“Okay, now there’s one more thing. I left something for Priss at the condo on the kitchen counter.”
“What now?”
Mick had started buying little things for Priscilla. A speaker for her phone, then a Kindle. It was too much, but when I protested and asked him to stop, he wouldn’t hear of it.
“Oh, just a spring break trip for ten of her friends, chaperoned.”
“No. You didn’t.” My heart dropped. How was I going to tell her no?
“I’m kidding. But this gift requires you to go, so be warned.”
“I don’t like surprises, Mick. Prepare me for the teen angst about to come my way.”
I imagined his eyes crinkling and a smirk lifting his mouth on the left side while I talked to him from the car.
“Okay, okay. Justin Bieber tickets. Four of them.”
Luckily, I was at a stoplight. “No, you didn’t. She’s gonna float through her dog walk.”
“And backstage passes.”
“You owe me,” I said firmly. “You know the shrieking that’s going to be involved in that evening?”
“I don’t mind owing you,” he said.
“Yeah, yeah. Now, I’m almost here to grab your dog walker.”
“Be safe. You girls are precious cargo.”
“I will,” I said, and then added, “Oh, Mick?”
“Yes?”
“Navy lace.” Grinning, I ended the call before he could respond.
About thirty minutes later, Priscilla and I walked into Mick’s condo.
Tito whined from his crate as soon as he heard Priscilla come in. Remembering Mick’s instructions, she waited for him to quiet, and plucked the note from the top of the crate from Rochelle.
I took Mr. Bossypants out at one. He did #1 and #2. Lots of luck getting him to cooperate on a walk later. Also, Mick left something for you on the kitchen counter by the blender.
— Rochelle
I rolled my eyes while Priscilla read the note aloud. How was this my life?
My daughter, being the best kind of person ever, said, “I’m going to walk Tito first and then get the thing from Mick.” Before I could say anything, she was kneeling on the floor and scooping Tito out of his crate. “There you are, you good little boy.”
His tail flapped in her face, and she just moved her head out of the way.
“He’s going to get big, ya know?” I said.
“Mom, don’t ruin it for me.”
Then she grabbed his leash from the hook and slipped out to the hallway toward the elevator.
Sitting down at the kitchen bar, I pulled in a deep breath, thinking maybe I should try Mick’s bike when Priscilla came to walk Tito. I’d been running three or four days a week, but I shouldn’t just sit here.
I was thinking about my new exercise routine when I spotted a note on the bar that readMARon the front. Taking the envelope in my hand, I opened it with shaky hands.
