Page 20 of Dragged Home for Christmas

She stared at him. “Do you have any idea what you’re going to say to them in the morning? About the future of this place, I mean?”

“Not really. I’m hoping the night will bring inspiration.”

It had already brought one revelation.

Sam was a good guy. Not to mention awfully easy on the eye.

Stop that. He isn’t staying, remember?

For one moment there, Mike thought that was a real shame.

Chapter 8

Friday, November 1

Mike wiped his lips on his napkin. “Anthony, do you always do the cooking?”

Anthony preened. “I make a mean omelet, don’t I? And yeah, it’s usually me in the kitchen.” He grinned and launched into song, a Taylor Swift number Mike vaguely recognized, something about being in the kitchen humming.

“And here we go again,” Elliott muttered.

Anthony gave him a brief glare before glancing at the others. “We’re not gonna discuss your past culinary efforts, are we?”

Elliott shuddered. “God, no. It’s much safer if we stay out of the kitchen.” He snuck a glance at Jim. “Don’t you agree?”

Jim rolled his eyes. “Christ, it wasone time, okay?”

“Sure it was,” Sam retorted. “And we all got food poisoning, remember? Girl, you know the rule. You are not allowed within five feet of a chicken ever again.”

Elliott snorted. “Sweetie, youknowshe prefers a bear over a breast any day.”

Jim squinted at him.

Anthony leaned back in his chair. “Of course, before things took a downward turn, we used to eat out a lot.”

Sam smiled. “Breakfast at Café Heaven, dinner at Tin Pan Alley, Ross’ Grill, Sal’s Place, the Red Inn—”

“Ciro & Sal’s, the Crown & Anchor,” Elliott added. He patted his flat stomach. “I could put on ten pounds just looking at the menus.”

Mike had to ask. “When did things start going downhill?”

The four men glanced at each other.

This was getting him nowhere.

“Look, I get that you might not want to rake over bad times, but we have to talk about this. I have some big decisions to make.” Ashley dug him in the ribs with her elbow and coughed loudly. Heat rushed through him. “Oh yeah. Before we go any further, and to avoid a night like the last one…” He stared at three of the faces around the table. “Offering me sex isnotthe way to persuade me to let you stay. Have you all got that?”

Sam’s mouth fell open, and he jerked his head to gape at Elliott, Anthony, and Jim. “You did what?”

Anthony narrowed his eyes. “You telling us you didn’t?”

“Of course I didn’t,” he retorted, his eyes wide. “Because that would’ve been all kinds ofwrong.”

“Who died and madeyouMother Superior?” Jim flung out.

“Girls, can we save the bitch fight for later?” Ashley glared at them. “Because there are more important matters to discuss here.” When they gazed at her, their faces flushed, she nodded. “That’s better. Now, can one of you answer the question?” She gestured to their surroundings. “This place has everything going for it. So what went wrong?”

“Are you just not very good drag queens? Is that it? Were the shows a flop?” Mike wasn’t usually so adversarial, but he figured his barb would get them talking.

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