Such freaking fun.
CHAPTER SIX
“Do you think penguins have knees?”
Leaning against the long bar, Aspen blinked at Bailey. The mamba often asked random questions—some unbelievably insightful, and others just plain fucking odd or senseless. “I don’t know. I think so.”
“Why would they walk like they don’t?”
“Maybe it’s their version of swagger.”
Bailey pointed a finger. “Now that would make sense.”
Not really, but Aspen would go with it. She looked to her right as loud yells erupted from the group of guys watching the shifter football game on the widescreen TVs. It was thanks to said game that the Tavern was busier than usual.
She liked the place. Was it a restaurant? Was it a bar? Was it a pool hall? Was it an arcade?
It was kind of all four.
It was also loud. People talked, laughed, and egged on the football players. Dishware clinked and clattered. Slot machines pinged and bleeped. Balls collided with others or shuttled into the table pockets.
Used to the racket that went on in the rec center, neither Aspen nor her bearcat were bothered by the noise level here. Just the same, they didn’t mind the combination of scents, even if some of them were seriously potent—beer, citrus, spicy foods, oiled wood.
Having spent hours tanking themselves on shots, cocktails, and beers, she and Bailey were a little on the tipsy side. Havana, Bree, and Elle—who were sitting at the table they’d claimed—were just as buzzed. No one saw a need to pace themselves, though … hence why Aspen and Bailey now stood at the bar, waiting for one of the bartenders to prepare their order.
Camden, Tate, Luke and a few other males were gathered around a pool table near the arcade area. Camden … well, Aspen wouldn’t go as far as to say he was having fun. But he didn’t look bored or eager to leave, which was a good sign. The only guy in the group who seemed an unhappy chappy was Deke, one of Tate’s bodyguards.
A weird tension existed between Deke and Bailey. The incredibly good-looking guy seemed out of his comfort zone when around her. And since she’d begun loosely dating his friend, there’d been many moments when Deke would toss a snarky comment her way. Which might have been what sparked Bailey to begin addressing him with dismissive terms such as “Eye Candy” and “Boy Toy.”
One thing Deke never did, though, was ignore her. Really, it was practically impossible to ignore someone like Bailey. Tonight, however, he’d been trying to do exactly that.
Glancing around to ensure none of the patrons were close enough to eavesdrop, Aspen sidled closer to her friend and asked, “Is there a reason Deke is pointedly ignoring you?”
Bailey looked away from the coaster she’d been fiddling with. “Hmm? Oh, right, yeah. I said something he didn’t like.”
“You say things that lots of people don’t like.”
“I know. Like he’s special or something?” Bailey snorted. “Weird.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him I don’t need his approval.”
Aspen frowned, unable to see how such a comment could possibly have bothered the enforcer all that much. He wasn’t the sensitive type, from what she’d observed. “Okay, start from the beginning. What exactly happened?”
“Right, so … I was talking to one of our pack mates, Arden, at the deli. Not about anything in particular. We were just chitting the chat while we waited in line. Anyways, Deke was outside. Glowering at me. Like really intensely through the window. When I stepped out of the deli, he blocked my path and started giving me crap about ‘flirting’ with Arden when not only is the guy in a relationship but I’m dating Shay.
“There was no flirting, Aspen. Deke just doesn’t like me. I accused him of looking down on me. He told me he didn’t. I called bullshit on that and said he needn’t worry that it hurt my feelings; that I didn’t require his approval. And then I walked off.”
Aspen bit the inside of her cheek. “I don’t think it was your comment that put him in a funk. I think he’s jealous that you’re dating Shay and is taking it out on you.”
“Oh, so you didn’t hear me when I said that Deke doesn’t like me?”
“I wouldn’t say he dislikes you. I think he dislikes that he’s jealous.”
Her nose wrinkling, Bailey shook her head. “He can be weird around me sometimes.”
“I get the feeling that he doesn’t know what to do with you. Or even what to think of you. I mean, let’s face it, there’s nothing normal about you.”
Bailey grinned. “I know.”
“Plus, Deke seems to be all about control. You, well, you are not a person who can be managed.”
“He tries to boss me around sometimes. At first, it was kind of adorable because he truly thought it would work. Now it’s just sort of boring. He always seems so confused when I don’t do what he says.”