try out their recipes on Chris

"Honeychild," Beth said to Chris. "Sit right down with Ann and Veronica, I have to check in the kitchen. Give me that silly bag of junk food, we'll feed you some real dinner." She snatched Chris's bag of fast food dinner from his hand and went back toward the kitchen, her big hips swaying. "What kind of boy sits outside eating dinner in the rain?"

Chris sat down and watched Beth's ass swing as she went. He caught a whiff of honey and molasses, and rich baking smells.

Veronica said, "She's been like a crazy woman today in the kitchen. Ordering us all around, can you believe it?" She twisted a lock of hair between her red polished nails and licked her ruby lips.

Ann smiled at Chris. "What has you sitting around on a Saturday night, Chris?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said.

Veronica gave Chris a sideways glance. "I can see you've got naughty eyes. Sitting out hoping some lost girl will wander by? Maybe if you're really good to us, we'll give you bus fare downtown."

Ann said, "Don't be hard on the boy, he's always good to us."

"Ann! Veronica! Get your butts right over here!" Beth called from the kitchen.

Veronica lazily stretched upright, her hair brushing the cut glass strings of the chandelier. "See what I mean?" she said. She looked at the hanging light, said to Chris. "Maybe you can help us raise that sometime so I can wear heels again."

Ann and Veronica joined Beth in the narrow galley kitchen. "Girls," she said in a low voice. "I need your help here. Chris looks so tasty, I just want to ask him in the kitchen to help, corner him, rub him with barbecue and molasses and eat him all up. But with all this good food, it's a shame to make such a mess. Should we just serve it all up on the table and we can tease him at dinner?" She takes a glazed carrot and runs it in and out between her full lips.

Veronica said, "Let's tie him up and hand feed him. That sweet potato pie should be fun!"

Ann said, "I'd love to tease him through dinner." She picked up a gooey barbecue chicken wing and ran it over her lips and tongue, making sure to drip sauce on her chin. "But if you can't wait, you could spill something sticky on him!"