Page 10 of Alice & Meg

Pipe leaned close to Nikki. “I still can’t believe you packed a two-hundred-pound cooler,” Pipe announced loudly. “That’s about all I have to say right now. I’m pretty sure I tweaked my damn back.”

Snapper choked on his drink, and Lennox slapped him on the back while she tried to contain her laughter. King let out a loud belly laugh, and Meg smiled wide.

“Jesus,” Wrecker mumbled.

“Yeah,” Snapper croaked, “I think you were right, Meg. This is definitely the table we were meant to sit at.”

“It’s like we didn’t even leave Rockton,” King chuckled.

“You guys got crazy ol’ ladies, too?” Wrecker asked King.

King nodded. “Brother, you don’t even know the half of it.”

Wrecker pointed to me. “She has a blender in her trunk at all times in case there is a margarita emergency. I think I know the whole of it.”

Meg leaned forward. “King wouldn’t let me bring my air fryer this weekend in case I wanted a late-night snack this weekend.”

I shrugged. “I didn’t know we were supposed to ask. I just shoved mine in my suitcase.”

“It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission,” Nikki and I sang in unison.

“It’s like we’re in a parallel universe,” Lennox laughed. “These two are like you and Cyn,” she pointed out.

“That’s the damn truth,” Snapper agreed.

“Next thing you guys are going to say is you love cooking and are always on the brink of being arrested when a group of you gets together.”

I shrugged. “I don’t mind cooking. Cows are more my thing, and we’ve only been arrested once. And, for the record, we didn’t do anything wrong. We were wrongly accused.”

King looked at me and then back at Meg. “Babe, I think we found your long-lost cousin or some shit. She’s you, down to the purple hair.”

Meg smiled. “How freaking cool is that? You always said you could barely handle me, and now there is someone else just like me.”

“God help us,” Wrecker drawled.

The waiters started circling again, and the speaker crackled.

“Hello, hello,” a man at the front of the room called. “I just wanted to hop on and welcome you all to the largest Midwest Body Shop Convention! While you’re all eating and getting to know everyone at your table, we’re going to go over the plans for the weekend and introduce some of the speakers for the upcoming meetings and presentations.”

Meg elbowed King. “That’s you, babe,” she whispered.

King shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, yeah.”

“You’re the main reason why we came,” Wrecker told King. “Been following your work for a long time.”

King nodded. “Thanks, man. Just trying to keep up with the young guns.” He nodded to Snapper. “I’ve been working with him to show him all of my tricks. He’s always trying to show me new ways or shortcuts.”

“Just trying to keep you up with the times,” Snapper laughed.

“Yeah, but nothing can replace a steady hand and a good eye, right, King?” Pipe called.

King shifted in his chair, and I noticed Meg put her hand on his leg.

Pipe had mentioned before they sat down that King had a stroke, and I wondered if that had affected his work.

“Could you pass the salad?” I asked Lennox. “I’m in the mood for some rabbit food.”

Lennox grabbed the bowl and passed it around the table.

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