that he needed to say anything, his expression must have been enough as Misha quickly offered up an apology.
“It’s fine.” Jack folded his arms across his chest. “Did you want something?”
Misha ran a hand through his dark, sweeping bangs. “I was going to take my break before I swap with Kate in Frostbite. Just checking that’s okay.” He tongued the stud in his lip as he waited.
Jack nodded. “That’s fine.” Just like the customers, bar staff were on a time-limited stint in the ice bar. Kate had roughly thirty minutes until the end of her current shift.
“Are you okay?” Misha asked.
Taking a deep breath, Jack mustered what he hoped was a convincing smile. “Sorry. Just tired.” Well that was definitely a lie. He didn’t get tired, not in the traditional sense, because he didn’t need to sleep. He didn’t sleep and therefore he didn’t dream. He simply was. Fifty years of just being—unmoved, unchanged. He had so many questions about who he was. Was his situation permanent? Did he have another fifty years ahead of him? Longer?
He cleared his throat and shook away the otherwise morose thoughts. “Get your break. Once you’ve done your time in Frostbite, I want you upstairs with the twins. People have started heading up so they’ll need the extra hands.”
Misha nodded. “Okay.” He lingered beside Jack, seeming to work up the courage to ask, “I wondered if you and Abe had decided about whether there’s a job for me when my trial’s up.” His brow creased, and he looked at Jack through large eyes. There was a hint of apprehension behind the warm brown, and Jack was struck by how young Misha looked.
“We’re having a meeting at the end of next week.” Jack’s expression softened. Misha wasn’t so bad. The young man worked hard and would take on anything asked of him with a smile on his face. Jack lowered his head and smiled. “But you’ve done a good job, so…” He left the sentence unfinished. He could sense the change in Misha, a confidence swelling inside the man as he smiled.
“Thanks.”
Jack nodded, turning his head as Misha walked past him. He watched the man for a moment before shifting his focus to the tinted-glass front of the bar. Straightening up, he tilted his head and curiously eyed
Lowering his eyes, Leo focused on his drink. Though he didn’t begrudge his friends their intimate moment, he couldn’t help but feel jealous. Mac had never been big on public shows of affection, but there were times where he made Leo feel like the most important person in the whole damn world. How had things turned to shit so easily? How could Mac alternate so easily between the perfect lover and cheating asshole? Leo had been so convinced and infatuated with the idea of love that he’d blindly followed his heart, had stupidly thought he was enough for Mac, soul mates or something equally ridiculous.
“I need some air.” Leo got to his feet.
Ruby grabbed his wrist. “I’ll come with you.”
“No. I just want a minute, yeah?”
“Let him go,” Nathan said to his wife.
Concern flashed in Ruby’s eyes, but she released Leo’s hand. “We’ll meet you back in the main bar, okay?” She held his gaze until he agreed.
“Okay. Yes. I’ll see you out front.” He didn’t wait for either of them to say anything else and headed for the exit, returning the jacket and gloves as he passed the cloakroom.
* * * * *
Jack stood in the open door and looked across the club. He leaned his head to one side as he caught sight of someone he recognized. Narrowing his eyes, he watched the man he’d helped earlier that day. Leo, he remembered. The man was clearly drunk as he bumped into a table, excusing his clumsiness to the people sitting at it, before leaving the club.
“Boo.”
Jack flinched and straightened up as someone pinched his side. He glanced at Misha and closed his eyes briefly, composing himself so as not to snap at the playful barman. Not that he needed to say anything, his expression must have been enough as Misha quickly offered up an apology.
“It’s fine.” Jack folded his arms across his chest. “Did you want something?”
Misha ran a hand through his dark, sweeping bangs. “I was going to take my break before I swap with Kate in Frostbite. Just checking that’s okay.” He tongued the stud in his lip as he waited.
Jack nodded. “That’s fine.” Just like the customers, bar staff were on a time-limited stint in the ice bar. Kate had roughly thirty minutes until the end of her current shift.
“Are you okay?” Misha asked.
Taking a deep breath, Jack mustered what he hoped was a convincing smile. “Sorry. Just tired.” Well that was definitely a lie. He didn’t get tired, not in the traditional sense, because he didn’t need to sleep. He didn’t sleep and therefore he didn’t dream. He simply was. Fifty years of just being—unmoved, unchanged. He had so many questions about who he was. Was his situation permanent? Did he have another fifty years ahead of him? Longer?
He cleared his throat and shook away the otherwise morose thoughts. “Get your break. Once you’ve done your time in Frostbite, I want you upstairs with the twins. People have started heading up so they’ll need the extra hands.”
Misha nodded. “Okay.” He lingered beside Jack, seeming to work up the courage to ask, “I wondered if you and Abe had decided about whether there’s a job for me when my trial’s up.” His brow creased, and he looked at Jack through large eyes. There was a hint of apprehension behind the warm brown, and Jack was struck by how young Misha looked.
“We’re having a meeting at the end of next week.” Jack’s expression softened. Misha wasn’t so bad. The young man worked hard and would take on anything asked of him with a smile on his face. Jack lowered his head and smiled. “But you’ve done a good job, so…” He left the sentence unfinished. He could sense the change in Misha, a confidence swelling inside the man as he smiled.
“Thanks.”
Jack nodded, turning his head as Misha walked past him. He watched the man for a moment before shifting his focus to the tinted-glass front of the bar. Straightening up, he tilted his head and curiously eyed
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