[TRR x ES] Sojourn:Holiday High-jinks, Part 1
Pairings: Liam x Katrina, Drake x OC (Alyssa S.) Rating/Warnings: 18+; language, references to recreational drug use, alcohol consumption, implied limes Author’s Note: * All main characters belong to Pixelberry, I’m just borrowing them * Alyssa Devereaux is graciously on loan from @burnsoslow (in an AU to any version of Alyssa’s life that Burnsy has crafted) * This is my submission for Day 12′s 12 Days of Fictmas: Chaos Edition, hosted by @leelee10898 and @emichelle * This story is something I intended to write way the hell back in early 2019 before it got sidelined by other stories 😅 This year’s Fictmas theme fit well with the chaos of Sojourn holidays, so here’s the appetizer portion of things – Fictmas writers/readers, if you’re not in my perma/sojourn taglist and you’d like to see where the rest of the story goes, please let me know and I’ll tag you for part 2! Also, I forgot how much of this story I’d outlined and once I started writing…well, you can see the word count right there, lol Word Count: +/- 4400 😬
12 Days of Fictmas Taglist: @alj4890 @annekebbphotography @ao719 @axwalker @bbrandy2002 @burnsoslow @camillemontespan @cocomaxley @cordoniansgonewild @cordoniantrash @darley1101 @debramcg1106 @desireepow-1986 @emichelle @god-save-the-keen @hopefulmoonobject @innerpostmentality @janezillow @katedrakeohd @kat-tia801 @leelee10898 @lucy-268 @mom2000aggie @msjr0119 @ofpixelsandscribbles @plumeriavibes @sfb123 @speedyoperarascalparty @texaskitten30 @the-soot-sprite @twinkleallnight
Perma/Liam/Sojourn Taglist: @ao719 @blackcatkita @debramcg1106 @everythingchoices @gibbles82 @hustacks @ofpixelsandscribbles @plumeriavibes @smalltalk88 // @aestheticartsx @aworldoffandoms @bbrandy2002 @burnsoslow @choiceskatie @darley1101 @dcbbw @gardeningourmet @hopefulmoonobject @iplaydrake @liamxs-world @rainbowsinthestorm @riseandshinelittleblossom @superharriet @texaskitten30 @theroyalheirshadowhunter @the-soot-sprite
FTC: to the Finer Things ladies, thank you for allowing me to use your fanfic alter egos in this bit of ridiculousness - @brightpinkpeppercorn @likethetailofacomet @ooo-barff-ooo
Katrina craned her neck, scanning the crowd for someone. Liam and Drake were busy hefting suitcases onto the scale as the woman behind the counter checked in each member of their group. Alyssa handed Drake another suitcase down the line, while Mar, Donna, and Tru pushed theirs forward. Katrina’s face lit up and she shot her hand in the air, waving frantically to catch someone’s attention. “Lyss! Lyss! Over here!”
“What’s up, T?” Alyssa adjusted her glasses, peering over at her friend. “I’m right here, you don’t need to shout.”
“Oh,” Katrina exclaimed, sheepishly covering her mouth with one hand. “Oh, this is gonna get confusing,” she added, laughing lightly.
“What’s going on?” Liam looked back over his shoulder, returning IDs to Mar and Tru.
“You know how I told you one of the other interns I work with wanted to take Maxwell’s spot for the trip?”
“Yes…” Liam replied, taking IDs from Donna and Tru to hand over to the attendant.
“Well, her name is—“
“I’m here! I made it! Ow! My floooop!” A young woman ran up to the group, lurching forward as she tripped or got caught by something on the floor, leaving a bright purple flip flop behind. She whipped around to cram her bare foot back into the flop before it touched the floor, but as she did so, she twirled too hard and quickly began to lose her balance.
“Holy sh—“ Drake lunged forward to catch the young woman before she hit the floor, still holding on to her suitcase and carry-on bag. “Are you okay??”
The blue-eyed woman giggled and flashed a nervous smile up at him, slipping her foot back into her questionable footwear as he brought her up to a standing position. “Thanks for the save,” she replied. “Only my dignity’s bruised. What a way to make an entrance, am I right?”
“Lyss!” Katrina smiled and walked over to the stranger with piercing eyes, wrapping her in a tight hug. She turned to face the rest of her friends, who all had curious expressions. “Guys,” she began, gesturing to the stranger, “this is Alyssa Devereaux, she’s my work wife at the law office. Lyssa, meet Liam, Tru, Donna, Mar, and Drake…” Alyssa smiled and waved as Katrina ran down the line. “…And Alyssa Stiles.”
