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Next drink, please.

“Alrighty then.” Odie shook pineapple juice, rum, and triple sec together, doling out our equal shares before topping everything off with 7-Up and handing them to us. “Drink up.”

“This is a lot less fun when you can’t drink,” Ellie whined from behind us on the couch.

“Only four more years,” Odie said without turning around. She was mixing her own drink, another gin and tonic. Disgusting.

“I can’t even have a little taste? Don’t you want me to know what I like before then so that no douchebag can impress me with his booze skills?”

“Ellery,” Odie said in half shock as she turned around. “You know what? Fine. Taste this.” Odie picked up her glass and held it out to Ellie who practically fell over the back of the couch to get to us.

“What is it?” She gripped the glass in her hands and stared down at it.

“Gin and tonic. It’s a classic drink.”

Ellie smiled with glee before taking a sip. The smile was quickly wiped off her face as she sputtered and coughed, making a spectacle of how gross it was.

“What the fu—fudge is that shit?” Odie sighed and ran a hand down her face but accepted that Ellie at least tried to not cuss.

Cy and I shared a glance as we laughed at her.

“Gin. Tonic. What do you think?” Odie took her drink back and sipped it.

“It’s so gross. Why would anyone drink that?” Ellie’s face was scrunched up in disgust as she grabbed what was left of our 7-Up and downed it.

“It’s an acquired taste. It’s odd and reminds me of being out in nature, so I like it.”

I agree with Ellie. It’s nasty.

“Same. I’ve never understood why Odie liked those things.”

Oh, so that doesn’t count as something tasty?

“Definitely not. I did find a blood orange gin once that worked well in some drinks but didn’t work in a regular gin and tonic fashion.” I could see something like that working in a mixed drink, but why bother when rum was an option?

“Can I try something not terrible? Please?” Ellie drew out please in the annoying fashion teenagers did when they wanted something.

“Sure. Try this.”

“Cy!” Odie admonished, but it was too late.

Ellie sipped the concoction, and her nose wrinkled. “That’s a lot better, but I still don’t like it.”

She sounded disappointed. “What else you got?”

“Ellie, no.”

“Odie, yes! I’m not going to get drunk, and a few sips isn’t going to kill me. I want to be included.”

Odie glared down at her with her hazel eyes before running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know what else I would even make you. These are the two sides of the cocktail spectrum.”

I shook my head in exasperation. This is still booze heavy. Let me give it a try. Can I look at what else there is?

Cy nodded. “Have at it. You can’t miss the cabinet upstairs.”

I ran up there and got to work. By ran, I meant walked and hoped the alcohol didn’t hit me right then. I grabbed a few things and made my way downstairs again.

I mixed together peach schnapps, white rum, orange juice, and cranberry juice in a shaker before pouring it over ice and handing it over. I went a little heavier on the peach schnapps versus the rum this time.