Page 122 of Road Queens
“It’s a drinking game. By definition, all the rules are ridiculous. Like strip poker or reality TV.”
“Just for that, you—” Before she could finish the thread, the frog croaked, and Dave came in, holding hands with a slender brunette with a slight limp.
“Too late! We sold all the snickerdoodles and most of the brownies,” Amanda called. “Nice to see you as always, though. Who’s your friend?”
She wasn’t just happy to see him; she was relieved. Dave had had to deal with the traumatic fallout from Mausoleumgate, as had Amanda, Cass, and Sidney, which he’d done by distancing himself for a couple of weeks.
When he’d started coming around again, he’d confessed that he, too, was having nightmares about that scorching-hot day and the tragedy that had unfolded in the cool gloom of the mausoleum.
(“I dreamed about it again, except instead of shooting himself, he blew up the mausoleum and us with it. But I didn’t die. You guys all did. Then I tried to rebuild using my blood for mortar.”
“Jesus Christ, Dave!”)
The fact that Marcus Garner had paid in full had come as a relief. Dave’s late, lamented client had wired two-thirds in advance, then apparently set up an automatic balance payout on September first, the day he’d planned to die. It gave Dave a cushion—he’d turned down several smaller jobs to focus on the mausoleum—and, better, he didn’t have to immediately worry about rustling up new clients to make up the shortfall.
“This is Lola,” Dave said. “We went to high school together, and she just moved back from Vancouver.”
“Welcome back! I’m sorry most of the baked goods are gone. Dave’s chronic tardiness has screwed you, but it’s not his fault. Comes with the job.”
“That whole thing about all contractors are chronically late, unreliable, and constantly over budget is a gross generalization,” he replied amiably.
“Is it, though?”
“It was my fault, really,” Lola said in a low, pleasant contralto. She was thin and, considering it was a chilly September evening, underdressed in a sleeveless summer dress. Her hair was pulled back so tightly she looked perpetually surprised, and there were shadows beneath her brown eyes. Her elbows were pale points. “I ran into some ... it’s my fault.”
Dave cleared his throat. “Anyway, I just wanted you guys to meet. And to support Cassandra’s new book. But mostly the first one.”
“Hello,” Sean said.
Lola smiled and looked at the floor. “Hello,” she murmured. “Nice to meet you all. Dave talks about you all the time.”
“Nice to meet you; please ignore the fact that you’re surrounded by idiots,” Sidney said, shaking Lola’s hand. “And don’t listen to anything Dave says; he’s an infuriating moron. Whoa! Cold hands. D’you want a sweater or something?”
“Or something,” she replied.
Amanda took a closer look at Lola.Underdressed. Limp. Wouldn’t make eye contact with Sean.
Oh-ho.
Dave’s gaze was as level as his tone. “I don’t know what you’re doing these days, or if you’ve got plans to—I know it’s only been a few weeks, is my point. You’re still figuring things out. And maybe nothing will happen; maybe you’ll decide you don’t want to jump back in. Which would be understandable. I just ... wanted you guys to meet. Just in case.”
There was a short silence, broken by: “I can’t offer you snickerdoodles, but there’s still plenty of coffee and hot water for tea. I was just going to lock up. Why don’t you guys join us upstairs for a drink? And also to mock Cassandra’s speech?”
“Kindly drop dead, Amanda.”
“Aw.” Amanda poked Cassandra in her annoyingly flat belly, then gave her a noisy kiss on the cheek. “Mmm-wah! I know you love me.”
“Irrelevant! Also, you smell like chocolate. A lot of it. How many brownies did you cram down your gullet before—”
“Come on, come on. Time and milkshakes wait for no man, so to speak. Sean, you want to show Dave and Lola up to my place?”
“Will do. Follow me, and don’t be alarmed by all the jelly she keeps in the cupboard.” That got a giggle out of Lola, which was nice to hear. “Are you laughing because you thought I was kidding?” Sean teased as he led them up. “Because I wasn’t kidding.”
The three women looked at each other as they listened to the receding footsteps, then waited until they heard the door at the top of the stairs close before speaking.
“So ...”
“So ...?”
