Emily's got almost everything she needs: a loving family, great friends, and a burgeoning career in veterinary medicine. What she doesn't have is a guy to share it all with.
She plans on fixing that last part, though.
However, when she agrees to a...
Well, I guess it's time for me to give the big speech.
"Alright, Cooper," I start out. "I need you to pay attention, okay? I'm gonna be out for a couple of hours, and I want you to be a good boy while I'm gone. Listen to Meera and do whatever she says. And behave - - no jumping on the furniture, no tracking mud inside, and no getting into my makeup...again. Understand?"
I lean down to give him a hug and am rewarded with a lick on the chin. "There's a good boy," I grin.
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I then turn my attention to Maddie, who's been sitting on the floor next to him. I put up a finger to wag at her, but then look over at Cooper before deciding to take a shortcut. "All that goes for you, too, Maddie!" I say, pulling on my brown leather jacket before kneeling down to hug her, as well.
"Wait, so you make up a whole little speech for him, but I just get a hand-me-down?" she asks, twisting her lips.
"It's better than a backhand-me-down," I grumble to myself. I don't really mean it, though. She does have a point, I know. Actually, I normally don't treat Cooper like a person, but sometimes I like to make a joke out of doing so. You should see how he wears sunglasses.
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Meera just shakes her head as she watches me finish getting ready. "Don't worry," she says. "I'm sure your little sister will be fine. It's you I'm worried about! Emily, why on earth are you humming that?"
"Humming what?"
"'Get Lucky'?" she mouths, not wanting Maddie to hear.
"Agh, it's not my fault," I groan, tugging on a pair of brown leather boots to match my jacket. I walk in front of my full-length mirror to see how they look. "They keep playing that song on the radio, and it's been stuck in my head all day!"
She doesn't let up, though. "What kind of message do you think that's sending Maddie?"
"She probably doesn't even know that song!" I retort.
"'Get Lucky,' by Daft Punk?" Maddie pipes up, a smug look on her face.
Cripes. I want to ask her if she knows what it's actually about, but that's a can of worms I can't risk opening right now. "Look," I sigh, stepping in front of my vanity to pick out a lip gloss. "If you don't want me to hum that, then put something else on, instead."
