Page 7 of Talk Birdie to Me

He and Taylor had been casual friends in high school. Sat near each other in several classes because their last names placed them in proximity often enough that they became friendly.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’ve moved a bunch since then, and my memory’s not too hot.”

“She graduated the year before I started high school,” Taylor said. “She was already at LSU by the time I met you.”

“Ah. Then my memory is off the hook.”

“This time,” she said.

“Hello?”

The door creaked open as a tentative voice entered the room attached to yet another surprisingly familiar face.

No.

It couldn’t be.

“The young lady in the gift shop pointed me at this room, and I’m looking?—”

She froze mid-sentence, but not because she saw Taylor. It was Cody her gaze was stuck on.

Yup. It was her, all right.

“Hi, Geena,” he said. “Didn’t expect to see you again quite this soon.”

3

Geena couldn’t believe it. She knew she shouldn’t have agreed to come on this little field trip with Taylor.

Maybe she hadn’t seen this exact scenario coming, but she’d had a bad feeling about it.

“You.”

It was all she could think of to say.

Cody laughed. “Wow. You hated our date that much, huh?”

“Wait.” Taylor looked back and forth between them. “Cody was sports bar guy?”

This time, he whistled. “Guess it was that bad. Did I smell like the zoo? I thought I showered before we met up.” He shrugged. “Maybe I forgot. Sorry.”

The woman next to him in khaki shorts and a matching green polo put a fist to her mouth as she stifled a laugh. Once she got herself under control, she stuck a hand out in front of Taylor. “Hi. Lauren. Primate keeper.”

“I’m Taylor. This is my sister, Geena. She’s the photographer. I’m just here to assess the bird’s health. Although, you all must know what you’re doing with him better than I do.”

Geena shook Lauren’s hand when she shifted her attention from Taylor. “Hi, I’m Geena.”

Lauren nodded at her coworker. “I guess you already know Cody.”

“You didn’t tell me you went out with Cody,” Taylor said, refusing to drop the subject.

“I didn’t know you knew him.” Geena snapped her head to Cody, suddenly remembering a snippet of their conversation the other night. “I thought you were a dog trainer.”

“No,” he said. “Animal behaviorist. I said I do some training. And I never said dog.”

“You also didn’t say at the zoo.”

He shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”

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