“Oh! Another Lyssa!” Alyssa Devereaux exclaimed. “Tree mentioned you!”
“Tree?” Drake looked over at the small-statured young woman.
“Ka-tree-na?” Alyssa Devereaux stuck her neck out slightly and widened her eyes, looking over at Katrina. “Nickname was right there. First thing that popped into my head when she said she doesn’t go by Kat.”
Alyssa Stiles grinned at her name twin. “That’s not the worst argument for a nickname,” she chuckled. “But how are we going to make this less confusing for the trip?”
“I go by Lyssa, or Lyss, if either of those help,” Alyssa Devereaux offered.
Alyssa Stiles chuckled again. “So do I.”
“Crap. Call me Devereaux?”
“That’s so many syllables,” Drake muttered under his breath.
“Aren’t nicknames supposed to be shorter, like…the opposite of Leeloominaï Lekatariba Lamina-Tchaï Ekbat De Sebat?” Tru leaned to whisper to Donna.
“Okay, Corbin,” Donna chuckled.
“Lyssa S. and Lyssa D.?” Mar suggested.
Their discussion was put on hold when the woman behind the counter asked for Alyssa Devereaux’s ID and they had to wheel her luggage to the counter. “Small Lyssa, let’s get you checked in,” Drake said, hoisting her suitcase onto the scale. “Holy crap, what did you pack in here?!”
“My stuff,” Alyssa Devereaux replied matter-of-factly. “And that’s what you can call me.”
“Huh?” Drake stuck his bottom lip forward and blew a puff of air at his forehead, moving some hair out of the way.
“You called me SmoLyssa. And she,” Alyssa Devereaux jutted her thumb at Alyssa Stiles, “can be ToLyssa, ‘cause she’s tall.”
Alyssa Stiles and Drake chuckled at the new names. “Works for me,” ToLyssa replied.
Drake pecked ToLyssa on the cheek as they stepped aside. “I’m just gonna keep calling you Méli,” he grinned.
SmoLyssa leaned towards Katrina and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Ohhh, they’re the other couple here, right?”
“Right, Drake and Alyssa are engaged,” Katrina replied. “I told you that, didn’t I? I swear I did.”
“You did, I just…forgot…until just now.”
—
Liam felt horrible for accidentally dosing everyone at the end of last year’s Christmas party, so in an effort to make up for his faux pas, he’d booked a penthouse suite at a tropical island for anyone that wanted to spend the end of the year on a beach. It was an offer only Rachael could refuse, because she’d bought tickets to see two of her favorite bands perform over the break. Maxwell had been all set to take Rachael’s spot and join Liam before he left for New York, but he stayed in Cordonia when Bertrand was on the verge of having a conniption to sort out Maxwell’s newest addition to the Beaumont investment portfolio.
The group was seated in first class on a flight to Miami to cover most of the journey. The first leg of the trip went off without a hitch, aside from SmoLyssa’s initial anxiety attack when she boarded the plane. Mar talked her through some deep breathing exercises and let SmoLyssa crumple her hand in a death grip during takeoff. Upon arrival in Miami, they’d have to take a small jet to reach their destination at a remote island in the Greater Antilles.
When they arrived in Miami, they hopped aboard a small shuttle with all of their things to head to a smaller runway, away from the main section of the airport. The shuttle driver stopped in front of what looked like an empty hangar, and everyone stepped out, looking rather perplexed. “Is it terrible that I wish you’d taken the royal jet?” Drake asked, casting a worried look over to Liam.
“Honestly, I’m thinking the same thing,” Liam replied, adjusting the strap of his bag over one shoulder. They ventured into the hangar to find a rather dilapidated looking Cessna. “Hello?” Liam called out, hoping for some sign of a pilot.
“Dude, is this thing even going to make it to the island? That looks like duct tape on the wing!” Drake peered up, scratching his head.
The door popped open and a sandy-haired man in jeans and a green military jacket descended the stairs, roughly running his hands through his nearly shoulder length locks. “Hey now, Glinda mighta seen better days, but she’ll get ya where you need to go.” He slapped the side of the jet affectionately, offering a lopsided grin to the group. “‘M Jake. I’ll be your pilot today.”
Mar grabbed hold of Donna’s shirt sleeve. “Help,” she whispered quietly. “I think I just fell in love.”
Donna stifled a laugh. “Are you serious right now?”
“Dead serious!”
