Strings of Fate

67- Codes and cocktails

Harry- Hey, wanna help me with a project? 3

Ryann- Should I be afraid….

Megan- Class is boring. I was hoping for something more interesting today but it’s all just a recap of stuff we’ve done before-_-

Harry- Nope. It’s a fun project. Help me think of the weirdest most obscure cocktails. Bonus points if they have fun names.

Ryann- I have no idea. Just a sec, I’ll add Megan to the chat and you can ask her.

I create a group chat with Megan and Harry. Harry instantly changes the group name.

Harry changed the group name to SHENANIGANS

Harry- Hello Megan, I’ve heard a lot about you.

Megan- Hi Harry and same!

Harry- Okay so here’s the goal. We’re trying to think of the weirdest cocktails. Bonus points if they have interesting names. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Ryann- Interesting how?

Megan- Dirty. He means dirty names Ryann. You do, right Harry?

Harry-

Ryann- Riiight…

Megan- Okay well there are the obvious ones, Sex on the Beach, Slippery Nipple etc. but you

don’t need our help to come up with those.

67- Codes and cocktails

Harry- The aim of the game is to make the bartender react. I’ve already tried the basics.

Ryann- I get the feeling that there’s a story here somewhere. Why are you trying to make bartenders blush?

Harry- It’s a useful skill….

Megan- No way that’s the reason. There has to be more to this!

Harry- Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. You’ll never know.

Ryann- How about we make a deal. We help you think of drink names and you have to tell us the reaction you get when you order them.

Megan- Ooooh yes!

Harry- Fine.

Megan changed the name of the group to COCK TALES

I can’t help myself, I burst out laughing. Not the quiet, cute kind of laughing. The insane, rolling around, nearly falling off the couch kind of laughing. I do drop my phone on the floor but I manage not to hit the ground myself. I pull myself together and notice all the guys are staring at me like I’m crazy.

“You alright there?” Alex asks, staring like I’m a creature in a zoo. I wave him off as I lean off the edge of the couch. I basically have to crawl half off it to reach my phone but I just refuse to stand up. I’m sure I look absolutely ridiculous but I just don’t care.

“I’m all good. Just dropped my phone Megan is being funny is all.” They all shrug and get back to work. It’s only been a minute but I have more messages in the group chat.

COCK TALES

Harry- A girl after my own heart <3

67- Codes and cocktails

Megan- You’re an Incubus asking for dirty drink ideas. The pun was bound to come up

eventually.

Harry- Can’t argue there. Now, I need ideas.

Megan- Pornstar Martini?

Megan- French Kiss shot?

Megan- Panty Dropper?

Harry- Keep ‘em coming. I’m making a list.

Megan- Screaming orgasm, Blowjob shot, Sex in the Driveway…

Harry and Megan spend the next hour listing drinks most of which I have never heard of. They get very into it and eventually I’m not even sure they’re listing real drinks anymore. They might just be making up names that sound good. I don’t even notice when my movie ends until Alex clears his throat behind me and this time I jerk so hard I DO fall off the couch. I somehow end up tangled up in my blanket and after a moment of struggling I give up and just stay where I am on the floor. Hoping to regain some sense of dignity, I straighten the blanket around me and turn to face Alex who is watching me with an amused expression. He is clearly trying his best not to laugh at my clumsiness.

“Ah, miss… miss Gale. Are you okay? Do you need a hand?” I begin to shake my head no then. change my mind.

“Uh yeah, I probably could use some help detangling myself. I’m not quite sure how I managed this.” Alex does an admirable job of keeping a straight face while he helps me pull the blanket off my legs. He grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet, but he pulls a little too hard and I fall straight into him with a thump, smashing my head painfully against his chest. He lets out a grunt as I basically ram into him and knock the breath from him.

“Sorry!” I back off immediately and tumble back into the couch. Shaun bounces over next to

Alex,

grinning at his friend he turns and winks at me.

67- Codes and cocktails

“Careful with this one, don’t wanna piss off Alpha Kane, he’s very protective of this one” he laughs. Alex looks a little horrified.

“I was just trying to help, this is why I prefer working from the office. It’s less stressful.” I roll

my eyes.

“You guys are being dramatic. Alex, you did nothing wrong. Thanks for attempting to help. How is everything going?” Alex’s face brightens.

“We are just about done. I’ll walk you through your new setup.”

Alex shows me how my windows now have locks that look like something out of a sci–fi movie. My door is apparently some special thing that looks like regular wood but has a steel panel inside. The doorframe itself has also been reinforced similarly although you wouldn’t know from looking at it. I don’t know exactly what they’ve done but I can’t see any of the wires or cameras. Alex points out a tiny little camera lens that is visible above my front door. He borrows my phone for a minute and sets up some app that allows me to view the camera and it shows a good image of the area outside my front door. He promises there will be a second camera view added later that shows the car park but will be finished up tomorrow when they do Maggie’s place. He did explain why, something about the wiring but honestly I didn’t completely understand it and I just nodded along. He explains that the security

y system is armed with my phone. It will go off every time the door is accessed but all i have to do to confirm my entry is enter a passcode on my phone. The same rule applies to the windows. There is also a help button in the phone app menu that will call them immediately, but if the alarm goes off and I don’t set the code within a minute it will automatically set an alert off for them and they will arrive as fast as physically possible. He has me practice entering the code a few times and gets me to change it to something I will remember, but something not too obvious. Really the same rules for all passcodes, don’t use your birthday or anything people will immediately guess after looking you up online. He makes me promise not to tell anyone

and then shows me how I can access the app online from a guest phone if for some reason mine is missing, but it will only allow me to do that one time before I have to have someone come and confirm my safety and set up a new device. By the time he finishes.

explaining, I have a headache. Although I have to admit it’s almost adorable how excited Alex is about the system. He apparently designed it, and is beyond proud.