Kim was used to those glances. She’d been getting them her entire life.

“Do you plan on staying in bed all day, Kimberley?”

“If I can help it, yes,” she answered as she attempted to turn over. Attempted was as far as she got. “Tough night last night.”

“I hope you took time out of your...busy partying schedule to meet with the tech people your father requested? They were only in town for a couple of days so it was very important to him that you entertain them.”

There was always some up-and-coming entrepreneur or other business type she was expected to “entertain” on her parents’ behalf—apparently because she was hot, blonde, and knew all the trendiest haunts in Manhattan.

Kim hated her ditzy socialite role; it all felt so fake and manipulative. She felt she was capable of so much more, but there was no arguing. She’d tried many times and it never worked out well.

“I took them to Hirohisa yesterday,” she answered, rolling her eyes. “They loved it. Mr. Clarke had a lovely time and said he looked forward to seeing Daddy in San Francisco.”

“Good,” her mother replied. “Very good.”

Gloria was sitting on the edge of the bed, just by Kim’s hip. She always sat in the same place; it was the perfect vantage point—far enough from her daughter to avoid direct eye contact and close enough to corner her if she tried to move away.

Her mother took everything into consideration before she acted, which was probably the main reason for her parents’ success. She weighed the odds, tested the waters and then launched her attack. In her mother’s long history of battles (as Kim saw them), she had never failed in her conquests.

“Where’s Dad?” Kim asked casually as she listened for noise within the house. It was silent, almost as if her father wasn’t there.

“Downstairs on the phone. Your uncle called.”

“Did he?” Kim said enthusiastically. Ted was the only good thing in their family as far as she was concerned. He wasn’t the raging success her parents were—far less acclaimed in his field as a lowly accountant—but he was fun and Kim liked him a lot. Much more than her folks.

“I don’t know why you’re so happy about it; he’s probably just trying to get your father to loan him more money to invest in yet another harebrained financial scheme.” She wrinkled her nose in disdain.

“Why do you never have anything good to say about Uncle Ted? He’s your brother.”

“I have no control over family—sadly. Ted made his choices and I’ve made mine. The results speak for themselves.”

Her mother was always so goddamn controlled. Not once in Kim’s entire life had she ever seen her overcome by emotion. Most of the time she wondered if Gloria actually had any for anyone or anything outside her work.