“I want them all,” Kamila said.
“You don’t have time for a puppy.”
“I know, I know. I just want them.” She buried her face in the fur of the one closest to her. Ah, that new-puppy smell. “Let me see that one.” She put out her arms to take the beige puppy from Asha’s hands. Holding him out in front of her, she looked at his sweet face. “Aw, this one’s the runt, isn’t it?”
Asha nodded. “Yup. Smallest, and the only brown one. He’s got some catching up to do, but he’s healthy enough.”
Kamila cuddled the soft puppy in her arms. He was calm compared to the others and seemed to love being close to her. He was probably cold. She snuggled him into her sweater and leaned back against the wall. “This one is my favorite. He’s like a perfect little potato.” She stroked his ear. “I was in a spectacularly bad mood before I called you. But this little potato healed everything.”
Asha laughed as she picked up one of the others. “I’ll never understand why people pay for therapy. They need to hang out in animal shelters.”
“I’ve spent thousands on therapy, and I agree—puppies work just as well. Better, actually.”
“Why were you in a bad mood?”
“Ah, you know. Family. Mind-numbing feelings of inadequacy.” She picked up another puppy to snuggle along with Potato. Because why snuggle one puppy when there was an abundance of puppies available? “By the way, Asha, what was that all about yesterday? Telling everyone I’d be perfect for that volunteer thing?”
“Ugh. Yes, sorry about that. I shouldn’t have volunteered you. It’s just…Jana. She was getting under my skin.”
Kamila nearly dropped the puppies. But she didn’t, because they were puppies and puppies should be protected at all costs.
“Did you sayJanagot under your skin?” Was it possible Kamila wasn’t the only one who didn’t drink the unicorn tears and honeysuckle Kool-Aid of Jana Suleiman?
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I know you two are tight.”
Kamila blinked. Maybe it was time to come clean…to at least one person. “We are not tight. In fact, I’ve considered Jana my secret nemesis for most of my life.”
Asha’s eyes widened. “Oh, thank god. So, it’s okay if I say I’m pretty sure she’s the type to turn around quickly after she farts so she can inhale her own special aroma?”
Kamila fell to the floor laughing, which resulted in four puppies attacking her face with puppy kisses. Sweet, wonderful torture.
After Kamila managed to get herself to a sitting position again with no puppy tongues on her face, she sighed. “But seriously, why did Jana have to come home early? And then come to my party? I had no time to prepare my defenses. Then you went and said she’d be a good match for Rohan…”
Asha cringed. “Yeah, that was before she started on her ‘but imagination and innovation are muscles that can atrophy’ business. Sorry if I made everything worse. Were you able to get out of volunteering for that incubator thing?”
“No, I’m going to try to do it. And I’m also going to be taking the guy’s accounting work so Dad won’t do it.”
“Why?”
Kamila buried her face in Potato’s neck. “I’m worried about Dad. His test results weren’t good. He said he’d go part-time for a month, so I’m taking some of his clients. If I can convince this stuffy-suit that I’m a real accountant in that time, and if he puts Emerald on retainer for all the incubator’s financial needs, then maybe Dad will stay part-time after the month. But…ugh. I don’t know what I was thinking. How am I supposed to be all…accountant-y?” She frowned but then looked down at Potato’s nose, which was delightfully sort of heart shaped. She booped it.
“Kamila, you are actually an accountant, remember?”
Kamila waved her hand. “Technicality.”
“So why are you still bothering to volunteer for the thing, too? Just impress him with your stuffy accountant ways.”
“I’m scared if I don’t volunteer, Rohan will try to convince Jana to do it.”
“You only want to do it so Jana won’t? That’s enormously petty.”
Kamila exhaled. “Okay, yeah. Maybe…But also, it’s a good cause, isn’t it? It sounds like a more dignified volunteer role than organizing a puppy prom. It’s better for Emerald.”
“I don’t like the idea of you feeling as if you need to change who you are just to impress your dad’s clients.”
“It’s not just them.” Kamila sighed. “If getting some power suits and sensible shoes and being less…unconventional is what I need to do to save Emerald, then I feel like I should give it a shot.”
“Save Emerald…Is it at risk?”
