Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“I’ll do it before I leave here,” I said.
“Great to meet you, Nash,” Sariah said, waving.
“You, too.”
Right after they left, Mo returned with my donut. I thanked her and took a huge bite, trying to not sulk.
Apparently, Sariah wasn’t a huge fan of my underwear ad. Between that and the bag skate, I was in a shitty mood now. I just wanted to go home, where I was actually appreciated.
Even if it was only by my dogs.
Chapter Nine
Sariah
* * *
“Auntie Sariah!” My two-year-old niece, Reva, came running toward me as I walked into my sister Sophia’s house. I hadn’t been here in over a month and I scooped her up, kissing the side of her face.
“Hey, Revy-Levy-Mevy.”
She giggled at the ridiculous nickname she’d given herself. It was our little joke because her parents and grandparents refused to use it, but I thought it was sweet and silly. Just like her.
“I wish you wouldn’t call her that.” Sophia gave me a look.
“She’s two, Sophie.” I scowled back at her. “If she can’t be a little silly now, then when?”
“You’ll see when you have your own kids,” she said, lifting her chin a little. “You want to instill good habits and memories from the very beginning.”
I was extremely proud of myself for not rolling my eyes. I did it far too often with Sophia because she was everything I wasn’t, according to my mother, and I heard about it constantly when we were together.
Today was Sunday. I’d been working for the Mavericks for two weeks and this was my first day off. The team was out of town and I was grateful to have nothing going on. After closing the deal on my first corporate box, I felt like I deserved an entire weekend off. I’d spent yesterday doing laundry and cleaning my apartment because I’d known I was expected at family dinner today. The plan was to spend a couple of hours with everyone, eat, and then head home so I could get to bed early. The coming week was going to be busy once the team got back from their road trip on Tuesday.
“Do you need help with anything?” I asked Sophia. No one else had arrived yet so I figured I’d do what I could.
“Just keep Reva out of my hair,” Sophia replied, heading toward the kitchen. “Felipe is putting the baby down for his nap, so if I can have thirty uninterrupted minutes, everything will be ready by the time people get here.”
“Okay.” I put a wriggling Reva down and she instantly grasped my hand, pulling me toward the family room and the massive toy box that lived there.
“Dollies!” she announced happily.
“Okay.” I put down my purse and kicked off my shoes before sitting cross-legged on the floor with her. She handed me a Barbie and picked up Ken.
“Daddy!” she said.
“Which one is Mommy?” I asked.
Reva picked up another Barbie dressed in a Cinderella-like gown, complete with a tiara on her head. “Mama!”
I managed not to laugh since that was a pretty astute description of my sister, even now that she was married with two kids.
Glancing up at the fireplace, my eyes settled on a picture my mother called the proudest moment of her life. In a beautiful gilded eight-by-ten frame was a photograph of me, Sophia, and Sami, our other sister. Sophia had just crowned Sami Miss Missouri—Sophia had won the year before—and I was there in my capacity as Miss Teen Missouri. Three beauty queens, smiling for the cameras.
I momentarily shuddered at the memories.
I hated everything about that time in my life and after graduating from high school a year later, I’d left the world of modeling and pageants forever. Much to my mother’s chagrin. I was pretty sure she still hadn’t forgiven me.
“Did you get my email about Sami’s engagement party? It’s next month.” Sophia called to me from the kitchen, startling me out of my reverie.
“There’s potentially a playoff game that day,” I replied. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it until the end of the regular season.” I mentally cringed, waiting for the storm to hit.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Sophia came into the room wiping her hands on a dish towel, her dark eyes flashing.
“I have a job, Sophie.” I met her gaze squarely.
“You can ask for a day off!” she hissed, hands on her hips.
“Not during the playoffs.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s not. It’s a busy time. And maybe I can get the evening off, but I can’t give you a firm answer until the season is over.”
She glared at me. “Mom is going to have an aneurysm.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “I can’t help that.”
Luckily, Sami and her fiancé Sebastian arrived, calling out to us and effectively ending the conversation. For now, anyway. It was bound to come up again when my mom got here.