Taking The Queen's King

Dinner Time Challenge

Joe sighed as he tried to figure out the math problem late Tuesday afternoon. Maggie had done hers quickly, covering her answer so Joe couldn't peak. As he figured the numbers for the eight time, getting more frustrated by the minute, Danny walked through.
"You want some water or something, Linda?" He took a bite of his recently acquired apple.
"Water's fine, thank you." She smiled at him, watching a small smirk come onto his face.
"Do you want anything, uh..."
"Maggie," the girl turned around, "I'm good, thanks."
Joe looked up as Danny came back from the kitchen with ice water for Linda. "What about me?"
"You Live here, squirt. Get your own refreshments." Danny sat at the end of the table, munching his apple.
Joe looked at him, "don't you have homework?"
"I finished already. Besides, it's almost six o'clock."
"Six o'clock?!" Linda looked at her watch, "crap. I gotta go! Uh, sorry, guys." She quickly gathered her stuff, "the answer's one-forty, Joe."
"Hey, wait a minute." Danny stood and took her books from her. "Stay for dinner. We're already having, uh—"
"Maggie," Joe and Maggie said.
"Right. What's one more?"
"No, I don't-"
"Come on, Linda," Joe pried, "stay. Mom always makes a feast for an army, anyways."
"Yeah, just lemme tell her."
"Well..." she looked to the kitchen, "it does smell good. And I got everything but reading some in study hall."
"So you'll stay?"
"Well.... okay. I guess I could stay for dinner."
**************
During dinner, Linda sat between Erin and Jamie, and across from Joe. "Tell me somethin', Joe." She sipped her water, "do you like Joe or Joey?"
He shrugged, "doesn't matter."
She nodded, making a mental note of that. She turned to Mary, "these are really good mashed potatoes, Mrs. Reagan. What's the, uh, the punch I taste?"
"It's a secret," Mary smiled, giving herself more beans.
"It's a really good secret."

"Hey, Linda," Joe spoke up, noticing she had about five big sips left in her glass. "You like challenges?"
"Depends on the challenge. Why? Are you challenging me?"
"Uh huh. I challenge you to drink the rest of that water without stoping."
Linda looked to Frank, "can I do that?"
He looked to Mary, not caring if she drank her water quickly.
"As long as you don't hurt yourself." Mary responded.
Linda smiled, "okay. Challenge accepted." She took her glass, moving her wrist, sloshing the water. With a raised eyebrow and a determined smile, she put it to her lips. "Ready?" She watched the table nod. She sighed, then tossed the contents back. She swallowed twice and made a funny face, "Ah."
Smirking triumphantly, she held the glass by the edge with one hand, letting it lightly swing.
"Wow!" Joe smiled widely, always glad when people excepted his weird challenges.
"Wasn't that— how exactly did you do that?" Danny hated the thoughts that were crossing his mind.
"I.... have a relaxed throat?" Linda shrugged, not knowing how she was able to chug drinks like that. "I've been able to do it since I was, like, Seven. A hidden talent, I guess."
"She's got many," Erin piped up, not knowing if her friend had lots of hidden talents. She just wanted to make her older brother squirm. She smirked as she watched him shift in his seat, "having troubles, brother?"
Danny felt all eyes on him. Shrugging with his fork, he responded, "I shifted. Don't you shift?"
"I shift. Linda, do you shift?"
"All the time." She caught on to what Erin was doing. The rest of dinner was filled with Erin teasing her older brother, and Linda joining in when appropriate.