“I’m still upset that he didn’t tell me about this complicationbefore.”
“Yeah. You need to confront him about that, but you might want to keep the big picture in mind. Maybe he was just afraid you’d say no and wanted to know what you’d say before you knew about the… thing. That could make him do it ass-backwards, but it was only a mistake and probably forgivable.”
“I guess so. But why would he think I’d say no if I knew first?”
“Does he know how you feel about him?”
“I thought so.”
“Okay, well I guess you’ll have to ask him why.”
“Yeah.” She sighed. “It all boils down to my having to talk to him, doesn’t it?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Damn. Well, at least I have the questions, even if I don’t have the answers. Thanks for helping me put it in perspective—I think.”
“Glad to be of help. Now, for God’s sake, tell me what happens! This is like a TV show, and I don’t want to miss an episode.”
***
Jason rushed to his cell phone and snapped open the cover on the second ring.Please be Merry. Please be Merry.
“Jason? It’s Aunt Dottie. Is everything all right between you and Merry? I looked out the back window this morning and saw you two leaving together, and just now I saw her walk in the front door with a young man.”
A young man?Jealousy stabbed Jason in the heart so hard he could barely speak. “Uh… Thanks.”
“For what? I was asking you if you two had a fight or something?”
Jeez, she really is the nosiest Aunt Busy-Body this side of the Rockies.
“Do you want me to go downstairs and ask her to come up when she’s free? Maybe, if she’s still mad at you, I can invite her to my place and you can casually drop in?”
And give you a front row seat? I don’t think so.“Thanks, but I’ll go down to her apartment myself.”
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want the—”
Jason snapped the phone shut, not even caring if he was rude. He had to get down there and see about this young man from her hometown. There was more he hadn’t told her and he prayed she was past the initial shock.
Soon he had to tell her that other men had no place in herlife. Peregrine falcons formed monogamous pairs, and now that their mating process had begun…Damn, I’ve got to get down there, now!
He hurried to the elevator and pushed the button for the first floor multiple times. Then he took some deep breaths. Hehadto calm his panic. Shifting in front of her and whomever she was with wouldn’t help matters at all. On the other hand, no matter how hard he tried to stay in control, he could fly into a jealous rage, literally, and peck out the “young man’s” eyeballs.
Quickly rethinking his plan, he almost stepped off the elevator but the doors closed. He felt trapped and spun into full-blown panic. The next thing he knew he shifted. His wings tried to flap but he was caught in his own crewneck sweater snare and fell to the floor. The elevator slowed as they approached the second floor.Oh no!
The doors slid open and Dottie stood there. Upon spying him in his alternate form, she jumped about a foot in the air. Shock drained the color from her face. He tried to struggle past her but he couldn’t move more than an inch.
“What the hell…? Ralph!” She reached in and hit the emergency stop button. “Ralph! Come here right now!”
When her husband didn’t appear immediately, she dashed to her front door, opened it, and yelled, “Ralph, goddamnit, come here!”
Having a moment of privacy, Jason concentrated as hard as he could. He visualized himself in human form—and shifted back.Whew.Fortunately, he made it into his clothes before Ralph and Dottie appeared at the elevator doors.
“Where’s the bird?” Dottie demanded.
“What bird?” Jason asked.
“Oh, don’t give me that innocent routine. There was a bird in this elevator not one minute ago, and he was wearing your sweater.”
