John and Veronica's townhouse was a typical three story house nestled among others of similar style on a residential street a few blocks from the business district in Kensington. Immediately upon walking into their home, a dirty-beige carpeted staircase led to the top floor. Off to right, upon walking in, was what they had turned into a guest bedroom and bathroom. There was a door that separated it from the main stairway in the house. Immediately to the left, was the same carpeted staircase that led to the basement. There was a dark brown carpet in the small basement to help with heat. All that was in there was a hot water heater and a washer and dryer. It had a window in the back of the basement and a door closed it off to the rest of the home much like the guest bedroom.

The landing upon entering was light yellow and off-white linoleum. At the top of the stairs was the main living area. Here, a large and spacious living room opened up on the right at the top of the stairs. There was a sliding glass door and a small balcony outside this floor. The kitchen was situated toward the back wall of this main living area, with two more rooms adjacent: the master bedroom and an extra room that had a couch and a couple bookshelves with a desk. The bathroom was off the kitchen to the left, situated beside a closet. Roger and I slipped out shoes off at the inside of the door. "We're here!" I yelled up the steps. Roger headed up the stairs first, his arms full of the extra pillows we had brought. I had all of the blankets.

Roger dropped all the pillows at the top of the stairs and I piled all the blankets on top of them. "Is this enough?" He asked dropping a large bag we had packed on top of everything. We threw some things we thought we may need for the overnighter inside, and probably forgot something.

"By the looks of that pile you two are stayin' for a week. I think we'll use it all though." Veronica said. She dried her hands off and came over to hug me. "I've got the potatoes peeled but I haven't cut them. I've cut the chicken up into pieces and it's boilin'. I really want to save that lovely broth. I pounded out the meat for the Salisbury steak." She explained.

"I would have helped you!" I scolded her, heading into the kitchen where Chrissie was leaned over against the stove watching the chicken boil. She was doing her best to look calm but she was wiggling her leg a hundred miles a minute. Veronica hugged Roger next.

"Hey. Your roots are growin' out, blondie. Lydia needs to touch these up." She mussed his hair all over his head. He smiled at her.

"I know, I really do. And no! We are not gettin' into that tonight. But I will have it touched up by next weekend." I assured Veronica, referring to the fact that Roger's hair had grown out at least two inches since I had highlighted in in the kitchen of John's cousins' northern home. "What ya' doin' there pretty girl?" I asked Chrissie. Before she could answer I greeted Brian and John.

"We brought cocaine if you're interested. But you can't have any until after midnight." I said. Brian laughed.

"You're like our own dealer, Lydia. You can count me out though." I opened up the refrigerator to take a look and find the refrigerated pizza dough John had picked up.

"Very well, Brian. Hey, Roger...Roger pay John for these groceries before we forget." I told him. I glanced over at Chrissie, she was still watching the chicken. I pulled the dough out and searched Veronica's cabinets for a cutting board and some flour. I would also need a rollin' pin. "My god! Could there be any more alcohol in this fridge!?" I observed. Roger made it a point to pull the carton of cigarettes, a baggie of white powder, a small mirror and a tiny bag with a razor blade in it out of our duffle bag. He threw everything on the end table beside the couch and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket to pay John.

"Rog, don't worry about it. It's no big deal." John said.

"Yes it is. To hear Lydia's reaction there's like 500 pounds worth of alcohol in that fridge. Here." Roger threw thirty pounds at John whether he liked it or not. Back in the kitchen, I cleared out a space to roll this dough out.

"Chrissie, aren't you supposed to be makin' chowder or somethin'?" I asked her, seeing as she was still starin' at the chicken boilin'.

"Yes..." she answered, chewing on the nail of her thumb.

"Okay...chowder don't make itself, Chrissie." I told her, pushing on her to move so I could flour the rollin' pin.

"Lydia, she's had this distracted attitude since she got in this kitchen. And the whole reason behind it is because her view of Brian on my couch is completely unobstructed and she's ridiculously turned on by...his sweater." I spun around to have another look.

