Read Online On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ellie Alexander
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a very expensive pair of boots. Not a good impression for your guests.”
“I’m so sorry,” Mercury replied, keeping one eye on Tony as she spoke. “I’ll make sure that we get everything straightened out.”
Tony pantomimed her speech as she tried to reassure Dean.
Mercury pursed her lips and wrapped her arms around her body, standing her ground. “Outside—now!”
“Who’s gonna make me?” Tony slurred.
Gavin came up from behind him. He grabbed Tony’s arm but Tony was surprisingly quick. He swung his elbow and punched Gavin on the side of his forehead. Gavin stumbled backward.
Mercury looked to Lance for help. He caught her eye and nodded. Then he threw back his chair and poised as if he were pacing out a fight scene for the stage. Tony lunged at him. Carlos jumped between them just as Tony took a swing. His fist hit Carlos square in the jaw.
I heard the sound of a crack, and threw my hand over my face.
Carlos ducked as Tony took another swing. He missed.
Lance jumped into position. He grabbed Tony from behind, as Carlos avoided another punch and managed to yank Tony’s arm to his side. He held the wooden spoon in his other hand like a sword. I had to stifle a laugh. What was Carlos going to do with a wooden spoon?
Gavin had recovered from the hit he took to the head. He flipped his fishing cap backward and stormed toward Tony. Two other board members sprang into action. In a flash they wrapped Tony up. Tony tried to free himself from their grasp, as they escorted him out. I watched as Gavin kicked open the front door to the lodge with his heavy work boot. Tony stumbled into the cold. Mercury followed and stood in the door frame. He yelled, “I know things!” Then he disappeared into the darkness.
The dining hall went silent. There were no clinking forks or conversations. Everyone stared at Lance as he tightened the scarf around his neck and addressed the board. “Well, who knew that even in this remote location, we’d have a chance to witness such dramatic flair? I want to cast him as Brutus. Who’s with me?”
Board members chuckled. Lance had broken the tension. “I think this is a good time for dessert,” he said to me, as he took his seat.
“I’m on it.”
Carlos started to follow after me. Lance reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Oh, do wait.” He raised his wine glass in the air. “A toast to our dashing hero. Thank you for swooping in and saving the day.”
Carlos gave a little bow. Bad idea. That fueled Lance. He rested his glass on the table. “A round of applause for our new leading man.”
The room erupted in laughter and applause as Carlos took another exaggerated bow with his wooden spoon.
“Put a steak on that chin. We wouldn’t want that chiseled jawline to see any permanent damage.”
“I am fine,” Carlos protested and followed me into the kitchen. I knew he was in more pain than he was letting on. He massaged his jaw, and kept twisting his mouth from side to side.
I went straight to the freezer, pulled out an ice pack and tossed it to him. “Lance is right, you better ice that before it swells.”
“It’s nothing,” he replied, placing the ice pack on his chin.
Sterling had finished assembling the bread pudding toppings. A tray of beautiful colors and flavors sat on the counter. “What happened out there?”
“Tony happened.” I stretched the leather oven mitts over my arms. “I don’t know what his deal is. I’m not sure if he was drunk, or just intentionally trying to pick a fight.”
“The second,” Carlos said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Some men are like that.”
Sterling nodded in agreement. “I know the type.”
“I don’t get it.” I removed a bread pudding from the oven and tested it. The center jiggled. Drat. They weren’t quite ready, either. “Women don’t do that.”
“No, women do other maddening things, no?” Carlos asked Sterling.
Sterling laughed. “No comment.”
“We need to get this dessert out.” I
“I’m so sorry,” Mercury replied, keeping one eye on Tony as she spoke. “I’ll make sure that we get everything straightened out.”
Tony pantomimed her speech as she tried to reassure Dean.
Mercury pursed her lips and wrapped her arms around her body, standing her ground. “Outside—now!”
“Who’s gonna make me?” Tony slurred.
Gavin came up from behind him. He grabbed Tony’s arm but Tony was surprisingly quick. He swung his elbow and punched Gavin on the side of his forehead. Gavin stumbled backward.
Mercury looked to Lance for help. He caught her eye and nodded. Then he threw back his chair and poised as if he were pacing out a fight scene for the stage. Tony lunged at him. Carlos jumped between them just as Tony took a swing. His fist hit Carlos square in the jaw.
I heard the sound of a crack, and threw my hand over my face.
Carlos ducked as Tony took another swing. He missed.
Lance jumped into position. He grabbed Tony from behind, as Carlos avoided another punch and managed to yank Tony’s arm to his side. He held the wooden spoon in his other hand like a sword. I had to stifle a laugh. What was Carlos going to do with a wooden spoon?
Gavin had recovered from the hit he took to the head. He flipped his fishing cap backward and stormed toward Tony. Two other board members sprang into action. In a flash they wrapped Tony up. Tony tried to free himself from their grasp, as they escorted him out. I watched as Gavin kicked open the front door to the lodge with his heavy work boot. Tony stumbled into the cold. Mercury followed and stood in the door frame. He yelled, “I know things!” Then he disappeared into the darkness.
The dining hall went silent. There were no clinking forks or conversations. Everyone stared at Lance as he tightened the scarf around his neck and addressed the board. “Well, who knew that even in this remote location, we’d have a chance to witness such dramatic flair? I want to cast him as Brutus. Who’s with me?”
Board members chuckled. Lance had broken the tension. “I think this is a good time for dessert,” he said to me, as he took his seat.
“I’m on it.”
Carlos started to follow after me. Lance reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Oh, do wait.” He raised his wine glass in the air. “A toast to our dashing hero. Thank you for swooping in and saving the day.”
Carlos gave a little bow. Bad idea. That fueled Lance. He rested his glass on the table. “A round of applause for our new leading man.”
The room erupted in laughter and applause as Carlos took another exaggerated bow with his wooden spoon.
“Put a steak on that chin. We wouldn’t want that chiseled jawline to see any permanent damage.”
“I am fine,” Carlos protested and followed me into the kitchen. I knew he was in more pain than he was letting on. He massaged his jaw, and kept twisting his mouth from side to side.
I went straight to the freezer, pulled out an ice pack and tossed it to him. “Lance is right, you better ice that before it swells.”
“It’s nothing,” he replied, placing the ice pack on his chin.
Sterling had finished assembling the bread pudding toppings. A tray of beautiful colors and flavors sat on the counter. “What happened out there?”
“Tony happened.” I stretched the leather oven mitts over my arms. “I don’t know what his deal is. I’m not sure if he was drunk, or just intentionally trying to pick a fight.”
“The second,” Carlos said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Some men are like that.”
Sterling nodded in agreement. “I know the type.”
“I don’t get it.” I removed a bread pudding from the oven and tested it. The center jiggled. Drat. They weren’t quite ready, either. “Women don’t do that.”
“No, women do other maddening things, no?” Carlos asked Sterling.
Sterling laughed. “No comment.”
“We need to get this dessert out.” I
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