“You wouldn’t recognize a real mystery if one jumped out and bit you in the ass.”
“Yeah, right, Shaggy,” Steve retorted. “Want a Scooby snack with your burger?”
Mike leaned back with a smile and casually flipped Steve off again.
“Beer?” Joe asked, waving the bottles.
“In the cooler with the rest of ‘em,” Steve said.
Joe popped open the cooler and put the bottles of beer into it. There were already a dozen cans of Budweiser in it – he felt a little out of place. It was too late for that, though, and Steve had liked the stuff when he’d had it yesterday.
The boy who’d answered the door came tearing past Joe. He was dressed in just a pair of teal swim trunks and cannonballed into the pool. The slapping sound made Joe wince. The water from the splash almost made it to the deck.
Joe sat down at the table across from Mike and Linda.
It was tough to tell with them sitting, but Mike seemed to be about Joe’s height, maybe 5’10”. He was a little more solid that Joe was, though nowhere near as much as Steve. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt that was, on close inspection, subtly mottled. He had a thin bracelet of twined canvas and leather strips on his left wrist. His wife was a little bit smaller, almost willowy. She was wearing a white linen shirt over a one-piece black bathing suit.
“Hi,” Joe said as he sat. He pushed his nervousness aside.
“Hey,” Mike said. “I’m Mike. Pay no attention to that Neanderthal of a brother-in-law of mine.” Mike raised his voice. “He’s just insecure.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m in awe of your amazing psychic powers, Houdini. How do you want your hamburger?”
“Alive and living free on the plains.”
“Fine, I’ll feed it to the wolves next door.”
“Vegetarian?” Joe asked.
“We don’t serve vegetarians,” Steve said over Joe’s shoulder as he dropped a plate with hamburgers on it onto the table. “They’re too stringy.”
Joe just looked back and forth between Steve and Mike. Despite the conversation, they were clearly both enjoying themselves. He got the feeling this was a long-standing argument.
“Um, Joe Hennessey,” Joe said, holding his hand out to shake.
“Mike whoa!” His introduction was cut short as soon as he touched Joe’s hand. Mike rocked back in his seat.
“Interesting last name,” Joe said before he could stop himself.
“I can see why Captain Caveman there invited you over,” Mike said, rubbing his hand and grinning at Joe. It was clear he enjoyed the sparring.
“Sorry about the shock,” Joe said. “Nylon shorts. Didn’t expect the static.”
“Oh, it wasn’t static,” Mike said. The way he said it made Joe a little uneasy. “There’s something very unusual about you. Can I see your hand?”
Joe warily held it out. “Going to read my palm?”
“Something like that,” Mike said. He took Joe’s hand and frowned. “Now that’s interesting,” he said.
“What?”
“You know Chris Gagnon?”
“We met,” Joe said dryly. “Once.”
Mike looked puzzled. “Just once? Are you sure? I can feel Chris, pretty strongly.”
This was starting to weird Joe out. “Just once. I’m dating his twin, though.” Joe wasn’t sure why he added that.
“Twin?” Mike looked up, puzzled. “Chris doesn’t—” Mike was interrupted before he could finish.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Joe’s head whipped around. Standing at the corner of the house was the last person he expected to see.
“Alex?” Joe asked. A little thrill went down his spine, right to his crotch. It was a good thing he’d worn the
“Yeah, right, Shaggy,” Steve retorted. “Want a Scooby snack with your burger?”
Mike leaned back with a smile and casually flipped Steve off again.
“Beer?” Joe asked, waving the bottles.
“In the cooler with the rest of ‘em,” Steve said.
Joe popped open the cooler and put the bottles of beer into it. There were already a dozen cans of Budweiser in it – he felt a little out of place. It was too late for that, though, and Steve had liked the stuff when he’d had it yesterday.
The boy who’d answered the door came tearing past Joe. He was dressed in just a pair of teal swim trunks and cannonballed into the pool. The slapping sound made Joe wince. The water from the splash almost made it to the deck.
Joe sat down at the table across from Mike and Linda.
It was tough to tell with them sitting, but Mike seemed to be about Joe’s height, maybe 5’10”. He was a little more solid that Joe was, though nowhere near as much as Steve. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt that was, on close inspection, subtly mottled. He had a thin bracelet of twined canvas and leather strips on his left wrist. His wife was a little bit smaller, almost willowy. She was wearing a white linen shirt over a one-piece black bathing suit.
“Hi,” Joe said as he sat. He pushed his nervousness aside.
“Hey,” Mike said. “I’m Mike. Pay no attention to that Neanderthal of a brother-in-law of mine.” Mike raised his voice. “He’s just insecure.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m in awe of your amazing psychic powers, Houdini. How do you want your hamburger?”
“Alive and living free on the plains.”
“Fine, I’ll feed it to the wolves next door.”
“Vegetarian?” Joe asked.
“We don’t serve vegetarians,” Steve said over Joe’s shoulder as he dropped a plate with hamburgers on it onto the table. “They’re too stringy.”
Joe just looked back and forth between Steve and Mike. Despite the conversation, they were clearly both enjoying themselves. He got the feeling this was a long-standing argument.
“Um, Joe Hennessey,” Joe said, holding his hand out to shake.
“Mike whoa!” His introduction was cut short as soon as he touched Joe’s hand. Mike rocked back in his seat.
“Interesting last name,” Joe said before he could stop himself.
“I can see why Captain Caveman there invited you over,” Mike said, rubbing his hand and grinning at Joe. It was clear he enjoyed the sparring.
“Sorry about the shock,” Joe said. “Nylon shorts. Didn’t expect the static.”
“Oh, it wasn’t static,” Mike said. The way he said it made Joe a little uneasy. “There’s something very unusual about you. Can I see your hand?”
Joe warily held it out. “Going to read my palm?”
“Something like that,” Mike said. He took Joe’s hand and frowned. “Now that’s interesting,” he said.
“What?”
“You know Chris Gagnon?”
“We met,” Joe said dryly. “Once.”
Mike looked puzzled. “Just once? Are you sure? I can feel Chris, pretty strongly.”
This was starting to weird Joe out. “Just once. I’m dating his twin, though.” Joe wasn’t sure why he added that.
“Twin?” Mike looked up, puzzled. “Chris doesn’t—” Mike was interrupted before he could finish.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Joe’s head whipped around. Standing at the corner of the house was the last person he expected to see.
“Alex?” Joe asked. A little thrill went down his spine, right to his crotch. It was a good thing he’d worn the
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