“Nice to meet you, Mr….” Liam prodded, extending his hand to Jake for a handshake.
“No need to be so formal,” Jake replied. “Just call me Jake.”
Undeterred, Liam withdrew his hand. “Ah, well, Jake…I’m Liam, this is my fiancée Trina, and our friends. Will your co-pilot be joining us soon?”
“No co-pilot, Mr. Manners,” he answered. Liam and Drake shared another concerned look between them. “The Gorilla tape on Glinda’s wing is just a temporary patch ’til I’m done shuttling folks over to the islands today. Busy, busy time of the year.” He eyed the pile of suitcases on the ground. “If y’all don’t mind gettin your hands dirty, it’s all hands on deck if you wanna leave anytime soon.”
Everyone set to work to load their luggage onto the plane. When they were nearly done, Jake noticed a pair of ladies hanging back; one of them clung to the other’s arm and whispered in her friend’s ear several times, sneaking glances at him. “You doin’ okay over there, Princess?”
Mar let go of Donna’s arm and patted at her dress. “Me? I’m fine!” She squeaked, offering Jake a bashful smile.
“It’s a short flight, but once we’re at cruising altitude, maybe you’d like to see the island from the best spot.”
“Where would that be?” Mar inquired.
“Next to me, in the cockpit,” Jake grinned. Mar laughed nervously at his invitation, but the way she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and briefly lowered her gaze was enough of a confirmation for Jake. He was about to ask for her name when he noticed one of the other passengers pacing back and forth, muttering to herself.
“Ohmygodohmygod, what was I thinking? This is NOT how to get over my fear of flying!” The smaller Alyssa talked to herself as she paced back and forth, pausing to look over at the frightfully small plane, before throwing her hands up in the air and pacing again. “I can just go home…oh god, but then I’d be flying alone! Maybe I’ll take a train, or a bus…”
Liam and Katrina walked over to Alyssa. “Lyss, you okay?” Trina placed her hand on SmoLyssa’s shoulder, breaking her out of her trance.
“Why did I think this would be a good idea?” Alyssa exclaimed. “I didn’t like flying even before my parents…y’know…” she gestured at the plane.
Liam looked to Katrina for an answer; Katrina mouthed “plane crash” to him and he nodded solemnly. “This private airline was highly recommended when I booked the trip,” Liam assured her, speaking softly. “Trina and I fly all the time, no worse for the wear.”
Alyssa exhaled and stared at the plane again. “Yeah, well the plane my dad rented was in perfect condition when my parents set out for their trip. Not a strip of Gorilla tape to be seen,” she quipped, shooting a look at the pilot.
Jake looked over his shoulder and strode over to the small group with the worried girl. “Missy, I’ve been flyin’ planes before you could drive. I’ve flown through sandstorms, across oceans, and worse. Glinda and I’ll get you to the island safe and sound. I’ve already made this trip twice today, third time’s a charm.”
“How old do you think I am?” Alyssa scoffed.
Jake shrugged. “Twenty? Twenty-one?”
Alyssa choked back a laugh, covering the wide smile on her face with her hand. “Oh my god, you’re sweet,” she giggled. Jake’s brows knit together in confusion. “I’m nearly twenty-eight.”
Jake grinned. “I’ll be. We’re about the same age then.” He sidestepped closer to her. “I promise to get you and all your friends to the island in one piece. I’ve got friends waiting for me there as well, so I don’t wanna end up in the water either. It’s a short flight, little under ninety minutes…it’ll go by like that,” he added, snapping his fingers for emphasis.
“You’ve got your noise-cancelling headphones, and your phone’s all charged up to blast your Chill Zone playlist?” Katrina asked.
“Yes and yes,” Alyssa answered.
“Hey! Farm Boy! Hands off the tape!” Jake hollered at Drake as he left Alyssa, Katrina, and Liam to wrap up their conversation. “Gotta schedule to keep folks, time to fly!” He walked brusquely past Drake, up the stairs and into the jet.
Drake looked at his fiancée, back to the stairs, and back to his bee charmer again. “Did he…just call me a farm boy??”
ToLyssa fought the amused grin that wanted to break out across her face. “I think it’s from your shirt, babe.” She motioned at the red flannel shirt he’d worn during the flight to stay warm.
“Great. Just great. He’s handing out nicknames like Tic Tacs and now I’m forever gonna be known as Farm Boy.”
“For all of an hour or two,” Alyssa giggled. “Let it go.”
