Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
“Really?” she asks. “That’s strange. He acted like he hated clowns, too.”
“Well, I don’t know for sure. I thought he seemed interested when Ainsley said Bingo was involved, but I could be wrong. I was a little distracted,” I admit. “My challenge winner had just tossed her cookies and made a run for the bathroom.”
She groans. “Don’t remind me. Thank God I always carry toothpaste and a toothbrush in my purse. I’ve brushed my teeth five times, too. And used their mouthwash. It also tastes like bubblegum.”
I smile, charmed by her even when we’re talking about mundane things like toothbrushes and mouthwash. “Then I’m clear to set Eduardo up with the ticket? If he wants it?”
“Yes, please,” she says with a relieved sigh. “That’s part of why I was hiding in the bathroom. I wasn’t sure when the show started and wanted to make sure I missed the opening curtain.”
“And the other part?” I ask, pushing on when she hesitates. “Tell me what you need to make this better, Caroline, and I’ll move heaven and earth to make it happen. I promise. I feel awful.”
“You don’t have to feel awful,” she says, moving closer. She sounds like she’s right on the other side of the door, as she adds, “But if you’re in the mood to grant special favors, I can think of something that would make me feel a whole lot better.”
“Name it,” I say, without hesitation.
“I was scrolling through the What’s On this Weekend listings last night, and there’s a huge craft fair on Governors Island today. Handmade goods and vintage finds and food trucks featuring ethnic holiday food from all over the globe. I mean, maybe I’m kidding myself, but I think an Icelandic mulled wine, a German schnitzel, and the perfect pair of handcrafted earrings might make all my troubles disappear.”
I nod, relieved that easing her pain is going to be so relatively easy. “I’ll order a car and book a ferry ticket for you.”
“How about…two ferry tickets?” she says, with a hint of shyness. “I mean, a craft fair is always more fun with a friend, and it is Sunday. Do you have to work more, or can you slip away?”
“I can slip away,” I say, the eagerness in my tone embarrassing.
Or, it would be, if Caroline didn’t sound every bit as eager when she cheers, “Oh yay! Good. We’ll have fun! And we can talk about the logistics of moving Greg to Vermont while we’re at it. I talked to my business partner, Kayla, last night about it, and she’s over the moon. She’s always wanted an inn cat, but her kitten isn’t litter trained yet.”
“Greg is good at using his litter box. He isn’t good at much else, but if you’re still up for giving him a new home, I’ll happily drive him up to Reindeer Corners for you. I could deliver him the day after we finish filming, even, if that works.”
“But that’s Christmas Eve Day.”
I shrug. “That’s all right. I don’t have any plans. I’m Jewish.”
“Oh. Congratulations.”
I laugh. “Thanks. Just culturally, on my mom’s side, I’m not religious. But I like it, and my dad was a lapsed Catholic turned hippie solstice celebrator. As a kid, I got the best of all worlds. Hanukkah gifts, Christmas presents under the tree, and a big bonfire in the backyard on the longest night of the year.”
“Sounds awesome,” Caroline says. “Won’t your parents want you home for the holidays, then? I don’t want to keep you from your family.”
“My parents passed away in a car accident when I was a freshman in college,” I say, the words not hitting as hard as they usually do.
Maybe it’s the door between us that makes it easy to talk to Caroline. Or maybe it’s just…her. From the moment I met her, she’s felt like someone I could confide in.
“Oh, Leo.” She cracks the door and peers out at me, the one blue eye visible through the space filled with empathy. “I’m so sorry. What a hard time to lose your parents. I mean, not that any time would have been easy, but that’s such a rough stage of life. There’s so much change and upheaval going on already.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “It was rough. But I’m okay now, I promise.” I smile. “And I would love to spend Christmas Eve Day driving my demon cat to Vermont. It would be a holiday present for both of us. He’ll get a new home, and I’ll get to go back to living my life without fear of my pet slicing me open while I’m sleeping and selling one of my kidneys on the black market. We all win.”
Her eye crinkles at the edges. “Sounds like it. Though you can’t blame Greg for trying. I hear kidneys fetch a pretty penny these days.”