Page 24 of Mother Clucker

“It’s best to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s.” Lucy nodded.

“Exactly.” Drew smiled.

“Of course.” She flashed her pearly whites at him.

Lucy was definitely the smoother of the two women. That didn’t make me trust her more though. I’d take Heather and her inability to hide everything going through her head over her slick co-worker any day.

In fact, maybe I should take advantage of that fact right now and get the real story on this show and this Lucy person who Drew seemed to be so blinded by.

“Hey, feel like that visit with Rowdy now?” I asked her.

“Yeah. Thanks. I’d like to check on him before we leave.”

“Make sure I didn’t eat him for lunch while you were talking business?” I asked, not really joking since I knew how she felt about me.

When she didn’t reply I knew I was right. This woman didn’t trust me as far as she could throw me. And that was fine, because I didn’t trust her company and their reality show contract either.

We walked toward the coop’s wire run. Even from a distance I could spot Rowdy inside. He was not only the lone cock in the yard, he was also the only red bird in a cage of white hens.

Heather smiled as we got closer and I was suddenly jealous of the damn rooster. I knew I couldn’t put that look on her face.

“Hey, boy. How are you? Having fun?” she asked.

I let out a snort. “Pretty sure he is. Having lots of fun. Often.”

She shot me a glare. “Life isn’t just about sex.”

I laughed. “His life is. It’s pretty much his sole purpose for living.”

She scowled but didn’t argue. I counted that as a win.

At least until she spun to me, put a hand on her hip and asked, “Why are you so against this show?”

I had a better question. Knocking back the brim of my hat I asked, “Why are you so dead set on getting Drew to do it?”

She hesitated, which only made me suspicious. Maybe I didn’t trust her as much as I told Drew I did. Finally, she shook her head.

“Talk.” I folded my arms and waited.

“Fine. You want to know why? Because coming up with the show pitch was fun and different and for the first time in my two years at Millennia in the marketing department, one of the executive producers actually bothered to learn my name. And it’s all because I was telling Lucy about being here Saturday with you and Drew and she commented that it sounded like the makings of a good show.”

That was quite a rant—and I believed every word of it. But more than that, one point stood out to me from amid the rest. “So, you were telling your friend about me, were you?”

She leveled a glare on me. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

“I won’t. I’d wager you were telling her all sorts of horrible things about me and what I might do to your rooster.”

She smiled sweetly. “I was, actually.”

I let out a laugh. “Figured as much.”

“So your turn. Why don’t you like the idea?”

“Because I don’t trust this New Millennia Media of yours one little bit.” I matched her truth with one of my own.

“Why not?”

“I think they’ll do what’s best for them, whether it’s good for Drew or not.”

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