Pitifully Ugly

Chapter 26

All geese are evil bitches.

Hailey went back to work the next day, but she brought me

dinner each night. Sometimes we’d watch TV together. Others

we’d sit in the courtyard and entertain Fuzzy. I was getting better

by the day, and there was no excuse for her to lie in bed with

me. We were closer than we’d ever been, but still the friendship

barrier seemed firmly in place.

“Do you have plans for Saturday?” I asked one evening when

we were in the courtyard.

“No, but I wish I did. It’s supposed to be sunny and warm,”

Hailey said with a smile.

“I was thinking about going to the park. We could pack a

lunch and make a day of it.” I took a turn bouncing the ball for

Fuzzy. “It’d be something all three of us could enjoy.”

“I would absolutely love to do that. What can I bring?”

The sparkle in her eye sent a thrill through me. “Just you,

Fuzzy, and tennis balls.”

I half expected the weatherman to recant on his forecast

and tell us to expect cold wind and rain. Louisiana winters were

nothing if not unpredictable. It could be warm enough for shorts

one day, and the next, you’d need a coat. But the forecast was

dead on, and I dressed in shorts and flip-flops with a sweatshirt

just in case it was cooler than expected.

Hailey had the same idea with a pair of cargo capri pants and

a T-shirt and a hoodie draped over her arm when I picked her up.

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“What’s in the bag?” I asked as we drove to the park.

“A half loaf of stale bread for the ducks.”

I looked at my side-view mirror and smiled at Fuzzy as she

rode in the backseat with her head protruding from the window.

Her nostrils were flaring as she took in the scents around us.

“How does Fuzzy feel about the ducks?”

Hailey pushed her sunglasses up onto her head in an attempt

to tame her hair that was being whipped around. “She’s good

about leaving them alone now, but when she was a puppy, it was

a nightmare. I had to take her to a professional trainer to teach

her to stand down. She’d get so focused on catching one that she

wouldn’t listen to me at all.”

“Do the ducks eat out of your hand?”

Hailey looked at me with a grin. “You’ve never fed ducks?”

I shook my head. “My mom couldn’t swim, she was terrified

of the water, so we never went anywhere near the park lakes as

kids.”

“You’re in for a treat then,” Hailey said with a satisfied

smile.

We picked a nice sunny spot near the lake to spread our

blanket. Fuzzy got reacquainted with the Frisbee, and we ran

her until she sprawled out in the grass and gnawed a hole in it. I

impressed Hailey with lunch, which consisted of chicken salad

sandwiches, fruit, and a nice bottle of red wine despite the meal.

“Couldn’t have asked for a nicer day, could we?” Hailey

leaned back and basked in the sun. “Perfect day, perfect company,

everything is just perfect.”

“I’m glad you’re happy with it.” I stretched out on the blanket

and rested on my elbows.

Hailey looked over at me, and her expression grew serious.

“This past week…it’s really been special.” She turned suddenly

when a rejuvenated Fuzzy nudged her arm with a ball. I heard

something to my right and looked over to find a lone duck quickly

making its way toward us. I grabbed the bread and tore off a

piece, and the duck gained speed.

“Talk about the ugly duckling.” I held out the bread.

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Robin Alexander

“Oh, Shannon.” Something in Hailey’s tone made me turn

and look at her. “That’s a goose, and they’re kinda mean. Throw

the bread away from us.”

I pulled my arm back to make the toss, but as I turned, the

goose was standing next to me. Apparently, the withdrawal pissed

it off. I was too stunned to move when it lowered its head and

started hissing. That moment of hesitation cost me. The goose bit

me on the leg. “Ow, shit.” It came at me again, and when I put my

hand out to block it, it bit my hand.

When Kalen and I were kids, my mother was the all-star

quarterback of house slippers. Kalen mouthed off once about

having to take a bath, and Mom hit her from across the den. That

was the closest thing to spankings we ever got.

I suppose all those years of watching mom wield a slipper

made an impression. Before I knew what I was doing, I had

pulled off my flip-flop and bitch-slapped the goose. I learned at

that moment that I’d made a declaration of war. That winged devil

leapt on me like a cat. I was swinging, the goose was hissing, and

wine and fruit went everywhere. If it hadn’t been for Fuzzy, I was

fairly certain I would’ve died right there.

Fuzzy jumped into the melee and chased the goose back

to the water. I sat stunned and whelped. “What the hell just

happened?”

