Page 28 of Betting on the Best Friend
Oliver sighs. “Sorry, Rube. I agreed with Madi that he could be a good fit.” Alarm crosses his face. “Wait, do we have to find a new veterinarian?"
“We better not,” Mrs. Lipsky growls. “Dr. Berry is the best vet in Austin, and I’m gonna be mad if you messed this up.”
“Dr. Berry is your vet too?” That explains why she’s here.
“How do you think these feline neophytes found him when the cat distribution system sent them five? Of course he’s my vet.”
Mrs. Lipsky has been hanging out with us more since last summer and the Catpocalypse that bonded Oliver and Madison even better than I could have plotted. She likes picking up our phrases, and I love when she mixes stuff like “cat distribution system” with “feline neophytes” in the same sentence, bless her.
“He’s Daisy’s vet too,” Katie adds. Ah. She’d adopted one of the rescued kittens and named her after Daisy Buchanan. (Did I mention the cats were found in Gatsby’s?)
“I’m glad I didn’t know how high the stakes were before I met Glenn tonight. If I tell you it’s a disaster, are you keeping me or the vet?”
Sami says, “You.”
Four other voices say, “Dr. Berry.”
“Don’t dial it down to protect my feelings,” I say.
“Finding a good vet is harder than finding a good gynecologist,” Mrs. Lipsky says.
Oliver, knowing the jokes Mrs. Lipsky is capable of making next, steps in. “We’d feel bad about dropping you, but if Mrs. Lipsky says it’s that important, our hands are tied.”
“You’re terrible people,” I tell them. “Except you, Sami. You’re the best human.”
“I’m dying here,” Mrs. Lipsky says. “Is Dr. Berry going to cancel all my appointments? Because he’s the only vet who can handle Migos.” Migos is her tiny Yorkie with a big attitude.
“Pretty sure you’re all safe,” I say. “It went okay. Not a disaster.”
“But not great,” Katie says, making the deduction.
I nod. “Awkward. It wouldn’t be a big deal if I had to take one of your animals to him for an appointment, but he and I are meant to be small-talk friends.”
Madison sighs. “Well, you look cute and you’re funny, so this must be Dr. Berry’s fault. I’d still pick him, but I’m glad I won’t have to choose. Give us the details.”
I get comfortable and tell them about my unremarkable date, and everyone eventually leaves satisfied that I don’t need to be disowned.
When Charlie wants a debrief at work the next morning, it’s a relief to give him the more honest version of the story.
“Do you have any pets I don’t know about, and do they go to Dr. Glenn Berry?” I ask as I stow my tote bag and put on my lanyard.
“No, but hold on. The guy’s name was Glenn? You didn’t tell me that. I don’t even need a report. I can guess based on his name. Boring. Dresses like a dad. If he was an animal, he’d be a trout.”
I blink at him. “Why a trout?”
“First boring animal I could think of.”
“Because his name is Glenn?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Glenn with two Ns.”
“Doesn’t help.”
I smirk. “You know the hottest man to ever come out of Austin is named Glen, right?”
He pauses and thinks. “I’m giving hottest to McConaughey, but I would go climbing with Glen Powell. Assumption withdrawn. How did it go?”
