Page 52 of Hello Stranger

“Great! How are you?”

Clues: Blond hair in a ponytail. Tall-ish. Blue jeans. Jangly bracelet. Also: This person knew my first and last name. Her tone of voice sounded as if she was glad to see me. She was in the coffee shop of my building at this hour of night, and she was holding—get this—a hairless Sphynx cat with a rhinestone collar. I mean, could she do that? Were cats even allowed in coffee shops? Was she a neighbor? Did I know her from the elevator? The last-name thing was a confounding variable, because, again, I really didn’t know anybody in this building well enough to have handed out my last name.

Damn it. Who could it be?

“Love your sundress,” she said then. “It reminds me of one you had in high school.”

We knew each other fromhigh school? I didn’t keep in touch with anyone from high school.

“Wasn’t it yellow?” she said then, thinking back. “You wore it to the ninth-grade picnic?”

Okay, now this was getting creepy.

“And then I’m pretty sure you stole it from me after you got kicked out and sent to boarding school.”

Fuck.

It was Parker.

How, how,howhad I not recognized her voice—again? Dr. Nicole had said not everybody was great with voices, that it might take some time to tune into them better… butParker? I should know that voice anywhere.

It was the voice of doom.

And, yes. Ihadstolen that yellow sundress from her.

But she’d stolen my entire family from me, so we were hardly even.

“Are you kidding me right now?” I said.

“What?” Parker said, putting on a baffled, innocent voice.

“Why are you messing with me—and why are you even here?”

“I’m messing with you because it isnever not fun,and I’m here because: Hello! I just moved in.”

That didn’t compute. “Moved in to what?”

“The building.”

“The building?Thisbuilding?” I demanded, pointing at the floor. Then I pointed at myself. “My building?”

“Top floor, baby!” She lifted her hand for a high five.

I ignored the hand. “You can’t move in here.”

“Pretty sure I just did. A cute guy helped me carry my scratching post.”

“This ismyapartment building.Ilive here.”

“It’s notonlyyour apartment building,” she said. “Lots of people live here. Including me. As of today.” Then she waved her still-raised hand in my face. “You can see this, can’t you? I’m high-fiving you!”

I smacked her hand out of the way. “I’m not fucking high-fiving you, Parker. Get out. You’re not welcome here.”

“I think the guy who carried my scratching post might disagree. I got a definite vibe.”

Of all the pets I’d have picked for Parker, I wouldn’t have chosen a cat. A tarantula, maybe. A tank of piranhas. A hive of wasps.

Just then, Hazel One called my name. My latte was ready.

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