Aaaand I’m done. The day started off amazing and has slowly become a shitstorm with each passing minute. “You know, Nonna used to tell me stories about her grandson. How incredible and kind he was. How thoughtful, considerate, and smart. Truth be told, I was kinda crushing on him a little bit. But damn if you aren’t the biggest disappointing dose of reality I’ve ever had.”
“Well, that’s the first thing we fucking agree on,” he throws the words like knives to my chest. “Because, wow, what an underwhelming experience it’s been to finally meet you.”
The anger in his voice scares Kingston, and his curly tail loses its spring as his ears go back and he presses his furry little body against mine.
Joey’s eyes widened. “Why is he doing that?”
“He’s scared.” I bend down and pet between his ears. “If this is the way you’re going to be, I’ll take the dog in three months when I move into my new place.”
“The fuck you will.”
“Well, if you’re going to be an asshole, I’m definitely not leaving him with you long-term.”
“Lots of people are assholes, and they have pets. He’ll be fine.” Joey crosses his arms. He’s in a power pose, but it comes off like he’s a whiny little boy. He rolls his eyes and bends down. “Kingston, come here.”
The dog doesn’t move. Instead, he looks at me. Joey softens his tone and calls the dog over a second time. But Kingston still refuses and backs up closer to me.
“What do I do?” Joey asks, and for the first time, he seems dejected. Like he’s never hurt anyone before, and he needs to make it right.
“Try offering him a treat.” Might as well give him the basics, Dog Ownership 101.
Joey scans the kitchen, heading to Kingston’s food dish and his doggie shelf. After thirty seconds of searching, he glances at me.
“They’re in the cookie jar.”
The dog’s ears perk up as soon as I say the C word, but he doesn’t leave my side until Joey opens the cookie jar lid. Then he’s in the kitchen at rocket speed. His ears are back up, and he sits down, even though he only likes his butt touching the carpet.
“Traitor,” I grumble. This whole day has been one huge disappointing mess. I drop the leash and yell, “You can take him out tonight. I’m done.”
Chapter Six
Joey
The family is meeting at Uncle Gio’s house in twenty minutes, and I can’t stop thinking about Jenny. Why is she so pissed at me? She’s the one who used her real name to fill out the information at the club. And as the owner, I have every right to know about its members.
And what the fuck did she mean I’m ‘the biggest disappointing dose of reality.” I’m a fucking delight, and I’m not responsible for whatever lies Nonna told her about me. Although… replaying that moment in my head, did she say she had a crush on me? Or at least the fictional version of me from Nonna’s imagination.
My stomach did a weird little flip thing when she said that.
Nope. Don’t do that. Do not go there.
I give the dog another treat. Mostly because he keeps staring at me. I toss it at him, and it bounces off his nose and lands on the floor behind him. He circles around, sucks it up, and goes back to sitting and staring at me.
“I don’t know how many you’re supposed to have. But growing up, I was only allowed two cookies after school.” I toss him his twenty-sixth cookie. “Benefits of being an adult—you can eat whatever you want.”
I need to get going.
I turn back to the dog. “Don’t throw up.” That seems like solid advice. Before closing the door, I stick my head back in and say, “Bye.” I can’t fucking believe I’m talking to a dog right now.
As soon as I turn on my car, my phone rings through the speakers and scares the shit out of me. It’s Silvio, my project manager at the Crystal Gardens building. I cut him off before he talks. “I’m off the clock, man. Unless the place is on fire, I don’t want to hear about it. Family issues.”
Silvio rushes, “Yeah, I know. Sorry about that, but I got a nastygram from Unit Eighteen B.”
“Eighteen B. Corner unit, marble counters?”
“Quartz,” Silvio corrects. “She was one of our earliest buyers, and I’ve got an offer on the unit for two hundred over market value. She’s already locked in at one hundred below market value, and we’re taking a bath on her unit.”
“Ice her out. You know what to do,” I say while watching the traffic. A car pulls out and almost hits me. I honk and flip them off. Fucking savages.
