Page 23 of Look on the Bright Side

“I had an interior designer deal with it.” He glanced around as if unfamiliar with the place. “Nice enough, I suppose. Kind of a stupid career, though, isn’t it? Furnishing other people’s houses.”

So condescending. “It’s not stupid to make someone feel comfortable and at home, Lorenzo.”

“Well, anyone could do it. Just order things from a catalog. It’s not exactly hard.”

Rather than argue the merits of that particular career, she said, “How do you think today went?” She sat down on the couch, Connery jumping neatly into her lap.

Lorenzo took a sip of water, the only thing he’d had to drink. No weekend beers for him. “Fine.”

“Did I sense some tension between you and your brother?” she asked.

“Probably. He’s always been jealous of me. He’s not exactly setting the world on fire.”

“No, he’s keeping it from burning down, isn’t he?” Lorenzo gave her a semi-irritated, semi-quizzical look. “Because he’s a firefighter, Lorenzo.”

“Whatever. It’s actually a cushy job most of the time. They sit around and play cards a lot more than you’d expect.”

Which brother is jealous, now? “Did you know that firefighter is the most respected career in America? Nurses come in second, and we lowly doctors rank fifth.”

“Did you just make that up?”

“No. It was from a study somewhere.”

“A study somewhere. That sounds reliable.”

“Hey. The poem, ‘Annabel Lee’…you have it memorized?”

“I have a photographic memory. I have a lot of things memorized.”

That killed any rom-com notion that their mutual love of the tragic poem hinted at a deeper connection.

“Anyway,” he said, “I imagine you have somewhere to go, so…”

She was dismissed. “Right. Thanks for inviting me.” She stood up and smoothed out the skirt of her dress.

“The next event is an engagement party,” he said. “In Boston at the Copley Square Plaza. Black tie. I don’t expect you to buy a dress out of the pittance you make, so I’ll pick out something decent and pay for it so you don’t look so…” He scanned her critically. “Pedestrian.”

“Wow. Rude, Dr.Satan.”

“Just stating a fact. I’d like you to look nice. You’re welcome.”

So many little paper cuts, so fast. She did have Addie’s vast wardrobe to choose from, and black tie would not be a problem, given the number of fundraisers and galas her sister attended with Nicole. But he wasn’t wrong about the pittance. And why borrow her sister’s dress when he wanted to buy her something new?

“Thanks. Anything else?”

“Get your nails done next time. Pale pink, nothing trashy. Maybe consider doing something with your hair so it’s not so…” He waved his hand in front of her. “So like that.”

“This is why you’re single,” she said.

“I’m very happy being single,” he answered.

“The entire world is very happy with you being single.”

“Do you have anything substantive to say, or can you just get going?” he asked, opening the door.

“Your grandmother isn’t quite sold on me yet,” she said.

“She’s not stupid. Try harder next time. To win her over, I mean. You don’t have to bother with my sisters or parents.”

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