Page 30 of Alice & Meg

“Piper, why are you in the water with your clothes on?” Nikki slurred.

My eyes fluttered open, and I shielded my eyes from the sunlight streaming through the roof.

“You’re in a potted plant, Nikki, not the water,” Pipe laughed.

I groaned, and I slowly sat up. I didn’t need to turn to know that Wrecker was sitting on the lounger next to me. His disapproving glare was very loud.

The second Mango Dragon had done me dirty.

Nikki sloppily waved at Pipe. “You are so silly,” she slurred. “I’m floating down the Nile. There aren’t any bushes in the Nile.” She smiled wide. “Except my bush.” She burst into a fit of laughter and fell out of the pot. Good for the plant she was clinging to, not so good for Nikki’s butt.

“The Nile?” King laughed from somewhere to my left. “I don’t know if you guys are high or drunk.”

Meg groaned next to me. “We hereby dubbed the lazy river the Nile River,” she explained. “And you need to know I don’t do that wacky weed. Lo and I agreed that I’m crazy enough without drugs. Drugs would land me… somewhere,” she sighed.

“In jail,” Snapper and King called in unison.

“Was that before or after your second drink you decided you were floating down the Nile?” Wrecker drawled.

Meg held up one finger but quickly added a second. “Two,” she chirped. “It had to have been two, though it could have been three, but I’m pretty sure Brandon left the booze out of three.”

“Anyone wonder who Brandon is?” Pipe asked.

“Uh, that would be me,” a young guy called. The decorative grass wall parted, and a probably college-age kid appeared. “I did, in fact, cut them off after two, but since they mentioned you guys were coming later, I just let them try to sleep it off. They weren’t hurting anyone. Well, the bush might be a little worse for wear, but it’s hearty. You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen happen to that bush.”

“Appreciated,” King called.

“A hefty tip is headed your way,” Wrecker added. “Anyone who manages to corral the girls deserves either a tip or a medal of honor.”

“I’ll take the tip,” Brandon laughed. “Can I get you guys anything?”

“A round of beer,” Snapper called. “On me.” He handed Brandon a few bills. “Keep the change.”

“Why are you all in the Nile?” Nikki cried. “I can’t float with all of you so close to me,” she whined. Nikki might have been the drunkest of us all.

“Dear god,” Snapper laughed. “She was literally sitting in the pot of a bush. How does she think she is in the water?”

I circled my finger in the air at Snapper. “Shouldn’t you be somewhere with your pregnant lady?” I asked. The word lady sounded funny coming out of my mouth. “Laaaady,” I drawled like I was Jerry Lewis reincarnated.

“Lady!” Nikki called.

“Ladies all over,” Meg laughed.

“Lady!” we cheered in unison.

“What in the hell is going on?” Wrecker laughed. “I don’t know if we should try to catch up with you guys or just carry you to your rooms.”

What was going on was Meg, Nikki, and I were drunk with a big ol’ capital d. Hell, you could probably capitalize all the letters, and we would still be drunker.

Just straight up DRUNK off whatever magic booze the Kalahari was pumping into their drinks.

I struggled to stand and managed to get my feet under me without falling. “I think… I think…”

Wrecker reached out and snagged me around the waist. He pulled me onto his lap, and I laid my head on his chest. “I think you just need to rest, babe.”

“Are you mad?” I whispered.

“If I got mad every time you and your girls got drunk, babe, we wouldn’t be together.” He brushed my hair off my forehead and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “The first time I met you, you were drunk.”

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