“We’re having a vibrator salesperson come by for a class next week,” Vera offered.
“I don’t need—that’s not—” I stammered as Maeve snickered.
“You can sign me up for that one too,” Ethel said. She turned back to me. “But honestly, you’d think Beck wouldn’t have performance problems. He’s young, handsome, and fit.” She looked at me critically. “Maybe you need to dress up a little, keep him interested.”
“It’s not that. He—”
“Are you all having any lingerie salespeople coming any time soon?” Ethel asked Vera. “If not, I know a gal. We do need someone that knows what the young people like. I’m concerned about Tess.”
“Beck doesn’t have any trouble having an erection!” I yelled.
“I certainly hope I don’t.”
65
Beck
“Where the hell are you?”
“I’m at work, Liam,” I said irritably into the phone.
I was at work, but I was barely working. I kept hoping Tess would email me or call me. I kept staring at the empty desk outside of my door, the place where she was supposed to sit. Her friend Maeve wasn’t even at work today, and I couldn’t beg her to please have Tess call me.
I had my big gesture all planned. Belle had confirmed the payment this morning. I was going to pick up the cake in a little bit, and I was shopping online for flowers. And now my brother was interrupting me in my very important endeavor.
“You’re supposed to babysit,” Liam prodded.
“Yeah,” Mike added from the background.
“Aren’t the girls at work?” I asked them. “And you never told me anything about babysitting.”
“We are entitled to one day of babysitting a week,” Mike reminded me. “It’s almost the end of the week, and we scheduled all our dates for tonight. Use it or lose it!”
“I’m busy,” I growled.
“A deal is a deal,” my brother said stubbornly.
Fuck.
I quickly bought four dozen roses then packed my laptop and headed downstairs.
“I was just about to call you. Your cake is done,” Holly said, waving me over. A white box tied with a pink bow was sitting on the counter. “Do you want to see it?”
“Sorry,” I said, grabbing it. “I have to run.”
I could hearmy siblings as soon as I stepped off the elevator into the private lobby to my condo. I steeled myself. I had been hoping to carefully plan my big, grand apology to Tess. But it seemed I would be babysitting.
“Can we have a mashed potato bar?”
I set the cake in the freezer and my bag on the counter.
“Sure, I guess?”
“Tess said we were going to have a big mashed potato party,” Enola informed me.
“That’s fine,” I said absently. How hard could mashed potatoes be? They came out of a box, right?
“Kiki doesn’t like parsley,” Liam said, keys jingling as he headed to the front door. “So if you’re doing a mashed potato bar, watch out for cross contamination.”
