“Give Salzy too much tequila and he’ll dance naked on the table,” Jamie laughed as he opened up the Don Julio.“Anyone going to open up these beers?”
“Oh, really now?”Mike faced Salzy.“This could end up being quite the evening.I wasn’t expecting entertainment.”
Jamie poured four good shots of the tequila.Joesph opened the three German beers and his Bud Light.
Mike pulled his beer and tequila close.“You don’t like German beer,” he asked Joesph.
“To be honest, I don’treallylike beer much at all.”He held up his bottle.“This is theonlybeer I tolerate.Give me a good martini any day.”
“So noted.”Mike held up his own beer in salute.
Jamie pushed the tequila towards Salzy.“Now, this is good tequila.It’s not shooting tequila.It’s to be sipped and savoured.”
Salzy smelled the amber liquid in the glass.“Smells nice.So, no salt and lime?”
“It doesn’t need it.You can sprinkle a little salt in it if you like.That’s okay.But taste it first.”Jamie reached for a notepad he kept on the counter.“I need to order some fleur de sel.”
Salzy took a sip and looked at Jamie.“This is really good.Only a slight burn, but a good burn.”He had another sip.“Crap.I like it.What is that...flur stuff?”
“French sea salt.Some of the best in the world.This would be really good with just a flake or two.” Jamie laughed.“I’m glad you like it.”He took a healthy sip of his own.“This is so nice.”He looked at Mike.“Thank you.For the beer, tequila and ...”he waved his hand towards the outside.“For everything.”
“Let me know when y’all are getting hungry,” Joesph said.“I’ll heat up the BBQ.”
They only had one beer each and one pour of tequila before they decided to eat.
“So, what’s this about a deck?”Mike asked, wiping his mouth with a paper napkin.
“Let’s put that on the back burner for now.”Joesph stood up to collect the paper plates, everyone having had their fill of the BBQ.He shook his head slightly at Mike, thinking that Jamie didn’t see him, which of course he did.
“Joesph’s got it in his head that the place”—Jamie waved his arms about the apartment— “needs a do-over too.I want to slow things down a bit.Everything is moving so fast that it’s making my head spin.I also need to consider how much money this is all costing.”
Mike nodded.“I understand.”
Salzy frowned slightly, his mouth almost looking pouty.“So...no hot tub?”
“What is it with you and hot tubs?”Jamie asked.“It’s not even summer yet, and it’s already hotter than hades.”
“You don’t have to turn the heat on.It’s like a nice cool bubble bath.”Salzy smiled widely.
Jamie rolled his eyes.
“You know what we need?”Joesph looked around the room.“We need some music.”
“Yeah,” Salzy agreed.He began looking around the room as well.
“Sorry, guys.”Jamie sighed heavily.“The only thing here is my clock radio, and it’s really crap and ancient.”
“Huh?”Joesph stared at Jamie.“No stereo?Not even a decent radio?”
“Nope.You have to remember, my grandparents worked long, full days.The only time I saw the TV turned on was for the nightly news, and that didn’t happen all that often either.”
“I’ve got a boom box,” Salzy said as he stood up.“I’ll go get it.”
“Will anyone like some of that pecan pie?”Joesph asked.
“I might have a piece,” Jamie said.
“Me too,” Mike expressed his interest.
