Page 12 of Totally Fanatic

This one gets mixed replies. I know what it’s like to be on the losing end of a ten-draw-two-card drop, so I vote to limit it to four cards, but I’m overruled. Fingers crossed I don’t have the same bad luck as that night again.

Pat wins the first round, and Duckie the next two. He’s strategic for sure, waiting until a reverse to then throw down his draw four so that it doesn’t hit Ian. I don’t even come close to winning, but I don’t come dead last either, and as Chloe throws down a blue two, she calls “Uno,” and when Alan throws down a blue reverse sending the turn back to her, she laughs and tosses down her final card, a blue four.

“Yes! Winner!” she cheers.

“You came sixth,” Duckie laughs, standing and rubbing his belly. “I’m hungry again. Can we have dessert now?”

Ryan jumps to his feet. “Yes, it should be ready. I’ll go grab it,” he says, rushing to head downstairs. He popped down after he put down his last card five minutes ago to warm up the puddings. I pop the cards away and give the table a wipe over before placing down some slightly deeper than normal plates Ryan brought with him.

“Okay, guys… and girl,” Ryan says, coming up the stairs, his covered dish steaming in his hands and a jug looped over one finger. Alan grabs the jug before it can spill, and Ryan places the dish on the table between us. “It’s time to eat dick.”

He lifts off the lid and, lined up in the tray, is the traditional English pudding, spotted dick, looking not so traditional. Instead, they’re shaped like ten little actual dicks.

He slips a spatula under one and lays it onto a plate, then grabs the jug from Alan.

“And let’s not forget the special sauce.” He grins, pouring over the thick white custard.

Chloe giggles beside Pat, who’s shaking his head.

“Dude, really? How did you even get them to look like that?”

“I bought a mold online.”

Pat laughs as Ryan passes the completed plate off to Chloe, who’s blushing bright.

“I’m fairly sure that’s not what it’s supposed to look like,” she says.

Ryan nods. “True, mine is much bigger.”

Chapter six

LION

Tim likes to graba smoothie from Joe’s on Tuesdays, and with it only a block from my gym, I head there right after my morning workout with Beau and Levi.

I met Beau and Levi at the gym not long after moving to town. They hit the same machines I do every morning, and it wasn’t long before I just somehow joined in the rotation with them and it became a regular thing.

Levi is the manager of Club Yellow and Beau is the door guy. They’re both as strong as I am, and it’s fun pushing each other to see who will break first on each set. It’s also the reason my arms are an inch and a half thicker now from when we first met.

“Okay, I lose. Smoothies are on me,” Beau says, dropping the bar and wiping over his face with a towel. Levi and I hit five sets of deadlifts, he managed three and a half. “I think I’m getting sick.”

“You’re probably just tired,” Levi says, picking up his stuff and heading toward the bathrooms. We’ll all need to showerafter that workout. I’m dripping with sweat and my heart is still racing but in a good way.

I sit outside Joe’s, the smoothie bar, with Levi while Beau goes inside to get our order. I’ll be heading right to work after and so rest my bike up against the side of the table, trying to keep it as much out of the way as I can.

“So, how is the family?” Levi asks.

“Good. King is still being a bossy little thing, and Daffin keeps visiting next door, and I swear they must be feeding him, too, because he’s gotten so chunky, but Reynolds and Chip have settled into the new routine nicely.”

“No new additions?”

“Nope, I think the distribution system is done with me now.”

“I’m still waiting for it to pick me once. How come you get four?”

“Just lucky, I guess.”

“Maybe. So, are you coming to the club on Friday night?”

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