"You mean because it's painted onto his body? Or because it's a horrible color of maroon?" I asked. Chrissie hit me and snapped out of her moment. Veronica laughed at me. At least I finally got Chrissie to do something besides stare at a boiling chicken.

"When he picked me up tonight, I thought I was gonna' just die when I saw him. And you really need to go over there and sniff him! Shit, Lydia you combine the two and you've got..." Chrissie paused and shook her head frustratingly.

"An orgasm?" I asked her seriously.

"LYDIA!" Her eyes were on fire as she hissed at me through gritted teeth. "Oh my...ooooh he is just...he could not be any sexier tonight. I don't know if it's because it's New Years' or what but...god...look at him." she said shaking her head and reaching for the first ingredient she needed. I laughed at her because I could cut the sexual frustration with a knife. The thing was, Chrissie didn't even realize it nor was she awre.

"He'll come over here in a minute after talking to Roger, you just wait." Veronica told me. I began rollin' out the dough thinly into the board. We heard the door open downstairs.

"Oooooh loveliiiiiiies!!!! The fun has arrived!" Freddie called to us.

"It's about time! I called dial-a-whore over an hour ago!" I yelled back at him. There was silence until Freddie appeared at the top of the stairs with a hand on his hip and a most interesting look on his face. John was laughing at Freddie's reaction. He shook his head.

"For your information....darling...unlike you, I don't give it up for free. You couldn't afford this good time! So, you settle for Roger who's probably worth a dime a fuck. Now lean over here so I can kiss you on our first New Years' together!" Freddie laughed and reached out his arms to me. I leaned over the counter because I was covered in flour. He kissed my cheek. "I love you, darling!" He made over me before greeting Chrissie and Veronica and sitting down beside Brian. The three of us had this kitchen going and were working on three completely different projects. This felt like the time in October we were up north...yet it wasn't the same...it was better.

"I'm not sure I should drink very much tonight. I don't want Brian to think I'm some lush!" Chrissie said. Veronica and I both stopped what we were doing and turned around to look at her.

"It's New Year's Eve! Brian is gonna' drink like a fish tonight and YOU are joinin' him!" Veronica warned her.

"Well, I don't care at all that he does. It's not that. I just don't think it's..." I stopped Chrissie.

"What you desperately need to be a little bit dangerous. Have a few drinks and...you know...get your hands all over that sweater." I finished up the dough and turned the chicken off.

"What do you mean be a little bit dangerous? And don't make fun of that sweater! It's sooo hot. Are you seein' this?" Chrissie asked me.

"Chrissie...you kiIl me...and no, I'm not seein' this. I can't really explain what I mean, you just need to feel it. You really need to trust yourself, Chrissie."

"You need a little bit of Lydia in you is what you need!" Veronica teased her slicing the potatoes in chunks. "That means, light another cigarette and let yourself go." I laughed at her.

"Yeah, that's about right." I said rinsing my hands off and preparing to work on this chicken. Chrissie looked up. Brian was coming to join us in the kitchen. Actually, he was just coming over to be with her. I thought that incredibly sweet; sweater or not. Veronica had been right, she had it timed like clockwork.

"Get ready for the nervous sweater flirting." I whispered to Veronica. She laughed at me and finished up the potatoes. She prepared to start working on the beans. She and I would just sit back, tear meats and vegetables apart, and watch the conversation unfold around us. We were about an hour away from eating and little did anyone around us know; Roger and I had planned on making our announcement that night over the toast.

"Hey Brian." I began as I drained all of the broth off the chicken into re-sealable container for Vernoica to have. He looked up at me. "Nice sweater." I said. Chrissie rolled her eyes but that's what I meant about being a little bit dangerous. A man needs to know when he gets it right just the way a woman does. I sure as hell knew that Chrissie wasn't going to tell him, so I gave her a little nudge.