Page 8 of Men or Paws

“So true.” Josh swung around and smiled. “First things first, how was your call with Rocco Romano?”

I fanned my face with my hand. “I could barely control myself when I heard his voice. His charisma was oozing through the phone like maple syrup.”

Josh laughed. “Okay, so you weren’t impressed.”

“I would’ve preferred a call from Morgan Freeman or Jack Nicholson.”

My brother was hands-down the best celebrity impersonator on the comedy circuit, but he was especially known for his impersonations of Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. A video of his hilarious ten-minute conversation between the two famous actors as part of his standup routine had over ten million views.

“Do you want something to drink?” I asked.

“Coffee, please,” Josh said. “I can make it.”

He walked past me to the kitchen, making himself at home just like I would expect him to do, pressing the power button on the coffee machine and popping in a pod. He reached for a coffee cup from the cupboard, a spoon from the drawer, and the carton of milk from the fridge.

“For some reason, I thought you were shooting a TV special on the road this week,” I said. “Last I saw you were in northern Virginia or North Carolina.”

“So close. Miami Beach. In case you’re keeping track, that’s in the South.” Josh grinned and placed the coffee cup under the machine and pressed the brew button.

I smiled and shook my head in amusement. “I’ll make a note of it. What a nice surprise to see your face.”

“Did you almost have a heart attack when you got my voicemail?”

I leaned against the kitchen counter. “What voicemail?”

“Very funny.” He took his cup from the machine, added some milk and sugar, and stirred it, seeming to enjoy the jingling sound the spoon made.

“I’m not being funny—that’s your job,” I said. “What voicemail are you talking about?”

Josh studied me for a moment. “The voicemail that mentioned you would be getting a call from Rocco. How else do you think he got your number?”

I laughed. “Nice try. Like I said, it was a decent effort, but your tone quality needs some work. And why didn’t you tell me you got rid of your other phone number? I almost didn’t answer when you didn’t show up in my contacts.”

Josh quirked his head at me. “What are you talking about?” He squinted like he was trying to get a better look at me. “Are you drunk?” He leaned closer and sniffed me.

I laughed. “No, just confused, obviously.”

“Join the club. Okay, wait, did you or did you not talk with Rocco?”

I just stared at him. “I talked with you while you were pretending to be Rocco.”

“Sorry to break the news to you, but Rocco Romano is not part of my routine. Oh boy . . .” Josh snorted a laugh and pointed to my phone on the counter. “You need to check your messages.”

I hesitated, even more confused, then reached over and snatched up my phone. I entered my password and stared at the icon that showed I had one voicemail message. I raised an eyebrow before tapping on the icon to listen to Josh’s message.

“Hey, Beth, it’s your extremely funny and handsome brother. Where are you? Maybe you’re on the phone because it went straight to voicemail. Anyway, two things . . . number one, I’m in town and on my way over to your place, just in case you forgot. And please don’t open the front door in your underwear when I show up. And you’re not going to believe this, but I just found you the job of a lifetime! Well, okay, it’s only for three weeks, but the money is insane, so listen carefully and don’t freak out. Rocco Romano is going to be calling you soon. Yes,thatRocco Romano. I just got off the phone with my agent, Oliver, who said Rocco is in desperate need of a dog sitter, but he obviously just can’t hire anyone. I told him you would do it since you need the money to start your new business. And I basically guaranteed him that he didn’t have to worry about you being a stalker because you don’t find him remotely attractive. Okay, maybe that’s a little fib, since every woman on the planet wants to lick melted chocolate off his ten-pack abs. Anyway, don’t be mad at me for giving him your number. I know you don’t like the guy, but I doubt you’ll even see him. Just take the job and laugh all the way to the bank. Love you. I’ll see you soon.”

I swallowed hard and set the phone back down on the counter, raising my gaze to meet my brother’s. “Oh, my word . . . it was really Rocco?”

Josh nodded.

I closed my eyes. “The things I said to him . . .”

“Probably nothing he hasn’t heard before from his rabid fans.”

“And I may have hung up on him. Twice.”

Josh laughed. “Seriously?”