Just Jack (6 page)

With a sigh, he stretched his legs back out and picked up the laptop. He loved his job, and he wasn’t about to give anyone, not Mac or anyone else, a reason to take it from him.

Chapter 6

The voices of customers echoed through from the main bar to where Jack had slipped away, unnoticed, to the back room.
His room
. Folding his arms across his chest, he studied the closed doors of the two large refrigeration units. For thirty years he’d worked out of the back of the club, creating icy works of art, sculptures for parties and events and for the club itself. He still remembered when Abe’s father had come to him with grand ideas of how they could use Jack’s skills to their benefit. His enthusiasm had been infectious. Almost.

Jack wasn’t sure if he’d say he enjoyed his work, but it was certainly what he needed. It was something to focus on and allowed him to vent, to release the pent-up energy within him throughout the year, without having to move around as he once had. Like he’d told Abe, Mother Nature had her rules for the most part. He knew of Frosts who traveled far into the north in search of colder climates during the summer months. Having this job meant he could settle and considered the town home.

Closing his eyes, Jack listened to the low murmur of people talking. Shiver was made up of three main areas, the regular bar, open from early afternoon until late; Frostbite, the permanent ice bar, everything from the seats to the glasses formed from ice and kept at a cool twenty-one degrees; and the dance floor and bar on the second floor. Upstairs was open four nights a week, and tonight was the first of the long weekend.

Thursday, he recalled. Days had a nasty habit of running together.

The DJ would arrive in an hour to set up before they opened the second floor bar to the public, charging a small fee for the privilege. When, even in the cold weather, they would see an influx of women with skimpy skirts and perky cleavage, young men in open-necked polos or too-tight T-shirts. For now it was just the early regulars or those getting off work and relaxing with a drink or two before heading home.

On the far side of the room sat the three ice makers. The gentle hum of the agitators circulating the water was a welcoming sound. The process of making clear ice was a slow one, but luckily Jack had both the time and the patience to let the machines do the work for him. He could have easily and quickly frozen the 300 pound blocks, but that was the problem. Shortcuts could lead to imperfections, trapped air causing the ice to freeze cloudy, and Jack was a perfectionist. Lifting the lid of one of the molds, he dipped his hand into the circulating water. His fingertips brushed the layer of ice that had formed beneath the moving surface. He would alter the angle of the filters later to allow the depth of the ice to grow.

He lowered the lid and turned to look at the doors again. A sense of calm and purpose washed over Jack as he pulled off his jacket. He toed off his shoes, then pulled off his socks. He balled his socks together and slipped them inside his shoe before focusing on the feel of the cool floor beneath his feet. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply as he drew comfort from the chilly rush. With a smile he opened his eyes and approached the first of his ice rooms. Pulling open the door, he welcomed the blast of cold air and stepped inside. The whir of the cooling fan kicking in made him look up, and he carefully pulled the door closed behind him.

In the center of the room, sitting on the sturdy table, sat a block of ice. Suspended within the transparent block were deep orange physalis fruits and their leafy husks. Jack stood beside the block and ran his hand over the solid surface. Crouching down, he looked at the placement of the fruits, the curve of each leaf, and the angle at which they had settled in the ice. They looked as if they had been frozen in place mid-fall. Most of the surplus ice had already been cut away, leaving him with the basic squared, chunky outline of what was to be an elephant, a centerpiece for a wedding.

Jack walked around to the front of the ice and studied the cut lines in what was to be the head of the animal—straight front legs, a curved trunk, pointed tusks, and folded-back ears. Carefully, he pressed his hands to the front of the block and slowly drew his hands downward. The ice creaked and groaned beneath the pressure of his touch, almost vibrating as he pressed his thumbs into the marked grooves on either side of the elephant’s icy trunk. He repeated the move over and over, forcing the ice to bend to his will, until he was happy with the formed shape. With his index finger, he then drew lines across the ice, adding ridges to the curved trunk.

When he was satisfied, he leaned back to scrutinize his work. The trunk was beautifully clear, the surface smoothed, and curves perfect. Just one alteration. He smiled. Slowly, he twisted his wrist, drawing circles around the tip of the trunk. Blue sparked in the air as he listened for the familiar chorus echoing within the room. He closed his eyes, losing himself to the cold as he worked. As the song died, Jack opened his eyes. Proudly, he ran his hand over the raised tip.

Perfect
.

* * * * *

“I hate him.” Leo pinched the bridge of his nose with his gloved hand and screwed up his eyes. He blew out a breath and hugged his neat vodka to his chest.

