Deal With the Deviled Eggs

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

Dom scratched at his head under the itchy Holmes hat with one hand, trying to make the pipe look natural in his mouth with the other. Around him floated the early buzz of a party just getting started, people in costumes entering and going through the awkward first mingling stages. The place was great, very rustic, very creepy, apparently a spare building owned by the local taxidermist, Owen. His touches were all around; Dom suspected the man had taken his creepiest pieces and stocked the house with them.

Three live black cats snaked through the ankles of the crowd as Dom took in the setting. The main area—kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom—was apparently safe, but still decorated with cobwebs and spiders, and spooky noises played in the background. The rest of the place had been turned into a haunted house to wander at your own risk. He was looking forward to that later.

He wished Kiko was there with him.

As if knowing, his phone chimed, and he stepped off to a corner beneath an evil-looking stuffed raccoon to answer it.

“Kiko,” he said. Maybe when he got back home in the middle of the night he could wake Kiko up for a round of something naughty. Maybe that would help get Dom back on Kiko’s good side.

“He took my eggs,” said Kiko. There was no immediate noise in the background, so Dom guessed he had stepped into the basement. Kiko did not sound happy.

“What?” Dom couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Did you not notice?”

Kiko was drawing out his words like he was trying better to control them. He was angry. All thoughts of waking him later for midnight s*x fled from Dom’s mind.

“I didn’t look at the eggs,” said Dom, hearing Kiko sigh at the other end. “But I’ll have a look now. Call you back?”

“Thanks.”

Dom made his way to the kitchen and pushed through a pair of laughing zombies holding bottles of beer before he reached the table. The food to share was there; later Owen would be carving up a ham, but for now, Dom scanned until he found what he was looking for: Kiko’s eggs. There was no mistaking them. Kiko was a genius with eggs, although already the maple bacon ones had a decent number missing. He’d probably go for anything with bacon first too.

Travis, dressed in a terrible devil costume made from a red T-shirt and cheap red cape he’d picked up at the thrift store, was talking to Owen at the beer coolers. Dom moved over to them, not pleased. If Kiko’s eggs were here, then that meant Travis’ eggs were at Yolks on You. No wonder Kiko was upset.

“Sounds good,” Owen was saying as Dom approached. He and Travis shook. “I’ll see what I can do, then. But the ladies are itching for eyeball sangria.”

He retreated to mix wine and peeled grapes, and Dom grabbed Travis’ shoulder before the man could leave to mingle anymore. Travis was nearly finished with a beer and Dom could see now that he fully intended to get drunk as hell, like they were still in college.

“Grab a beer, Dom,” said Travis. “What?”

“We have to take them back to Kiko,” said Dom, gesturing toward the eggs with his plastic pipe. Travis stared at him, swigged the last of his beer.

“What?”

“Come on. You can figure out that if his eggs are here, yours are at Yolks on You.”

Travis grinned and bent to the cooler to snag another beer. Dom refused the one he tried to pass up.

“He can make do,” said Travis. “Besides, these’re working out for me here. Owen says he knows a chef he can give my name to, good pay, and at least one of those vampire girls rolled her eyes in ecstasy while eating that bacon egg. You think you can put in a good word? She’s the purple-and-red one.”

Dom felt his skin flush with heat. He was angry. Travis was trying to walk all over Kiko, and it pissed him off. He clenched his free hand to a fist.

“Kiko puts a lot of time and work in on the things he does for the store, not to mention money.”

“Look, Dom,” said Travis, twisting off the cap and taking a gulp of the beer. “I get you’re whipped now, but the eggs are right where they’re supposed to be. Let it go.”

The detective hat was paying off. Dom knew exactly what Travis was saying.

“You took Kiko’s eggs on purpose?”

“I liked these better. Come on, you can see they do more good here anyway. He can make more, he lives in the kitchen.”

“Only because you’re constantly trashing it.”

Travis shook his head.

“You need a drink,” he said and walked off before Dom could stop him. Irritated, Dom shoved the plastic pipe into his back pocket and moved to grab the trays of deviled eggs from the table. He’d drive them over, apologize, and be back here before Travis even realized he’d gone. But when he picked up the trays, Owen was suddenly beside him.

“What are you doing?” he asked. Dom opened his mouth to reply but guests began speaking up.

“You can’t take those.”

“Gotta share those.”

Dom set the tray down and Owen walked off.

“These are Kiko’s,” said Dom to the bystanders. A werewolf reached forward and snagged an egg.

“Then tell him thanks,” he said, and Dom realized no one would allow him to leave with the trays.