Page 11 of For the Night
I scrunched my nose.
“We’re not scheming.” Shay furrowed his brow.
Reese walked toward us. “I’m sure. Gimme four beers and three whiskeys, baby. The guitars are comin’ out.”
“Fuck yes.” Shay was suddenly in a hurry, and so was Lane.
“Do you take requests, Sir?” I asked.
“Not at all,” Reese assured.
I chuckled.
He nodded at me. “You stayin’ the night, pet?”
“Yes, Sir,” I replied.
“Good. Cam’s taking everyone’s breakfast order outside, so make sure to add yours,” he said.
Oh, good to know.
When we headed outside a moment later, I noticed a shift in the atmosphere and a change in the attendance. Jack and Franklin had gone home, while Master Greer had shown up with Archie.
It must have something to do with the event planning tomorrow. I knew some of the Tops were getting together early to discuss the next Game, which would be my third. I’d participated in the Academy event and the Easter Egg Hunt as well.
The organizers said every event was designed so that participants could be single, but I wasn’t sure about this next one. It was one thing to run around the house and attend pretend-classes where pretend-professors set us up to fail—a whole other to go from station to station with a Top I didn’t have.
It was going to be a TPE-oriented event, to boot. What the hell did I know about high-protocol stuff? I wasn’t a consensual slave. Then again, Noa, Corey, Kit, and many others were joining, and they weren’t into high-protocol either. But they did have partners.
Feeling like a third wheel, I followed Lane to the seating area just off the deck, where several had gathered in low chairs and sofas. Three guitars were present. Colt was strumming on one, and Ty had another.
I noticed Greer and Penelope talking outside her cabin farther down the lawn.
“Pizza will be here in half an hour,” Tate announced.
“Where’s Kit?” Shay asked.
Colt answered. “He’s gettin’ a taste of Luke’s wrath after bratting off too much in the shower.”
Tate lifted his brows at Shay. “He literally grounded Kit. He’s not allowed to leave the cabin for the rest of the night.”
“Damn.” Shay was surprised.
I chewed on my lip and debated where to sit. Ash was still here, and he and Penelope were close. So if I sat near him, chances were I’d end up close to her as well…?
God, I was so pathetic.
I walked past the sofa occupied by Lucian, KC, and Noa—with Cam sitting on the ground between Lucian’s feet.
Everyone was so fricking tan from the cruise. As if I didn’t already struggle with my glow-in-the-dark complexion.
There was an empty chair between Lucian’s sofa and the one I assumed Ash would share with Penelope and maybe someone else, so I sat down there with my cider.
“Excuse me, Sir?” I leaned closer toward Lucian, and he pushed pause on his conversation with KC and Archie. “May I speak with Cam?”
“Of course, dear. He’s not on speech restrictions at the moment.” He combed his fingers through Cam’s hair.
Cam glanced up at me, curious.