“Great.” He took out his phone. “Let me give you my number.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“This is fantastic.” Frank forked up another mouthful of Essie’s French onion chicken casserole.
It had been just as easy to make two as it had been to make one, mostly since she’d divided the recipe into two smaller casserole dishes. She’d figured Althea wouldn’t eat that much and there was no point in doing all that work for it to go to waste. Plus, it was one of Frank’s favorites.
She’d made a side salad to go with it, and for Frank, some garlic bread. It wasn’t necessarily the kind of meal that required garlic bread, but that man could eat it with anything. She smiled. “Thank you. How are things going with Italy?”
“Some growing pains, but we’ll get there.” He exhaled. “As much as I’d like to fully retire, I don’t think I can just yet. I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you signed up for when you married me.”
She reached out and put her hand on his arm. “It’s all right. I have plenty to keep me busy these days and I know how important that business is to you. And to Chad.”
Frank nodded. “He’s doing great. Proud of that boy.”
“It’s a shame you can’t get Sophie interested in working for the company.” Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything, but Essie had just about had it with that young woman’s little digs.
He frowned. “It’s a shame I can’t get her interested in working at all.”
Essie made a face like she didn’t understand. “She doesn’t have any job?”
“Not by my standards.” Frank stabbed a hunk of lettuce drenched in ranch.
Against her better judgment, Essie decided to play dumb to see if he knew about Sophie’s attempt to be an influencer. “Then how does she pay her bills?”
Frank chewed the lettuce, swallowed, and let out a deep sigh. He gave Essie a quick look. “You know I’ve been helping her out.”
Yes, she had known that. “Right, but I figured she also had a job of some sort. But if she’s unable to work for some reason?—”
“She can work. She says she’s trying to become an influencer. Actually, she says sheisan influencer, but she’s trying to grow her brand. Whatever that means.”
“I see. One of my new friends, Paige, the woman who started the book club, she’s an influencer. On TikTok.”
Frank’s brows bent as though this interesting tidbit took him by surprise. “Isn’t she like… our age?”
“She might be a few years older. But apparently there’s a decent market for what she does.”
“Which is what?”
“All kinds of tips and tricks for mature women. Everything from diet and exercise to lifestyle stuff. Paige has something like forty thousand followers. And she gets more every day. How many does Sophie have?”
“I have no idea. I don’t even know where she does this influencing.”
“TikTok,” Essie said without thinking. She quickly added, “I’d imagine. My daughter is on there and she’s about Sophie’s age.”
“Well, wherever she’s doing it, she’s not making enough to support herself.”
“It’s too bad she can’t find a nice young man and settle down. Is she still with her current boyfriend?”
Frank nodded, now chewing another bite of casserole. He gestured at Essie with his fork. “No, she’s with someone named Ryan now, but that’s exactly what she should be focused on. Marriage. A family. She’s not getting any younger.” He sipped his water, then leaned forward. “Do you think you could talk to her about that? Seems like a better conversation for a woman to have with another woman.”
Essie stared at her husband for a moment. Then, unable to help herself, started to laugh. “Are you being serious?”
He looked utterly confused. “Yes. Why?”
Essie realized she’d reached her breaking point. “How much more do you want her to hate me?”
“What? Sophie doesn’t hate you.”
