Page 27 of Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

“Things are going fine,” Jordan said. “Destroying my childhood home is fully underway.”

“Dammit, Jordan,” Natasha said, mirth filling her tone. “Save that sort of snark for the cameras.”

Jordan laughed too, and Astrid forced herself to join in, though the action felt desperate, like she was a tween asking to sit at the cool kids’ table. Still, Natasha wanted her to play a role? She’d play a role. She was fantastic at playing roles.

Astrid let her laugh fade. “So, youwantto keep that clawfoot tub with the rust ring and the...” She squinted at the details on the bathtub two crew members were carrying to the dumpster. “What are those, cherubs on the faucets? Then again, you do love gaudy dancing fairy clocks, so.”

Jordan continued to gaze at her coolly, one eyebrow lifted. Goddammit, Astrid wished she could lift one eyebrow.

“Oh, this is going to be so much fun,” Natasha said. Then, placing a hand on Jordan’s shoulder, she turned and called into the house’s open front door for Emery. Jordan kept her eyes on Astrid, a tiny smirk on her raspberry red mouth.

“Hey, what’s up,” Emery said, appearing on the porch with their own safety goggles and wearing a gray T-shirt with six horizontal bars printed on it, each one in a different color of the rainbow. “Oh, hey, Astrid.”

“Hey,” she said, smiling.

“Okay,” Natasha said, clapping her hands. “Our two stars here are fired up and ready to go, so I say, let’s get something really interesting.”

“What’d you have in mind?” Emery asked.

Natasha turned to Jordan. “You’ll feature more prominently for the demo shots—we already have some planned with you and Josh, as well as one or two with Simon and Pru, if you think they’d be up for it.”

“Absolutely,” Jordan said. “My grandmother would love to hit the shit out of some kitchen cabinets.”

“Actually,” Natasha said, her voice curling mischievously as she turned toward Astrid. Then she just grinned at her.

“What?” Astrid asked. “Actually what?”

“No way,” Jordan said, shaking her head.

“Oh, come on,” Natasha said. “Emery, am I right?”

“You’re right,” Emery said, winking at Astrid before tapping something out on their phone.

“What are you right about?” Astrid asked.

“That has disaster written all over it,” Jordan said, ignoring her completely and still looking at Natasha.

“It’ll be fine,” Natasha said. “It’ll be like a teacher-student moment.”

“I don’t know,” Jordan said, finally glancing at Astrid. She slid her eyes down Astrid’s crisp, fitted white tee, dark skinny jeans, and white sneakers. Astrid squirmed under her gaze, fighting the urge to make sure the cuffs of her short sleeves were rolled up evenly. “That’s a lot of white.”

“Even better,” Natasha said.

Astrid’s pulse roared in her ears. “Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?”

Everyone’s eyes went wide. Astrid’s voice had bordered on a yell. And she’d sworn. She’d sworn in front of Natasha Rojas.

Natasha, for her part, looked delighted. “We have the perfect task for you.”

“Why do you say that like you mean the exact opposite?” Astrid asked.

Jordan grinned—a Cheshire cat kind of grin. “Look at us. We all know each other so well already.”

Astrid sighed and hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder. Whatever this was, she had to be game. Anything else would come off as... well, elitist and bitchy. “Fine. Lead on.”

Natasha beamed and shot a thumbs-up to Emery, who disappeared into the house ahead of them, calling Regina’s name. Jordan watched Astrid for a split second before turning and heading up the ricketyfront porch steps. Astrid followed, the sounds of demolition growing louder as they walked through the open front door.

Jordan and Natasha led her through a dark oak swinging door and into the kitchen. It was a large space with a bank of windows along the back wall, surprisingly bright for a century-old house. Still, Astrid couldn’t wait to change out the dark cabinets for white shakers, remove the peeling laminate counters and replace them with smooth marble.