Page 51 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

“Yes,” she admitted.“And if you tell anyone, I’ll deny it and will do bourbon shots with you until you’re lying under the table in a fetal position.”

Teddy just laughed.“So the vanilla vodka is gonna be like you’re drinking water.Isn’t that an unfair advantage?”

She shrugged.“All’s fair in love and Flip Cup.”

Amazingly, within about three minutes, she had all of the things she’d asked for.Except for the seven people.There were only five others.Adeline and Jaxon’s mom, Sarah, had gone inside to check on the kids and to head to bed herself.That meant teams of three for Flip Cup.That meant the game would go faster and that meant more drinking for the six people playing.Kennedy was okay with that.

The patio didn’t just have a built-in fireplace, grill, and bar area.It also had a sound system with amazing speakers.Of course it did.Maria might seem a little stuffy, and she probably played Sinatra over those speakers, but the woman knew how to entertain.

Country music—Hank Williams Jr., to be exact—came over the speakers that were tucked in the landscaping, and Kennedy felt some of the tension in her shoulders unwind.This wasn’t exactly like the parties in Autre, but it was going to be an okay stand-in for tonight.

Kennedy lined Teddy, his son Steve, his other son Brian’s wife, Tawny, up on one side of the long, wrought iron patio table.She and Brian were across from them along with one of Teddy’s friends, Charles.He was in his mid-to-late forties and claimed he was a lot happier outside with red Solo cups than he was inside with martini glasses.Kennedy liked him from that point on.

She put a cup in front of each person and filled it about a fourth of the way up with vodka.She eyed the bottle.If things went well, they were going to need another.

“Okay, so this is a relay-race drinking game,” she told the group.“First we toast,” she said to Teddy, who was straight across from her.She lifted her cup and tapped it on his.“Then we chug the vodka—” She did.She had to demonstrate, after all.The vodka was smooth and sweet and she felt the pleasant warmth spread through her chest and stomach.“Then you put the cup on the edge of the table, and with one finger”—She held up her index finger—“you try to flip the cup so it lands upside down.”

She did it perfectly.She was the Flip Cup champion in her family.Though Ellie’s best friend, Cora, always gave her a run for her money.

“You can only touch your cup with one hand,” she told them.“You keep trying until you get it flipped over.As soon as it lands upside down, your next teammate grabs their cup, drinks, and then flips.They can’t touch their cup until yours is upside down.And it just goes on down the table.Since there are only three of us on each side, I think we should go down the table twice in one round.”

Everyone agreed, they cranked up the Hank Williams Jr., and started to play.

As per usual, the laughter and cussing and cheating and, of course, the liquor flowed freely after only one round.Kennedy’s team kicked Teddy’s team’s ass.Charles, as it turned out, was pretty great at Flip Cup.He also knew all the words to all of the Hank Williams Jr.songs, all the Garth Brooks songs, and all of the Toby Keith songs.

Finally, after six total rounds and the equivalent of a bottle and a half of vodka, Tawny begged to end the game.

Steve and Brian mentioned they were hungry.

Kennedy perked up.“Should we raid the kitchen?”

They both looked at her.“Seriously?You want to raid Aunt Marie’s kitchen?”

Kennedy glanced toward the house.This side of the house was made up almost entirely of huge windows.The formal living room was still full of people.She couldn’t even see Maria.She nodded at the guys.“Of course.The caterers have probably cleaned up and put the leftovers in the fridge.”

Steve wrinkled his nose.“I don’t think I want any more of the chicken.”

Kennedy chewed her bottom lip, thinking.Not about what she could do in the kitchen but about if sheshould.

Well, Marie already didn’t like her and the chances of her getting invited back weren’t great.And if Bennett didn’t want her roaming free, getting into trouble, then he should have taken her straight upstairs.And tied her to his bed the way he’d threatened.She felt heat lick through her.Ugh.That guy was in so much trouble later.

“I can make sandwiches,” she said.“The shrimp isn’t fried, but with my special sauce, you won’t care that they’re missing the batter.”

“Sandwiches?”Brian asked, looking very interested.“Like what?”

“Shrimp po’ boys,” she told him.They were simple and there was no way Marie didn’t have the ingredients in the kitchen.Kennedy hadn’t even seen the kitchen, but a house like this had to have a huge, well-stocked, amazing kitchen.

“Seriously?”Brian asked.“You can just whip those up?”

She laughed.“Of course.Now gumbo…that would be way better, but it would take me a lot longer.Can’t do that for you tonight.But po’ boys, absolutely.”

They followed her into the kitchen where she threw the sandwiches together in less than twenty minutes.The shrimp was already cooked, it just needed a quick sauté on the stovetop.The batter she and Cora used in the restaurant was amazing, but these shrimp were seasoned nicely and were a fine substitution.The sauce was better if it sat for a while and let the cayenne really work its way through, but it was delicious even freshly mixed.Brian, Steve, Teddy, Charles, and even Tawny all exclaimed over the food.Which was funny.It was shrimp, sauce, lettuce, and tomato on rolls.It was so simple, especially compared to some of the stuff she did on a regular basis in Autre.Her seafood souffle was heavenly and her Bananas Foster was talked about all through the parish.

Still, the way they ate and appreciated even the simple sandwiches made her happy.

After they’d eaten and cleaned up the kitchen, they all made their way back to the patio.The party was still going inside and Kennedy could see Bennett standing nearly in the center of the room, surrounded by people, all of whom seemed to be hanging onto his every word.

She sighed and followed her little party toward the cushioned patio chairs that faced the fireplace.Brian, Steve, and Tawny took the chairs a little off to the side.Kennedy, Teddy, and Charles settled closer to the fireplace.

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