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“Hello?” Carm waves his hand in front of my face.
I blink, shaking my head before I spend all day today trying to figure out the missing puzzle piece.
“What’s going on?” he presses when I dribble, and he blocks the shot without much effort.
“Nothing. Just work.”
He glances at the clock. “Where the hell is Dom? Do you want to talk?”
I stare off to the side and wonder if I do. I’m not a touchy-feely guy, but this is work, and if anyone understands being at the top of your game, it’s my brother. I nod, so we walk over to the bleachers and sit. We both sip our waters. Playing at my old school gym brings back memories of when I was a pretty big deal.
“This new account,” I say. “It’s for diapers, and as much as I hate to admit it, I’m struggling to come up with a great campaign.”
He laughs, clutching his stomach. “Why the hell would they give you a diaper campaign?”
“Because it’s the big fish and I’ve got the biggest hook.”
He chuckles, crushing his empty water bottle. “Your ego amazes me.”
“You share the same one, so I’m not sure why you’re surprised.”
The doors open and Dom busts in with his arms open wide. “The party has arrived!”
“Only one of us has a bigger ego in this family.” Carm rolls his eyes. “Finally.”
Dom drops his bag on the bleachers. “Sorry, guys. Had a hard time getting out of bed this morning.” He hits the basketball from under my arm and dribbles it through his legs and spins it on his finger as though he’s the next Globetrotter.
“Do I even want to know?” I ask.
“We don’t.” Carm smacks the ball out of Dom’s hand and dribbles to the hoop.
“She might be worth a second time.” He clicks the roof of his mouth with his tongue. “And get this. After shower sex this morning, she’s the one who handed me my clothes and said she had somewhere to be.”
I stare dumbfounded at my older brother. “So hold up, you wanted to stay, and she told you to go? And that’s a good thing?”
Dom steals the ball from Carm and throws it at me. “Yeah, it means she doesn’t want strings. How fuckin’ perfect is that? I’ve been searching for a consistent hook-up who isn’t going to harp on and on about my time at the office, marriage, and babies.”
“Way to have goals in life.” I toss the ball to Carm, who dribbles past Dom and scores.
“It’s the perfect plan. I don’t have to leave work early just to butter up some girl at a club.”
“Perfect. You can sit at your desk, have Uber Eats deliver your food, and now order sex on speed dial.” Carm’s sarcastic tone doesn’t register to Dom.
“I know, right?”
I shake my head. “Let’s just play.”
I need to get my head away from my problems—one Annie Stewart and one diaper company—for at least the next hour.
* * *
All three ofus are sweaty messes when we arrive at my parents’ house.
Walking in, the smell of garlic accosts us. I bet my brothers’ stomachs rumble from the smell too. All three of us walk right through the living room into the kitchen, take forks from the drawer, and stab the simmering meatballs. We give my mom a wave because she has the phone pressed to her ear.
“Oh, Maria, I’m so happy for you. Yes, we need to get planning. Let us know when a date is set. Ciao.”
My brothers and I stop and stare at one another, knowing we’re walking into another rendition of “why can’t you be more like your cousins.”
