Stories Beneath Our Skin by Veronica Sloane Read Free Book Online Page A

impressive cleavage. Her haircut and black retro dress were pure Betty Page. A devil winked on her right forearm. It looked like Goose's work, all bright colors and generous curves. "I thought you might be in tonight."
    " Hey, Frankie." Goose got right up in her personal space, practically touching noses. "It's my birthday."
    " Is it really?" Her smile flashed with a diamond stud in the dimple. "Guess I should make you something special then, huh?"
    " Something tall and red and hot." He waggled his eyebrows.
    " One Spicy Motherfucker coming up." She bussed him on the cheek, and Goose's grin got impossibly wider.
    " Are they?" Liam glanced at Deb.
    " Don't even ask." She slid in next to Goose. "His drink is on me Frankie, and can I have vodka tonic? Oh and you know, something bitter and dark for Aces."
    " Jack and Coke." Ace corrected. "Tall. Lots of ice."
    " It's real cute how you think I don't already know that. You are the most boring drinker alive." Frankie rolled her eyes. "What about your new friend?"
    " Professor, meet the most glorious giver of booze to ever grace a bar. Frankie meet our newest staff member, the Professor." Goose waved a hand between them. "He'll have a ginger ale, so the rest of us can get pickled."
    " Make that a Coke, please." Liam sat down next to Ace.
    " You got a real name?" She poured him his Coke first, settling it on a coaster.
    " Liam."
    " Nice." She added a cherry to the top of his glass. "You been hanging out with this motley crew for long?"
    " Just a month."
    " He's still got that new employee smell." Goose set his elbows on the bar. "We haven't broken him in yet."
    " So I see." Frankie started pouring a truly daunting amount of booze into a shaker. "Maybe you should play nice with him, since he's willing to stay sober while you get soused."
    " Maybe." Goose fluttered his eyelashes. "I can be real nice."
    " If you watch real hard, you'll see him spread his mating plumage." Ace muttered, surprising a laugh out of Liam.
    " One Spicy Motherfucker." Frankie set a tall glass of threateningly red liquid in front of Goose, a stalk of celery tipping to the left.
    " Isn't that a Bloody Mary?" Liam asked.
    " Only if you like your Bloody Marys saturated with ghost chilies." Goose took a heavy sip, tears instantly jumping to his eyes. "Hot damn!"
    " They tell you why we call him Goose?" Frankie started pouring Ace's drink, the whiskey rising past the ice. The Coke barely had room at the top of the glass.
    " No."
    " Then you'll love this." She pulled out a pile of napkins and set them next to Goose. "Go ahead and blow, baby."
    " Showin' me off?" Picking up the top napkin, Goose brought it to his nose and blew so loudly that the band stopped playing for a second, trying to pinpoint the sound.
    " I know that duck call anywhere!" The lead singer called over the mic.
    " It's his birthday!" Frankie shouted back. "How about you play something that doesn't suck to celebrate?"
    " Aw, love you too, Francesca!" The singer twirled the mic. "How about it boys? Crank out a little birthday song for the Goose?"
    It was the first time Liam had heard a thrasher metal version of Happy Birthday. Goose seemed wildly pleased with it, taking to the small dance floor with his drink in hand and rocking his body towards anyone inclined to get close. A clutch of laughing girls swarmed around him, happy to be spun around for a few turns.
    Deb took a sip of her drink. "Better show him how it's done before he gets a big head about it." Then she slipped onto the dance floor, pulling Goose into a complicated looking tango. Goose flailed for a second before matching her step for step, still holding his drink.
    " No one would believe he's thirty-two." Ace shook his head.
    " He is? Man, he really doesn't look it," Liam marveled.
    " Good skin and a baby face. Some guys have all the luck and decent genes."
    " Why? How old are you?"
    " How old do I look?"
    " Dunno. Older than me. Younger than Deb."
    " Don't let her hear you say that." Ace