Chapter 27

As it will with old friends, the conversation hit the ground running, and Ashok and Erik had caught up on three topics between the door and the kitchen, and two more between the kitchen and the deck. Danny was content to kick back in his chair and listen to the man he was pretty sure he loved scatter the contents of his brain across the table, and to the other man who loved Ashok pick them up and polish them in no particular order. The tequila was smooth and strong—like Ashok—and the lines between “relaxed” and “snoring” were shortly blurred.

At which point he sat up straight and made an effort to engage. “So, what’s the show next weekend?” he asked.

“It’s called the Frilly Green Chile Ball,” Erik said.

“It’s a ball?” Danny asked. “Like, a dance? They still have those?”

“Well, it’s not that kind of ball,” Ashok elaborated. “It’s a fundraiser for the Empire of the Sacred Zia Sun. It’s more of a ‘show’ than a ball.”