Page 44 of Poison Apple Crisp
Everett nods her way. “You get busy scoping out the guests, and I’ll find a dark corner and get busy with my wife.”
A dark laugh strums from me. “A tiger doesn’t change his stripes even if he is married. I’m so thankful you’re not sick of me yet. I’ve been craving a little more than those fried pickles. I might have to take you up on that dark corner offer. It’s as if I’m insatiable these days. That is, when I’m not feeling like a rag that got caught up in the tires of a semi. Creating new life is an exhausting endeavor.”
“And a horny one at that,” Greer snarks. “But I guess that’s what got you into this pickled predicament to begin with.”
Carlotta pops up. “That’s my Lot Lot, deep-fried, pickled, and perverted.” She pats me on the back. “You two ready to lose your shirts in tonight’s brain-a-thon? I’m about to head up a game of strip Scrabble. So far I’ve got Mayor Nash, Wiley Fox, Suze-the-Snooty-Schmooze Fox, and Meg to play the first round. I’ve got room for two more. How about it, Sexy? You feel like showing off those guns to get the girls here going?”
His lids hood as he looks my way. “Definitely later.” He leans in. “Maybe even sooner than that. But I was thinking more of a private show.” His brows hike a notch. “The dark hallway proposition is still on the table.”
“I’m not above haunting these halls myself.” I put my lips to his ear. “You won’t believe the moaning I’m capable of.”
Everett blows out a breath. “You know how to make the temperature rise, Lemon.”
Mom runs up in a sparkly red dress and matching red lipstick.
“Oh, thank God, you’re both here,” she pants. “Everett, I have you and Noah down for the trivia challenge. We’re gearing up to start, so if you want to take a seat at the round table near the front, we’ll get moving.”
“Good luck.” I give him a little wink as I straighten his tie. “I know you’re going to kill it.” I make a face. “I guess I can’t really ask you to go easy on anyone. Not in this competition anyway. You simply can’t.”
“You’re right, I can’t. That’s why when Noah drops out early because he’s exhausted his gray matter, I want you to buy him a stiff drink from me.” His lips stretch back with a malevolent smile.
“All right, you,” I say as he leads us to the round table near the front where the brain drain is set to begin.
It’s an even split of men and women—almost twenty of them—so I’m assuming this could go on for a while. And Noah is one in that number.
“Hey, Lot.” He pulls me into a warm embrace. Noah has on a tweed jacket paired with dark jeans. And judging by that hard bulge on his side, he’s brought his gun with him. I, however, left Ethel at home. I figured with Noah here I wouldn’t need her, and I’m betting I’m right. His bullets are just as good as mine.
Noah nods my way. “Are you ready to console Everett once he’s eliminated?” He flashes those dimples to his former stepbrother. “You’re going down, Judge Baxter, once and for all.”
“Behave,” I tell them. I already opted out of this and every other competition citing that I couldn’t predict when my nausea would kick in. But that wasn’t the only reason I wanted to remain free to wander the room tonight. I’m hoping a handful of suspects will show up—namely Rachelle Dalton and Martin Smulder.
I spot Rachelle right off the bat with her blunt platinum blonde bob and overall angry appeal as she helps pass out cups of coffee to the people in the java line. I guess one out of two isn’t bad.
A man in a light blue suit calls the table in front of me to order, and soon he’s spouting off the rules for the trivia challenge.
“First wrong answer will leave the player disqualified,” he shouts. “Last player standing wins a gift card to the exclusive, ever so difficult to get into, Smulder’s Railway Restaurant. Owned and operated by Brenda’s own beloved fiancé. Unfortunately, Martin couldn’t be here this evening, but he encourages you to bring the family if you dare. The more the merrier when experiencing a trip while traveling around the Fallbrook hillsides—with an entire boxcar reserved for you and your friends, filled with culinary delights. This is fine dining, people.Finedining.” The man in blue raises a champagne flute, and the entire table goes wild.
I bend down to where Noah and Everett are seated. “Did you hear that? Smulder’s is owned by her fiancé. And apparently, that meal train is hard to hop onto. One of you has to win if I’m ever going to speak with him.”
“Don’t worry, Lemon.” Everett nods. “It’s as good as a done deal.”
Noah scowls at him a moment. “I’m bringing home the win, Lot. I’m doing it for you and the baby.” He tips his head toward Everett as if he’s bested him.
“And don’t you two worry about anything. I’m staying out of trouble tonight.” I wink without meaning to. It’s almost as if my body knows better. “In fact, I’ll text Evie and make sure she’s all right.” Evie said she was having her best friend Dash over to watch horror movies while we were gone for the night. I happen to know Evie has to sleep with the lights on after a scare-a-thon like that. She’s terrified of horror movies. She just likes to put on a brave front for her girlfriends.
Everett nods. “I appreciate it, Lemon. How about a kiss for good luck?”
I don’t hesitate to land a quick peck on his cheek. I’ll admit, it feels strange to be kissing Everett in such close proximity to Noah.
“Me too, Lot.” Noah offers up a cheek, and I give an even quicker peck to him. “Sorry,” I mouth to Everett before taking off.
The master of trivia ceremonies gets right to asking the hard questions, and slowly but surely a few people begin to drop away.
It’s still a win for the fundraiser, considering each person paid fifty bucks a pop to participate.
I spot Rachelle straightening the napkins over at the refreshment table and tossing away the discarded creamer pods, so I thread my way through the crowd as I speed her way.
My mother really has this place popping with a dice table, a roulette wheel, a seemingly innocent poker game, Carlotta’s strip Scrabble, and a few other events that I have no idea how they function.