The door didn’t close securely. Maggie, in the other room, humming to herself, didn’t hear her name called. Walking back into the tiny living room, she screamed at the sight of two people standing in the middle of the room, wearing grotesque old men masks.
“Told you we’d get her.”
The two people erupted into uproarious laughter at her reaction. Maggie, hand clasped to her chest, took short, shallow breaths. Noticing a familiarity at their posture, she glared at them. Slowly, still laughing, Brian and Nick removed their masks.
“What the hell do you call yourselves doing!?” She demanded hands on her hips.
“I’m sorry,” Brian told her, running a hand through his hair. “I thought you heard us when we came in. You really should make sure the door is closed next time.”
“I heard you say a wordy-dird,” Nick teased, hugging her.
“You should be glad I didn’t say what first came to mind,” she said, swatting at him. “That shit ain’t even funny.”
Nick laughed harder, having to sit down. He grabbed one of the bags and started nosing through it.
“Hey,” Maggie said, “who gave you permission to go through my stuff? What if there was a giant rat trap in there?”
“Nah, you wouldn’t do that. You think I’m too cute to hurt,” he told her, smiling innocently.
“Kevin asked us to let you know they’re running late today. Another PR event was scheduled right after the radio show. Did we scare you good?” Brian asked, joining Nick on the sofa.
“I’d say so. Nick, I said get out of my bags.”
“Ooh, what’s this?” He asked, hauling out a small orange box. “ ‘Mad Gab’. What the hell is that?”
“It’s a game. I used to play it with my students sometimes to break the monotony of the usual class regime. I got it because I needed something to keep my brain from turning to mush. Did you know that your brain needs exercising, too?” She asked them, trying to take the box from him.
“No. Hey, why don’t you play this game with us? It sounds like fun.”
“I don’t think so. I’d cream you and that would just be embarrassing. Why aren’t you on the interviews?”
“Oh,” Brian explained, taking the box from Nick, “we’ve got the ones in the next town. We try to split them up so we won’t get burned out. I think you should play this with us. If you don’t, we’re going to bug you.”
“You already do,” she said, sitting in the chair across from them as Brian opened the game and set on the table. “All right. This game is played by what you hear, not what you say. Each one of these cards has words on them that make no sense, so don’t try to figure it out that way. You have to keep saying the words over and over until you hear the actual word or phrase. Try this one, Brian.”
He looked at the card. “Farther stay. That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Say it again,” she instructed.
“Farther stay.”
“Again.”
“Farther Stay. Farther Stay. Farther Stay.”
“FATHER’S DAY!” Nick shouted, understanding.
“Yes! Good job, Nick. You get to do the next one,” Maggie said, holding up a card for him.
“What about this little timer-thingy?” He asked, playing with it.
“If you want to, we’ll use it. It’s a little more difficult with a time limit, though,” she explained. Turning the dial, she stopped it at thirty seconds. “Ready?”
Nick squinted at the card, mouthing the words.
“You’ve got to say them out loud, dork!” Brian told him.
“All right. ‘Abe He Yelled He.’ ‘Abe He Yelled He.’ ‘A Be Helled He.’ I don’t get it.”
“I know it! I can’t believe you of all people aren’t getting that one,” Brian teased, whacking him with a pillow.
“You’re saying it,” Maggie said, laughing at them both. Brian was bouncing on the couch, waiting for Nick to figure it out. “Try it one more time.”
“Abe He Yelled He. A Be Hell De. A BLT! A BLT! I got it! All right, Mr. Smart-Ass, your turn,” he said, grabbing a card and holding it in front of Brian.
“Amen Ask Hurt. What? Oh, yeah, it’s not supposed to make any sense. Amen Ask Hurt. Amenas Kurt? No. Amena Skurt. A Mena Skurt. A Mini Skirt! HA! Can’t you do any better?”
They played a few more rounds, laughing at the ridiculous words and solutions they suggested. Maggie joined in, not wanting them to have all the fun. She was still giggling over Brian’s connection between ‘He’s a mental case’ and Nick. They were making so much noise, they didn’t notice Kevin, Howie, and AJ entering the room.
“All right, numbskulls,” she said, holding up a card. “This one’s for the game. Whoever gets it first, wins. Ready?”
“ ‘Hiney Duck Hole Shower’? Are you sure that’s not part of another game?” Brian asked, casting a suspicious glance her way.
“Only you would think that. Perv,” Nick teased. “Hiney Duck Hole Shower? Hiney Duck Hole Shower. That one’s tough.”
“I need a cold shower,” Howie said, interrupting their mutterings.
“Hey, D! When did you guys get back?” Brian asked, looking up.
“Nearly ten minutes ago. What are you doing?” Kevin told them, kissing the top of Maggie’s head.
“Wasting time,” she informed him. “Wanna play?”
“Um…no.”
“Did you see some hot girl?” Nick inquired, still studying the words on the card.
“What is he talking about?” AJ asked Brian.
“I don’t know.”
“Howie said he needed a cold shower. I just assumed he’d seen this hot babe.”
“You goober,” Maggie laughed, tossing the card at him. “He figured out what you were supposed to be saying.”
“Does that mean he wins?”
“No, it means I win. You guys get out of here. You’ve entertained Maggie enough. It’s my turn, now,” Kevin politely told them, grinning mischievously.
“Oh, all right. Always when we get to having fun, he comes along and tosses out,” Nick pouted, standing up. “That was fun. Thanks, Maggie.”
He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as he left. Kevin looked at Nick, causing him to turn and give him a quick peck as well.
“Dammit,” Kevin sputtered, wiping his face.
“See ya later,” Brian told her, planting a smooch on her other cheek. “I’m not going to kiss you, though. It’s just not manly.”
Instead, Brian smacked his cousin on the butt then ran out of the room, closing the door behind him.
“Are you sure all you were doing in here was playing a game?”
“Well, we were playing a version of quarters. Whoever missed a card, had to drink a shot,” she told him, keeping a straight poker face.
“Now, THAT I believe. We have got the best thing scheduled for Halloween. Now, what we need to do is find the outfits for this.”
Maggie sat beside him as they looked through a costume catalogue.
“Kevin?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m having a good time. Thanks for this.”
“I’m glad,” he told her, kissing the tip of her nose. “Now, what do you think of a Tina Turner outfit?”