This tidbit picks up where the New Years Eve Jeb Saga ends. I was home for my annual Criggerpalooza Extravaganza and this particular section falls squarely in the middle.When this story starts we had returned home from a day of bourbon tasting around central Kentucky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time Jeb arrived the party had dwindled to Bill, Shelly, and myself.
But I didn't mind in the least. When he walked in carrying a 5th of bourbon and case of beer, Shelly and I were curled up on the coach gossiping about who knows what.
Most likely him, would be my best guess.
And as much as I just wanted to jump up and hug him, I held back.
Looking back, I'm not sure why.
Playing hard to get with someone who lives on the other side of the country seems unwise, as they are, in the truest since of the phrase, hard to get. But, then again we hadn't seen each other for four months and who knows what was going through his mind.
"Ladies!" He said with that easy smile of his. "Crigger, brought you some Bourbon, since I know you won't drink beer."
"Thanks! You sure do know your company."
"Where's Bill? In the kitchen?"
"BILL! BILL! WHERE ARE YOU? JEB IS HERE!" Shouted Shelley.
"I'm in the kitchen," came his calm reply.
"Alright. I'm gonna go fix myself a drink. Ladies?"
"Bourbon and diet." We said in unison.
"Crigger! Shelly! Are you guys going to sit in there all night or are we going to play some Drinking Jenga?" called Bill 20 minutes later.
"Get it set up. We'll be there in a minute." I called.
"We need refills!" demanded Shelly. A few minutes later Shelly and I strolled into the dining room where the boys had set up Jenga, or Dringa, as the version we were going to play is more commonly known.
As I sat down beside Jeb, he said, “So how’s the Cali life treating you Crigger?”
“I can’t complain. I miss Kentucky and all my friends. But living by the beach doesn’t suck.” I said pulling a Dringa block.“Give three. Boring.” I said reading the block. “But, drink up, bitches.” I laughed.
“Ahhh… So that’s how it is gonna be.” said Shelly lifting her drink to her mouth. “Fine.”
“At least I didn’t give you all three!” I said indignantly.
“Fair.” Said Jeb.
“State fair.” Followed up Bill.
“What’s the best thing about California?” Asked Shelly.“The beach. Definitely, the beach.” I said emphatically.
“Not the guys in Trader Joe’s telling you that you have nice legs?” asked Jeb smiling slyly.
“Oh my gawd! You read my blog.” I said turning 12 shades of red.
“Not religiously. But I’ve read a few of them. Drink one. Got off easy.” He said reading the block he had just drawn and taking a swig of beer.
“Oh no…” I said dropping my head to rest on my folded arms.
“No. It’s extremely entertaining. You are a good writer. And it’s funny, and probably flattering if you end up in it.”
“Your tune might change if you’re in it.”
“You can write about me. I don’t mind.”
“Well… I probably won’t, but if I do, I’ll try not to embarrass you. I still can’t believe you read it.”
“Read a passage from the romance novel.” Bill said referencing the romance novel that he had tailored for Shelly for an anniversary present. “Hand me the book, Crigger. Its on the shelf beside you.”
“Here you go.” I said passing the book to Bill. “I still can’t believe you read the blog.” I said turning in my seat to face Jeb.
“Honestly, Scott is the one who reads it religiously, and he just tells me when there is something I might want to know. But the guy at Trader Joes’s isn’t wrong about your legs. They are great.”
“Well... thanks.” I said blushing and sipping my bourbon. “I’ve been training for a half-marathon, so clearly that hasn’t hurt.”
“No, it has not.” Jeb said patting my knee under the table.
“Keep those hands where I can see them!” cautioned Shelly.
“Oh lord…” I muttered.
“And Jeb. Kiss Crigger.”
She demanded.“What?!” I screeched. “You can’t made people do things like that!”
“Yes, I can. I’m the boss.” She said turning her block to face me.
It clearly said “Who’s the boss. You are!”
“Dang it.” I said, not really meaning it, as I turned my cheek to Jeb.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well, I try." said Jeb smoothing his tie.
"Where are the Fraleys?"
"I've heard them banging around upstairs, and Bill yelled to make sure I was awake at one point. But I haven't actually seen either of them yet."
"You look really pretty. Your hair looks nice put up like that."
"Thanks! Wait until you see my hat. Its vintage." I said as I turned to head back into the guest bedroom to get my hat. I reappeared with my teal bird cage hat perched on my head.
"Only you." He said as I spun around to model my outfit.
"Its Criggerpalooza. Go big or don't go!" I said sitting down beside him on the couch.
"Very true." Jeb said nodding his head and smiling his easy smile.
"Well, you two look way more alert than I expected. Well, at least you do, Jeb. Crigger has her super powers of not getting hungover and needing only about 5 hours of sleep to function." Bill said as he came into the living room. "You were both wasted when I went to bed."
"What's for breakfast?" I asked.
"Eggs? Oatmeal? Cereal?" Asked Bill.
"Shot of bourbon?" I asked half joking.
"It's 9:30!" they said in unison.
"And a piece of toast. Geeze. And don't either of you act shocked. I've seen you both drinking way earlier than this. Bill, you're just jealous that you have to drive us to Keeneland and therefore you can't start drinking."
