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"Since when do you decide you wanted to make a gym for 'Karens' and their spoiled little pompoms?" Delilah countered, immediately seeing where this would lead. Sure everyone had a pet they loved but those with larger dogs, well, to load them up to go to the gym seemed like as much a headache as just leaving them at home for an hour or two.

Truth was that Delilah knew what Mathias really wanted to do. People loved their pets and spoiling them was always a good business model. The prime example was outside were three dogs sat with their owners as they ate lunch.

"I don't mean to be the bucket of cold water but I do just want you to think about all sides of it. It had merit, everything does, but you need to really think of who you are targeting and are you willing to put up with those headaches."

But he was thinking at least. That she was grateful for.

"What did the man do with the dog then while he worked out?"

A wide range of expressions passed over Delilah's face as she listened. First indifference, then confusion at the mention of tweed in a gym. Finally, it was a smile at the idea of a corgi puppy.

Who couldn't smile at something so cute?

"I thought you did your cardio before dawn because you couldn't sleep." Delilah mused, cocking a brow at him in her own way before taking a sip of her iced tea once more. "But neither here nor there."

"But you asked my thoughts on the matter and I think, while adorable in ways, it has problems too. Problems I'm not sure you are ready to address considering one very large thing."

Both eyes locked onto her face. "When is the last time you held a real job?"

"Italian, French, bored old man or woman with a lot of money looking to keep young men around." She waved a hand, completely ignoring what she was inferring as she lazily offered a shrug.

But when he brought up his last job, well, that drew her attention back to her. "So whatever happened to it. I mean you are right, it was a foot in the door and now, here you are back to spray painting Uncle Ned's walls at odd hours of the night and pissing off his employees too. I hear he had to add extra lighting and cameras to make the staff feel safe again."

At least that was his claim. They all knew he just wanted to blame Mathias for spending more money.

"You mean in between walls." Delilah mused, chuckling as she poked fun. Mathias was a skilled artist, she never doubted that. The man could sketch a likeness of anyone he had met on the napkin in front of them and have it look like he spent hours on it.

No, she wasn't jealous. Why would she be?

"But in all seriousness, why don't you?" The question was less from a family suggestion and more sisterly as she half shrugged. "I mean if you hate it, you walk. You and I both know you could get back into the gallery with a well-placed phone call. What you do after that is up to you. Either way, I think you would enjoy it more than helping Karen do a pull-up." She smirked.

Oh, they compared notes. All the notes.

Delilah made a point to not be within a ten-block radius of the house when they did.

"One of many." She threw back, picking up her tea. "Can't think of the others right now but getting you to think something is a good idea is a very handy one. It saves me quite a few headaches in the long run." After all, what was family for?

"I'll see if I can pull a string or two. Name the gallery you have in mind and I'll have an answer for you by Uncle Ned's show-off party on Friday." The words were out of her mouth before it dawned on her that he might not have heard about it yet. Or at all.

Her tongue clicked once. "No one told you, did they?"

Taking a deep breath, Delilah reached back into the same bag she'd pulled the paper out before, only this time she withdrew a rather simple-looking cream-colored envelope. Holding it between her index and middle fingers perfectly upright, she let him see it before twisting her wrist to flash that it was addressed to him.

"He would have claimed it, had I not made a point to grab it and your parents two weeks ago when he made a show of giving Dad his. I dropped off the other one to your mother the other day and figured she'd say something to you. Uncle Ned is once again doing his 'look at me, aren't I wonderful' parties for his new pride and joy development opening. Every family member in town is invited as well as other people he wants to show off to."

Leaning her wrist over, she offered the envelope to him. "It's at that new steakhouse he built. Claims best in town."

There wasn't a reason to head the skeptical look that crossed her face as he quickly changed his tone and his story as he took the invitation with a smile that said something had just gotten to him.

"I see." With a musing nod, she decided if he didn't want to tell her right then, well, she'd be keeping an eye out. But to let it slide a bit, she added, "Spite or free food. Starving artist doesn't pay well after all."

"But you know the drill. We go, we smile, Uncle Ned gloats about how amazing he is. Half the family rolls there eyes and uses it to network with everyone else. The rest of the family counts down until we can leave..."

"Got me out of another frat party at least. Getting tired of having to babysit."