Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Her smile is warm and excited as I jog to catch up with Avery, and the two of us get to the door at the same time. “Aw, my girls!” Diane exclaims and pulls us both in for a tight hug. “Dinner’s almost ready. Are you hungry?”
Eating dinner at the Bankses’ house at least once a week—and sometimes way more than that, depending on how lazy we are—is a routine Avery and I have been doing ever since we graduated high school and started living on our own.
“Starved,” Avery comments and drops her purse in the foyer before traipsing across the Italian marble floors and heading straight for the kitchen. Linda, the Bankses’ housekeeper, picks up the YSL bag, and I smile apologetically as I hand her mine more politely.
Avery isn’t as rude as she seems. She’s just self-involved. Linda, thankfully, knows that better than almost anyone. She’s been around pretty much as long as I have.
“How was the first week of the new job?” Diane asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we follow Avery into the kitchen.
“Good. But my boss is a real hard-ass,” I tease, knowing Neil can probably hear me, and she laughs.
“Dad got mad at me for leaving work early today for hot yoga, Mom!” Avery calls over her shoulder, milking the opportunity I’ve given her for all it’s worth. “You know I can’t miss those sessions. Callie is impossible to rebook!”
“Neil!” Diane exclaims, her lips curving up into a smile as we enter the kitchen. “Are you being hard on our girls?”
Mr. Banks sits at the massive marble counter in the center of the kitchen, a newspaper in his hands. He barely lifts his eyes above the pages. “Hard on Avery?” He chuckles. “There’s no time to be hard on her. She barely shows up for work as it is.”
“That’s not true,” Avery counters defensively. “I was at work today.”
“You showed up an hour late, took a two-hour lunch, and then only stayed for an hour because,” he changes his voice to a high-pitched, girly one, “I have hot yoga, Daddy. I can’t miss it.”
Diane grins at Avery, unfazed. Her daughter’s behavior may not be a reflection of her own work ethic, but she accepts it for what it is. “Where’d you go for lunch?”
“I didn’t even have time to eat, Mom!” Avery complains. “I had to get my nails done.”
It’s been less than a week since Avery’s nail appointment last Tuesday—you know, the one she scheduled in the middle of our first day of work. Frankly, I’m not surprised that’s where she went today. She’s been complaining about the color of her polish for almost every waking moment since she got it.
“Neil, your daughter didn’t even get to eat lunch,” Diane comments, tsking her lips with an amused smile. “Sounds like the work conditions are not ideal.”
“Oh yeah.” Neil snorts and adjusts his reading glasses on his nose. “Horrible work conditions when the boss lets you just come and go as you damn well please.”
“You knew she was going to be like this,” a deep, oh-so-intoxicating voice adds, making my heart kick into a gallop. I don’t dare look over my shoulder as Beau joins us, hugging Diane right behind me before chucking me on the shoulder with a buddy-ol’-pal fist. First, the brother comment, and now this. It just gets worse and worse for my delusions around here.
“Shut up, Beau,” Avery announces with a roll of her eyes. “Just because I’m not a workaholic like you doesn’t mean I’m not an asset to the company.”
“An asset?” Beau questions, a bright but sarcastic grin covering his perfect mouth as he leans into the kitchen island across from me. I try not to stare at the strain of his biceps against the sleeves of his T-shirt. “And what exactly do you bring to the table?”
“Wouldn’t you love to know,” Avery goads.
“Actually, yeah,” Beau agrees. “I honestly would. What exactly are you bringing to the marketing firm, Ave?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” Avery says, sticking out her tongue at him.
“Remind me not to hold my breath while I wait.” Beau shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair, and I immediately miss his previous posture. If I stare at any of the obvious bulges now, I’m going to get myself in a lot more trouble than I can handle.
But damn, he looks good in jeans. So good.
“Yeah,” Neil adds with a smirk. “Me either.”
“Daddy!” Avery cries with a little pout on her lips.
“I’m just messing with you, princess,” he coddles, and she walks over to him to give him a big hug. “I’m happy I get to see you at the office now. Even if it’s only for an extra ten minutes each day.”
“I was at work longer than ten minutes today!” she retorts on a laugh, and for the first time, I have both the urge and the ammunition to join in on the fun.