Page 109 of The Late Hit
“Wanna join?” I ask.
“Maybe later,” she replies, eyes never opening.
Thirty minutes later, we make our way downstairs. Our cleaning lady came yesterday. She must’ve been feeling a little festive because she added some Christmas flare to our dining table. The guys and I don’t decorate for Christmas. I mean, we’re guys. In college. And the house is always hosting a party. Shit would just get destroyed.
Xavier and JP are sprawled on the couch playing Madden. JP glances at the two of us, a whistle leaving his lips. “Damn, you two look spiffy.”
“Thanks, Jer. You don’t clean up so badly either,” Brynn says, heading into the kitchen to check on the food.
I called Hog Heaven Barbecue and had our dinner catered. Less stress for everyone means more people will come. And who can turn down barbecue? I don’t follow her, instead I make my way over to one of the plastic fold-out chairs we set up.
The doorbell rings before being pushed open. Grant walks in, but he’s not alone. Stepping aside, a woman walks in. She’s tall, only a few inches shorter than Grant and he’s six-one with a toned, athletic body which she shows off in a skintight, V-neck, burnt-orange sweater dress. Long brownish hair is pulled up in a ponytail.
“Goddamn, who’s your friend?” JP asks.
Grant’s eyes close into slits as he looks at JP. If looks could kill, JP would be six feet under. “My sister,” he answers, making his way farther into the house.
“Addy, these are the guys.” Grant introduces the room, pointing each one of us out. “Quinton. His brother, Xavier. JP. And I’m sure Brynn’s around here somewhere. She’s Q’s girl.” Pausing, he stares at us. “This is Addy. She goes to Arizona.Don’teven try anything. Oh, and she has a boyfriend.”
“Sup, Addy,” Xav says, turning to go back to the game.
“Hey there,” she replies.
“Brynn’s in the kitchen.” I point Addy in the direction of the kitchen.
She nods her head in appreciation before walking away.
Grant makes his way over to where I’m sitting. “Your sister’s home?”
Sighing, he drops into a chair next to me, running his hand down his face. “Yeah, she got in last night.”
“I bet Coach is happy to have her home.”
“Something’s off with her, I just don’t know what it is yet. She just seems…I don’t know, different.” Both of us look up, the sound of laughter spilling from the kitchen.
“Brynn will get her out of whatever funk she’s in.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he says, exasperated. Grant and his sister are close. They’re two years apart. Last year he was really bummed that she wasn’t coming to CTU. Instead, she chose to go to Arizona, nine hundred miles away.
The front door flies opens and in walks Riggsby. He’s carrying a bottle of tequila in one hand, a bouquet of flowers in the other, and a bag from a local bakery on his arm.
“Hey guys.” He nods toward the room while he kicks the front door shut behind him before walking toward the kitchen.
“Whatcha got there, Riggs?” Grant asks, curiosity written all over our faces.
He pauses right before he gets into the kitchen. “Got Brynn tequila and flowers for hosting and cheesecake from my favorite place for all of us,” he says, shrugging like it was no big deal.
“Wait, you got my girl flowers? I’m the one who’s hosting,” I chime in.
“Correction, we are hosting,” adds JP, pointing to Xavier, me, and himself.
“Whatever. We all know it was Brynn’s idea.” And with that, he turns into the kitchen.
Dinner is amazing. There’s a reason why Hog Heaven is my favorite. The meat just melts in your mouth. After dinner, we all break out the cards and start playing drinking games.
Before she gets too drunk, Brynn goes upstairs and carries down one of the giant bags that she had brought up there earlier in the day. She passes out small gifts to everyone, except Addy since she didn’t know Addy would be coming. She apologized over and over before running upstairs and finding an unused gift card for Starbucks. Addy kept assuring her that it was okay, but Brynn wouldn’t have it. She said it was either that or one of the gifts she got me, with a wink, she told Addy should choose carefully.
Brynn enjoyed her bottle of tequila, almost polishing off the bottle, but she did have help with it. Addy and Brynn hit it off just like I knew they would. Chloe joined the night a little later. The three girls drank and danced while us guys played more drinking card games.
