“Joy.” My brother stands up and abandons his papers.
“I was only letting you know I was heading out. Unless there’s anything else you need.”
“I’ll walk you out.” I cut in before my brother can respond. I don’t miss the tic in his jaw.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” Joy starts to wave me off.
“I walk her out,” North says, and Joy’s face turns more pink.
“Like every day? Is it because of the crazy crimes around here? It’s still light out.”
“Shouldn’t you be out working?” North growls at me, and I peek at my watch.
“Nope.” I smirk. “I’ll walk you out, Joy. I’m headed that way, and I’ve got a gun if there’s any real trouble. You know, someone throwing a snowball at us or something.”
“You’d shoot them?” Joy’s eyes widen.
“They’re rubber bullets,” I whisper as I snag her arm. “We should hit Jingle Bar. Half-price appetizers and spiked hot chocolate.”
“Right now?” She chews on her bottom lip.
“Yeah, right now. Well, I need to change first, but we can grab Frostie too.” I guide her toward my patrol car.
“But my vehicle—” She points to it.
“Will be fine.”
“I guess.” She gives in to my peer pressure. “I’ve never been in a patrol car before.”
“You want to drive?”
“Drive?” she squeaks.
“I’m messing with you,” I laugh as I put my seatbelt on. I don’t miss my brother standing at the top of the stairs that lead into City Hall glaring my way in the rearview mirror.
When will my brother learn I’m better at this than him?
Chapter Four
JACK
“It’s late and I’m tired. Remind me again why you’re dragging me out?” I sigh as I shove my hands deeper into my winter coat and walk up the next block with North.
“It’s literally across the street, how am I dragging you out? Besides, this will be worth your while.”
“Doubt it.” I can even hear the grumble in my own voice.
Jingle Bar is the worst bar in Troping. Lucky for us, it also happens to be the only bar. It’s decorated for Christmas year-round like the rest of the town, but this place got stuck in 1975 and hasn’t budged since. The worst part is all the decorations are creepy as fuck, like something your grandmother made you put out every year no matter how much it scared the kids. Oh, and there’s karaoke, which makes this officially the last place I’d ever want to be on a Friday night.
It’s not like there’s a lot going on in town, but this isn’t my first or fifteenth choice for entertainment in Troping. Jingle Bar falls right below visiting the fish hatchery on Route 4.
The smell of stale beer, old cigarettes, and cheap perfume hits me as we open the door. Then the sound of someone screeching “Jingle Bell Rock” into a microphone.
“All right, I think that’s enough for me,” I say and turn around to leave.
North puts a hand on my back and pushes me toward the bar. “Don’t you want to say hello to my sister?”
“What? Why would I?” That’s when I see Tinsel on stage with a microphone in one hand and a cocktail in the other. “Holy shit.”
Before I know what I’m doing, I move farther into the bar to get a better look. She’s wearing a dark red sweater dress that clings to her body and is cut low in the front. I have never seen her in this dress before or anything like it. I realize my mouth has fallen open, and I snap it shut before the drool can roll down my chin.
“She’s terrible,” I say, more to myself, but I can’t take my eyes off her. Why the fuck would North bring me here to see this? He doesn't know I’m in love with his sister. There’s no way.
When Tinsel sings the last note, the crowd erupts into cheers, and I watch her laugh as she takes a bow and passes the microphone off to someone else. Before I can blink, she disappears into the crowd, and I have to find her.
North has disappeared, but I finally track down Tinsel after I push my way to the bar. By the time I reach her, she and Frostie are throwing back a shot and then sucking on a lime. Watching her full lips move like that makes me so fucking hard.
“I had no idea you couldn’t sing,” I say, and then Tinsel’s eyes meet mine.
She glares at me before talking the lime out of her mouth and tossing it over her shoulder without a care. “Who asked you, Jack-ass?”
Frostie snorts and then quickly covers her mouth like she didn’t mean to do it. Then Tinsel tries to keep a straight face, but she fails miserably as she falls into a fit of giggles with her best friend and roommate.
“How long have you two been here?” I look at the empty shot glasses littering the bar, and Tinsel straightens enough to scowl at me.