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"All right" I’ that me plus alcohol plus Reid Alexander in the sa candor

"Ready?" At hts ago Tadd opens the door, and Graha down at ot to Brooke’s roorave; vu for about two seconds And then not Four years ago ould have been all over each other before I got five feet inside her rooh for me to enter "Reid," she said

"Brooke" I set several s one, which I downed i the bottle into her trash, I opened the second "So how long has it been?" I said, knowing this was a reckless path to navigate

Her jaw tightened and she plopped onto the loveseat, trying to look indifferent and fearless at the sa me in the eye "I have no idea"

A knock sounded then and I turned, relieved, to admit MiShaun, Quinton and Jenna A moment later, Tadd arrived

Brooke holds court froh the e across the floor, chatting, while I wonder how disturbed I should be that Emma and Graham are the only tho haven’t shown yet Five ether

"The prima donnas arrive," MiShaun teases

"Seriously, what took you guys so long?" Brooke’s eyes dart back and forth between the two of them

Emma picks up on her territorial vibe and bristles visibly, her shoulders stiffening "I had a phone call to make" She holds out the bottle in her hand "Um, where--?"

"Put it with the other stuff" Brooke indicates a side table boasting a dozen miniature bottles Eift shop shot glasses with college e up at Graham, Brooke pats the cushion next to her, while Emma sits on the floor in the space between Jenna and me, exactly where I want her

"What’s first, children?" Brooke asks

Tadd stands, places one hand over his heart and enunciates as though delivering a line froe before me"

"I second that" Quinton pries the wrapper froht, which I suspect ca tequila shots

Grabbing a bottle of ru it directly into her Diet Coke bottle, Brooke suggests we toast the success of the fil" Everyone obediently clinks glasses and bottles,to the film

"Where’s Meredith?" Jenna asks

"The boyfriend aiting for her in the lobby e got back fros "Looks like splitsville to uy showed up on set to break up with her? What a douche"

"I don’t knoho’s breaking up ho, just that it looked i for our listening pleasure?" she asks as Grahauitar

"Either Stairway to Heaven or so out a few chords, testing the instruot, then definitely John Mayer What are we, fifty?" Brooke says

"Zeppelin is classic!" he insists, which earns hiirls

"The queen has spoken," I say, handing hi as she seethes She’s deterht as well enjoy it

Tadd downs the shot, plunks the glass on a table and starts stru lines of Your Body is a Wonderland to each of the girls, strolling around the roo the performance perched on MiShaun’s lap As everyone applauds, he bows and passes the guitar to Graham

"Graham, no Zeppelin, as I believe we’ve already established," Brooke says

"I thought I’d do so you wrote yourself?"

"Still a work in progress, but, yeah"

"Cool" She touches his arhtly and raise both eyebrows in the universal gesture of do you see that?

Graha, the chords couitar like he’s caressing it The vocals are definitely good Unlike Tadd, he doesn’t look at anyone while perfor, except once, towards the end of the last chorus, when his eyes uarded dislike to I hate this guy