Page 73 of Medium
I raised my eyebrows at her. “Isn’t that the clause where it says we can’t do anything illegal? I don’t remember a law against having two boyfriends.”
Pia walked up with a peanut butter cracker in her hand. Sharon gasped. “You have a child in this home? Little girl, where are your parents?”
Pia wrinkled her nose. “Dead.”
Sharon’s jaw was getting a workout today.
Pia turned to us. “Ellis, is it lunchtime yet? I’m hungry.” She stuck her bottom lip out and tipped her head forward slightly to make her eyes seem bigger and sadder.
I rubbed my hand over my mouth to hide my smile. “Sharon, I’m sure you have other things to do with your day. What exactly did you come over here for?”
She dragged her eyes away from Pia. “Right. The complaint about a dangerous animal. I need to see the animal to verify it and obtain your assurance you will get rid of it.”
I scrunched up my face and tapped my finger against my chin. “I don’t have a pet, and I don’t recall seeing any animals today. What kind of animal? Like a coyote or something?”
“It was a tiger,” she said flatly.
Pia gasped. “She wants to take Ms. Jackson away? Noooo! Ellis! Rory! Shane! You can’t let her!” She threw her arms in the air—which I thought was a little overdone—and spun around before racing around the corner toward the small den I used for watching TV and gaming.
Manny, who was still holding the door open, coughed into his shoulder.
Sharon had a triumphant gleam in her eye. “So youdohave a tiger.”
I sighed. “Sure, Sharon. There’s a tiger in the den if you want to look. Though really, aren’t cats allowed under the HOA rules? I don’t think the type of cat is specified.” I waved her forward. I would not miss dealing with Gerald and Sharon after I moved.
With that heartening thought, I extended my arm to indicate Sharon should precede us through the living room and into the den.
She sniffed as she walked past me. “I feel certain that owning an exotic animal such as a tiger violates a city ordinance.” She stopped in the doorway. “Is this some sort of joke?”
I folded my arms. “You tell me. You’re the one who accused me of having a tiger. There’s the tiger.”
Manny stuck his head around my shoulder to chortle at Pia, who was hugging the tiara-wearing stuffed tiger form of Ms. Jackson and pretending to sob into their fur. “Chica, the tiger’s not going anywhere. Stop crying and come help me and Shane figure out what we’re going to order for lunch.”
Pia looked around and wiped her dry eyes. “Lunch?” She leaned over and kissed Ms. Jackson on the cheek then bounced off the couch. “Ms. Jackson wants to try brownies!”
Sharon stepped aside to allow Pia to leave the room. She stared down at her clipboard. “I see I was provided with incorrect information.”
“I guess so. Anything else I can help you with?”
“Um, no. Thank you.” She held her head high as she walked past me.
I gave Ms. Jackson a thumbs up before I followed Sharon to the front door, running into Rory as he carried one of my suitcases out of my bedroom.
“You packed for me?”
He grinned and shrugged. “You’re tired. And this way it’ll be a surprise to see what you brought with you.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Or what you forgot.”
Sharon ignored him but thawed enough to tell me, “If you’re leaving town, I can have the citizen patrol drive by more frequently.”
Well, shit. Now I felt bad. Maybe I should throw her a bone. “Thanks, Sharon, that would be great. Um, I’m actually going to be moving to Houston. Do you know a good realtor?”
She smiled, and as Rory went out the front door to put the suitcase in the car, Sharon pulled out her phone and textedme a number. “Gretchen is my sister. She knows the area well and will get you the best price.”
Oh, fuck, her sister? I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. “Sounds great.”
Sharon glanced behind her at Rory, then she eyed Shane and Manny, who were in the kitchen with Pia. “If you’ll be tied up with... your boyfriends in Houston, she offers a remote closing option and she can contract out the packing.” She looked around my living room. “If you can leave the furniture here, it’s staged well enough now.”
Shane had been right. My nesting instincts had helped me get my house ready to sell.
