Page 16 of Dead Serious Case 5 Madame Vivienne

“What?” I ask as he makes himself a coffee. “Why?”

“He said he had some stuff he had to do.” Sam shrugs. “I’m hungry. Is all this food for eating or are we just going to look at it?” He eyes the platters and plates containing all kinds of finger foods spread across our kitchen counters.

“I may have gone a little overboard,” Chan admits. He reaches over and grabs a plate, which he then hands to Sam. “I’ve got mini sausage rolls coming out of the oven in a bit.”

“Thanks.” He takes the plate and moves towards the mini pizzas. “I skipped breakfast and lunch. I’m about ready to chew my own arm off.”

“So what’s going on with you and Harrison?” I ask. “Have you been arguing again? Is that why he’s not here?”

“We don’t argue.” Sam begins to pile his plate high with food. “We converse… vigorously.”

Dusty snorts. “Sorry, I heard vigorous foreplay.”

“Not true,” he replies.

“What’s not true?” Danny asks.

“Dusty says they’re having vigorous foreplay,” I repeat.

“Are you?” Danny looks at Sam curiously.

“No we are not,” Sam rolls his eyes. “And that’s not what Dusty said, she said that the way Prickles and I argue is foreplay. Which is not true.”

Danny grins. “It is absolutely true.”

“Not you too.” Sam sighs and bites a carrot stick dunked in Thousand Island dressing.

“Sorry, mate.” Danny nods his head in our direction. “This lot is already betting as to whether or not you two are sleeping together yet.”

Sam swallows and fixes his dark eyes on us. “We. Are. Not. We’re friends… kind of. That’s all.”

“Oh, please.” Dusty snorts. “Whenever you two are in the same room, you’re about two seconds away from pulling his pigtails if he had any.”

“He could always pull something else,” Chan mutters, hiding his grin behind his mug of tea before sipping.

“Haven’t you got anything better to gossip about?” Sam says pointedly.

“No,” Dusty, Chan, and I all chorus.

Just then the doorbell rings. “I’ll get it,” Danny says. He grins at Sam’s sullen look and heads toward the door.

I’m betting that Sam would very much like to get into Harrison’s very neatly pressed pants and I’m not talking about his trousers. I’m very fond of Harrison but honestly, he’s so pristine and strait-laced that it wouldn’t surprise me if he ironed his underwear.

“Hey, so this is where you disappeared to.” Aidan walks into the kitchen and eyes up the food. “I’m starving. Can we eat now that Danny and Tris are back?”

“Sure you can, honey. After all, it’s been a whole hour since you last ate.” Chan eyes Aidan’s skinny frame. “I honestly don’t know where you put it all. You must have hollow legs.”

Aidan grins. “Fast metabolism.”

“Enjoy while you can,” I murmur as the kitchen timer pings.

“Grab the sausage rolls out of the oven, will you,” Chan asks Aidan and he nods, picking up a tea towel. He opens the oven door and bends down to retrieve a tray of golden mini sausage rolls.

“Hey, look who decided to drop by,” Danny says as he re-enters the kitchen, his voice filled with happiness.

I glance over and see his nephew Nick beside him. “Nick! How was the journey down? Are you all settled in to your new place?”

“It was good, thanks.” He nods, his stance relaxed and his hands tucked in his jeans pockets as he rocks back on his heels. “And yeah, I’m settled, properly met my new roommates. We’ve been talking online for a while but we all get on well.”