Kiss of Midnight_ A Midnight Breed Novel - Lara Adrian [804]
Teddy wasn’t sure what he had, and didn’t much care at the moment. He was mesmerized by Annabeth, who had taken off her hood to show her friend some of the new piercings that tracked all the way up the delicate shell of her ear. Her hair was dyed polar white except for a streak of bright pink, even though Teddy recalled that she was naturally brunette. He knew, because he’d seen her dance last spring at a strip club in Fairbanks, where Annabeth Jablonsky had been better known as Amber Joy. Teddy’s cheeks flamed at the thought, and the hard-on he’d been trying to ignore was now in full bloom.
“Here,” Skeeter said, giving him something else to think about as Annabeth and her friend got up from the campfire and walked down to the frozen edge of the river. “Take a drag on this, my man.”
Teddy took the small metal pipe and held its smoldering bowl up near his nose. A nugget of something pale and chalky burned in the bowl, emitting a foul chemical stink that wormed its way up his nostrils. He winced, sliding a doubtful look at Skeeter. “W-w-what is it?”
Skeeter grinned, his thin lips peeling back off his crooked teeth. “Just a little dose of courage. Go ahead, take a hit. You’ll like it.”
Teddy brought the pipe to his mouth and sucked in the bittersweet smoke. He coughed only a little, so he exhaled and took another drag on the pipe.
“It’s good, right?” Skeeter watched him smoke some more, then he reached out to take the pipe away. “Easy, dude, save some for the rest of us. You know, I can get you more of this if you want it—booze, too. For a price, I can get you whatever kind of shit you like. You need a hookup, you know where to come, right?”
Teddy nodded. Even in the most remote parts of the bush, folks tended to know the name, and the general business, of Skeeter Arnold. Teddy’s father hated him. He’d forbidden Teddy to hang out with him, and if he knew Teddy had sneaked away tonight—especially when they were expecting a supply delivery at home tomorrow morning—he would kick Teddy’s ass from here to Barrow.
“Take this,” Skeeter was saying now, holding the pipe out to Teddy. “Go and offer it to the ladies with my compliments.”
Teddy gaped. “You mean, t-take it t-t-to Annabeth?”
“No, stupid. Take it to her mother.”
Teddy laughed nervously at his own awkwardness. Skeeter’s smile stretched wider, making his narrow face and long razor-hook nose look even more buglike than usual.
“Don’t say I never did you no favors,” Skeeter said as Teddy palmed the warm pipe and shot a glance to where Annabeth and her friend stood talking together near the frozen river.
He’d been looking for some way to strike up a conversation with her, hadn’t he? This was as good a chance as any. The best chance he might ever get.
Skeeter’s low chuckle followed Teddy as he began to make his way toward the girls. The ground felt uneven beneath his feet. His legs seemed rubbery, not totally in his control. But inside he was flying, feeling his heart pounding, his blood racing through his veins.
The two girls heard him approach with the crunch of the ice and stones underfoot. They turned to face him and Teddy gaped at the object of his desire, struggling to come up with just the right thing to say to win her over. He must have stood there staring for a good long while because both of them started to giggle.
“What’s up?” Annabeth said, a quizzical look on her face. “Teddy, right? I’ve seen you around a few times, but we haven’t really had a chance to talk before tonight. You ever go to Pete’s tavern down in Harmony?”
He lamely shook his head, working hard just to process the idea that she had actually just said she’d noticed him before tonight.
“You should come in sometime, Teddy,” she added cheerfully. “If I’m working the bar, I won’t card you.” The sound of her voice, the sound of his name on her lips, almost undid him on the spot. She smiled at him, revealing the slight overlap of her two front teeth