“Here, bud,” he says, pulling out a fresh one. “Go get it.”
He hurls it far beyond anything I could manage, and Bass takes off after it, thrilled.
Chapter one hundred five
Remy
“You can’t put the potatoes into a boiling pan,” David is saying, while James chimes in, “They have to be blanched first.”
Whoever ends up with those two will have their hands full.
I cast a speculative look at Meg, who is rolling her eyes at Tianna.
Erik is at the piano, playing something warm and easy, the sound filling the house without demanding attention.
“Fine,” Meg says. “You do the potatoes. We’ll make the salad.”
“Make sure you julienne the carrots,” David adds.
“They don’t affect the flavor,” Meg protests.
James slips into an exaggerated narrator voice. “Appearance is just as important. If the eye is not pleased, the palate will not be pleased.”
Tianna makes her way over to me as Meg argues radishes and cucumber slicing with the Earls. I wrap my arms around her and she snuggles in. I close my eyes and let the warmth of the moment settle.
“We need to talk about a few things later, okay?” I murmur into her hair.
She stiffens.
“Nothing bad,” I add quietly. “Just some clarity things so we don’t misstep.”
I feel her nod.
“How about I make drinks?” I call out. “What’s everyone having?”
“I brought a few bottles of Zinfandel,” James calls back.
“But that’s for dinner,” David says. “How about Sazeracs for before?”
“Perfect. I’ll get started,” I say. “Tianna, can you check with Erik and see if he wants one? Ruiz, how about you? Can I get you anything?”
He looks up from his phone. “I’m good. Just water.”
Chapter one hundred six
Erik
Tianna and I are playing through everything we have so far.
James nods along, while David flips through his notes on the first two acts I’ve written.
“Damn it, I need a choreographer,” David mutters to himself. “I’m thinking a mix of ballet and modern.”
James steps in behind me and points to a line. “If we start with a slow swell here, then build it to this point…”
I nod. “That makes sense. It will tie into the other songs later if you use similar layering.”
The Earls gather their things, already comparing notes. “We’re heading home to work on this. Have a good night. Same time tomorrow for patron dinner rehearsal.”