The interior of the plane seemed to be in better condition than the outside; plush leather seats filled the width and length of the cabin. Everyone filtered in, claiming a seat for themselves, while Jake bustled about to prepare for takeoff. Two men the group hadn’t noticed before opened the hangar doors wide, and Mar and Tru ascended the stairs to board. “Ready for an adventure, Princess?” Jake winked at Mar as he pulled the door shut, and she grinned as he slipped back into the cockpit.
“Oh my word, he called me Princess again, Tru!” Mar beamed at her friend as they buckled into their seats. “Did you see him? He’s so gorgeous!”
“Looks like a good bit of trouble, if you ask me,” Tru smirked. “Best kind there is.”
—
After a shockingly smooth hour and a half in the air, Jake touched down on the tropical island of La Huerta. As promised, he’d invited Mar to join him in the cockpit to take in the view of the island on their approach. After he helped his passengers unload their things, he waved goodbye to Mar as the hotel golf carts shuttled them from the tarmac towards the hotel, at the main part of the island.
Liam checked in at the front desk, doling out room cards to everyone before they made their way to the penthouse suite. A round of wide-eyed oohs and ahhs made its way through the group when the double door entrance swung wide. The opposite wall was composed of floor to ceiling windows, offering a glorious view of the island. “Two king suites with one bed each to the left,” he called out. “And double beds in the suites to the right.”
“Who should I room with?” SmoLyssa asked, feeling slightly out of place.
“C’mon, we can be roomies,” Donna offered, taking hold of her hand. “Question…morning or night person?”
“Afternoon, if I’m being honest,” Alyssa laughed. “I need about two hours after I wake up before I can tolerate people.”
Donna smiled as they headed towards one of the suites. “We’re gonna get along just fine!”
—
The first three days on the island were idyllic, if not a little crowded by other guests who had the same idea to escape to a warmer climate for Christmas. Drake laughed at Alyssa Devereaux’s expense each time they ran into each other on the beach, because he discovered why her suitcase was so heavy. “SmoLyssa, they make these things called e-readers for folks like you,” he teased, lightly kicking sand at her feet as he walked past. He nodded to ToLyssa to walk ahead. “What is that, your fourth book now?”
“I like to read,” SmoLyssa shrugged, pushing the bridge of her sunglasses closer to her face.
“Why not read on a kindle? It’d be a lot lighter when you travel.”
“Books don’t require being charged to read them. If, heaven forbid, this book gets waterlogged, I could dry it out and still read it. Drop this baby on the ground and my bank account won’t cringe at having to replace it. Plus, the old books smell like a little piece of heaven.”
“That weird musty odor you love so much is from your beloved books falling apart and releasing chemicals.”
“Go away, Farm Boy,” she teased, grinning at Drake while avoiding eye contact.
Drake sighed, half-heartedly amused. “I swear to god, if I see that stupid pilot again, I’ll…”
“You’ll what? Fetch him a pail of water?”
Drake shook his head, grinning against his own wishes not to, and offered a small wave to SmoLyssa as he started walking away. “As you wish,” he called out over his shoulder, before jogging over to his Alyssa.
A few minutes later, Katrina and Liam emerged from the ocean and joined Alyssa under her umbrella. “That better not be anything educational,” Katrina teased. She tilted her head to one side and squeezed the water from her hair, letting it drip into the sand.
“Purely self-indulgent,” Alyssa replied, holding up the book to show her friend the cover.
“Remember…Two Things?” Liam asked, squinting to read the text under the bright sunlight.
“Boy and Girl meet each other in college and fall in love, but he breaks her heart for reasons…and they reunite close to a decade later under some interesting circumstances.”
“How is it compared to the one you finished yesterday…Full Disclosure?”
“They’re both wonderful in their own ways! You’d like Full Disclosure, you should read it while we’re here…but Donna’s claimed it for the time being.”
“Leave it to your work wife to bring along her own reading library while on vacation,” Liam chuckled, settling down onto a towel.
“Reading is good for you, even if it’s fiction.” Alyssa picked up her book again, running a manicured finger over the page to pick up where she’d left off.
“I agree wholeheartedly,” Liam replied. “But you’re missing out on this beautiful view.”
“We’re here through New Year’s,” Alyssa answered coolly. “I’m pacing myself.”
Katrina settled down on a towel next to Liam, leaning back on her arms as she pointed her chin to the sky. “I’m just happy to have a break from pulling records and having my eyes dry out from scanning over reports.”
Without missing a beat, Alyssa raised one hand in the air towards Katrina, just as Katrina mirrored the same action. “Amen, Tree!”
