Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78634 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78634 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“I do that, too. There are a pair of big, magnetic boards in my home office. One’s covered with design ideas for my next restaurant, and the other has notes for new dishes and sketches of different ways to plate them.” I’d been pretty sure we had nothing in common, so it was nice to discover that similarity.
I turned my attention back to Dusty, ruffling his ears as I told him, “Pretty soon, we’re going to go on an adventure to Bryson’s house. Won’t that be fun?” He wagged his tail, and I explained, “First, I have to go away for two nights, but you’ll have your Auntie JoJo and the rest of your friends looking after you.” I gave him a hug and put him back down. Tears started to well up as I whispered, “I love you very much, and I’ll be back soon. I promise.”
Bryson asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve never left him before, and I feel guilty. His last owners dropped him off at the animal shelter because they didn’t want him anymore. What if he thinks I’m abandoning him, too?”
He really didn’t know what to do about the fact that I was getting upset, and he fidgeted awkwardly as he told me, “We don’t have to go to Las Vegas if you don’t want to. There are plenty of other ways to get married.”
“Eloping to Vegas makes sense. It’s the perfect story to tell your family. Besides, I really do want to go. I’ve never been anywhere before, outside of the fair route through California and the Pacific Northwest. I’ve never even been on a plane. Which reminds me—if I end up losing it, I apologize in advance.”
Now he looked worried. “Is that… I mean, do you think you’re…”
“I don’t know. I might love flying, or it might freak me out. I guess we’ll find out together.”
I petted Dusty and the cat, and then I glanced back at them as we left the room. They both seemed perfectly content. I knew my dog was going to be fine this weekend, but I still felt guilty.
When we got back downstairs, Vee and Hal were standing side-by-side in the foyer, looking like total fashion opposites. Hal was sleek and sophisticated in all-black, from his slim-fitting T-shirt and pants to his knee-length cardigan and stylish ankle boots. Meanwhile, Vee wore a red mesh T-shirt, pink camo cargo shorts, and flip flops. This was toned down for him. He usually wore a lot of eclectic jewelry, but he’d packed it instead, because he didn’t want to set off the metal detectors at the airport.
As I grabbed my denim jacket from the coat rack and put it on over my pink hoodie, JoJo went into full mom mode. I loved that about her. “Do you have your ID? You’ll need it at the airport, and also to get your marriage license.”
“I have it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Also, Yolanda texted me from work and wanted me to ask if you packed extra bandages and antibiotic cream.”
“I packed a whole first aid kit, but my finger is mostly healed.” I held up my index finger to show her I was down to just two regular bandages where I’d cut myself.
“Remember that Yolanda and I are your emergency contacts. We can hop on the next plane if you need us.”
“I appreciate that, but if anything happens to me in Las Vegas, I have Vee, Hal, and Bryson to help me.” Since I was accident prone, everyone expected me to maim myself, all the time. I gave her a hug and said, “I love you, JoJo. Please don’t worry.”
Just then, Clementine flew into the foyer and headed directly for my soon-to-be fake husband, who yelped and hit the deck. The bird landed on Bryson’s back and exclaimed, “What the fuck!” It was the only thing he ever said, but he had a way of timing it beautifully.
Bryson was spread-eagled face down on the floor, as if he’d dodged a sniper’s bullet. He called, “A little help here!”
Vee coaxed the bird onto his finger before relocating him to JoJo’s shoulder. “All clear,” he told Bryson, with a huge grin. “And you have nothing to be embarrassed about. One-ounce parakeets can be super scary.”
Bryson stood up slowly, never taking his eyes off Clementine as I tried to reassure him. “Scared of birds, huh? It’s okay. I have some irrational fears, too. I can’t think of any right now, but I know I have them.”
“I’m not scared of birds. That one just startled me.” He backed toward the door, still watching the parakeet, and as he fumbled for the door handle, he muttered, “I’ll meet you outside.”
He opened the door, slipped through it, and slammed it shut. Once he was gone, JoJo said, “I like that guy.”
I nodded. “I like him, too. He’s trying really hard to make sure I’m happy throughout all of this. Did I tell you he messaged me yesterday to ask where I wanted to stay this weekend?”