There was some makeup.
And the guy could grow a fierce beard.
“Hi, I’m Lafayette and I’m vowing to you now we will be here all of five minutes and then we’ll vanish.”
“Hey, I’m Jagger and it’s okay,” Jag replied.
“You’re new,” Lafayette returned. “You’ll learn Joany Control.”
Jag started chuckling again as Lafayette entered.
He shut the door and turned, seeing Archie rounding the bar and heading their way.
So he introduced, “Ma, Hound, this is my girl, Archie. Arch, this is my mom, Keely, and my stepdad, Hound.”
“Or Shep,” Keely said, extending a hand. “You can also call him Shep.”
She could call him Shep?
No one called him Shep.
“No one calls me Shep but you, woman,” Hound stated.
There you go.
“Is that a declaration or simply information?” Keely asked.
“Both,” Hound answered.
“Keely, Hound,” Archie butted in. “So glad you’re here and I finally get to meet you.”
She’d made it to Keely, and they were shaking hands in that way women do which was more like holding hands.
“She’s making schnitzel,” Joany announced from where she was peering over the bar to the kitchen counter.
“Upon learning this knowledge, my night is complete,” Lafayette proclaimed. “Can we leave these good people alone now?”
Yep.
Archie had read that right.
Lafayette was there solely to keep Joany in hand.
“I’m pretty sure Archie wants us to stay for a cocktail,” Joany told Lafayette.
“I’m pretty sure I can buy you a cocktail down the street and it will heighten the odds that you’ll still have your best friend and your job in the morning if I do,” Lafayette retorted.
“You’re back from vacation, we need to celebrate that,” Joany shot back.
Lafayette turned to Keely and Hound. “For your information, I do not require a welcome home celebration after I spent two weeks alternating between a lounger at a pool and a treatment table in a spa.”
Keely started laughing quietly.
But although Jag thought Lafayette was funny, he was watching Joany.
She had a strong personality, definitely a take-me-as-I-come person, and he dug that about her. She was also nosy. And for certain protective of Archie. Last, if she liked you, she was friendly and hilarious.
But something about this was off.
Because one thing he didn’t realize until this moment she was not, was a pest.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“What?” Joany asked back.
Jesus, she was really bad at trying to pretend to be innocent.
“Is something going on?” he pushed.
“No,” she totally lied.
He knew this was a lie because she was so bad at doing it, she couldn’t even hold it up on one word.
It was confirmed when Archie demanded, “Joany, talk. Is something up?”
“Oh my God, did you rope me into some shenanigans?” Lafayette demanded.
“No, I just…La-La, you have a steady hand with a shaker, why don’t you do some cocktails for these kind folks while I go out on the fire escape with Archie for a quick beat?”
Oh shit, Jag thought.
“Oh shit,” Lafayette said.
“Unless you’re sharing something personal to you that absolutely cannot wait for me to complete hosting a dinner party for my boyfriend’s parents, I don’t have anything to hide from Jag or his family,” Archie declared.
Joany looked from Arch, to Jag, to his parents, back to Arch.
She then spilled.
“Okay, I might be wrong, but I could swear I saw Elijah casing the store.”
“Casing…?” Archie asked, but the look on her face was suddenly not right.
“He drove by three times,” Joany shared. “That I saw,” she concluded.
“You’re joking,” Archie said.
“I could be wrong,” Joany replied.
“If it was three times, and you know what he looks like, and what he drives, which you do, for both, how could you be wrong?” Archie asked.
“Okay, I’m probably not wrong,” Joany admitted.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Archie demanded.
“I tried!” Joany returned hotly. “I’ve been sending texts for the last half an hour.”
This was true. Her phone was binging. Archie was ignoring it because she’d been making salad.
“You weren’t replying,” Joany went on. “I showed to warn you. Hence,” her head bounced to indicate where she was standing. “I’m here.”
“Arch?” Jag asked leadingly.
She looked to him. “I got three voicemails from Elijah today.”
“Well, shit,” Jag murmured.
“Um…who’s Elijah?” Keely queried.
Before Jagger could answer, Archie told her, “My brother. We had a to do. We’re on the outs.”
“You’re still not picking up from him, babe?” Jagger inquired.
She shook her head to Jag. “No. Not since that scene at Dad and Haley’s.” She turned back to Joany. “Why would he be driving by? That’s weird.”
“Maybe working himself up?” Joany asked back.
“For….?” Archie trailed off on that and looked to Jagger because they probably knew for what.
“Okay, I’ll get drinks for everyone and maybe you should call him,” Jagger suggested.
Archie got a stubborn set to her face, “He—”
“Call him, baby, and tell him tonight is not the night and you’ll hook up with him later,” he instructed.
“I don’t want to hook up with him later. He had his chance to talk things out the other night,” she reminded him.
He made note, as laidback as his girl was, she could hold a grudge.
“We can talk about this later, for now—”
Jagger didn’t finish that when there was a loud banging at the door.
He doubted it was one of the tenants, only two of which he’d met in passing in the hall, but they were even more chill than Archie.
“I’ll handle it,” he said.
“No, you won’t, I’ll handle it,” Archie declared, stalking his way.
“How about I handle it,” Joany said, and she sounded more ticked than Archie and Arch sounded pretty ticked.
“How about you girls stand down and I’ll chat with Eli,” Lafayette suggested.
Everyone was moving to the door but only Jagger got out of the way after receiving the look Archie was sending.
The pounding came back right before she opened it.
And when she opened it, Jagger didn’t have time to blink before Elijah was in.
For him to be this, Archie went flying, because he barged in, shoving open the door and making her do so.
Annnnnnnnd…
Hell no.
Jag started to move and then everyone was moving.
Lafayette and Joany rushed toward Archie.
Keely got close to Jagger.
And Hound had Jag with an arm around the chest from behind and his voice in his ear.
“Cool it, son.”
“What’d I tell you about this, Arch?” Jag growled, his eyes locked to Elijah, his body locked so he didn’t move to punch that fuck in the throat.