A Note From Me: The guy's name should have been Mick, not Mike...LibreOffice auto correct got me. Sigh. So later when I talk about Mick, that's who it is! On another note: Brazen Hussy...I love you and I'm not just saying that so that I get a percent of the t-shirt sales. MSJ2779, your review for chapter 36 made me laugh so hard (and so unexpectedly) that water came out my nose, but that comment about Tiff was worth it. And finally, Limaro, feelin' fickle? Tee hee (and don't think polygamy hasn't occurred to me) And to the rest of you: reviews make me happy and thank you for all of them!
"So ya gonna talk to my brother or ain't ya?" Merle asked when the bar was in sight.
Sinclaire had calmed down over the long walk back so he figured he was safe from a sudden kidney punch.
"No," she said. "I'm going to talk to Tiff."
"What the hell for?" Merle asked in genuine surprise.
"I shouldn't have threatened to juice her like an orange. She probably really likes you and-"
"Sure she really likes me," Merle cut in. "Can't blame her. But ya ain't gotta worry about her. I'm tellin' ya she's the kinda woman that does shit like this. I'll walk back over there and she'll tell me she was worried and I'll be fuckin' her again before tomorrow mornin'."
"Why are you attracted to her then?"
"Who said I was?"
"You're sleeping with her! Don't you tend to sleep with people you're attracted to?"
"Well yeah. I mean, I don't think she's ugly or nothin'. It's mostly the fact that she threw herself at me and everybody else is shackin' up with somebody."
"I'm not."
"Ya punch me when I get too close."
"Carol's not."
"Ya threatened me about her. Remember?"
Sinclaire thought back. "Oh. It seems that I did."
"Who else is there? Lori's got her hands full, Andrea's with the old man, Carrie's with the chi—Glenn...I'm down to one hand as it is an it gets tired."
"Ew!"
"Ah don't try to tell me ya don't do it."
She cleared her throat and looked out over the woods.
"Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me?"
"I am done talking about sex with you Merle Dixon!"
"All right fine. But it'd explain why yer so fuckin' pissy lately."
As predicted, Tiffany accosted Merle the minute they were in sight. Sinclaire wandered over to the fire to warm up.
"Yank's got somethin' to say to ya," Merle said after he untangled himself from her arms and her apologies.
"I don't have anything to say to her!" Tiff said. "You heard what she said this morning!"
"Yeah," Merle said with a reminiscent grin. "Funny as hell. And anyway, ya keep yellin' at her and I'm gonna say worse than that. She's my friend. She helped me get outta Atlanta. Yer gonna start treatin' her better than that."
With that, he pushed her toward Sinclaire and said, "Yank! Yer up!"
Tiffany stood with her arms crossed and her face stoney in response to Sinclaire's smile, so Sinclaire dropped the friendly look.
"I thought we got along," she said bluntly. "When we first met. Didn't we?"
Tiff shrugged.
"Okay, here it is. If I wanted to sleep with Merle I'm actually positive that I could." Tiff opened her mouth but Sinclaire went on. "But guess what? I didn't sleep with him when it was just the two of us on the road for a month. I didn't sleep with him when we found the bar and I sure as hell didn't sleep with him last night with his brother two feet away from us. Merle's my best friend and I wouldn't ever-" The words she'd planned caught in her throat. She cleared it and went determinedly on. "Sleep with him."
"He likes you better than he likes me," Tiffany said, a little sadly.
"I don't yell at him all the time. Or at least, not the way you do. Merle's not the kind of man you can...no. That's too much. I am not giving you relationship advice. The point is that I don't hate you and I'm sorry that I said I'd juice you like an orange. But if you accuse me of sleeping with Merle one more time, I will stomp a mud hole in you."
"Okay," Tiffany said. "So..."
"Truce?" Sinclaire held her hand out and after a moment Tiff shook it. "Very nice. Now let's eat."
They all trooped into the bar for their non-Thanksgiving/non-Sunday dinner. Daryl caught her eye once his plate was full and she gave him a smile as she gestured for him to come sit beside her on the floor. There weren't enough chairs when everyone was in the room at once. He sat.
"The turkey's good," she said after a moment of silent chewing.
Daryl nodded. The chatter of the group filled the room again as everyone began to eat. Sinclaire scooped up a bite of canned cranberry sauce. Daryl looked at his with distaste.
"What's wrong?"
"Shit looks like dog food," Daryl answered. "I only took it 'cause she gave it to me."
"Fork it over," Sinclaire said and then laughed at her own pun. "But seriously. Cranberry sauce. Now. And you can have my green beans."
"Ya don't like 'em?"
"They are icky."
"Ain't neither." Daryl took one off of her plate and popped it into his mouth. "Taste fine to me."
"How cultured can your palate really be bowhunter? You don't like cranberry sauce."
"If I wanted dog food I'd've picked up some Alpo at the store."
"I'm sensing that you haven't even tasted cranberry sauce. Can it be so?"
"It looks like dog food!"
"Close your eyes."
He eyed her suspiciously. "Why?"
"So I can kill you and take your money obviously. I'm headed to Vegas. Come on. Play along."
Daryl closed his eyes when he saw the sparkle in hers. She forked up a moderate helping of cranberry sauce and said, "Open your mouth."
"No," he mumbled. "I know what yer gonna do."
"For all you know, I found some pecan pie. Live a little why don't you?"
He parted his lips for a fraction of a second. Luckily, Sinclaire had quick reflexes. Daryl made a face as he opened his eyes.
"It's slimy."
"It's slippery with deliciousness," Sinclaire corrected. "Chew it."
"Ya have to chew it?"
"Well, you know...like Jell-o. Squish it against the roof of your mouth with your tongue."
"What the hell ya'll into over here?" Merle asked. "Sounds dirty."
"Thick, juicy, cranberry sauce," Sinclaire answered in a breathy voice.
"Ya got him to eat cranberry sauce? I been tryin' fer years."
"I don't think holding it in his mouth and looking horrified counts as eating," she said. "But it's a start."
"Hell, baby brother! It's good fer ya!" Merle smacked Daryl in the back and he swallowed accidentally.
"Damn it Merle!"
Sinclaire laughed and Daryl gave her a squinty look.
"Ya just wait," he said.
"What are you going to do? Force feed me green beans?"
His eyes lit up.
"No. No. It was a joke! Listen I'm sorry that I made you experience the wonder that is cranberry sauce, but I-"
Daryl had quick reflexes too. When her lips parted on the "I" he pushed a green bean between them. She bit down accidentally.
"Okay, that's not fair," she muttered, trying not to swallow.
He smacked her on the back and gave her a grin when she swallowed.
"Sure it is."
They finished the meal together, Daryl and Sinclaire sitting in the kitchen floor across from Tiff and Merle. It was a little awkward, but not too bad. Tiff wasn't sending death glares Sinclaire's way and Merle didn't call Daryl's sexuality into question even once. All in all, a good dinner.