“Oh, I amabsolutelyblaming you.” Kara and their other sister, her identical twin, Kendra, were the ones who’d trained Duchess to drop it like it’s hot to the late-nineties anthem that continued to be a source of pride for New Orleans.
The crowd laughed and cheered even louder when Duchess resumed the obstacle course once the car passed, as if nothing had happened.
Duchess’s dance break had cost her the blue ribbon, but a line of festival-goers followed them back to the booth. It wasn’t the kind of advertising Ashanti had intended, but now she wondered if she should rethink her marketing strategy.
She and Kara handed out the remaining bite-size samples of Duchess Delights’ sweet potato and carob twists—her most popular flavor—while a parade of people took selfies with her ridiculously photogenic Frenchie.
She was encouraged by the enthusiasm emanating from the crowd as she answered questions about the daycare. The minute the line slowed down, Ashanti turned to Kara.
“Where’s Kendra? She was supposed to be here an hour ago.”
“Sorry, but our twin telepathy is kinda like the ice cream machine at McDonald’s these days.” Kara pressed her thumbs to both temples. “I think it’s indefinitely incapacitated.”
“Text her,” Ashanti said before turning to a woman with two middle school–aged children and a collie in dire need of a brush. “Hello there,” she said. She stooped to dog level and ran her fingers through the collie’s mane, trying her best not to grimace at the tangles she found. “And who is this cutie?”
“This is Sadie. Where’s Puddin’?” the girl with blond pigtails asked.
“My kids love Duchess and Puddin’,” the mother said. “They made me play that Instagram Reel you posted last night ten times.”
Ashanti laughed, even though she hadn’t looked at their Instagram since last week. Between her one-woman treat-baking side hustle and supervising Barkingham Palace’s staff, she couldn’t afford to fall victim to the time suck that was social media. However, as a businesswoman, she understood the value of it. And she was grateful for the antics of Duchess and her standard poodle friend, Puddin’, that were suddenlysweeping the Internet. Kara was more than happy to post silly videos and promotion specials across their online platforms.
“Puddin’ is back at Barkingham Palace,” Ashanti said. “Have you ever thought of sending Sadie to daycare?”
“Oh no. My husband works from home, so there’s always someone there with her.”
“Doggy daycare is more than just dog sitting. It’s a way for Sadie to socialize with other pets in a fun, safe environment.” She held up a placard with a QR code. “Scan the code. It will take you to our website where you can learn about all that we offer.”
“Are there any more Duchess Delights?”
“I’m sorry, but we’re sold out. And we just gave away the last of the samples. You can find them at our daycare, and also at Lana’s Treasures in the French Quarter. And remember, your pet gets a free Duchess Delights treat every day when you book a seven-night or longer stay.”
Ashanti leaned toward Kara and whispered through her smile, “Am I trying too hard?”
“Like a freshman without a date for homecoming,” her sister whispered back.
Duchess and Sadie were still in the butt-sniffing stage of their getting-to-know-you meet and greet when, without warning, the collie snapped at Duchess. That ended Ashanti’s quest to reel her in as a client. If a dog couldn’t get along withherdog, they were not the right fit for Barkingham Palace.
Ashanti scooped Duchess into her arms.
“Bad girl, Sadie.” The mother smiled at Ashanti, as if her demon dog hadn’t just attempted to commit a felony against her Frenchie. “She does that every now and then.”
“You may want to talk to her vet about it,” Ashanti said. “I’m sorry, but it looks as if the fest is winding down. We need to start packing up our booth.”
As she and Kara started to break down the booth, Ashanti considered calling Kendra to help, but they would probably be done by the time her sister made it here from their house in the St. Roch neighborhood.
“We have to change the labels on the treats,” Kara announced as she rolled up the retractable banner. “I’m no longer happy with them.”
“What are you talking about? People loved the labels.”
“But I didn’t get the ‘wow’ reaction I was hoping for. I want customers to be so overwhelmed by the sheer cuteness of the packaging that they fall to their knees in awe.”
Ashanti rolled her eyes for what had to have been the hundredth time today. It was a common occurrence when dealing with her sister’s drama.
“Take Duchess to potty while I finish up here,” she told Kara. “I want to be back at the daycare in time to help Leslie with the evening feedings.”
Twenty minutes later, after dropping Kara off at a friend’s, Ashanti headed for Barkingham Palace. She tried to estimate how many of the people they talked to today could become potential customers. She wasn’t desperate for business, but every night one of the doggy suites went empty, it was another night that she wasn’t maximizing her profits.
The expansion plans she had in mind would require every cent she could make. She glanced at Duchess in the rearview mirror, sitting up high in her car seat.