Liam looked between them. “What was that?”
“Air five,” Katrina answered, leaning towards him to kiss his cheek.
—
Between the guests walking around, no one noticed the familiarly tall blonde as he made his way through the lobby and towards the outdoor dining restaurant. From a safe distance at one of the poolside bars, he watched a table of eight filled with familiar faces, save for a petite woman with striking blue eyes and dark hair.
He ducked back into the hotel, headed towards the kitchen, when he noticed a cheerful redhead at the dessert station. “Pardon me, are you Quinn Kelly?”
The redhead tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear, leaving a dusting of flour across her cheek. “I sure am! How can I help you?”
“My friends are celebrating with lunch today, and I wanted to surprise them with a treat. Only they need to be vegan, so I have this oil I wanted to use instead of butter. I thought I could make them myself.” He winked at Quinn.
Quinn’s face dropped at the suggestion. “Oh, well, normally I’d offer you an apron and let you back here, but…” she dropped her voice before continuing, “guests aren’t supposed to be back here in general, especially not to cook.”
“Not even just once?” He pleaded with her, offering his best attempt at making innocent eyes.
Quinn bit her lip in thought. “Tell you what, let me know what you wanted to make for your friend, I’ll bake it myself, and make sure it gets delivered to their table as a complimentary dessert!”
“A simple chocolate cake would be great, unless you had another idea.”
“How many servings?”
“Eight.” He didn’t necessarily want to include the small statured stranger, but it would be obvious if she was excluded.
“Aside from the vegan thing, anything specific to add or avoid?”
“Chocolate is a crowd pleaser, but I’m open to suggestions.”
Quinn thought for a moment, running various recipes through her head. She tapped her lips with a finger when an idea struck her. “Mint Chocolate soufflés? Decadent and light, and I’ve been dying to try out a vegan recipe I found!”
“That would be perfect!” He beamed. “Would it at least be alright if I stayed back here and watched? I won’t get in the way, and you won’t need the whole jar of oil for your recipe.”
Quinn looked at the rather nondescript glass jar in the man’s hand. It was the size of a small jelly jar, filled with what smelled faintly of coconut when she unscrewed the cap. “I guess that would be okay,” she surmised, ducking under the counter to pull mixing bowls and ramekins to her station. “Do you know which table your friends are seated at?”
“The eight top at table fifteen,” he replied.
“So,” Quinn began, looking up to her temporary baking audience. “What’s your name, stranger?” She began measuring sugar from one container.
“I’m Leo.”
—
Everyone had gathered at La Huerta’s outdoor restaurant for lunch, looking tanned and relaxed as they chatted over each other in multiple conversations. The wait staff had cleared their plates and offered complimentary mint chocolate soufflés for the dessert of the day; crumbs and dusting sugar on plates were the only evidence they’d been served anything at all, as everyone remarked on how flavorful the dessert tasted, heightened by the refreshing addition of mint.
As they sat back and relaxed, Liam stretched his arm over the back of Katrina’s chair. “I heard there’s a ski lodge near the northern part of the island, if you want a temporary change of pace from the heat.”
“Now why on earth would anyone want to head into snow, when you’re in a jungle paradise?”
The loud, booming, familiar voice made everyone but Alyssa Devereaux cringe.
“Hello to my favorite New York residents! And Liam,” Leo exclaimed, making his way to the table.
Liam’s brows jumped to his hairline as he stood up, and he fixed his expression from shock to mild surprise when he turned around to greet his brother with a hug. At the table, Drake mumbled something incoherent to ToLyssa, and the corners of Tru’s mouth curled up to a Grinch grin.
SmoLyssa leaned over in her seat, whispering to Mar. “Who’s that, and why does everyone look pissed?”
“Leo!” Liam exclaimed, clapping Leo’s shoulder with a little more force than usual. “What are you doing here? Is Katie with you?”
“I’m meant to meet her and her family in California for New Years,” Leo answered. “I was working over the holiday, but my team didn’t qualify for the time trials. I thought I’d drop in on all of you before I headed to the West Coast.” He smiled and hugged Katrina, along with smiling and waving to everyone else at the table. “And who are you?” He walked around the table to SmoLyssa’s side.
“Alyssa…” she replied, noting the surprise in his eyes. “Devereaux. I’m an intern with Tree.”
“Tree?” Leo’s eyebrows raised in question as he kissed the back of Alyssa’s hand.
“Katrina,” Alyssa explained.
