Page 6 of Unlikely to Stay

CC tried her best to shy away from any and all things considered weird when she was in school.Even so, she was still the girl with the strange mom who burned incense, collected peace sign wind chimes that filled the air with their music, and had beads instead of doors in her house.When CC realized people in tiny towns made judgments about people based on their families, she decided to give the people something to talk about that was actually aboutherand not her by default through her mom.

Her freshman year, CC started dyeing her mousy brown hair all shades of the rainbow.Sometimes she had bright red hair like Rainbow Brite.Sometimes she would dye it lavender with dark purple streaks.In her senior photo, CC’s hair was peacock blue.Whatever her fancy, CC did.Come to think of it, she was probably the younger version of Kelda.She just didn’t have a man to shack up with.

“Why the frown, Cees?”Breckin asked.“You looked like you left us for a minute.”

“I was just thinking if I didn’t get some action I was going to turn out like Kelda.An old woman who dyes her hair each month to suit the holiday.I just won’t even have a Burt to get freaky with.”

Her friends rolled their eyes.“Not true.”

All of a sudden, Annie’s eyes lit up.“Hey!I know a guy you can go out with!”

“Who?”

“He was in my pre-vet classes at the community college when I went.”

“Ann, that was almostnineyears ago.”

“I know, but we still keep in touch on social media.He was super nice.And I know for a fact he’s single.Just broke up with his girlfriend.”

“Is he normal?”

“Totally normal.And he’s cute and has a great sense of fashion.I think you’ll really like him.”

CC shrugged her shoulders.What could it hurt?It wasn’t like her odds in Parker were going to get any better.“Why not?”

Annie clapped her hands in glee.“Yay!I’ll message him right now.”

“Do me a favor, though.”

“What’s that?”Annie asked, her eyes focused on her phone screen and her fingers flew over the keyboard.

“Don’t make it seem like a pity date.”

“That is something I can totally manage.”

Brant letout a breath and looked at the clock, which read 5:09.The clinic was officially closed and the weekend had arrived.Patty had ushered the last patient out the door, turned off the lights in the lobby, and hung the closed sign in the window.

“Well, Dr.Billings, you have yourself a good weekend.Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she said, giving him a wink.

“Patty, how many times do I have to tell you?I’m not a doctor.I’m just a nurse.”

“Well, you’re a doctor in my eyes, Brant Billings.Don’t ever let anyone tell you different.”

Brant grinned.He had to give it to her.Patty was persistent in wearing you down.If only she was twenty years younger and didn’t have an affinity for wearing diabetic socks with sandals.

“You have a good night, Patty.Don’t party too hard.”

“Honey, the only date I have is a date with a glass of chardonnay and Mr.Gray and his fifty shades of scandal.You know you have no real life when you have to live vicariously through fictional characters.That Anastasia Steele is one lucky lady.Except for the freaky deaky stuff.I don’t think I’d much like that.These old bones aren’t as flexible as they used to be.”

Brant shook his head and grinned.Patty never held back with the information.“Well, I just have a date with Netflix, so I’m right there with you.”

“Are you saying there won’t be any Netflix and chillin’?”she asked with an impish grin.

“Definitely no chillin’.”

“Well, if you ask me, you deserve some chillin’, Brant.Too bad I’m not twenty years younger,” she said, echoing his earlier thoughts.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

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