Hailey’s face was blood red. “Are you okay?” Her voice was

barely above a whisper. “I wish I could’ve gotten that on film.”

She laughed for about a half hour.

“Come on, Shannon, they’re sweet. Look at their little bills.

They’re rounded, no pecking.” Hailey stood at the water’s edge

that teemed with ducks. Some took the bread right out of her

hand, others gobbled up whatever hit the water.

“I don’t think so.” Fuzzy and I stood back at a safe distance

watching for geese.

“Baby, look.” Hailey pointed to a mother duck warily

approaching with a string of ducklings trailing behind. Her face

colored as she looked back at me. “I mean, don’t be a baby, come

here.”

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Her slip got to me, and I moved alongside her. She stuck a

piece of bread in my hand and instructed me to tear it apart. The

mother duck was keeping her babies at a distance but looking

hopeful, so I tossed a few pieces her way. Hailey wasn’t pleased

with my long-distance feeding style and insisted that I hand off a

smidgeon or two.

“They are gentle, aren’t they?” I said as one snapped a piece

from my fingers.

Hailey nodded and smiled. “Excitable, but sweet. They’re

nothing like a goose.”

And totally disloyal. The minute the bread was gone, so were

the ducks. Hailey looped her arm around mine as we walked back

to the blanket. “I’m so proud of you. I think you’re ready to go to

the Global Wildlife Center next. I’ve been reading about it, and

it’s not far from here. Maybe we’ll have another nice weekend

soon and can check it out.”

I’d seen the commercials. They stuff you in a wagon and drag

you through a field of wild animals that know you have feed for

them. I couldn’t think of anything more horrifying, especially

after my encounter with the goose. “Sure, sweetie, that sounds

like fun.”

Hailey seemed surprised by the term of endearment, but she

didn’t release my arm. A shy smile crept across her face. I was

tempted to press my luck with her and ask if she’d changed her

mind about being just friends when my cell phone rang. No one

but Kalen and Marvin called me, so I pulled it out of my pocket

and answered without looking at the ID.

“Marci, hi, how are you?” I blurted out, surprised to hear her

voice. I closed my eyes when Hailey’s arm slipped from mine.

“I just wanted to call and see how you were doing and to let

you know we’re having a pet adoption day. I was thinking you

might be interested in having a pet. I can give you the address to

the clinic if you think you’ll come.”

“Umm, actually, I’m sharing a dog with my neighbor right

now.” Hailey moved away, but I knew she could probably hear

what I was saying. “I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of

commitment.”

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“Well, if you change your mind, it’s next Saturday from eleven

to four.” Marci was talking really fast like she was nervous, and

that made me nervous because I didn’t know if the pet adoption

was the only reason for the call. “So how are things working out

for you?”

“Fine. I just got over a nasty case of strep, but otherwise,

everything is good. And you?”

“Oh, I’m good. Been working a lot.” There was an awkward

pause. “If you find that you’re interested in going out again, give

me a call.”

“Okay, I will. It was nice hearing from you.” I felt bad as we

ended the call. I was fairly certain that Marci knew I wasn’t going

to call, and Hailey had walked away, putting distance between us

in more ways than one.

“Are you and Marci seeing each other again?” Hailey asked

lightly. She didn’t turn my way as she threw the ball for Fuzzy.

“No, she called to tell me about a pet adoption day at her

clinic. I guess she figured since I didn’t have a pet that I might

want one.” I laughed. “I told her I was sharing a dog.” Apparently,

I was the only one who got the joke.

Hailey gave me a sideways glance. “It’s getting kinda cool.

Are you ready to call it a day?”

She was right. The late afternoon breeze was getting cooler,

and the air between us was becoming more frigid by the second.

We didn’t talk much as we gathered everything and hiked back

to the car. I took that as a good sign. Hailey was obviously put

off by Marci’s call. For someone who wanted to be just friends,

she appeared a mite jealous to me. This was a moment that I

could’ve seized upon and might’ve gotten Hailey to admit she

wanted more, but…I was too chicken. As bad as I wanted her, to

be rejected again would’ve been just too damn much.

“Wanna pick up something for dinner?” I asked as we headed

home.

“I’ll take a rain check on that if you don’t mind.” Hailey’s

face was turned toward the window when she answered. “I’ve

got some work to do, and I don’t want to spend my entire Sunday

with a laptop.”

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“No problem.” I tried to sound nonchalant, but this turn of

events was grating my nerves. I was aggravated with her attitude

and just plain pissed at myself for being too afraid to confront

her.

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