Songbird (Songbird, #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

walk to the bar, as it was close by, and the weather was fine. By the time we arrived at Songbirds the place was packed, and there was a line of impatient revellers outside, waiting to enter.
    “Oh well, maybe we can go somewhere else,” I said, a little disappointed. I’d been gearing up for this night all afternoon and was looking forward to it.
    “No, don’t be silly, follow me.” Jason made his way to the front of the queue, air kissed the security girl at the door and we were let straight in.
    There were a few complaints from the crowd outside as we entered, but I didn’t care; we were in, and I was ready to let my hair down.
    Smiling at Jason, I bumped his shoulder with mine. “Someone has friends in high places.”
    He laughed. “Being the only decent hairdresser in the area has its perks, and word of mouth is the best advertising. I do her hair, and most of the rest of the staff here.”
    We walked further into the crowded bar, side-stepping around people carrying drinks and talking animatedly.
    “Okay, now wait here,” Jason told us and then made his way to the end of the bar.
    He leaned his forearms on the counter and waited a few minutes until the guy behind the bar looked over, smiled, and, ignoring the patrons who were waiting to buy drinks, made his way over to Jason. They hugged warmly, and Jason leaned in to say something. The other guy nodded then lifted a section of the counter and came out from behind the bar. He reached in behind a curtain and produced a small, folded round table; he handed it to Jason and then reached back again, and pulled out three chairs. He pointed over to the far corner and the two men took off in the direction indicated.
    Kelli and I looked at each other, shrugged, and, having deciphered the charades we had just witnessed, followed behind. By the time we had manoeuvred our way through the crowd to the far corner, the table and chairs were set up, and the barman was making his way back to the bar.
    “I’ve ordered us some margaritas. Marcus will bring them over in a minute,” Jason fanned himself. “Isn’t Marcus adorable? And he has the best hair!”
    “I thought I had the best hair,” I said teasingly to Jason.
    He bumped my shoulder with his. “You have the best girl hair,” he joked back. “Marcus has the best everything, and he’s such a great guy.”
    As we were joking around, Marcus came back over with three glasses and a pitcher of margaritas. He set them down, and then introduced himself to Kelli and I. Hmm, Jason certainly had good taste.
    Marcus had thick, shaggy brown hair that looked like he had just gotten out of bed and run his hands through it. It was sexy and probably took him ages to get that ‘I haven’t done a thing to my hair and I don’t care ’ look. In this light it was hard to tell what colour his eyes were, but they were bright and sparkling, and most of all, friendly. He had a broad smile, and the cutest dimples. He was a slightly smaller build than Jason, but would still have been over six-foot tall, and he looked like he took care of himself and worked out. His arms were well defined, and he showed them off to perfection in a grey Songbirds fitted singlet.
    Yes, Jason definitely had good taste.
    Marcus excused himself. “Sorry I can’t chat. The barman quit at the last minute, so I’m filling in. It’s hard to get good help,” he said jokingly as he headed back to the bar.
    It was only then that I realised that Marcus wasn’t the barman—he was the owner, or at the very least, the manager of Songbirds .
    Jason filled our glasses and we toasted each other enthusiastically.
    “To good friends and new beginnings,” Kelli proclaimed.
    “And great hair,” Jason added with a wink.
    Looking around, I took in my surroundings. There was a stage at one end which was set up for karaoke, and the bar which ran the length of the room at the other end. To the left of the bar was a short hallway that led to a black gloss door with a