“Um, can we circle back to my incontinent dog problem? What am I going to do?” Kate asked no one in particular.
“Get a real dog,” Lizzie said. “That two-pound ball of fur is just a giant rat.”
“Don’t make fun of Luna. She’s sensitive about her size,” Kate said seriously. “Oh, God bless America. She’s peeing on Mom’s Roomba.”
“You better not let Mom see that. She loves that thing more than us,” Lucy whispered.
“Are you talking about Rhonda?” their mom asked, returning from the kitchen with a fresh batch of warm rolls.
“What, do you have bionic hearing now?” Lizzie asked. “And you named the Roomba?”
“Yes, and yes. Sheisthe hardest worker in the house.”
“She?” Lucy said. “You get that it’s a robot, right?”
While her mom was distracted, Kate jumped up to do damage control. She returned from wiping down the robot vacuum and continued the conversation as if nothing had happened. “Good thing she tinkles more than pees. There’s only like a teaspoon of pee to clean up.”
“Did you just say ‘tinkles’?” Lucy rolled her eyes. Emma and Lizzie laughed, and Kate ignored them. “And doesn’t that make you wonder how many places she’s peed that you haven’t found yet? Your couch, your car, yourshoes?”
“I know. I know. Why do you think I want to fix it? It’s disgusting.”
“Seriously,” Edward said. “I need a man to talk to. Sophie, do you know if Burt and Elaine are coming tonight?”
“I haven’t spoken to Elaine in a while, so I’m not sure. They’ve been keeping to themselves lately. I hope everything’s all right.”
“Interesting, Dad,” Lizzie said. “If Burt really was your best friend, seems like he wouldn’t leave you alone to drown in this sea of estrogen. Might have to rethink his devotion.”
“Burt’s been my best friend for over thirty years,” Edward said. “He’d walk through fire for me.”
“Walk through fire, sure, but what about dealing with all your women?” Lucy chuckled. “Hey, remember when we were kids, and Nana bought you that T-shirt that had baby chicks on it and said ‘chick magnet’? We should get you another one of those.” Their father harrumphed but looked amused.
Kate glanced around at her crazy family. This was the way most Sunday dinners went. Everyone talking over and around each other. There was good food, good wine, and good company. No matter how much they teased and annoyed one another, Kate wouldn’t trade them for anything.
Just as she was about to jump back into the conversation, her wrist vibrated. It was her do-everything-under-the-sun watch, letting her know she was getting a phone call. It was Adam King. She got up from the table to retrieve her phone, which was in a basket with everyone else’s in the living room. Phones weren’t allowed at Sophie Parker’s dinner table.
She thought about letting it go to voicemail but decided to put on her big girl panties and take the rejection like a professional. She walked to the foyer before answering.
“Kate Parker. How can I help you?”
CHAPTER THREE
“Hey, Kate. It’s Adam. King? Sorry to bother you on a Sunday.”
He’d debated waiting until Monday but thought she might want to be put out of her misery on how the interview went. He always hated having to wait through a weekend to find out if he’d gotten a job or a deal.
“It’s not a problem,” Kate said.
“I just wanted to let you know I decided on an agent and am wondering when you can start?”
“What?”
“I want to hire you as my agent. Are you still available?”
“Yes, of course, sorry. I thought you were going to say something else.”
“What? That your interview was the worst of the bunch and that I wouldn’t work with you in a million years?” He laughed.
“I figured you’d use a little more finesse, but yes, something like that.”