Page 11 of The Plus Ones
“It’s really not that interesting, Lloyd.” She smiles at me through clenched teeth. “Why don’t you tell me aboutyourjob, Lloyd?”
Just as Lloyd starts to tell us about his job at Matt’s company, two beautiful little girls come over to grab Roxy’s hands and pull her into the family room. Harriet and Joni. Harriet is Matt and Bernie’s daughter, and Joni belongs to Vince and Nina.
“Hey girls,” I call out.
“Hey, Uncle Keaton!” Joni yells.
“Yo, Keats!” Harriet says. Because that’s how her mother addresses me.
“Excuse me, Lloyd,” I walk away from him when he’s in the middle of explaining something about computer engineering and follow the girls to the family room.
My so-called best friend Chase McKay is seated at a portable electric keyboard—probably the one we used to keep in the SnapLegal office, back in the day.
He’s playing the intro to “Jingle Bell Rock,” and Joni, Harriet, and Roxy are holding pink wireless microphones. I lean against the doorframe and watch the three of them do what may be a rehearsed routine gone awry or may just be three people moving around and bumping into each other while singing random words that are not the lyrics to this song at all.
It’s cute, though.
Suddenly I feel someone rubbing my back. “Yo, Keats.”
“Hey, Bernie.”
“Don’t call me that.”
I kiss her on the cheek. “Okay. Nice party.”
“Yeah. So, you heard…about the thing. Sorry. This is all Aunt Dolly’s fault. And my husband’s. I mean, everything’s his fault, obviously. He’s the worst. But also the best. It’s annoying.”
“It’s cool. I’m glad you’ll get a break. You deserve it. If you need someone to look after Daisy while you’re gone, I’d be happy to do it. If I’m in town.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet, thanks. But Daisy and Harriet are going to be staying with my parents at the farm, so…”
“Even better.” We both know that she’d never let Daisy stay with me because I must be a terrible dog daddy if my dog hates me so much. It’s cool.
I’m cool.
Everything’s cool.
Merry fucking Christmas to me.
2
Roxy
I finally get a moment alone with Aimee in the kitchen, and I’m so happy to talk to her it’s almost embarrassing.
We do a rapid-fire catch-up session, and she pours us some more white wine.
“So, work’s still good?” she asks.
“Yeah, same as always. You and Chase still expanding?”
“Slowly but surely. You still dealing with that employee situation?”
“I’m dealing with it. But it’s still a situation.”
“How’s the apartment?”
“I’ve been redecorating. You have to see it. It’s very elegant and cozy.”
