"We can call that a rousing success," Boner declared. "Everyone had a great time and the food was amazing."
"So good," Cass agreed, sucking down the last of his milkshake.
"The sauce could have used a bit more basil," Jules remarked.
"I disagree." Archer propped his elbows on the table and rested his face on his hands. "It was perfectly balanced and flavorsome."
"Did you swallow an encyclopedia, or fuck one?" Jules asked.
"While eating a small amount of paper isn't bad for you," Archer said, "an entire encyclopedia would give me a stomachache. As for the logistics of fucking one…"
Jules waved a hand in front of his face. "You know what? Forget it. I should have known you'd take it literally."
The side of Archer's mouth twitched, his version of a grin. Amused that he'd scored points off Jules.
"How much paper do you have to eat to make yourself sick?" Cass asked. "Asking for a friend."
"I'd say you have some fucked up friends, but that's obvious," Jules told him.
"You're here with us too," I reminded him.
Boner pointed a finger right at his nose. "Don't tell me you're not enjoying yourself because we all know you'd be lying. You're having as good a time tonight as the rest of us. You just don't show it the way some of us do."
Jules grunted in response. "It was okay. I've had worse nights."
"And worse company." Boner gave him a 'come on' gesture to admit we weren't that bad.
"That too, I guess." Jules said as he scrubbed a hand over his face. "Should one of us be following Getzoff?
"Are you volunteering?" I asked gently.
The detective and his sister were one of the last to leave. He gave me a long look before he followed her out the door. The hairs on the back of my neck hadn't settled down again yet.
"We should stay away from him until I do a background search on him," Cass said before Jules could respond.
"It's a good idea to know your enemy before you go after them," Boner agreed.
"We don't know that he's our enemy," I pointed out. "He could just be a creep." He wouldn't be the first or the last.
"He's my enemy," Boner said. "Anyone who looks at you the way he does, and isn't sitting at this table, is on my shit list."
"Okay, but there's a difference between being jealous and going after someone because they're a bad person," I said.
"Are you saying I'm not on your shit list?" Jules said to Boner.
"I did say that, didn't I?" Boner tilted his head to the side and frowned thoughtfully. "What's the next step up from shit list? Acquaintance list?" His eyes shone. Clearly Jules was higher than that, but he too couldn't resist scoring points off him.
"Can you all just be friends?" Cass said softly. "It wouldn't kill you."
"It might," Boner said cheerfully.
"Have you forgotten I saved your ass when Solomon Danforth had you tied to a fucking chair?" Jules snapped. "Next time, I'll leave you there."
"And if you're ever—" Boner started.
"Enough," I insisted. "No one is leaving anyone tied to a chair without their consent."
"So…with their consent is okay?" Boner asked.
