She did it much more smoothly than I ever could.
I was pretty sure not even condensation dripped onto the bar.
The second she put the jug down, like it was synced, the doors opened. Her mom lead the way, but her grandmother's turquoise maxi dress was the showstopper. I couldn't look away from the luminescent garment. It hung and flowed like it was the gown of a Greek Goddess herself.
Aleta Karras stepped into the bar with one smooth movement. She was barely across the threshold when I heard Raven's deep inhale. Dark eyes canvassed the entire space, lingering on me for the slightest moment, before sweeping across the rest of the room and ultimately onto Raven.
Her knuckles whitened with her grip on her glass.
I waited for the moment the stem snapped.
"Raven!" Aleta threw up her arms and hobbled across the bar toward her.
I was barely able to swipe the glass from Raven's hand before she was swept into a giant hug by her tiny grandmother. It was quite a sight to see, given that Raven had a good foot on her grandmother. The top of Aleta's head barely came to her shoulders, and if if weren't for Raven bending down just in time, it would have been a pretty uncomfortable situation to be in.
Alexandra headed straight for me and pointed to Raven's mimosa. "Please tell me that's got alcohol in it," she whispered.
I nodded and handed her a new glass from the bar.
Like Raven just did, she downed it in one. Then, she handed me the empty glass and picked up a new one.
"I feel better already." She blinked and smiled.
I glanced at where Raven was trying and failing to extract herself from her grandmother's grip. My lips pulled to the side at the sight of her unable to pull her away. Mostly because now, the rest of the Karras' had surrounded her, and it was the biggest group hug I'd ever seen. There were literally eleven people all surrounding her. The only part of her visible was her head because she got her height from her dad, so her mom's family were all shorter than her.
I set down Raven's glass and escaped to the kitchen before she was released. I knew that the moment she was, she'd be on my back, using me as a shield just to annoy me. I was getting the heck out of dodge before shit got crazy.
***
"I cannot believe you left me out there!" Raven hissed, slamming the kitchen door behind her. "Two hours, Parker! How could you leave me for two hours?"
I sealed the tub of hummus I was holding. "Your family. Your circus. Your monkeys."
"Damn it. I knew I should have put some small print in your contract."
Laughter escaped me as I put the hummus in the fridge. "They haven't been that bad."
Annoyance sparked in her eyes. "Haven't been that bad? Are you freaking kidding me? Are you high? They've been insufferable. My twenty-three-year-old cousin is married with a baby on the way in four months and asked me when I'm getting married because I'm so old now. I'm twenty-six!"
"It's a different culture," I said slowly, grabbing the things for a salad. "You know that."
"That doesn't mean it's okay for her to say that."
"When did she get married?"
"Three weeks ago."
"So, is she married despite being pregnant or because she's pregnant?"
Raven's jaw dropped, and it took her a moment to pick it back up. "I didn't even think of that. I'm so using that next time one of them ribs on me about being single."
I shook my head and chopped the lettuce. "They can't all be on your back about your life."
"Well, they don't have to be. Yia-Yia asked me for a Dirty Screw, my Uncle Christian asked me the potency of the Blue Balls, and Aunt Alexa asked me if the hot guy who had the mimosas would serve her a Pussy Pounder."
"That depends on your aunt."
She rolled her eyes. "She's fifty-two and once put her back out hanging up laundry. Calm your cock."
Again, I laughed at her. "I was just saying. I'll have to pass."
"Why? Are you discriminating against the older generation?"
"I didn't see her asking you if a gentleman of the older generation was dishing out Pussy Pounders."
"Touché," she muttered, pushing off the door. "I'm in hell fresher than a field full of spring flowers here. I can't handle this for two weeks. There's just no way. I'm over it already."
I felt like it was my turn to roll my eyes.
"First you, and now this. I'm ready to go for a swim with the sharks."
"That's mildly dramatic," I said, throwing diced tomatoes into a bowl. "Besides, last I heard, sharks don't eat bitch."