Attached

3: Hooch

Lucas

"Good news! Our hamster hostage has returned." Todd happily handed the furry creature to me as I stood in the kitchen.

"Odis, Lucas. Lucas, Odis." I stared at his beady black eyes as he stared at me. Todd hurried back outside to the cul-de-sac to continue setting up the tables for the barbeque.

"I'm trying to make sides here! Odis, you're cute but you must know you are surrounded by snakes. Let's get you back into a cage. Don't worry, my bet is on you if you were to fight a snake." I headed upstairs to Todd's room where Odis stayed. I slowly opened the door not sure what creatures would come slithering out.

His room was had a queen-sized bed in the middle with what looked like Looney Tunes bedding. That's very Todd. On either side there was about four cages and, in the corner, a three-story hamster cage with toys strewn about. He wasn't kidding when he said that Odis had a mansion. I put him back into the cage where he scurried up a pipe.

I stopped at the door when I noticed the pictures on his wall. There was a few of him with his parents and sister and one of his graduation day. But the one that stood out the most to me was him and Sage smiling happily together at what looked like a birthday party.

In the kitchen I continued making the potato roast before the barbeque. A knock echoed through the house. I cleaned my hands off but before I could get to the door, Todd walked into the kitchen with Eve.

"Lucas, hi." Todd look between us with a tight-lipped smirk that spoke volumes.

"I didn't know you invited anyone over for the party." He noted as his eyes darted between us.

"Todd, this is Eve, she works with me. Eve, this is Todd, my housemate. The more the merrier right?"

"Absolutely! I must get the last of the tables set up. I'll catch you guys a little later." Todd sauntered away but not before winking at me.

"Your housemate looks very interesting." Eve chuckled. 

"Yeah, but you should meet my new neighbours." I started stacking the potatoes in the casserole dish, Eve looked at me for a second and then shook her head.

"I don't think we have ever been outside the office together."

"We haven't."

"Not until today."  I continued mixing the cheese sauce, Eve's eyes trailed over my hands up to my face of concentration.

"How have you been holding up?'"

"Fine, I think. This is not what I envisioned at thirty." I finished the last of the prep and washed off my hands wanting to shift the conversation as quickly as possible. One day without thinking about Olivia is all that I want. "Do you want something to drink?"

"What do you have?" I opened the mostly barren fridge. There were a few questionable items in there including an abandoned pickle. I need to go grocery shopping before Todd decides he's going to imitate survivor in the living room-again. I saw a bottle with an off-orange liquid inside.

I pulled it out, trying to see what it was in natural light. Eve looked at the bottle as if she recognised it.

"I know what that is. Oh, I haven't seen that in years." She slightly chuckled.

"Well...what is it?" I opened it up, the smell of pure alcohol almost knocked me out. "Bloody hell", I mumbled. I pushed the cork back into the bottle abruptly.

"Uncle Ted's Special Hooch. You might want to tuck that away unless you would like to forget next week." I shoved it back into the fridge. That's a plan I could go for.

"Thanks for the warning. I think all the other drinks are outside." I grabbed the glasses from the top cabinet and headed outside with Eve trailing behind. A few barbeques were already fired up. Sage was sitting at a table with Ana and a guy I have not seen before. Sage waved us over.

"Hi Lucas, who is this?" She studied Eve closely as she apprehensively pulled at the hem of her shirt. From what I have seen, Sage has quite the intimidating personality.

"This is Eve, Eve this is Sage, Ana and..." The man leaned up slightly to shake my hand.

"Charlie." I shook his hand.

"These are my neighbours. Let me get us some drinks" I looked for the cooler I gave to Todd. Charlie motioned for Eve to sit with them. I was about to walk away to look for the cooler when Sage stopped me.

"I'll come with you." I located the cooler under a table and got the bottle of wine. She grabbed a cooler of her own and pulled out a soda. Some of the other neighbours came out and sat at the tables.

"So, have you met Odis yet?"

"The hamster hostage, yes." Sage chuckled.

"Hostage? Odis is the king of the neighbourhood. Todd always lets him escape." I frowned.

"Why would he do that?"

"You haven't noticed have you. Todd isn't the most social person. He has his LARping group but not a lot of friends. It's you, me, and Ana. He was so excited when you moved in, the most excited I have seen him in a long time. Todd is very alone. And sometimes the only way he finds a conversation is by helping Odis escape." She took her soda and headed back to the group.

I was about to join the group when my eyes drifted over crowds of people.

I have met a few of the people in the neighbourhood. Most of the neighbours consisted of happily married couples, the odd spinster and then there was Todd and I and Sage and her roommates. Seeing the couples hit harder than I thought it would. I could feel my gut starting to churn.

I hurried back to the kitchen. I didn't see Eve, but she followed me to kitchen.

She pulled me into a hug. I could feel her heart beating rapidly against my chest. She pulled away. I stared at her beautiful brown eyes for a second. I leaned closer and our lips melded together. I pulled her up so she had her legs wrapped around my waist.

I could feel my heart racing and the sparks flying between us. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I held onto her waist as we frantically made out.

The sudden noise of the front door opening pulled us apart. We breathlessly stared at each other as Todd grabbed the bottle of ketchup between us. He eyed us while we were both catching our breaths. I was not expecting this today.