Two Bar Mitzvahs (No Weddings #3)(64)

Three sturdy men hoisted Jared, who was seated in the chair, high into the air and began the traditional chair dance. We all clapped along, shouting as they paraded their newest man around the floor. Jared had a perma-grin slapped onto his face, arms bouncing toward the ceiling, as he surfed above the crowd.

A couple of hours passed with various activities and dancing. I thought about checking on Kristen and Suzanne, but we’d decided to remain in our corresponding rooms to be available for anything the client needed. In the event of an emergency, we’d agreed to text, but my back pocket hadn’t vibrated once.

Kids lined up for the photo booth, ours done up with an edgy background for the theme. Thankfully, the sound-dampening panels of the walls and our room configurations offered enough sound buffer to keep Bieber away from the rock, as it should be.

Not one incident to report on either side. And still no sign of Madison.

After searching the crowd, I spotted Hannah behind the chess cake as she and Daniel carved out slices onto dessert plates. Not needed anywhere else, I strolled over. “Where’s Chloe?”

Daniel glanced up, the tips of his Mohawk vibrating. “She volunteered to serve the soccer cake.”

“She a closet Bieber fan?”

Hannah and Daniel exchanged a quick glance, then busted up laughing. “That’s exactly what we said.”

Narrowing my eyes, I glanced toward the other room. “I knew it. I sensed that about her.”

Hannah wiped her hands in a cloth napkin. “You got this, Daniel? I need to go to the little girls’ room.”

“Yeah. I’m good.”

Hannah grinned as I fell into step beside her. She arched a brow. “Gonna help me lift my skirt?”

I exhaled slowly, dragging my gaze over her body. She wore jeans and a dressy tank top that begged to be pulled down, but her lack of skirt was beside the point. “Thought you’d never ask.”

“Cade!” Kiki called out from behind me, sounding panicked. “The photo booth froze up again.”

I groaned, pulling Hannah in for a tight hug. “Damn electrics are cock-blocking me.”

She laughed and shoved me away. “Go. I can lift my ‘skirt’ by myself.”

A cascade of other images flooded into my mind, naughty innuendo-induced things she could do by herself, and my jaw dropped.

She shook her head as she walked backward out the door and mouthed, “Bad boy.”

Yeah, I was. And she loved it.

I headed over to the photo booth, then popped open the electrical door in the back like the electrician had done earlier. Last time all she did was press the reboot button, so I tried that fix before calling her back in. All the lights in the outer portion of the unit flickered off. I waited a few seconds, then pressed the button again, and the unit hummed back to life.

Satisfied, I walked around to the front and peeked in to find a young boy and girl inside. “Give it a few seconds, then you can try again. She nodded and my gaze drifted down to where she sat on his lap, his hand resting comfortably on her hip. They couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen. “Your parents know you’re here, sitting on each other?”

The girl blushed.

The boy shook his head. “You won’t tell, will you?”

I snorted. Fuck no. But I acted gruff anyway. “Keep your hands outside the ride at all times.”

His face turned white as he nodded. “Yes, sir.”

I turned away from them and grumbled, “Sir.” Something way too old for me to be called. Well, maybe by anyone other than Hannah…

I scanned the room, searching for her. At least five minutes had gone by, maybe ten, and she hadn’t returned. There could’ve been a line in the ladies’ room, but I doubted it. The men’s bathroom had half a dozen stalls in addition to a trio of urinals on the wall.

Madison’s glaring absence, along with Hannah’s extended one, choked a sudden cramp into the base of my throat as I watched the closed door leading into the hall. Kiki was hanging out by Darren at the DJ booth. “Kiki, you’re in charge until I get back.”

When I stepped into the corridor, it was empty. I headed toward the lobby area, where the main bathrooms were located. Rounding the corner into an adjoining empty hall, movement flickered in the corner.

“Cade.”

Madison.

As I turned, she stepped out from behind a potted palm. I arched a brow. “Getting your hands dirty gardening?”

“Ha, ha.” A seductive smile crept onto her face.

A scrap of a dress barely covered her body. Her shoes had to be five inches high. Interesting choice for a kids’ party. “You running a party or going clubbing.” My statement fell flat, omitting my loudly thought or going whoring. Definitely not hitting a Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting.

“I’m being a good girl.” She stalked forward, her steps weaving a little.

I scoffed. “Impossible.” Not with that outfit or her predatory sexual demeanor.

Instantly, the trauma from my past hit me hard. The vile version of Madison that I’d never known while dating her had come to horrific life before my eyes.

Repulsed as she eased closer, I edged backward, keeping distance between us. My elbow hit a wall when I ran out of hallway real estate.

A corner of her red lips lifted. “As you ordered, I’m staying out of your way. And you’re right. You know I do bad best.”