HOW TO EARN YOUR KEEP
Deahn Berrini
Le Lit, Toulouse Lautrec
How To Earn Your Keep is my new novel about a sister and a brother who mistake the finer material things for the material matters of heart and soul. A jealous polo player, a mother who dresses out of season, a bulldog personal injury lawyer, a bereft family, and a horse trainer round out the story, set in the north of Boston in the late 1990’s. Here’s an excerpt from Chapter Two.
The bathrobe appeared one Saturday morning as Kat looked up from her tepid morning coffee. He had just slipped it on, and then slipped into the kitchen where their mother was throwing together pancakes. Bright red silk covered in elaborate green dragons breathing great bursts of yellow fire, it intimated exoticism, luxury, and danger over naked white calves covered in wisps of red-blond hair. Larry Lavoie carried it off, too, thick chested with broad shoulders, the robe didn't hang on him sadly, and the large dragon on the back licked dramatic flames over his shoulder.
"Chinatown," said Kat. Precise, narrow waves shimmered down the delicate silk as he moved. "It must have cost a fortune," she lowered her voice, "didn't Linda like it?"
"Linda won't buy anything," Larry answered, "from a store where they don't speak English."
Ruby turned from the stove. "It's beautiful," she cooed. "I want one too."
Larry shrugged. "It's one of a kind."
"He went to Boston yesterday," said Kat to her mother. "Feel the silk, it's gorgeous."
"Don't get too close to this stove,” warned Ruby, spatula high in the air. “Grease is hell on silk."
Larry stepped away from the cooking, held the front of the robe up, and regarded the swirl of color. "It's enough to make you want to learn Chinese."