Page 40 of Sharkbait
Wally perks up. “Told you what?”
Mabel whispers something into Wally’s ear.
“Eh. Old news,” Wally says before taking a sip of his beer.
Mabel punches him playfully on the shoulder. “You knew, and you didn’t tell me?”
He shrugs. “Not my story to tell.”
I tap Calliope’s menu and put a place setting down in front of her. “What’ll we be having tonight? Can I get you some food?”
“Surprise us!” she says. “Whatever you’ve got that’s app-tastic and vegan-friendly for Ralph-alpha. And we’ll both have an IPA. Oh, and can we have two more place settings when you get a chance?”
“Twomore?”
With that, the door jingles again, and in walks Ralph.
And his sister, Louise.
As I put the extra place settings down on the bar, Calliope gives me a wink. “You’re welcome, big guy.”
Chapter Ten
Louise
"Did it really have to be this place?” I whisper to Ralph as we make our way over to the bar.
“Callie and I like it here. Plus, you really need to unwind after that event.”
“Don‘t tell me what I need.”
“Sorry. You‘re right. You‘re totally chill.” He pats me on the back, letting me know I’m the opposite of chill right now.
I take a seat on the end and feel the immediate need to bolt. Beside me, Ralph and Calliope suck face in greeting. Next to them, Mabel and Wally’s limbs are intertwined like squid.
It’s couple central in here.
James gives me a little salute, then addresses the whole group.
“I get to see your motley crew two nights in a row? What an honor.”
“Oh, do you know my sister, Louise?” Ralph asks James.
James looks at me.
I look at James.
Neither of us answers the question.
So Mabel does it for us.
“Yup! They raw dogged it in the refrigerator.”
“Raw dogged in the refrigerator?” I screech and whip my head toward James. “Is that what you told them?”
He puts his hands up. “Ididn’t tell them anything! I have beensticking to your rules as much as humanly possible.”
I turn to Ralph, whose face is stark white. “There was no ‘raw dogging.’” Not that I owe my brother any explanation for my own sex life. “We absolutely used protection. I was trying to be impulsive, I guess, but I’m not an idiot!”
