Page 85 of Maid in America

Barrett groaned. “Come on, Maya. I know there’s more to you than C++.”

She smiled weakly. “I… I’ve always been decent at art. I used to doodle a lot in school because I was bored. I still do at work sometimes to keep myself from falling asleep during meetings. I just pretend like I am taking really detailed notes and nod along.”

Everyone chuckled.

Maya pointed the bottle at Sherri. “You.”

Sherri swallowed a lump of nerves and fiddled with the cuffs of her sweater. “Oh boy. Truth.”

Maya laughed. “Why are you hanging out with these weirdos?”

Sherri chuckled a little. “I don’t get out much. I’m always hosting charity events and the like, so there isn’t much time for stuff like this.”

Barrett tossed another hunk of wood on the fire from the back of his Jeep, sending up a cloud of glittering sparks before dying down again.

“Your turn to ask, Sherri,” Chastity said.

“Um, hmmm, Will, I guess.”

“Truth. I have too much to do tomorrow to be dealing with a hangover,” he snickered.

“Pussy,” Barrett mumbled with a smile.

“Are you a maid, too, Will?” Maya asked.

“Yeah,” He laughed. “I’m the O.G. maid of this crew, actually. Barrett joined my fleet a couple weeks back.”

“Fleet? Really? It’s just the two of us,” Barrett said.

“We’re in the process of hiring two more right now, Mr. Know-it-all.” Will turned back to the ladies. “And, yes,Man Maidis mine… and Ava’s. Been up and running for about, what, three years now?”

Ava nodded confirmation. “Two and three quarters.”

Will spoke. “Chastity. You’re up.”

“Truth,” the rainbow-haired woman said brazenly, without hesitation, “anddrink.”

“That’s my girl,” Barrett said, pulling her closer as she took a drink from the second bottle.

“How’d you meet Barrett?”

“At a bar. A guy who’d bought me a drink was being pushy. Barrett pretended to be my boyfriend. Now,” she held his hand,“after his little introduction, I guess we don’t have topretendanymore.”

“Rachel, you’re up. Truth or drink? Will asked.

“Draaaaaaank!” Rachael said eagerly, bouncing on the trunk so hard that the car shook. She took a long sip with a stone-still expression. “I choose Will.”

“It was just my turn!”

“Well, now it’s your turn again!” Rachel playfully yelled. “What do you love the most about your fiancee?”

Everyone laughed.

“There are right and wrong answers, Will,” Ava said, pretending to be stern.

Will exhaled. “Shit, I’ll give you a list of five things right now.” Will grabbed Ava’s hand and smiled. “I love her drive. She’s the hardest-working woman I’ve ever met. I love herfireand everything, good and bad, that comes with it. I love the way she is with my daughter. I love how beautiful she is. She stole my heart from day one. And, well, number five, it wouldn’t be decent to talk about in public.”

The women in the groupooohedas Barrett faked a gag.

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