All For You [New Girl]

15. Pumpkin Pie

A/N:  double update! hope y'all are having a good holiday season and had a happy 2021 so far. the final chapter of this story will be published in a couple days

"Hey, man, how's it going?" Colin asked. He sat down beside Nick at the kitchen table. Both of them faced away from the table, toward the television.

Nick nodded, and at first, that was all he was willing to give until he remembered he was being nice and said, "Good. How are your... buildings?" Colin laughed.

"The buildings are good. This is quite the feast you guys have going here." Nick, who had misheard "fest" instead of "feast" and thus been reminded of Schmidt's disgusting ambitions, choked on his beer. He coughed a couple of times before he replied.

"Yeah, it's all Schmidt and Jess. I couldn't plan a dinner party to save my life." He stared at the opening of his beer bottle.

"I feel that. I usually hate dinner parties."

"There's so much talking."

"And not enough booze," Colin finished. Nick looked up in surprise.

"Exactly."

"But this is a lot more fun. Is this usually how you guys hang out? The football game and a horde of models?"

"Sometimes." Nick was watching the game with one eye, but mostly he was watching the room. Schmidt had managed to get the models pretty drunk, but Nick was sure they had come to the loft with exactly that intention. He was also pretty sure their plan was to get wrecked on free liquor and then leave. For now, though, Nick was enjoying watching Schmidt trying to dance cool to impress them while they all clapped like disoriented penguins. That scene was just part of the portrait. Jess and Claire were having some sort of spirited discussion on the couch. Every once in a while, one of them would get so excited that they'd collapse backward onto the cushions only to bounce up seconds later. Winston was sitting not far away. He had grabbed a chair and placed himself less than a foot from the television. He stared at it so intensely Nick was sure his head was going to start glowing green.

"I have to say," Colin added, "I would have been a lot more excited to come here if I knew they were coming." He smirked and gestured toward the women with his bottle. Nick looked at him. Internally, he groaned. So close to perfect.

"Don't tell Claire I said that, would you? Just between us."

What if I just punch him in the face? Nick thought. Just one punch. Out like a light. No one would even notice. But he knew he couldn't. Claire would be so disappointed if Thanksgiving was ruined now. And they hadn't even eaten dessert. Winston would be so disappointed. Without a word, Nick stood up and walked away.

~~~~~

The models left about ten minutes after dessert was served, further solidifying the theory in everyone's mind that they were only there for the free food and booze. Or, in the case of Claire's last-minute pumpkin pie, food filled with booze.

There wasn't actually that much alcohol in the pie Claire had baked. But she hypothesized that it was the sugar, the idea of alcohol, and Winston's personality that combined to produce the behavior upon which she then gazed. A perfect storm. Winston's snail eyes were nearing Jess-sized, which was frightening. He kept switching between hyper-animation and the laid back disposition of a Southern woman fanning herself on her front porch.

"I shouldn't have another slice. I'm done," he announced, "Alright, maybe just one more. So naughty. Naughty, naughty, naughty."

"How long before he starts singing?" Claire asked Jess. Jess was cut off by an incredibly loud and off-key rendition of "Living On a Prayer."