Page 18 of The Pinkie Pact

Hours later, I met up with Kara back in our room for some dinner, courtesy of Trader Joe's frozen mac and cheese plus some salad I insisted we put together. We sat together on the small couch, our food in front of us on the coffee table.

"So guess what?" I said after swallowing a mouthful of lettuce.

"What?"

"I got the job!"

"Eeeeeee. No way." She covered her full mouth with her hand. "I knew you would. But that's still amazing news."

"I know, right?" I agreed. "I can't even thank you enough for that."

"Oh, it was nothing really. So when do you start?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"Well, get ready to read, my friend. I hope you have a book picked out."

I laughed. "I'll have to think about that. But I'm so excited to have a nice, quiet job as opposed to the crazy shit that went down at the Olive Garden."

"I bet."

"What about you? How was your first day?"

She got up to help herself to more mac and cheese. "Oh, you know, nothing too exciting. Just the usual poly sci classes... along with half the population at GW."

I could definitely see how that was a popular major here. "Hey, do you know what you're going to do with it? Like are you going to follow in your mother's footsteps?"

Sighing, she plopped back down on the couch, making me bounce a little. "I have no idea. I guess maybe intern or work on the Hill and see if I like it."

"That sounds like a good idea, I think," I said, attempting to reassure her.

"I hope so. I wish I knew exactly what I wanted to do like you. My brother too. I'm jealous that you have it all planned out."

"You'll figure it out. I know you will." And I was confident she would. I was already convinced that Kara was one determined person if she set her mind to something. "What's your brother want to do anyway?"

"Pass the bar, work for a while here, probably for my dad, then move back to New Hampshire and run for a House seat."

"Wow. That's ambitious." I was seriously impressed but not really surprised if I thought about it. He appeared even more determined than Kara, and he seemed the type to know exactly what he wanted to do in his life.

"Yep, that's how he is, though."

"What about your dad?" I suppressed a shudder at the thought of Mr. Emerson. But I was curious to know what he did, especially considering he kind of lived in the shadow of his wife. "What's he do?"

"He's partner at a big law firm here. So Kieran's pretty much guaranteed a job."

Of course. That made sense. "I guess so."

"Hey, I know your mom's a dentist, but what's your dad do?" Kara asked after swallowing a huge bite of mac and cheese.

"He's a college music professor."

She slowly nodded. "Oh, no wonder you're so musical."

"I'm not really. Not like him anyway."

"Well, you're way more musical than I am." She held another spoonful of food halfway to her mouth then paused. "How were your piano lessons today? I bet your teacher was happy to find a star student."

My teacher had been excited about the possibilities but not in a good way for me. "She was happy all right. But I'm doomed."

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