"No," Jasmine cried out. "Everyone has to take a turn."
"Okay, then," Trey said in resignation. "I need more beer first."
"Good idea, bro," Dylan said, grabbing his bottle and taking a swig.
*
By the time Jasmine finished her beautiful singing and the guys had added a little bit more alcohol in their systems, everyone was enthusiastic about taking their turn. Soon, each of them had sung twice and decided to have a break for some more dessert.
"I miss this," Sam said wistfully. "I feel so alone in Melbourne now that my favourite cousin and best friends are here."
"Oh, Sam," Jasmine cried softly. "We miss you, too."
"Why don't you move here too, Sammy?" Kris asked.
"What?" Sam asked with a snort.
"Why not? You've been wanting to resign from your job for a long time now."
"You don't like your job, Sam?" Trey asked.
Sam sighed. "I work for my dad's accounting practice. Since I'm an only child, I think he has decided from the moment I was born that I was going to take over from him eventually."
"But you don't want to?" Trey pressed.
"When I was younger, I thought it wasn't a bad idea. It would be good to keep the practice in the family. Dad's worked hard to build it to where it is now. But it doesn't exactly inspire me to get up in the morning. These days, I'm starting to dread going to work. Sometimes, I feel like I'm just so over it."
"What inspires you to get up in the morning?" Adam asked.
Sam smirked. "Food. Today I got on a plane excited at the thought that we'd be having a party and I'd be cooking for everyone. I'd love to do catering, similar to what I did for Kane and Dylan's mum's sixtieth birthday."
"Your food was incredible," Dylan confirmed. "So why don't you do it? Maybe start small—cater to small groups first? Then build it up to be able to accommodate larger orders."
"I'd love to do that, but there's a lot that's required to make it viable."
"Sam?" Kris said softly.
"Yeah?"
"Look at Jaz, Ari, and me. We're doing what we love full time, now. Isn't it time you start working on your dream?"
"Yeah, but—"
"We know you're full of 'buts', Sam," Jasmine said. "None of us, for one moment, thought it would be easy. But you've got to take the first step for it to become a reality."
"We're all here to support you, Sam," Ari added. "You can still work as an accountant while you set yourself up. But as Jaz said, you have to take the first step."
Sam sniffed, her eyes watering. "You're right. The first step is to tell my parents I'm quitting the practice. What kind of excuse could I give them that wouldn't be so hard for them to take? It'll break their hearts if I leave."
"You can tell them you've met a man here in Sydney. That's why you want to quit your job—to be with him," Kris joked.
"That's a great idea," Sam said, her eyes wide.
"It is?" Kris asked in surprise.
"Yes! You know they're always on my back for not dating a lot. They were so excited for you when you told them you were moving here, not because of your new job, but because of Trey. So I think they'll actually be shooing me to leave home if I tell them I've met a man here. I think having grandchildren to continue the family line is more important to them than keeping the practice in the family."
"Great!" Kris said excitedly. "Now all we need to do is find you a man you can fall in love with."
"That could take months, even years," Sam said. "I could just pretend, couldn't I? After a while I could say I've broken up with the man. By then, they would have gotten used to me not working in the practice."
"Yes, you could," Kris agreed slowly, warming to the idea. "Then all you'll need is a pretend boyfriend, if Uncle and Auntie insist on meeting one."
Sam nodded, her face animated. "All right, guys. Do you have a single friend who's up for some acting so my parents wouldn't feel like I'm abandoning them?"
The men's eyes turned to Adam.
Adam shrugged. "Sure, I'm happy to help. I got an 'A' in my acting class when I was in school."
Sam clasped her hands in gratitude. "Thank you, Adam."
Kris wanted to jump up and down with glee. Finally, her beloved cousin was willing to be adventurous and take a chance on her dream.
*******
Trey picked up the song list and handed it to Kris. "What's your favourite dance song, baby?"
Kris quickly scanned the booklet and selected a tune. "Do you know this song?" she asked him, excited to hear Trey sing again. She was pleasantly surprised to discover he wasn't a bad singer.