She huffs, shaking her head, but she can’t quite hide the smile toying at her lips.
“I didn’t have that much of a reaction either,” Heidi says. “I mean, I needed a minute, but I got over it pretty quickly.”
“Stryker agreed to pay her more,” I clarify. “She’s a greedy little witch, and don’t let her convince you otherwise.”
“Do you know what dealing with Stryker’s laundry is like?” Heidi asks. “I deserve every penny I make.” She points at her boss and friend. “And more!”
Stryker’s eyebrow rises at that. “You just got a raise.”
“It’s never too early to think about the next one,” she returns.
Basil shoves a bite of mashed potatoes in her maw before she can push her luck too far.
“I didn’t know we were getting raises,” I comment, straightening in my seat.
“Youaren’t,” Stryker replies.
“Is this because of the silly string?” I ask, just so I can watch his eye twitch.
“You know good and well it’s because of the silly string, the facepaint, and theslime,” he growls.
Sarelia valiantly holds her smile between tightly pressed lips.
“It was an invigorating night,” I tell her. “Fun for all!”
“‘All’ is generous,” Millie grumps.
“Sal and I had fun,” I reply. “And really, isn’t that all that matters?”
“No,” Stryker deadpans. “It is not.”
Sal snorts, then turns to Sarelia, grinning. “How are you enjoying your first family dinner?”
“It’s amazing,” my sweet angel princess answers. “I can see where Archie gets all his chaos from.”
“You can see where he practices it, you mean,” Heidi corrects. “The rest of us are chill. It’s him who adds the layer of nonsense.”
Sarelia blinks, decidedlynotlooking at Millie and Stryker, who believe they are pulling one over on all of us as Stryker slylyeats off of his wife’s plate while she drools over the chocolate cake in the center of the table like a cartoon character. Super secret agent missions are, after all,notnonsense.
“We didn’t think you guys would come,” Sal says. “On account of Archie sending out a compound-wide email telling us that we wouldn’t be seeing either of you for the next six months to a year.”
Sarelia smiles. “We were too tired to cook,” she says, so innocently, as if we were not tired from copious amounts of kissing. “Plus, I’ve been hearing about Rosie’s cooking for years. I didn’t want to wait another one to try it, and Archie was sweet enough to adjust his honeymoon plans for me.”
Silence and disbelieving faces meet this statement. Millie even puts a pause on her drooling to furrow her eyebrows at her new sister. “Archie?” she asks. “Sweet?”
I throw my head back with a pitiful whine, resting my hand over my forehead. “What have I done to deserve such disdain?” I wonder. “What actions have earned me this painful attack on my character?” I drop my hand and my head to appeal to Stryker. “My brother! Your soulmate, she wounds me. You would let her do such a thing here, at our sacred time together? Please, my liege, assist me!”
Stryker grunts. “You’re a pest.”
Rosie tuts at him. “Stryker, be nice.” She faces me. “You’re a very sweet boy, Archie. Of course you are. We simply don’t get to bear witness to it very often.” Her attention slides to Sarelia, softening. “We’re very happy that you get that side of him more often than we do.”
Sarelia’s hand slips into mine under the table, and she laces her fingers through my own. “Archie has always been sweet,” she says. “It’s one of the first things I noticed about him.”
I rest my elbow on the table as Millie and Rosie’s “aww”s fill the air, accompanied by Heidi faux gagging.
“Go on,” I request, laying my chin in my hand. “Sing my praises, love.” I flutter my eyelashes at her, then bask in the warmth of her resulting giggles.
“Can’t you guys have your gush fest at home?” Stryker asks. “Not in Rosie’s backyard over the bowl of mashed potatoes?”
