Judith shook her head.“Definitely not with this group when half of you are drunk.Clothes will come off.”
“What’s wrong with that?”Chris—one of the developers—asked.
Reese smirked.“First time I think I’ve ever agreed with that asshole,” she muttered.
“How about a talent show,” Nigel suggested.
“Being anal retentive isn’t a talent.”Chris apparently had opinions tonight.“You were born that way.”
Elliot raised a few fingers.“Hang on.I want to know what Nigel’s actual talent is.”
Nigel pushed back from the table, and a hush fell over the room.When he grabbed the steak knife next to his plate, and then Jeremy’s and Judith’s knives, several people gasped.
“Whoa.Hang on.”Judith reached for him.
Jeremy stopped her.“Trust him.”
Nigel stepped away from the table to a clearing near the front of the room, and hefted the knives a few times.Then he started to juggle.
“Holy shit.Did you know he could do that?”I asked Brandon.
Brandon shook his head, his attention never leaving Nigel.
Nigel stopped, spun, and tossed the knives one at a time at the stage.All three stuck in the middle of a wreath hanging on the front of the structure.
The room erupted in applause.
Dustin joined Nigel at the front of the room.“Talent show is over.Unless someone can beat that without causing an insurance incident.”Dustin finished his announcement with more applause and pointed Nigel toward his seat.
Laughter rippled around us.
“Reese and Danny can.”Adrienne spoke above the chatter.“Maybe not beat it, but they can compete.”
Reese stared at her.
Adrienne shrugged.“What?It’s true.”
“They don’t work here, they don’t count.”Nigel sounded put out.
“I assure you, they do.”Brandon’s voice was hard.
I didn’t want this to escalate.The night had been nice so far.“I guarantee we can’t compete with knife juggling.”
“But will you sing anyway?”Luna asked.“Nigel only used part of the stage.The rest still needs love.”
It did sound like fun, and Reese had to be itching to cave.I was surprised when she said, “There are no instruments.”
Like that had ever mattered to us before.
“Sing.Sing.Sing.Sing.”Luna started the chant and half the room joined in.An unusual display of enthusiasm from the Dev side of the room.
I exchanged looks with Reese, and she was chewing her bottom lip.I stood and offered my hand, and she accepted as I pulled her to her feet.
We drew almost as much applause as Nigel and we hadn’t done anything yet.
“Do you want music?”Brandon asked softly.
Reese shook her head.“We’ll keep things low key.”