“Well, welcome to the group, Lyssa Two,” Leo grinned again, pulling a seat from a nearby table to sit between Alyssa and Mar.
“Actually, it’s SmoLyssa and ToLyssa,” she corrected. “We went with short and tall.”
“Even better,” Leo replied.
“Pretty expensive detour just to say hello,” Drake grumbled. ToLyssa elbowed him lightly in the ribs.
“What was that, Walker?”
“Don’t start, you two,” Katrina warned. “The island is big enough for you both.”
“Doubtful,” Drake grumbled again. He rose abruptly from his seat. “I need to use the restroom.”
A couple walked over to the table before Liam could go after Drake. The woman had an asymmetrical hairstyle, with one side of her hair buzzed short, and a number of piercings in her eyebrow and ears. The man with her wore a letterman jacket, even though it was a balmy 82 degrees in the shade. “Donna, you prepped for the bar crawl?”
“I’m full of carbs and I’ve packed my Pepcid,” Donna assured them. “Hopefully that’ll hold off the Glow long enough.” She folded up the napkin in her lap and set it on the cushion when she stood up. “Sorry, guys, this is Zahra and Craig, I met them yesterday in the game room. Z, Craig, these are my friends, Mar, Small Lyssa, Leo, Tru, Katrina, Liam, and Tall Lyssa. You just missed Drake.”
“You’re all welcome to join us, if you want,” Craig offered. “We’re wandering through the hotel and its various bars.”
“Because…?” Leo asked.
“Because it’s Tuesday and we’re on vacation?” Zahra replied.
Mar tucked her phone into her bag and stood up. “I actually have plans to meet up with someone in a few minutes.” Her cheeks began to flush a light shade of pink.
Craig nudged Zahra’s ribs, taking note of Mar’s appearance. “Z, psst Z, it’s her! That’s Jasmine!”
Mar blinked at Craig. “Who?”
“You’re off to see Jake, aren’t you?” Zahra grinned. “He slipped up and said something about Princess Jasmine the other day.”
The group grinned at Mar, whose cheeks turned three shades darker. “H-how do you know Jake? Y’know what, doesn’t matter.” She made her way through the chairs. “Text me for where to meet you for dinner!”
“So,” Zahra clapped her hands together, looking out at the group again. “Any other takers? Drink your cares away Tuesday?” Only Donna stood up as the rest of the group politely declined. “Your loss then, let’s get started!”
Donna waved to her friends as she followed after Craig and Zahra. “Text me for dinner plans too!”
“And then there were…” Leo paused to look around the table. “Six.”
“Seven,” ToLyssa corrected. “You forgot Drake.”
“Where is he? He’s been gone a while now,” SmoLyssa remarked.
“Butterfly!” Katrina leapt up from her seat when she noticed a small, blue butterfly fluttering near the bushes at the edge of the patio. “It looks like it’s glowing!”
“Trina, hold on!” Liam called out, grabbing her purse from Katrina’s empty seat. “Um, we may be back, I don’t know…group chat near dinnertime if anyone has ideas?” He ran off after Katrina, who was running towards the shore.
ToLyssa stood up from the table. “I should go look for Drake. You in, name twin?” She looked over to SmoLyssa.
“You good here, Tru?” SmoLyssa gathered up her things, casting a wary glance in Leo’s direction.
“I’ll be alright,” Tru answered. “You two should check on Drake.”
“Something you’re not telling us?” ToLyssa asked her friend.
“TBD,” Tru winked. “Details to follow.” Tru and Leo sat quietly at the table as the two Alyssas walked off, in search of Drake. “So, Tumult,” Tru grinned, “good to see you again.” Leo leaned forward and picked up a full glass of water, holding it up to Tru. “That was Mar’s, she didn’t drink it.”
Leo took several sips from the glass and set it down on the table. “Nice to see you too, Eris.” He waved lightly at her dyed hair. “What d’you call this color?”
“Iridescent oil slick. What’d you do this time?”
“Testing a theory,” Leo grinned. A waitress came by the table with the bill, looking surprised to see Tru and Leo as the only diners left. “I’ll take that, thank you,” he replied, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He glanced at the total, letting out a puff of air as he counted out some bills. “You can charge the meal to the room, correct?”
“Yes, sir,” the waitress answered.
“Great, please do that,” Leo replied, tucking in a generous tip. “Thanks for your service today.” He waited until the waitress walked away, leaving the unlikely pair at the table again. “Wanna see what I did?”
“Always,” Tru answered.