Free City Vibes - Complete Series (BWWM Interracial Billionaire Romance) by Violet Jackson

Mark, “So, as you can see, the fact that she is a waitress is the least interesting thing about her.” He snapped. “If you'll excuse me, I would like to visit the bar.” Before Mark could say anything more, Daniel began to push through the crowd, dragged a stunned Reese behind him.
    “Wait, there's a bar?” She called over the noise of the crowd.
    “Yes,” Daniel replied, “There's always a bar.” As he said this, they came to a clearing in the back of the room that revealed a short marble table, behind which stood a man dressed in a black button down shirt and black slacks who alternated between filling glasses with an assortment of drinks from the massive collection sitting behind him and leaning over the counter to take orders from those waiting not-so-patiently.
    Daniel took his place leaning against the bar counter and Reese copied his example. When the man finally attended to him, Daniel smiled, then screamed, “One Gin and tonic for me and a Vodka Cranberry for the lady!”
    The man nodded, and set to work making his drinks.
    “I'm really sorry about my boss.” Daniel sighed as the two of them waited for their drinks.
    Even though it wasn't Daniel's fault that Mark was an asshole... and drunk, or Mark's fault that she had waited on him once, she couldn't help but nurse a serious urge to equally blame both of them for the scrutiny that she had endured. Even when she disguised herself as deeply as Chanel lipstick and louboutin heels would allow, she still carried around that sneaking suspicion that she stuck out like a sore thumb to all of his friends and basically everyone important in his life.
    She worried about the fact that she was always having to defend who she was and the right she had to date him, even to her own friends, like Maria. Reese pursed her lips and refrained from answering out of a fear that her buzzed lips would say something now that her sober mind would regret later.
    Eventually, the bartender came back with their drinks. She grabbed the glass full of red liquid and took a generous swig, her head swimming at the markedly stronger drink: she could feel the vodka burn as it slithered down her throat. Then, after taking another sip and smacking her lips, she looked up to Daniel and replied, “It's not your fault.” But even with all of her effort, her voice still came out short and in-genuine.
    Daniel sighed. He cupped the back of her neck with his right hand and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, then one on her cheek. With this, he whispered, “You know I admire you.”
    Reese melted at the sound of this and could do nothing more than nod eagerly. As he pulled away, he checked his watch. “Now, we've got about fifteen minutes until midnight and then we can go do whatever you want.” he murmured with a wink.
    “Okay.” Reese muttered. She faced the counter and continued to sip out of her glass of vodka and cranberry juice. As she drank, her mind started to wander back to the conversation they had had in the car on their way to the party. She drained her drink and asked for another as, in her excitement, she took a mental inventory of all the things she owned and how many boxes she could fit them in.
    “Daniel?” She looked up to find Daniel leaning with his back to the bar, with a drink in his right hand and resting his right elbow on the counter. He surveyed the room with a calm expression on his face. Reese took note of the fact that, although everyone else seemed to cling to each other for the sake of conversation and networking, Daniel was in no hurry to be social.
    “Yes?” He replied, turning his gaze on her.
    Reese just grinned, “Nothing... I was just....” She shook her head.
    He raised an eyebrow. “Thinking about moving in?”
    Reese intertwined her arm with his. “I would go home and do it right now if I could.” She sighed, staring out into the homogenous crowd of people. “You said this party was going to be crazy.”
    “I said people were going to be