“If Sadie agrees to dinner, will you stop answering her phone?” Roman made the mess, so he’d have to help sort it out—pick up all the junk and separate it into the right bins.
“Of course, she is boss. I vill do as she asks,” Babushka said. “If I do this thing, vill you do photos for her? Vat you call the shot in the head?”
“Headshot?” Roman did a slow blink.
“Yes, that. Ve need photo for the vall vhere customers vait.”
Roman held the phone away from his ear and covered the mouthpiece with his thumb. “Will you come to dinner if she stops answering your phone? I’ll throw in a free session for headshots.”
Sadie’s left eyelid was twitching. He definitely owed her a gift certificate for a massage when this was all said and done. “Maybe.”
“Then she’ll stop answering your phone.”
He’d see to it.
Chapter Fourteen
“Is there a specialist who can come and do an evaluation?” Sadie asked, speaking through the Bluetooth speaker in her Camry. She’d already pulled to a stop outside of the Dvornakov home—Roman’s parents’ house—when Tonya had called with an urgent sea creature situation.
“They said they’d send someone. He’s just so not himself,” Tonya said. “Can you ask Rex’s attorney to ask Rex to diffuse some lavender essential oil while he’s here? It’ll calm everyone down.”
Sadie made a mental note to investigate whether or not fish did, in fact, have nostrils and the ability to smell. Just in case Rex balked at this one.
“I don’t see how I can leave tomorrow,” Tonya said.
Technically, Tonya had to leave, given it was Rex’s turn to stay at the house and care for the fish—including Roger, who had gotten lethargic as of late.
Sadie resisted the urge to drop her forehead to the steering wheel of her parked vehicle. “Do you want me to call Rex’s attorney and explain everything? We all have the same goal here.” For the fish to be well adjusted and settled during and after the divorce and for Sadie to enter into her Denver practice with a solid win under her belt.
“I can see how tonight goes.” Tonya’s voice got muffled as she shifted the receiver. “See if he perks up. But I think it might be best if I stay longer this week.”
As long as Rex went along with that, it’d be fine. However, Rex still contested every part of the divorce, so Sadie saw that the compromise would likely be cohabitation for the next couple of days if Tonya refused to leave.
According to Sadie’s research, there were thirty thousand species of fish and, clearly, Tonya and Rex had an entire saltwater tank filled with the neediest of those species.
“I’ll check in tomorrow and we can regroup then.” Sadie prayed that the hopeful tone she’d intended came through. “In the meantime, please call if there’s anything else I can help with.”
They disconnected and Sadie stepped out of her car.
Tonya’s case was proving to be bigger than Sadie could have ever guessed—both in billing (man, she required a lot of long phone calls) and in Denver legal circles.
The squirrely attorney, David, had let it slip he was in the midst of an aquatic custody dispute with Sadie.
His implication was that she’d lose.
Which meant she’d win.
She’d get the case settled and tie the whole thing—fish tank and all—with a ribbon to cement her status as one of Denver’s best divorce attorneys.
The big leagues would welcome her and, once there, it wouldn’t take much for her to grow to a point where she could bring on some associate attorneys and really make a go of her law practice.
She pushed the lock button on the key fob, waiting as Roman pulled up to park behind her. He’d invited her to ride with him, but she’d elected to drive herself. Not because she was concerned about a fish emergency, per se, but because dinner with the Dvornakovs being on her evening agenda didn’t mean she was going to give up her transportation if she needed to bail.
A semblance of control in the situation seemed both reasonable and necessary.
After glancing at the imposing house at the end of the driveway in the posh neighborhood, Sadie shivered. Inside. Not outwardly. No one needed to know that dinner with Babushka and the rest of the Dvornakovs made her—
“Nervous?” Roman asked as he walked up next to her.
