Read Online Merry Random Christmas by Julia Kent - Free Book Online

eyelashes long gone but her smile friendly.
    She held out a ragged white Styrofoam Dunkin’ Donuts cup. A single coin rattled around in there.
    Darla shoved her hands in her coat, then her Santa pants, and turned to me, helpless.
    I nodded to Joe, who sighed, but reached into his pocket. H e pulled out a twenty.
    “Here you go, Ma’am,” he said, handing it to her.
    She lit up like a Christmas tree. Clichéd, I know, but true. Grabbing Joe, she hugged him so hard I thought he’d scream, his arms trapped by her grasp.
    “Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!” she said, grabbing her bags and running into a nearby convenience store that was open. It was the only store open for blocks.
    Joe said nothing, just froze in place.
    Darla clapped him on his back as he loosened up and we made our way to the buzzer for Sam and Amy’s.
    “Thanks.”
    “Thank a church organist.”
    “Huh?”
    “That was part of the money they gave us to have sex with each other .” I gave Joe a pointed look.  
    “WHAT?”
    “We have a story to tell too, you know.”
    Bzzzz.
    The door clicked open and we walked up five flights of stairs to find Amy at the door, eyebrow cocked, with a look that said we had some major explaining to do.
    Joe
    “A bunch of church organists paid you and Trevor to have sex with them at that party?” Darla bellowed as we walked past Amy single file into the telephone booth that doubled as an apartment for her and Sam. Five people violated the fire code occupancy rate for this place.
    Seven turned it into a clown car.
    “Hey,” Liam said from a ratty old recliner. He had a bag-lined trash can next to him. It was mercifully empty. Covered by an old quilt, he looked wiped. Green.
    Charlotte was curled up on the couch, Sam at the other end, He was Liam’s twin, sick and shaky, face gaunt.
    “What’s the going rate for that?” Charlotte asked, widening her eyes and giving Trevor and me an obvious look, pretending to flirt. She was hard to read. I never knew when she was joking.
    “The going rate is killing my fat ass,” Darla snapped. “Because they’re not allowed to have sex with each other for money.”
    Liam perked up. “But they can have sex with each other as long as no money changes hands?”
    D arla just shrugged, her face twisted with doubt.
    “Hey!” T revor and I growled at the same time, then exchanged a confused look.
    “Why are we talking about my dick and where it goes?” I asked.
    “Because a bunch of church organists offered us five grand to have sex with each other in front of them at the party where we were stripping tonight ,” T revor said smoothly, fishing through the tiny fridge and pulling out a beer.
    “Make yourself at home,” Amy muttered.
    “ Five grand?” Liam barked. He looked at me, as if considering the offer. “I wouldn’t have sex with you, but I’d give you a handy for five thousand dollars.”  
    “Church organists?” Amy gasped. “The people who hired you were church organists ?” She gave Sam a WTF? look.
    H e shrugged. “Even church organists like to have fun.”
    “ Especially church organists like to have fun.” Trevor rubbed his ass. “ I think one of them slipped me a magic pinkie at one point.”  
    “You too?” I asked.
    “ What did those women do to you?” Darla cried out, touching Trevor’s ass, too.  
    I chose this moment to reach into my pockets and dump all the cash I had on the little coffee table in the middle of all of us.
    Three whistles, low and slow, filled the air.
    “Damn.”
    “Holy shit.”
    “That’s a lot of money.”
    “ Why’s it all covered in lube?”  
    That was Darla.
    “ Let’s count it!” Liam said eagerly, siting up fast, then groaning.  
    “Easy there, buddy,” Charlotte urged, hands on his shoulders as she gently helped him to recline again. “You sip your watered-down ginger ale and we’ll take care of it.”
    “I’m sorry,” Trevor said, eyes sad. “I had no idea that place would serve bad