Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
I glanced at Tracy and said, “There’s no place I would have rather been.”
The holiday wasn’t over, either. After we said good night to everyone, I drove us across town to the second half of our celebration.
The Victorian Vee and his friends shared was the brightest, most colorful house on the block, not only because it was hot pink, but because it was totally decked out in pink twinkle lights. I’d assumed Thanksgiving would be similar in scale to Sunday dinner, but instead a massive house party was in full swing. When we stepped inside, Tracy was immediately accosted by Clementine, the little blue parakeet, who screeched, “What the fuck,” as he flew at him and landed on his shoulder.
“I don’t know why Clementine likes me so much,” Tracy murmured, as I lightly ran a finger down the bird’s back. “He always insists on going for a ride whenever he sees me.”
I smiled at him and said, “The bird has good taste.”
We said hello to Vee and his housemates, and I was introduced to a few more people. This included the mysterious seventh roommate, Hal Nakamura, who finally had a day off from work. As we shook hands, he gushed, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you! I wanted to tell you I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from your YouTube channel and your Instagram posts over the years.”
“Thanks, that means a lot.”
“I’m looking forward to checking out your gym when it’s open,” Hal said, as he swept his long, dark hair behind his shoulder and smiled at me. I couldn’t tell if he was being flirtatious or just friendly.
A couple of guys joined us and asked to take a photo with me. It reminded me that I hadn’t posted all day, so I pulled out my phone and went into autopilot, smiling, posing, and chatting as I reverted to my public persona.
At some point, Tracy disappeared. It was probably fifteen minutes before I managed to slip away and go in search of him. In the kitchen, I found he’d added the little pies he’d brought to the dessert buffet, but there was no sign of him. Then I checked the hallway leading to a back bedroom, and there he was.
Tracy was sitting on the floor, with the little parakeet settled in on his shoulder. There was also a black cat and a scruffy tan and white terrier mix on his lap. “You’re like a Disney princess,” I teased, as I took a seat beside him and scratched the cat’s ears. “All the animals are drawn to you.” He shot me a look and tried to hide his grin, and I asked, “Who do we have here?” I didn’t recall seeing them when I’d been here before.
“The Cat is Steve. She showed up one day and never left. And the dog is His Royal Highness Bartholomew Dust Mop, of the San Francisco Dust Mops. Dusty for short. He’s Embry’s new rescue.”
“Steve’s a girl?”
“Best not to question it.”
“This is quite the ecosystem for one household. I’m glad all three critters get along.”
“The bird is in charge. Apparently the cat tried to swipe at him once, but after Clementine yelled at her, she never tried it again.”
“It’s always seemed odd to me that he’s just flying around. Doesn’t he try to escape?”
“No. Never.”
“Why not?”
Tracy shrugged. “Because he doesn’t want to.”
“Okay, but how does the rest of it work? Does he have a cage somewhere?”
“The bird has food, water, and nesting stations set up all around the house—everything a birdcage would have, minus the bars.”
“Which is good to know, but what I’m really asking is if he craps everywhere.”
“Apparently he prefers doing his business in trees or bushes. Potted plants do the job when he’s indoors, and they’re easy enough to take outside and hose off periodically.” Tracy looked amused. “Any other questions?”
“Loads, but you’ve satisfied my curiosity for now.”
“Glad to hear it.”
After a moment, I changed the subject by saying, “I couldn’t help but notice you’re hiding from everyone. Why is that?”
“I thought this was going to be a small get-together, not a huge party. It’s a little more than I can face, after being ‘on’ at work all day.” He sighed and added, “That probably doesn’t make sense to someone as outgoing as you.”
“No, I get it.” The terrier shifted a bit and went to sleep, and Tracy began to pet him idly as I asked, “Do you want to go home?”
“Not yet. We just got here, and I don’t want to be rude. Plus, you’re meeting a lot of new people, which is good.”
“Everyone’s been really nice.”
“Hal was very excited to meet you.”
“Yeah, he follows me on social media. He gave me his number, because he wants us to work out together.”
Tracy frowned and muttered, “I’ll bet.”
“What does that mean?”
“That’s obviously not why he gave you his number.”