Page 14 of Spark
"How’s work going?"
Stifling a groan, I lower myself into the chair. "Which job?"
"Let’s start with the day job. How’s Charlie doing?" Her eyes gleaming, she leans forward in her seat. She loves the never-ending saga of Charlie.
The thought of my boss’s inept son-in-law, who apparently can’t be fired even though he’s messed up multiple things multiple times is enough to make me groan out loud. "He ordered the wrong flooring for a client. We found out when we went to do the install on Friday. The client wasnothappy, and rightfully so."
"Ugh. Poor Charlie."
"Poor Charlie?" I gape at her. "Poor me. I’m the one who had to apologize and reschedule and promise we’d get it right this time so they don’t go with another company."
"I know. I’m teasing." She holds out her left hand for the yellow cup Eve passes over. "Lemonade?"
"Of course." Eve sets a plate piled high with food in the middle of our table then hands me a bottle of beer and taps hers against mine. "Cheers. The food is for all of us. Dig in."
I can’t help looking around for Finlay. On the opposite side of the yard, beyond the throng of kids running around, I spy him sitting with Aileene and Hercules. He laughs at something Herc says and his head tips back. The happiness I see in his expression sets off a flare of jealousy. I want to be the one making him smile like that. Hopefully, I’ll get my chance.
As I chat with Eve and Sofia, more and more kids and families gather in the yard. The face painter and balloon artist are being kept busy. Someone let Cam’s golden retriever out of the house and the dog is racing through the yard to the delight of kids and adults alike. Cam is keeping Petunia close to him as he makes his rounds with the guests.
A cheer rises when the zoo ambassador arrives. He and his assistant get the kids to settle on the grass and introduce the animals one at a time. We meet and learn about a bearded dragon, ring-tailed lemur, pygmy hedgehog, and ball python. Olive’s face lights up when the ambassador, Apollo, asks her to come up and help him feed the red kangaroo joey.
I notice that Herc is watching the animal show, make that the ambassador, intently. The guy is cute, but does nothing for me. Finlay, on the other hand… I scan the crowd and see him at the drink table. Maybe this is my chance. Collecting my empty bottle, I stand and glance at Eve and Sofia. "Anyone want another drink?"
"More lemonade please." Sofia holds out her cup.
Eve peers at her nearly empty beer. "Grab me a water?"
"Sure." I weave through the crowd, dodging kids and adults who have scattered throughout the yard now that the animal show has come to an end. When I reach the drink table, Finlay is gone. And I don’t see him anywhere. Tucking aside my disappointment, I snag juice boxes for Elliott and Isabella, two bottles of water, and a fresh cup of lemonade. Laden down, I pass Hercules.
"Need some help?" He tucks his crutches under his arms and pushes to stand with a grimace.
"I’m all right." I hold the bottles tighter to my chest. The cold seeps into my skin, raising goosebumps. "Can you really carry things while you’re using those crutches?"
"I’m getting creative. But the best way is this," pausing, he turns and raises one crutch high in the air and waves it back and forth. "Watch."
Seconds later, Cam rushes over. "What do you need, Herc?"
"Mateo needs help carrying stuff."
Laughing, I wish I had a hand free to high-five or back-slap my buddy for his genius. "Nice moves, bud. I’m fine, Cam."
"No, no. I’ll help." He lightly punches Herc on the shoulder and takes the lemonade and waters. "I haven’t had a chance to talk to Eve and Sofia yet."
With Cam leading the way, and Herc in the middle, we cut a path across the yard. Slipping into bouncer mode, I scan the crowd for any potential issues that could get in Hercules’s way. The last thing we need is for him to fall and end up injuring his leg again.
We return to my sister and Eve without incident, but I don’t relax until Herc is safely sitting in my vacated chair. The five of us fall into a discussion about everyone’s plans for the upcoming summer. My plans are work, work, and work. I use my personal days sparingly, saving them for potential sick days, so if I stay healthy, I’ll be able to take some days off from the day job late in the year.
Cam’s phone alarm beeps, interrupting his story of how he and Olive came to be owners of the pony. Silencing it, he stands. "Time for cake and singing Happy Birthday. We’re doing it at the front of the yard. Excuse me, I need to help get everything set."
Walking through the yard, he calls out the announcement of cake and singing and people follow him, gathering around a table that holds the large, elaborately decorated cake. Finlay is there, helping Cam lift it free of the box.
I look at Hercules, wondering if his arms are sore from using the crutches for the past few weeks. "You going or staying put?"
"I’ll head over when everyone is settled in, ready to sing. Less chance of taking a tumble and taking anyone else down with me."
"I’ll walk with you." That way, I can make sure he’s fine, and I can also carry his piece of cake for him.
When everyone else has surrounded the table, we amble to the back of the crowd. I feel Finlay’s scrutiny a second before our gazes connect. Cam has waited for us to arrive before lighting a large candle shaped like the number six.
