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IN A MODEST THREE BEDROOM eco-friendly house that blended perfectly with its surroundings several miles from the open-air home...
“Well, I for one am going to miss that house,” Maggie sniffed and wiped away a tear. “Melissa and I put a lot of time and effort into it.”
“How so?” asked Kevin. “Oh yes, we can’t be tied to the house.”
Danny suddenly jumped up and shouted, “Oh shit, damn it, damn it. I’m so screwed.”
Melissa jumped up as well and started throwing things in a duffel bag. “What? What is it? Should we leave? Do have time?”
“We left our last movie rental in the house. Now we are going to have to buy it,” Danny moaned, walked over to the window, placed both palms on the glass, and looked out at the house in the distance. “Man oh man, the library on wheels is going to be pissed. Mrs. Zahne is super sweet but, man, when she gets riled up, she’ll put you in a corner and lecture you until you wish you had walked the fifty miles to the closest library to return that book or DVD on time. I remember that one time I had forgotten about a book for three of her trips, which is like an eternity in library time. I swear I was clean-shaven when I went in the bookmobile and by the time I exited, I had a beard down to.” Danny had his hand at his navel and suddenly realized the room had gone silent. He decided not to finish his story given the stares aimed at him.
“Okay, who wants to go first,” asked Melissa as she rolled up her sleeves and dropped her duffel bag.
Kevin, Maggie, Melissa, Humberto, and Cathy circled around Danny who had scampered away from the window and retreated behind the loveseat. “You rent library movies and books, you, you. I am at a loss for words. I am so mad at you right now, Danny. You said you got those movies and books from town” Maggie said in a low even tone inches from Danny’s face.
“You dumbfuck, that’s probably how they traced us!” shouted Kevin.
“No, no, it’s alright. I’m not that stupid. I used Sebastian’s name. Sebastian, from the general store, I wouldn’t use my name. Now that I think about, Sebastian is the one that is going to be pissed. Phew, what a relief,” Danny said with a sigh, sat down amongst his still glaring friends, and wiped his brow.
But almost immediately Danny jumped back up peered over Kevin’s shoulder and shrieked in his ear, “Hey am I seeing things or did Harpo just drive by!?”
“No, you are not off the hook just yet, Dumbo,” Kevin said, grabbing the front of Danny’s shirt.
“No, seriously. Hey, Humberto, it looks like two of your guys just went by in Harpo. Look, they are coming around for a second pass.”
Kevin had turned around and was looking out the patio doors. “You weren’t shitting us. Yeah, that’s Harpo. Humberto, do those guys belong to you? They look like they are on your team since, all your guys sort of dress alike.
“Yes, that’s Tony and Josh, better flag them down.”
Kevin ran outside and shouted at the slowly departing golf cart.