The Davenport Christmas Chronicles - Piper Davenport Page 0,54
but I swear to god, if someone tries to make us go home before we want to, you and I are gonna have a very tense conversation.”
“I’ll hide the kitchen appliances,” he retorted, smacking her butt as he helped her into the van.
Jasmine and Willow burst into laughter as they followed Olivia.
I waited until the sliding door was closed and everyone was buckled in. “Spill,” Parker demanded, and Jasmine grinned.
“Before Olivia and Doc made it official,” Jasmine said, “Liv had a penchant for throwing small kitchen appliances at Doc’s head.”
“Or frying pans,” Lyric added.
“Oh my god,” Parker rasped, snorting with laughter.
“In my defense, I was a little insecure about where I stood with Doc.”
“Even though he told you over and over again how much he loved you, and showed you every second he could,” Jasmine countered.
Olivia grimaced. “I was a little unstable then. But it’s all good now. I haven’t even thrown a pillow at him. I’ve evolved.”
“We’re all so, so proud,” Lyric said, and Olivia laughed.
“We’re here.” Mouse pulled the van into the parking lot of Blurr and turned off the engine, turning to face us. “Y’all know the ground rules, right?”
“Dance until we can’t stand, and fuck the first hottie I come across,” I quipped.
Mouse turned his head toward me...slowly, and I heard Quin whisper, “Oh, shit.”
Continuing to stare me down, Mouse said, “Ladies, go ahead and step out. Kennedy and I are gonna have a quick conversation.”
“No, we’re not,” I countered.
Mouse gently took my arm as I tried to move to the door. “Ladies. Please.”
Being the traitors they were, the ladies scrambled out of the van and Shadow had to steady a couple of them as they fled.
“Close the door, brother,” Mouse said, and Shadow nodded, sliding the door closed.
I shook my head, pulling myself from the memory, and turning off the water. Christmas was rapidly approaching, and my boss needed me in the office early so we could get everything sorted before the office closed for two weeks. I was the executive assistant for the vice president of marketing, working for one of the largest tech companies in Savannah.
And I hated it.
My passion was sugar. Baking to be exact. I loved to create confectionery masterpieces and I was damn good at it. My dream was to open my own bakery, but for the moment, I was grinding it in the real world and saving every penny I could.
I took time to enjoy a giant cup of coffee, considering I didn’t have to leave for work for another hour, then I locked up my little one-bedroom apartment and headed into work.
* * *
Mouse
“Mouse!” Doc bellowed from the other side of the great room.
“Yeah?” I replied from the kitchen. I was currently pouring myself a cup of tar in an effort to wake up.
“Come help me with this fuckin’ tree.”
It was the club’s tenth annual holiday party for foster kids, and we were busting our asses to get everything ready in time. The party was Saturday and since today was Thursday, we were running a bit behind.
I walked into the great room and laughed. The Christmas tree was at least twelve feet tall and made Doc look like an elf.
“Don’t start,” Doc ordered.
“You didn’t want a bigger tree, huh?” I asked as I grabbed hold of the trunk so Doc could secure it.
“Olivia wanted this one. She said she wanted it to be ‘spectacular.’ Fuck me, never again.”
I held back a chuckle. If Olivia wanted an even bigger one next year, Doc’d chop it down himself if he couldn’t find one to buy, so his edict was a load of shit.
“Oh my god, baby, that looks amazing,” Olivia said, strolling out from her office down the hall.
Doc frowned at her. “This is bullshit, woman. Total overkill.”
“It’s perfect. The kids are going to love it.” She grasped her hands in front of her. “I love it.”
“You’re gonna need to water it every day,” Doc warned.
“We can get recruits to do that,” I countered.
Doc glared at me. “Or, my woman can do it since she insisted on having a sycamore in the middle of the goddamn barn.”
I smiled at Olivia. “Recruits’ll do it, babe.”
“Oh, I know,” she sassed.
“We don’t even have enough decorations to cover this monstrosity,” Doc grumbled.
“Oh, no,” Olivia said in mock horror. “I’m going to have to take the girls into town to shop.”
“You did this on purpose,” Doc accused.
She raised her hands in surrender. “I will neither confirm nor deny.”