"Nah, I can have a shot. It will be at least 45 minutes before Shelly is ready."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time Jeb arrived the party had dwindled to Bill, Shelly, and myself.
But I didn't mind in the least. When he walked in carrying a 5th of bourbon and case of beer, Shelly and I were curled up on the coach gossiping about who knows what.
Most likely him, would be my best guess.
And as much as I just wanted to jump up and hug him, I held back.
Looking back, I'm not sure why.
Playing hard to get with someone who lives on the other side of the country seems unwise, as they are, in the truest since of the phrase, hard to get. But, then again we hadn't seen each other for four months and who knows what was going through his mind.
"Ladies!" He said with that easy smile of his. "Crigger, brought you some Bourbon, since I know you won't drink beer."
"Thanks! You sure do know your company."
"Where's Bill? In the kitchen?"
"BILL! BILL! WHERE ARE YOU? JEB IS HERE!" Shouted Shelley.
"I'm in the kitchen," came his calm reply.
"Alright. I'm gonna go fix myself a drink. Ladies?"
"Bourbon and diet." We said in unison.
"Crigger! Shelly! Are you guys going to sit in there all night or are we going to play some Drinking Jenga?" called Bill 20 minutes later.
"Get it set up. We'll be there in a minute." I called.
"We need refills!" demanded Shelly. A few minutes later Shelly and I strolled into the dining room where the boys had set up Jenga, or Dringa, as the version we were going to play is more commonly known.
As I sat down beside Jeb, he said, “So how’s the Cali life treating you Crigger?”
“I can’t complain. I miss Kentucky and all my friends. But living by the beach doesn’t suck.” I said pulling a Dringa block.“Give three. Boring.” I said reading the block. “But, drink up, bitches.” I laughed.
“Ahhh… So that’s how it is gonna be.” said Shelly lifting her drink to her mouth. “Fine.”
“At least I didn’t give you all three!” I said indignantly.
“Fair.” Said Jeb.
“State fair.” Followed up Bill.
“What’s the best thing about California?” Asked Shelly.“The beach. Definitely, the beach.” I said emphatically.
“Not the guys in Trader Joe’s telling you that you have nice legs?” asked Jeb smiling slyly.
“Oh my gawd! You read my blog.” I said turning 12 shades of red.
“Not religiously. But I’ve read a few of them. Drink one. Got off easy.” He said reading the block he had just drawn and taking a swig of beer.
“Oh no…” I said dropping my head to rest on my folded arms.
“No. It’s extremely entertaining. You are a good writer. And it’s funny, and probably flattering if you end up in it.”
“Your tune might change if you’re in it.”
“You can write about me. I don’t mind.”
“Well… I probably won’t, but if I do, I’ll try not to embarrass you. I still can’t believe you read it.”
“Read a passage from the romance novel.” Bill said referencing the romance novel that he had tailored for Shelly for an anniversary present. “Hand me the book, Crigger. Its on the shelf beside you.”
“Here you go.” I said passing the book to Bill. “I still can’t believe you read the blog.” I said turning in my seat to face Jeb.
“Honestly, Scott is the one who reads it religiously, and he just tells me when there is something I might want to know. But the guy at Trader Joes’s isn’t wrong about your legs. They are great.”
“Well... thanks.” I said blushing and sipping my bourbon. “I’ve been training for a half-marathon, so clearly that hasn’t hurt.”
“No, it has not.” Jeb said patting my knee under the table.
“Keep those hands where I can see them!” cautioned Shelly.
“Oh lord…” I muttered.
“And Jeb. Kiss Crigger.”
She demanded.“What?!” I screeched. “You can’t made people do things like that!”
“Yes, I can. I’m the boss.” She said turning her block to face me.
It clearly said “Who’s the boss. You are!”
“Dang it.” I said, not really meaning it, as I turned my cheek to Jeb.
"Well, I try." said Jeb smoothing his tie.
"Where are the Fraleys?"
"I've heard them banging around upstairs, and Bill yelled to make sure I was awake at one point. But I haven't actually seen either of them yet."
"You look really pretty. Your hair looks nice put up like that."
"Thanks! Wait until you see my hat. Its vintage." I said as I turned to head back into the guest bedroom to get my hat. I reappeared with my teal bird cage hat perched on my head.
"Only you." He said as I spun around to model my outfit.
"Its Criggerpalooza. Go big or don't go!" I said sitting down beside him on the couch.
"Very true." Jeb said nodding his head and smiling his easy smile.
"Well, you two look way more alert than I expected. Well, at least you do, Jeb. Crigger has her super powers of not getting hungover and needing only about 5 hours of sleep to function." Bill said as he came into the living room. "You were both wasted when I went to bed."
"What's for breakfast?" I asked.
"Eggs? Oatmeal? Cereal?" Asked Bill.
"Shot of bourbon?" I asked half joking.
"It's 9:30!" they said in unison.
"And a piece of toast. Geeze. And don't either of you act shocked. I've seen you both drinking way earlier than this. Bill, you're just jealous that you have to drive us to Keeneland and therefore you can't start drinking."
"Nah, I can have a shot. It will be at least 45 minutes before Shelly is ready."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you want to know how this story ends, I guess you'll have to buy the book :)
If you want to know how this story ends, I guess you'll have to buy the book :)
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