Starship: Rogue

Chapter Nineteen

The day after their discovery of the Grove and its Red Night members, Rowan met Levi for coffee to compare their findings. Fletcher had already told them everything she'd learned, and had revealed that Cade the bartender had given her his number. Rowan had told her to use it, and Levi had agreed. The bartender could be a valuable, if unwitting, asset.

Rowan got to the coffee shop they'd agreed to meet at first, and ordered Levi's usual. She chose a table by the window and waited until Levi rushed in five minutes later. "Sorry, sorry," he muttered, undoing his scarf and draping it over the back of his seat. "Thank for getting me the coffee."

"No problem," Rowan said, handing it over. "Traffic?"

Levi shook his head. "For once, no. Captain Falk pulled me into a budgeting meeting and had me calculating ration portions and supply needs. I have a headache and I am quite possibly hungover. I can't tell if it's last night's alcohol, this morning's meeting, or a combination of the two."

"Probably both," Rowan said pragmatically. "Budgeting meetings do tend to have that effect. Now, drink your coffee. Did you have breakfast?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Stop mothering me," he said wearily. "If I wanted to be mothered, I'd get Stark to do it."

Rowan slapped him on the back of the head. "You didn't answer my question," she said tartly. "Besides, where did you think I learned it? Stark's the master."

"True," Levi admitted. "And I did have breakfast. It was just a long time ago."

Rowan stood up, strode over to the counter, spoke to the barista, took something from him, and strode back. "Muffin," she said, slapping the paper bag down in front of him. "Eat it." Levi rolled his eyes but obeyed. "So, the Red Night. What did you find?"

Levi swallowed and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. "Not much, except that pretty much everyone there, except us, is a member of the Red Night. The staff aren't officially members, more informants, but they still know about it–maybe not the details, but at the very least who's in it."

Rowan leaned back in her chair, rubbing her face with a hand. "I bet you fifty units that the bartender's managed to overhear more than that."

"Agreed," Levi said. "And it wouldn't raise as many eyebrows if he just didn't show up at work one day. Any one of the actual members doesn't show..." He shrugged, but Rowan understood.

"We need Fletcher again," she said after a minute. "He gave her his number."

Levi's eyes bugged out. "What?!" he demanded. "And neither of you saw fit to mention it?"

Rowan snorted. "I'm mentioning it now," she said sweetly. "Now, time to call Fletcher." She rang through to the cadet on her comms bracelet, and, the moment she answered, she said, "Fletcher, you need to ask your yummy bartender on a date."

Levi let out a snort, and Rowan mouthed an innocent, "What?"

***

An hour later, Rowan stood behind an overly ornate flower arrangement at a cafe downtown. They had decided it would be as good a place as any to nab a sexy bartender, and now Rowan waited, listening through her earpiece as Adlai greeted their target.

"Hey, Addy," Cade the bartender said, and Rowan heard the sound of two kisses. He'd kissed her on both cheeks. How gentlemanly.

"Hi, Cade," Adlai said shyly. Jesus Christ, the girl was a dating novice, wasn't she? And, worse, she sounded nervous. Then, she redeemed herself a bit. "Sorry, I just a bit nervous. This is my first proper date."