Page 56 of Along Came Amor
“No!” she screeched, covering her face. “I can’t have my big brother using his connections to find me a job. Everyone’s going to think I’m some rich kid who gets everything handed to her.”
Roman opened his mouth to point out that this was exactlyhow her classmates from her expensive private school got their internships, but Camille sent him a quelling look and gave a minute shake of her head.
“All right,” Roman went on, changing tacks. “I’m sure we have lots of internship opportunities available in VQZ. Just pick the department you want to—”
“That’s even worse!” Mikayla pressed her fingers to her temples. “You can’t justgiveme a job. It’s nepotism.”
Feeling helpless, Roman spread his hands. “Tell me how you want me to fix it, Mickey, and I’ll do it.”
“I don’t want you todoanything!” Mikayla snatched up her schoolbag from the floor. “Just forget it!”
Then she stormed off to her room.
Roman turned wide eyes on Camille, who started to pack up her belongings.
“I don’t understand,” he said, bewildered. “What did I do wrong?”
Camille huffed out a laugh. “You don’t pay me enough to answerthat.”
Roman stared in the direction his sister had gone and replayed their conversation. He’d given her three solutions, and she’d shot down all of them. What good was all the wealth and power he’d amassed if he couldn’t even help his sister when she was distressed?
“Here, I got something for you,” Camille said, breaking into his thoughts.
“You didn’t have to—” He started absently, then halted as he stared at the thing Camille had pulled out of her shoulder bag. “Wow. Youreallydidn’t have to. What am I looking at?”
Camille stifled a laugh. “It’s a dog.”
“Are you sure?” Roman stared at the furry lump. It was covered in brown fuzz that had certainly seen better days. Black plastic eyes stared at him with a maniacal gleam. The nose was also made of black plastic and scuffed by what might have been teeth marks. Four stumpy legs and a sad little puff of a tail stuck out from the body. A ragged red paisley bandanna was tied around the thing’s neck.
“It was Amara’s,” Camille said, referring to her youngest daughter. “Go ahead, pet it.”
Raising an eyebrow, Roman patted the head of the toy dog. Even though he was expecting some kind of response, he still jumped when it barked at him, the sound louder and more gravelly than he would have thought possible.
“Amara played with it kinda hard,” Camille admitted. “I think she did something to the voice box. If you scratch under its chin, the tail wags.”
“You don’t say.” Against his better judgment, Roman took his eyes off the dog and narrowed them at Camille. “Why are you giving me this?”
“Don’t want you to be lonely,” she said, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. “Since Dulce and Mickey are moving out, and you aren’t around enough for a real pet.”
The dog barked again.
“Are you sure it’s not possessed?” Roman asked, taking it with him as he walked Camille to the elevator. “I feel like I’ve seen this movie before.”
“I make no promises.” She pressed the button and gave him a flippant grin. “Enjoy your night off.”
Roman only grunted in response as the elevator arrived, but the dog barked again, as if saying goodbye. Camille laughed,and as the doors closed, Roman was left with a glimpse of her features contorted in the sappy expression she’d accused him of making.
Alone, he gazed down at the toy dog in his hand. There was something pleading in its bulging black eyes.
“What the hell am I supposed to do with you?” he mumbled. The dog wagged its tail and let out a whine that sounded like gears grinding.
With a sigh, Roman set the dog on the coffee table and went to try again with Mikayla.
Text Exchange with Damaris Fuentes
Damaris:I’ll be in class until 7, but I can come over after that if you need me to.
Ava:Thank you. I’ll be okay.
