Perfectly Unmatched Read Free Page A

his shoulders and the grimace that never leaves his face unless he’s pasting on a phony smile for our benefit. I lean my head on his shoulder.
              “I guess he had to find his way, be a man, all that nonsense.” My father kisses the top of my head, and some of my hair catches in the scratchy bristles of his five o’clock shadow. “What I wouldn’t give to have had a son with your backbone, Benelli. You’re my angel, you know that? I honestly don’t know what your mother and I would have done without you all these years.”
              He crushes me in a swaddling hug, and I choke back a sob. I hate that my parents are suffering through all of this, and I hate that there isn’t anything I can do to transfer some of the burden onto my shoulders. Not in a significant way, anyway. Not without Damian’s help.
              “I forgot to tell you, I fired Sylvia.” I savor the last, sugary sip of coffee and arch one eyebrow at my father’s face, mouth hanging open, eyes wide. “She needed to go, Pop. I already interviewed for her replacement, and the new girl has a good head on her shoulders. I think she’ll do a decent job running things.”
              “She was Solomon’s niece, Benelli,” he sputters. “How am I going to explain this?”
              I give him my best level glare.
              “Look, are you in the business of keeping your poker buddies happy or running successful companies? You asked me to take care of the files for the tire shop, and I did. They were a huge mess, but I organized every single thing, color-coded it all, got everything in coordinated file folders, all in order. You told me you’d bring someone in to maintain it all while I finished the paperwork for the rental properties. I went back to check, and it was like all my work had been undone, Pop! We can’t afford to run a business like that. I gave her two warnings, walked her through the entire process all at least four times. I think it was nice of me to let her get to three strikes. And I only went that soft for your benefit. And Solomon’s.”
              “How’d she take it?” His brows are knit in a bushy, dark line over his blue eyes.
              I walk my coffee mug and his to the sink and rinse them out.
              “Well, she cried, of course. Don’t think I fell for those crocodile tears for a single damn second, either. Lazy girls are always convincing criers. They have to be, because it’s their ace in the hole when their crappy work ethic catches up to them and they get sacked. Keep that in mind next time you’re trying to fire some girl who’s on a crying jag. You need to toughen up, Pop.”
              My dad stands up and gives me a fierce look, then walks over and grabs me into a bear hug.
              “Why the hell were you born a girl, Benelli? If you were a son, we’d have already take over the entire East Coast together.”
              I kiss his cheek, my heart sad over all the things his sons have done to let him down and the trick of fate that made it impossible for me to help him the way he needs me to, no matter how capable I am and how much I want to.
              “Well, I am definitely glad I wasn’t born a boy. And since I’m a girl, I’m off to get ready for a nice, relaxing spa day.”
              “You girls treat yourselves.”
              He opens his wallet and I try to press the money back, but my father insists, and I reluctantly take it, enjoying the glimmer of happiness that flits too quickly across his face, replaced with that frown of perpetual worry when he thinks I’m not looking.
              Mom and I pretend to enjoy our pampering, but I know her mind is on my out-of-control siblings and my mind is wrapped