Page 126 of The No Try Zone
“Come with me. Let’s get you out of the heat and put a cold soda in your hand.”
Elodie gives a tired smile. “Sounds good. And chips. Do you have Ruffles? Maybe some sour cream dip?”
I laugh. “We do. Ansel made sure we had that hidden away for you.”
Inside the kitchen, I pull out the chips and dip, nearly yelping as Elodie yanks them from me. “Hungry?”
She rips open the bag and shoves a chip in her mouth, shooting me a look that’s half apology and half feral. “Yes. No. I don’t even know.” Another chip, this one covered in dip, gets shoved in and she gives a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
I slide the ginger-flavored soda across the table with two fingers, a little worried she’s going to eat my hand next. “You’re welcome.”
Kari pokes her head in. “There you are!” She’s in a dark purple linen shift that falls to her knees, her short hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail to reveal the piercings that are usually covered. Her right ear is covered in gold studs and hoops, her left with a mere three pieces.
Elodie raises a chip in salute before popping it in her mouth.
“How’s set-up going out there?”
Kari shrugs. “No idea. The second I realized you two weren’t out there, I made a beeline for the kitchen. It’s basically the only place Elodie can be found these days.”
Elodie lifts her middle finger to Kari.
“Watch out, Kari, she’s a wild woman right now,” I laugh.
Kari gives a wry smile. “Good. She deserves to be.”
I tilt my head at the odd response. “What’s going on?”
Kari bites her lip. “Nothing.”
“Bullshit,” Elodie pronounces, a bit of chip flying out of her mouth.
“First she’s giving you the bird, now she’s cussing?” I ask incredulously. “What is going on here?”
Kari swallows, her eyes landing anywhere but on mine.
“Oh my gosh,” Elodie says, a wide smile on her face. “You got laid!”
Deep spots of crimson bloom high on Kari’s cheekbones as she presses her lips together.
“Oh, this is good,” I croon, propping my chin in my hand and relaxing in the chair. “Do tell.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” Kari says.
Elodie and I laugh. Before I can press her, Colin’s voice floats through the house.
“Hey, Sunshine? Can I get your help?”
“Coming!” I yell back. Then I point at Kari. “You’re gonna break eventually. And I, for one, can’t wait to be here when it happens.”
The humidity hits me like a punch when I walk back outside. July in this city is close to intolerable. The backyard is filling up, all the players and any significant others and kids milling around as Ollie and Ansel get the grill going.
“Help Carter with the punch?” Colin asks, nodding in the direction of our star left winger.
I smirk and dunk my hand into the ice to pull out a beer. “Sure thing, Coach.”
Colin’s eyes darken with heat as I make my way to Carter, who stands behind the tiki bar in the corner of the backyard staring morosely at the ingredients. He looks up as I approach.
“Why is there no booze to put in this punch?”
