“Just like that?” Inari giggled.
“You good people, Nari.”
“I guess you ain’t so bad either, Morgan.”
He snorted. “Don’t call me that shit.”
“Why not? And why do they call you Moose?”
The amusement on his face slowly sank. Clearing his throat, he clasped his hands together in his lap.
“It’s some shit they started calling me in the group home when I was a kid. Shit just kind of stuck.” He shrugged.
Inari rested her head against the back of the chair and studied him. There was something hardened about him, but she caught the flicker of a regular dude when he didn’t think anyone else was looking. It was obvious that he and his brothers were close.
“Mozzi was a scrawny ass nigga back then. Anyway, he still talked a lot of shit and would go at anybody, no matter how big.” Moose chuckled at the memory. “When people would fuck with him, me or Kong would defend him. Nigga had heart, and I think we both admired that. That made everybody our enemy too.”
“Naturally.” Inari tittered cutely as she listened to him retell the story.
“So, I would charge niggas, no warning. Taking down niggas twice my size. So, they said I would come at you like a moose. The older I got, the bigger I got, and like I said?—”
“It stuck.” Inari finished for him with a laugh.
“Yeah.”
“The hell y’all in here talking about?” Mozzi strolled into the room, blunt dangling off his lips, shirt still off with nothing but his abs and boxers on display under his slightly sagging regular fit jeans.
“Just shooting the shit.” Moose pushed his stool away from Inari and stood.
She lifted herself off the chair, and Coast nudged Ayla toward it, forcing her to sit on the edge.
“Okay, since nobody wanted to play at the restaurant, this is the hot seat.”
“Absolutely not!” Ayla tried to jump up, but Coast nudged her back down by her shoulder.
“Too late. Do you know how hot seat works?” she asked, arms folded over her swollen breasts.
“What’s up with you and the games, Coast?” Moose picked up a slice of pizza out of the box from earlier and took a bite.
It was cold, but he had the munchies and didn’t mind.
“It’s a trauma response.” Inari gripped her straw and sipped on her margarita.
“Excuse you?” Coast half turned and scrunched her nose up.
“What? I took a few psych classes in college. You moved around a lot, so I imagine you played a lot of games getting to know people.”
“Nobody asked you!” Coast snapped. “Anyway. Ayla, you sit, and everyone asks you questions that you have to answer or drink.”
“That’s not fair,” Ayla pouted. “You’re not even drinking.”
“Rules are rules.” Coast threw her arms up.
“I’ll go first.” Moose leaned forward. “Biggest fear?”
Ayla hesitated. “Losing anyone else that I love,” she whispered, eyes cutting at Inari as she lowered her cup at her side.
The rest of the room stilled, and Kong’s jaw tightened. Breaking the tension, Coast stepped forward.
