CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
(part one)
Sunday morning, 6:30 AM
Jill tapped on Mike and Val’s door. When no one answered, she knocked. Naked, Mike jerked open the door 
just as her hand moved to pounded on it. She thumped him on the sternum.
“Sorry.”
Mike nodded and swung the door closed.
“WAIT,” Jill said. She held the door open with her hand. “There’s a bunch of people here for you. They’re in the kitchen. They came through the tunnels. Alex said she knew the codes because she set them up?”
“Alex?”
“It’s Alex Hargreaves and her twin Max and a bunch of people speaking French….”
“OH CRAP. Val! You have to get up!”
Mike moved into the hallway.
“Clothing?” Jill asked.
“Right,” he said.
He went back into the apartment. Jill stood in the doorway until he came out pushing Valerie in front of him. Valerie was wearing one of his dress shirts and his boxer shorts. Her hair was tied in a loose knot. In this unguarded moment, Valerie was stunningly beautiful. Mike pulled a t-shirt over his head as they started down the hall.
“Pants?” Jill asked.
“Oh crap. Keep her here.”
Mike jogged back into the apartment for a pair of jeans.
“Why are they here, Mike?” Val said.
The sleeves to his dress shirt hung over her hands. She rubbed her large hazel eyes with the shirt’s cuffs. 
The moment he was near her, she clung to him. He lifted her into his arms.
“Sorry, we just fell asleep,” Mike said. “She’s like this when she doesn’t sleep. She’ll snap out of it when she sees people.”
Jill grinned when she heard them kissing behind her. Jill jogged down the stairs to give them some privacy. When she entered the main kitchen, Alex was making coffee. Jill could see a crowd of people laughing and talking in the main Castle living area.
“Are they awake?” Alex asked.
“Barely. They are a little….”
Alex raised her eyebrows. She nodded her head toward the stairwell where Mike held Valerie in his arms. Mike was clearly trying to talk Val into meeting their guests; Valerie was only interested in kissing him.
“They’re always like that,” Alex said.
“I never knew there was a ‘they’,” Jill said.
“They have all this drama about whether they are together or not. But get them in the same room?”
Jill nodded.
“ROPER.” Alex commanded.
Mike’s head jerked up. Alex pointed toward the Castle living room. He carried Val through the kitchen and into the living room.
Valerie squealed.
Jill had to step out of the way as Valerie ran past her. Val took the stairs two at a time. Valerie’s footstep pounded overhead. Wham. Their apartment door slammed closed.
“What was that?” Jill asked.
Mike poked his head into the kitchen. He looked at Jill then Alex.
“She’s a little excited,” Mike said.
Alex and Jill laughed.
Denver Cereal continues tomorrow….
