BooksBarbecue
Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

Adil came home just as Maja was leaving, and she accepted his offer of a ride back to the inn. She was anxious to go over everything with Ted. She needed to hear him say that everything would be okay, and that they would get through this, somehow. But when she slipped her key into the lock and opened the door, she saw Ted laying on the bed, fast asleep. He was still dressed in his suit, and he had one arm flung over his eyes and his phone in his other hand. “Ted?” she asked gently.

He mumbled and rolled over onto his side, but he didn’t wake up. He was such a deep sleeper; Maja envied him. She turned off the overhead light and went into the bathroom to take off her makeup and get undressed. Before she got into bed, she pulled off Ted’s socks and slipped the heavy watch off of his wrist. He stirred again but didn’t wake, and she crawled into the bed beside him. He put his arm around her and pulled her toward him, nuzzling his face against her neck.

“Hey you,” he whispered.

“Hey,” she said back, and just like that, her body relaxed, and any thoughts of what had happened during this long, long day seemed better saved for tomorrow.

10

Maja woke up on Tuesday morning with the confused feeling of finding herself in a strange bed. She had a single blissful moment, stretching out next to Ted, before she remembered why they were there. She felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach, like a dawning hangover, as she thought of the house.

They walked into town to have breakfast at the Blue Moon, a café tucked between the river and the canal. After they put their order in, Maja began to run through the details of the day before, and Ted listened grimly as she described the damage, the police investigation, and the contractor’s vague estimates.

“A few hundred thousand dollars?” he said. “Are you kidding me?”

“John said he wasn’t really sure yet,” Maja said. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if it was more.”

Ted sighed. “It just sounds like a lot for party cleanup.”

Maja shook her head. “Ted, it wasn’t just a party. It was . . . I don’t really know what to call it. The house is trashed. You have to see it.”

For a moment it looked like Ted was going to protest, but instead he gave Maja a thin smile. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it down in time. Thank you for dealing with the police. I know I should have been here. Things at work just have me really stressed out. But I’m here today. Whatever needs to be done.”