Author's Note: Okay, so I know in case four Pearl said she hasn't had pizza before, and I wasn't originally planing to use Larry in this fic, but… Hey, life's just funny like that. (does shifty eyes) Anyway. More scheming on Pearl's part and some typical Larry randomness.
Chapter Three: Of Eggnog and Pizza"Nick! You have no food!"
"Well, Maya, I usually order in…"
"And you tell me to watch it!"
"…from that sub store down the street."
"Oh."
Not long after the mistletoe incident, Maya was peering into Phoenix's mini fridge, albeit in vain. She'd already opened everything she'd brought; surprisingly, almost everything was some kind of card or board game, and there were very few snacks. Apparently, all this unwrapping had made her hungry.
"You do have a half-full carton of eggnog, though!"
"Maya!" Phoenix's face turned almost as red as his tie. "You realize you're technically still under the legal drinking age, and Pearls definitely is!"
"But you've obviously had some of it…" Maya pouted.
Why the puppy-dog pout? Phoenix sighed. You'd think I'd be immune to that by now, but… It is kinda cu—no! Bad Phoenix! Bad!
"Not all at once!" he forced weakly.
"Right," Maya giggled. "Well, hey, Pearly, have you ever had pizza before?"
"Piz—za?" Pearl repeated curiously.
"Yep! Oh, I know, I'll order some so you can try it! You're hungry too, right?"
"Wait, Maya—"
"Yay! Pizza!"
Phoenix hung his head in defeat as Maya used his office phone to dial the local pizzeria. However, his eyes widened when he heard her order.
"Yes, this is Wright and Company Law Offices… I'd like two large ham and pineapple pizzas, please… Okay, thanks!"
"Maya!"
"What?" Maya pouted again as she hung up the phone. "I thought you liked ham and pineapple!"
"I do, but…"
Pearl had been surprisingly silent this whole time as she watched the two converse. Since Phoenix's mistletoe mishap hadn't been enough, she'd been trying to think of something better, and this could be her chance.
"But Mr. Nick!" she gushed. "Mystic Maya got your favorite!"
Phoenix, defeated once again, decided to drop the rest of his sentence ("…how much did it total to?"). Instead, he looked at the two Fey girls and sighed for what seemed the millionth time that night.
"O-Okay," he croaked, aware that it was too late for his approval anyway.
"Yay!" Pearl cheered again.
"Hey, Nick…" Maya paused almost thoughtfully. "You're paying for this, right?"
"Wh-what?" Phoenix stammered. He then realized that he really shouldn't be surprised… He did always end up paying for everyone else's food, anyway.
"Oh! This is just like in shows, where—" Pearl started gushing again.
"Pearly!" Maya exclaimed, her face going pink for the second time that night. "Stop it, you're going to embarrass Nick!"
"Me?" Phoenix repeated.
"Yeah, you're the one blushing, Mystic Maya," Pearl observed.
"I, um… Hey, Pearly, have you ever had eggnog?" Maya shifted awkwardly.
"Maya!"
"What?"
"What's eggnog, Mystic Maya?" Pearl asked innocently.
"Never mind," Phoenix and Maya replied simultaneously.
- - -
"So, you want to have the least amount of cards?" Pearl frowned.
"Yep!" Maya grinned, setting down a card. "Four of spades, by the way."
"But Maya, I have all the…" Phoenix started.
"Well, here's a five, with a heart!" Pearl grinned, setting down a card of her own.
"…fours," Phoenix finished under his breath.
The three were spread out on Phoenix's floor playing a card game Maya had dubbed "BS." Maya and Pearl were both lying on their stomachs, while Phoenix opted to sit cross-legged and lean against his desk. Like Pearl, Phoenix didn't totally understand the rules, but Pearl still seemed to be having fun anyway…
"That's the point, Nick," Maya grinned mischievously, and Phoenix was starting to realize where Pearl had gotten that from. "You aren't supposed to know that, or at least until after I've set the card down."
"But Mystic Maya!" Pearl gasped, suddenly putting down her cards and clapping her hands to her mouth. "That's cheating!"
Exactly what I was about to say, Phoenix thought.
Phoenix's intercom suddenly beeped, and the following voice sounded like one of the office greeters: "Mr. Wright, sir, your pizza arrived. I told the delivery boy to go on up."
"All right, thanks," Phoenix called back.
"No prob." Click!
"Yes!" Maya punched a fist into the air. "Saved by the food! And boy am I hungry."
Phoenix sighed, as there was a prompt knock on his door. He opened it and simply handed the delivery boy a few bills from his pocket.
"Just keep the change," he muttered.
"Hey, thanks, man," the delivery boy exclaimed, handing over the pizza boxes. "Wait… Nick?"
"L-Larry?" Phoenix blinked, taking a second to recognize his friend in his ridiculous new uniform. "Since when did you…?"
"Do you even need to ask?" The blond man sighed, tugging on his obviously uncomfortable apron. He then peeked into the office. "Hey, wait a sec, isn't that your cute spirit medium buddy?"
"Larry!" Phoenix's voice dropped to a deadly whisper as he pushed Larry's head back into the hallway. "Look, just so you know, this wasn't my idea, okay?"
"Who cares whose idea it was?" Larry winked. "You've got a cute girl in your office on New Year's Eve, and—hey, is that mistletoe?"
"Enjoy your tip!" Phoenix responded, hastily closing the door and trying to balance the pizzas.
Sighing, he carefully placed the two boxes on his desk. As he opened them. Maya's nose perked up, the card game all but forgotten.
"Yes!" she cheered. "Come on, Pearly! Let's eat up!"
"Yeah… Wait, Mystic Maya. This isn't unhealthy, is it?" Pearl asked concernedly.
"Of course not!" Maya grinned. "It has plenty of normal food in it, right? Even pineapples! And cheese!"
"By that logic, so are burgers," Phoenix pointed out, watching Maya wolf down a slice.
Pearl then seized upon her second great idea of the night. "But, Mr. Nick, that shouldn't matter, right? You like Mystic Maya just the way she is, right? Right?"
Maya nearly choked on her second slice of pizza. Phoenix was fairly certain he would have, too, provided that he'd had one in his mouth to start with.
"Um, o-of course," Phoenix laughed nervously. "Now, here, Pearls, have a piece… It's kind of hot, though…"
Maya and Phoenix avoided each other's eyes for a moment as they watched Pearl chew thoughtfully on her pizza. When she eagerly took another bite as her approval, Maya looked back at Phoenix, who shot her an embarrassed grin.