Free Tails and Teapots by Misa Izanaki Page A

glanced at the clock on his dresser. It was 10:15and he had to be at work in forty-five minutes. Frankie sighed again. He didn't feel like going to work after all that. That said a lot about how Frankie was feeling. He usually loved going to work. Frankie tended bar at The Body Shop which was the sweetest gig in Seattle. Hot dancers, easy hours and an apartment to boot, it was a great place to work. Too bad he wasn't in the mood for any of it.
    Calling in sick wasn't really an option unless he wanted to piss off his boss, which he didn't. Oh well, at least work might take his mind off of Alan. He went to his closet to pick out something to wear. Frankie settled on a pair of worn jeans and a black T-shirt. Both were tight and clung snugly to the hard muscles of his chest and to his long, lean legs. He even stopped off in the bathroom to make sure his hair was well spiked and stylishly rumpled. Just because he was depressed didn't mean that Frankie didn't have to look good for work.
    The entire time he was getting ready, Frankie kept going over the last few weeks and the last few months in his head. He tried to figure out what he did wrong but he couldn't do it. Hell, he didn't even know there was a problem until he got

    that stupid email. Oh, maybe that's what Alan meant by "insensitive fuck." Then again, if that was the case, why didn't Alan say anything before?
    That just frustrated Frankie even more. So, despite his better judgment, he called Alan. Not that it helped any. Alan wasn't picking up his phone. He was probably screening his calls. Besides, if Alan really wanted to talk, there wouldn't have been a break-up email.
    Frankie took one last look in the mirror before heading down to work. At least he looked good. Granted, it wasn't hard. Frankie liked to keep fit and the silver hair and jade green eyes helped, too. Ev
    He still felt like crap, but hopefully that would go away once he got to work. Frankie took the stairs down, determined to burn off some of the anger and frustration he was feeling. The last thing he wanted was to snap at a customer or one of the drink boys and get yelled at by his boss, Kale.
    Three flights of stairs later, Frankie was in the club and not feeling any better. The drink boys were wandering between the small tables, taking orders and clearly dressed for the holidays in their Santa hats, cuffs and collars hung with Christmas bells and velvety red hot pants. Even the bouncers were wearing Santa hats, well, Itsuki was anyway. Though the kitsune had to cut holes in his to make room for his fox ears.
    Damn it ... Frankie sighed again. He had totally forgotten that it was Christmas Eve. Frankie had been looking forward to spending the holiday with Alan but that plan had been shot

    to hell. Frankie sighed. His day was getting better and better. He took his spot behind the bar and started filling drink orders. It was still early in the day, which meant it was slow, and that gave Frankie way too much time to think about everything. Maybe he should have risked Kale's wrath and called in sick. Watching all the pretty boys was depressing him even more.
    "Okay, spill it, Frankie. What's wrong?"
    Frankie sighed again. It would be Dante on shift with him.
    That boy was curious as a cat and would keep poking until Frankie told him everything. Frankie wanted to brush Dante off and tell him that it was nothing, but he seriously doubted that the boy would take that as an answer. He tried it anyway and hoped that Dante would take the hint.
    "Nothing ... I'm fine."
    "Frankie!" Dante stood with both hands on his hips. It was almost parental, which was kind of funny, since Dante was both younger and shorter then Frankie was. The small devil horns Dante had didn't help things either. "I know something's bothering you. You've been moping since you got here. Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong or do I have to start prodding?"
    "All right, all right! You know how I was going to ask Alan to move in with