With a Little Luck: A Novel by Caprice Crane

Author:Caprice Crane [Crane, Caprice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780440423423
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 2011-07-26T06:00:00+00:00

I’m almost at the diner, where Nat is waiting for me, when my cellphone rings. I know it’s my father without looking because just last week I changed his ringtone to “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers. It wasn’t a very nice thing to do, now that I think about it, but he’d needed two hundred dollars to pay back someone named Fred, and I was feeling very put-upon at the time.

“Berry,” he says, sounding panicked. “It’s Dad.”

“You okay?”

“I’m down. I’m losing big. I need my lucky girl.”

“Where are you?”

“Carson.”

“Dad,” I say, and sigh. “Really? You really want me to drive there?”

“I know it’ll turn around when you get here. You’re my lucky charm.”

I can hear the desperation in his voice, but I just got off my shift, and I tell him exactly that.

“I know,” he says. “I was listening. I always listen. I have my one-ear RadioShack headphone in whenever you’re on so I don’t miss it.”

Guilt.

Guilt.

Guilt.

“I was about to meet Natalie at the diner,” I say. “She’s there waiting for me now.”

“Bring her,” he says. “I’d love to see her.”

“Yeah, I’m not so sure she’d love to drive an hour and a half to a casino right now.”

“Never know until you ask.”

“I’m pretty sure, Dad.”

“I was winning for a while.…” he says, and then trails off.

I stand at the diner entrance and see Natalie at the counter. She turns around and waves to me. I roll my eyes, and she nods knowingly. When I hang up the phone I walk in and shrug.

“I can’t say no to him.”

“I wish we were talking about Ryan,” she says. “And I wish you were recapping some sordid sexcapade.… But from the roll of your eyes and that fact that you’re Berry Lambert … I’m pretty certain we’re talking about your dad.”

“Bingo,” I say.

“If only that were his vice,” she replies.

“I gotta go meet him at the casino. You’re invited.…”

“Yeah, tempting as that sounds … the cigarette smoke and the desperation and all that velour …” She shudders. “I’ll pass.”

“Lucky,” I say.

“No, that’s you,” she corrects.

“Well, I need to talk to you,” I say. “I needed our debriefing tonight. Something happened. It’s big.”

“Can you tell me quickly?”

“Yes, but I know what you’re going to say, and I need you to consider all of the different factors before you just try to bully me into doing it.”

“Cryptic,” she says.

“I’ll call you from the car. We’ll discuss.”

“No, you can’t just leave me hanging like this.”

“It’ll be one minute!”

“Berry, you tell me right now.” Natalie is one whine away from stomping her foot.

“They want me to do a morning show. With Ryan. Talk radio. Talking the whole time. No music. Just me and Ryan. Just talk.”

“Just say yes!” she exclaims.

“I said no bullying until we discuss!”

“Berry, that is an incredible opportunity,” she says. “You can’t say no to that.”

“I’ll call you from the car.”

“You’re doing this.”

“I’ll call you in forty-seven seconds.”

“You’re so doing this.”

“Aargh!” I growl as I walk to my car and put my headset on.

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