Page 43 of Fluke
But I see it now. I get it—if I had the right person.
I force a swallow. “I hear ya. I’m just waiting on the right girl.”
Five-three. Brown hair that looks reddish in the sunlight. A laughter that gets higher the longer it goes.
Not afraid to tease me. A brilliant mind. A woman who won’t back down when she’s right.
“Who knows if I’ll ever find her,” I say.
“Well, if you don’t, you can always take care of Banks.”
“Ha.” I stare at Dad out of the corner of my eye. “Give him to someone else. Oh, wait—you know what would be funny?”
Dad grins. “What’s that?”
“Give him to Foxx. We’d have entertainment fordays.”
Dad laughs, coming to me to help pull a cabinet away from the wall.
“What are you doing after this?” Dad asks.
“I don’t know. I’ve been here since eight this morning, so I’m pretty beat.”
After some tugging and cursing, the cabinet breaks free. It only takes a small amount of drywall with it.
He dusts his hands off. “I’m going to get out of here and run by the store. Mom’s making meatloaf tonight, so come over if you want some.”
“Cool. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Always. Thanks for busting your ass out here today. You have this place ready to roll.”
His praise makes me stand taller. “Thanks, Dad.”
“I’ll see you later, kid.”
“Bye.”
He steps over a shop vac tube and exits through the side door.
I start to gather my tools when my phone buzzes. It takes me a few seconds to find it beneath a piece of wood I yanked off a windowsill.
Unknown: Octopuses have blue blood.
“What the hell?” I laugh, my fingers flying over the keys.
Me: Seriously, who is this?
I wait. And wait. And wait.
No reply.
I begin to slide my phone in my pocket when it rings. Banks’s name is on the screen, and while I really don’t want to answer it, I do. Just in case.
“What?” I say.
“What happened to hello?”
“It’s calledcutting to the chase. What’s up?”
