CHapter 043
Things were notgoing well, Rick Diehl thought, as he wiped pureed green peas off his face and paused to clean his glasses. It was five in the afternoon. The kitchen was hot. His three kids were sitting at the kitchen table screaming and hitting one another. They were throwing hot dog relish and mustard. The mustard stained everything.
The baby, in the high chair, refused to eat and spat her food right back out. Conchita should have been feeding her, but Conchita had vanished that afternoon. She had become increasingly unreliable ever since Rick's wife left. Broads stick together. Probably he would have to replace Conchita, which was a big pain in the neck, to hire somebody new, and of course she would sue him. Maybe he could negotiate a settlement with her before she went to court.
"You want it? Take it!" Jason, his oldest, mashed the hot dog with the bun into Sam's face. Sam howled and acted like he was choking. Now they were rolling on the floor.
"Dad! Dad! Stop him! He's choking me."
"Jason, don't choke your brother."
Jason paid no attention. Rick grabbed him by the collar and pulled him off Sam. "I said, don't choke him."
"I wasn't. He asked for it."
"You want to lose TV tonight? No? Then eat your own hot dog and let your brother eat his."
Rick picked up the spoon to feed the baby, but she closed her mouth stubbornly, staring at him with beady little hostile eyes. He sighed. What was it that made kids in high chairs refuse to eat, and throw all their toys on the floor? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for his wife to have gone away, he thought.
As for the office, the situation was even worse. His ex
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