“I know, honey.” Ruby rested her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it through the thick, warm material of the jacket he’d been handed on entering the ice bar.

“I mean—” Leo stopped as he leaned forward and the fur blanket he was sitting on slipped, almost sending him flying off the edge of his seat. Ruby had him by the arm as he held up his hands and eased himself back to lean against the cool wall. He laughed. “I am so drunk.”

Ruby shook her head and took the glass from his hand. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

Leo grabbed for his drink and broke into a fit of laughter when he fell against her. “Aw, come on. You wanted to cheer me up, and you have.”

Ruby handed the drink to Nathan and pushed Leo to sit up. “You have a presentation tomorrow.”

“Yeah, right before lunch or something. Loads of time to sober up.” He held out his hands and pouted. The puppy-dog eyes did the trick as Ruby conceded and handed him back his drink.

They’d been at the bar for a couple of hours. There had been a lot of bitching, drinking, and laughter. The three of them had moved into the ice bar thirty minutes ago. He’d never been into this part of the club before, but he liked that despite the icy surroundings, he was incredibly toasty, having been given an insulating coat and gloves on entry. He was making the most of the novelty bar, visits limited to forty-five minutes at a time considering the temperature was something close to twenty degrees, or at least that’s what the pink-haired girl on the door had said. And
making the most
meant vodka, lots of vodka.

Holding the glass in front of him, Leo tapped the side. The shaped ice was pretty impressive, as was the rest of the beautifully crafted bar. He could only imagine the effort.

“Do you think anyone has ever licked the bar to see if their tongue will get stuck?” He moistened his lips as he looked at the blocks of ice crafted into a bar. The pink-haired girl had swapped working the cloakroom for the bar and was pouring vodka down a luge in the shape of a ladies heeled shoe into a waiting customer’s mouth.

“Let’s do that.” Leo elbowed Ruby in the ribs.

Ruby turned and eyed the man who had successfully caught the chilled shot in his mouth. “As if. You’d just end up wearing it.”

Leo snorted a laugh. “What? You’re always telling me what a big mouth I have.” He opened his mouth to make a point and waggled his tongue from side to side.

“Maybe give it a miss this time,” Nathan chimed in.

“Whose side are you on?” Leo winced at the harshness of his words, but Nathan was supposed to have his back. He was supposed to be helping Leo get over Mac, not siding with Little Miss Party Pooper.

“The side of sense.” Nathan looked at him pointedly. “You’re trashed, and it’s barely even eight.”

He wasn’t trashed. Not yet anyway, though it sounded a great idea. “I just need to eat something,” he uttered into his drink.

“Well, let’s do that.” Ruby crossed her legs as she leaned her shoulder against Nathan’s. “There’s a cute little Italian at the end of the block.”

Leo smirked. “Shh, I thought we weren’t discussing Antonio in front of Nathan.”

“What?” Nathan quirked an eyebrow. “I thought it was called Il Tramonto.”

Ruby pressed her mouth in a line and gave a sweet squeak. She rubbed Nathan’s cheek. “You are so adorable.”

“Huh?”

She smiled. “Leo was trying to be funny, but he failed.” Kissing Nathan, she rubbed the tip of her nose against his. “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 what he could make out
of the dark street outside. Snow was falling in light flakes, and Jack watched as there was a pulse of blue light. As the light faded, Jack was surprised when a second shone brightly before dissipating in a flurry of snow and blue sparks.

Something felt wrong, though Jack couldn’t figure out exactly what bothered him. The lights seemed to blow away on the wind, following the sidewalk across the front of the bar until they disappeared beyond Jack’s view. Sucking on his teeth, Jack made a decision to investigate the strange display.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he told Abe as he passed him at the bar. Jack didn’t hear what Abe said to him in reply. He kept walking and didn’t stop until he was standing out on the sidewalk. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the cold air. The low beat of the music playing from the second floor echoed out onto the street. Jack opened his eyes when a familiar sound joined in as part of an eerie chorus. To the left of Jack, blue lights pulsed on and off like a string of Christmas tree lights. Were they trying to show him something?

Jack edged toward them until he found himself standing at the opening of the alley that ran down the side of the club. With a smile, he raised his hand, catching one of the lights in his palm.

“What are you up to?” he whispered. A smile teased the corner of his mouth as he felt a small vibration against his skin. “Go on. Shoo.” He pursed his lips and blew, frowning as the light remained unmoved. “Stubborn little…” He brushed his hands together, flinching as something prickled the back of his neck. Turning around, he was surprised to find the lights clustered together.