Here we go.
“Where is Emma with those buns?” I ask in a desperate attempt at changing the subject.
It fails, of course. Rosy crosses her arms and gives me a look that would intimidate Vlad the Impaler. As hard as it is to hear with the Breez-o-matic going, I’m relatively certain I just heard Libby mutter, “Oh, God help you,” from across the table.
“I hope you’re not thinking ofexploringthings and then taking off forever,” Rosy says.
“It’s just very complicated. You know, because of our careers,” I say.
Emma walks out at that very moment, presumably thinking she’s missed the worst of it, but something tells me she hasn’t. As soon as the screen door slams shut behind her, Hutch wakes up from his nap and loses his mind, taking Starsky with him. I’ve never been so glad to hear yapping dogs in my life. I glance around, looking for an escape route, but the fence is an eight-foot cement block structure with no gate.
Darnell tosses each of the dogs a mostly eaten chicken bone and they silence immediately for a second before they both decide they want the same one and the fight’s on again.
“Baby Bear, don’t tell me this is one of those Tundra hook-ons I’ve been reading so much about on Facebook,” Rosy says.
“Tinder, Rosy,” Will offers helpfully. “It’s Tinder, and it’s ahookup,not a hook-on.”
“And they didn’t meet that way. He’s our inaugural guest at Eden, remember?” Harrison says. “She’s his chef-slash-secretary-slash-hookup partner.”
Darnell stops with a chicken leg halfway to his mouth. “Wait a minute. Wait just a damn minute. Is this guy not your boyfriend, Emma?”
Emma shoots Harrison an icy glare, then says, “We haven’t reallydefinedthings, but I assure you what we have is built on mutual respect.”
The chicken leg drops to his plate. Darnell swipes the last napkin off the table, then starts wiping his hands menacingly. “I don’t like the sound of that at all.”
“Really, it’s just…can we just…not talk about this?” Emma asks. “We’re supposed to be celebrating Will’s return.”
“Hear, hear,” I say, picking up a chicken leg and taking a bite.Fuck me, that’s spicy.I start to choke, stifling a cough as I desperately grasp for the napkin on my lap. A low growl comes from the general vicinity of my crotch and I look down to see Hutch bearing his teeth at me. He snatches the napkin off my lap and takes off, leaving me with saucy hands, and lips, according to the burning sensation. I start to cough again and pick up my beer to try to wash down the spices that are now burning a hole clean through my esophagus.
How am I the only one having trouble with this?
Turning to Emma, Darnell says, “Why’d you bring him for a family dinner if you two aren’t serious.”
“I didn’t invite him. Will did. Do you think I want him here?”
“That’s not very nice, Emma,” Rosy says, “You’re going to hurt his feelings.”
At the same time, Darnell, who is clearly offended, asks, “What is that supposed to mean? Are you embarrassed by us?”
“No, of course not. I didn’t mean I don’t want himhere, I meant I don’t wanthimhere.”
“Ouch,” I say, before realizing that she’s not wrong about that. I don’t exactly fit in at the moment, what with my saucy hands and lips.
“Not like that, Pierce.” Emma looks up at the dark sky and groans. “Dammit. Will just asked him here to torture him.”
“I did not,” Will says, pretending to be highly offended. “I thought it would be a nice gesture since Harrison was so pissed at you two this morning.”
“Why would Harrison be mad at you? Is it because this is just a hook-on?” Rosy asks.
“I wasn’t angry. I was…ummm…surprised and concerned,” Harrison says. “But Emma assured me she’s happy so that’s all that matters in the end.”
“Yeah, she did look pretty happy this morning,” Will puts in, tilting his beer at me.
“Shut up, Will,” Emma says, fixing him with a dirty look. “Look, not that it isanyof your business, but Pierce and I aren’t in a long-term relationship, okay? We’re just enjoying our time together before he has to go back to his life and I go back to mine. There is no future here. None. So you can just forget the double wedding and the cute little pale babies, Rosy. When he leaves here, he’s going to help get us some high-end clients, and that will be that. Done.Finito.And if it doesn’t bother me, it shouldn’t bother you.”
Huh. Something about the way she’s so sure this is over already doesn’t sit well with me. She’s right, but…I don’t like it.
Rosy puts her hand on mine and makes far-too-intense eye contact. “Is this what you want, Pierce? Some meaningless hook-on?”
