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I didn’t bother asking him how he’d get in without a key. These men had ways.
I put down my platter, uncovered it, and Martha was there piling three pigs on her plate.
Told you they were popular.
I went to Jessie. “What’s your cocktail of the evening?”
She quirked a smile at me. “The Fallen Angel.”
I burst out laughing, because that was so good, and then I ordered two cocktails.
Javi was not a cocktail drinker, but if he didn’t want to try it and instead grab a beer out of the cooler sitting on the ground by Jess, it wouldn’t go to waste.
I was handing over ten bucks to Bill and Zach to cover Javi’s and my drinks when Javi joined me.
He was frowning at the money.
I was offering up his cocktail.
He transferred his attention to the drink. “What’s that?”
“A Fallen Angel.”
I was relieved when I noticed my answer made his lips curl up.
I got why he was in a bad mood. What happened with Cody would put me in a bad mood too. And no one could be in a good mood all the time.
But if I could do something to help get him out of it, I would.
And I was pleased I did.
He took the cocktail, sipped it, then gave his verdict. “Not bad.”
“Jessie shook it, so of course it’s not bad.”
He did his arm-slinging-around-my-neck thing and led me to the food.
We loaded up and moved to the chairs. He sat me next to Luna, who was next to Raye, who was beside Shanti, with Willow next to her.
The dudes stood off to the side because apparently badasses didn’t sit during ad hoc apartment resident meetings.
When everyone was seated, Bill stood up at the front.
He was carrying a microphone.
“Is that from his karaoke set?” Luna asked.
It didn’t look like it, since the machine wasn’t there. Just a couple of speakers set up on a table behind him.
“Testing, testing,” Bill said into the microphone.
“We can hear you even without that thing,” Martha shouted.
“Right,” Bill muttered into the microphone. Then, he said, “Okay, first Oasis Square Residents Meeting is called to order. We have an agenda we have to get through so,”—he pinpointed Martha with his stare—“no comments from the peanut gallery. If you want to say something, wait until I open it up for commentary and raise your hand.”
Martha broke Bill’s rule instantly. “Who made you boss?”
Zach got up and took the microphone from Bill. “Excellent segue, Martha. The first item on the agenda is that we’ll now be voting on me and Bill as co-presidents of the Oasis Square Residents’ Association.” He addressed the crowd. “Who votes aye?”