“I know the sort,” Frances said. “Like Kendra Veda and Tyler Bastain. They’re preaching gospel and acting like born-again virgins and then sneak off to the hot tub atnight.”
Wes’s brows popped up at that. “The hottub?”
“Haven’t you heard?” Art queried, feeling more giggles coming on. “That’s our little lovers’ lane. There’s this one off in the bushes, made just perfect for couples to sneak out late at night and get somethingstarted.”
“Now you two are going to be sneaking off there, I’m sure,” Francessaid.
“Don’t get caught by security, though,” Tony warned. “I hear the fine’s gone up to a grand since quite a few couples got caught this pastyear.”
Wes and Art eyed one another, Art enjoying the fantasy of sneaking around with Wes. Of course, that didn’t seem necessary when they were free to have all the fun they wanted within the privacy of theirunits.
Frances turned to Wes, doing a once-over of the room, as though making sure they had their privacy. “Rumor has it Kendra was caught with two men and another woman last time…and to say I’m jealous would be anunderstatement.”
The room exploded in a roar of laughter, surely in no small part due to their high, and as they calmed down, Wes asked, “Why don’t we do this moreoften?”
A guilty expression crossed Frances’sface.
“What?” Art askedher.
“Well, we’ve had afew…”
Art’s jaw dropped. “Withoutus?”
“Hey, in Frances’s defense,” Tony said, “we were doing it when you guys were figuring out that you were all being lovebirds and going on those long ‘walks.’”
“What about these past twoweeks?”
“It’s rude to interrupt the honeymoon period,” Francessaid.
As Gabe finished enjoying the vape, he passed it along to Tony. “She’s right. Very rude. We just wanted you guys to have a good time, but we aren’t getting off,so…”
Frances scoffed. “Speak foryourselves.”
“Well, you can at least invite us along next time,” Artadded.
“For getting off?” Gabe asked, raising a brow that seemed to suggest interest in theproposition.
“When you have another pot party!” Artclarified.
“Okay, okay, we will,” Frances said. “That gets me thinking. Maybe I can bake a batch of brownies after Field Day, to sort of encourage everyone to do theirbest.”
“What are we considering our best?” Tony asked, eyeing Frances skeptically. “And what if you lose to Bernice and then we all dowell?”
“Okay, I’ll make them even if I lose, and then if you guys take home some medal, which we all know isn’t hard, I’ll behappy.”
“That sounds fair,” Tony said, inhalingagain.
“I don’t know what you guys are complaining about,” Frances added. “There’s not many things we have to look forward to here. You’ve got to have a goal. Goals are what keep us alive and active. They’re the sort of thing that gives us something to look forward to. If you don’t have a goal, you’re not going to make it very long. My mother lived to be ninety-eight, and I know it’s only because she always had goals. She always had her little things she looked forward to, and that’s how you doit.”
“Some of us aren’t looking to push much further, Frances,” Gabe offered. “I’d be just fine if something happened and I was gone in a year orso.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Francessnapped.
“Oh, come on, Frances. We’re all going to the same place anyway. And we’re getting up there. We’re watching people die left and right. Things happen, people get hurt, and before you knowit…”
“I know what you mean,” Frances said. “That’s why I do think you have to take care of those issues too, funeral and stuff. Wes, what are you doing for yourfuneral?”
“I don’t have many plans. I’ve made it clear I want to be cremated and my ashes spread, maybe some in California, maybe somehere.”
