Page 77 of The Last Kind of Kiss
“Mm-hm, I agree. My favorite thing about Mommy is her selflessness. She takes really good care of us. She’s always there to rock you when you can’t fall asleep, to play with you first thing in the morning, even to change your stinky diaper when I insist that it’s my turn to do it. She’s strong and independent and runs our entire operation. She’s the queen of my heart, and I hope that you’ll grow up to be just like her when you’re older.”
Faye’s to the point of tears when Kit hands baby Eda off to her, and he presses a gentle kiss to his girlfriend’s forehead, almost makingmewant to cry. I glance at Bristol—who’s already staring at me—and he laces our fingers together, squeezing my palm.
Gage encourages Cali to go next, giving her a playful pat on the ass as she stumbles to the mountain looming over us. She tests her luck and picks a block toward the bottom, which has the very real possibility of collapsing the whole thing. When she fishes it out, she’s still riding that Gage high with pink cheeks, and that man’s prowess seriously needs to be studied in a labbecause I’ve never seen someone look so hopelessly lovestruck before.
“Partake in a chugging competition with an opponent of your choosing. Whoever wins gets a cash prize from the losing participant.”
She rehomes the block, then beckons Gage with a flirtatious crook of her finger. “You and me. A hundred dollars.”
Everyone breaks out into a chant, goading Gage, and he eventually makes his way over to her with a simper on his face. “You do know you’re going to win, right?”
She takes her black-painted fingernail and hooks it under his chin. “You’re lucky I’m not making it a thousand.”
“Baby, if you wanted a thousand, all you had to do was ask.”
“You’re not getting out of this, Gage.”
Fulton races into the kitchen and pours two sizeable glasses for them, returning to the metaphorical ring with sixteen combined ounces of a clear liquid. He then hands them off to the competitors, and Gage instantly crinkles his nose.
“Jeez, Ful. Is this vodka?” he asks, already looking a bit green.
Fulton sits back down. “Yep! Beat his ass, Cali!”
“Wow. Really feeling the camaraderie here,” Gage grouses.
Cali cracks her neck, fists the damn drink like it’ll have to be pried from her cold, dead body, and stares Gage down with a ferocity that somehow makesmenervous. “Are you scared?”
“Of you? Yes. I thought we established this.”
Hayes sticks his arm out in a referee position. “I want a clean fight, alright? On three, bottoms up. One, two, three!”
Cali’s off like a rocket. She starts chugging that thing without a second thought, and I’ve never been more terrified and equally impressed at the same time. Gage, on the other hand, is off to a rockier start, grimacing before he takes a long pull. There’s vodka dripping from mouths, ambient rallying, happy screams coming from baby Eda, the whole nine yards.
Cali doesn’t come up for air. It’s concerning…and frankly impossible. Either her alcohol tolerance is stellar, or Gage is a well-known lightweight. I could never be in this position. I’d yack after the first few sips. Vodka’s the Devil’s drink, and I stand by that.
Gage gags a few times, to which Faye—in her motherly fashion—shrieks, “Not on the carpet!”
Is this a sport? This should be a sport. I haven’t been this focused on something since my calculus final my junior year of college. It takes Cali a few minutes before she drains the drink completely, leaving Gage in the dust with his glass still half full.
Hayes jumps up from the couch, shaking everyone on it. “We have a winner!”
Cali wipes the back of her hand across her mouth as she bows victoriously. I cheer her on with a proud clap, and Bristol’s jaw practically touches the floor in shock. “Damn. I’m pretty sure Cali could’ve even beaten Hayes with that kind of tolerance.”
Gage sets his glass down in defeat, looking about as pale and sweaty as I do when the period cramps hit, and he hooks his thumb toward the restroom. “Cool. Alright. I’m gonna go puke for the next ten minutes, but if any of y’all play “Gasolina,” Iamcoming back out here.”
Cali just pats him on the shoulder. “Sure you are, sweetheart.”
She shepherds him off to the bathroom down the hall while Fulton cleans up.
Aeris is up next, and she goes for one of the side pieces, carefully extracting the block. “Have you ever kissed someone of the same sex?” she announces to the group.
Hayes’ eyebrows purse. “Have you?”
Aeris plays coy, shares a devious glance with me, and shrugs one shoulder. “I had my fun in college” is all she divulges.
Oh, she had fun alright. I caught her making out with Stacy Stenook at a party one night, full-on grope session and everything. Nothing really came of it—so I’m not sure if it was a sober decision—but I definitely never let her live it down.
She sets the block back on top and struts over to her fiancé, who’s looking at her in a sensual way thatdefinitelymakes me feel like I’m intruding on something. It’s like everyone’s caught the horn bug tonight. I’m surprised nobody’s pants are flying off like this is a Chippendales show.
