Cheater

7. Chloe

Two Hours Later

“Pizza,” Alannah calls out.

“Big Mac,” Coraline counters.

“Donairs!” Jeffrey casts his vote.

Maddie took a cab home half an hour ago or she’d probably have a fourth idea.

Cor and Jeffy are coming back to Alannah’s for a sleepover. And Cor has been trying to give me ‘the stare’ all night long. I know she’s dying to get me alone. I figure I’ll just tell her Alannah wanted to borrow my diamond ring as a social experiment.

I pipe up. “We never agree on post bar food options, so we almost always wind up in someone’s kitchen with me drunkenly cooking for everyone. Let’s skip the rest of this dance. What’s in your fridge, Lan? Or do we need to hit the store on the way home?”

She twists her lips. “Probably not much. What are you in the mood for, Chlo?”

“It’s your night, so why don’t we go with what you’re craving?”

Coraline and Jeffy don’t look happy.

“I like the way you think,” Alannah says. “But I want everyone happy.”

“I know!” I grab Alannah excitedly. “We’ll swing by the all-night grocery store and I’ll grab naan bread and the fixings to make all your…” I twirl, pointing at the others, “drunken post-bar food fantasies come to life.”

All eyes light up.

“Naan bread pizzas. I’ll do yours with hamburger, pickles, and thousand island dressing, yours I’ll add some tzatziki and whatever meat and vegetables you want, and yours the traditional way.”

“And this is why we invite Chloe to the meetings,” Jeffy says, sagely.

“Finish up our drinks and I’ll order us a rideshare,” I suggest, reaching for my phone.