Ava draws in a dramatic gasp, her eyes lit with anticipation. “Red Wings?”
I nod, grinning. “Yeah, they’re playing the Rangers.”
Joel nods. “Yeah, I’m keen.”
“I’msothere,” Ava gushes. “Can’t wait to show those loser?—”
“There will be no throwing food items or yelling at random strangers,” I warn, issuing my daughter with a stern look.
“What about drinks?” she hedges. “Can I throw drinks?”
Next to me, Blake lets out a rumbling laugh. “You know, I always think of Ava as a female version of you, but then she says stuff like that and it’s like Valerie’s right here.”
“Try sitting withbothof them,” I say dryly. I catch Joel’s eye and he nods in commiseration.
“Speaking of Mom,” Joel says, “Ava and I were talking about Christmas?—”
“I thought we were going to wait to bring this up,” Ava hisses at him.
Joel just shrugs. “The opening’s there now.” He lifts his gaze to mine. “We get the whole Thanksgiving here, Christmas in Detroit deal you and Mom worked out. But does it really have to be only you for Thanksgiving and only Mom for Christmas?”
“Way to make it sound like we’re having a shit weekend, dumbass,” Ava chides, smacking Joel across the shoulder.
“Ow—That’s not what I meant,” he insists, sending an irritated look in Ava’s direction. “This weekend’s been great so far. But it was still really weird not having Mom there yesterday…”
“It was weird for me too,” I admit, offering a soft smile.
Ava and Joel exchange hesitant glances before Joel plows ahead. “We were kind of thinking maybe Christmas doesn’t have to be as weird…if you come to Detroit?”
I stare at their matching hopeful expressions for a long moment, feeling completely blindsided. Of course it seemstotally obvious now, thinking back over the conversation, but it wasn’t something I would have considered within the realm of possibility before. “Uh…I’m not sure how that’d work. Christmas is supposed to be Mom’s thing.”
“It’ll still be Mom’s thing,” Ava insists, waving a dismissive hand. “But we’ll get to see you too.”
“And you guys are always saying how you’re still best friends,” Joel points out. “Don’t you want to spend Christmas with your best friend?”
I arch an eyebrow at my son. “I don’t want to trample all over my best friend’s carefully planned Holiday.” Knowing they’re unlikely to let it go anytime soon, I let out a sigh of resignation. “I’ll talk to Mom and see what she says. But no promises,” I warn them, sending them each a firm look. “Even if Valerie’s fine with it there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to get the time off work.”
The conversation ends as Jazz arrives back with beers for Shay, Blake and myself. Chloe follows behind him with a tray containing Jamie’s mojito and the twins’ cokes.
“Jeez, look at the pour on that,” Shay says, holding up his beer glass and eyeing it impressively. “Perfect head.”
“Well, exceptional head is one of my very special talents,” Jazz says, the words full of so much innuendo he may as well be wearing a bright pink t-shirt with bold, black type that readsI LOVE SUCKING DICK.
“Mine too,” Jamie says with a snort.
“I can vouch for that,” Shay says with a grin, clinking his glass against Jamie’s.
“So, Jazz, are you going to start playing soon?” Ava asks nervously, blushing furiously and twisting her hair between her fingers.
Jazz’s lips twitch with amusement. “I don’t usually go on until about eight on Fridays but I guess I could start my set a bit earlier tonight seeing as how I have all these special guests.” Hereaches into his pocket and retrieves his phone. “I’ll have to wait for Mel to get here so Gia’s not alone at the bar—should be about half an hour.”
“Jamie says you only ever sing nineties songs?” Ava asks.
Jazz nods. “That’s right. Any requests, Ava?”
“Oh my god, he knows my name,” Ava gushes to Jamie in a quiet voice that’s still loud enough to be heard around the table.
I roll my eyes. This is getting ridiculous.
