sure?”
Adam nodded.
“All right,” said Jennifer. “Fine. Then I expect you to make things right with Phoebe. The
Slash
needs her, and she thinks you hate her.”
Adam rolled his eyes. “I wonder why she thinks that,” he said.
“I wonder,” said Jennifer.
“How’d she do on the smile contest?” asked Adam.
“I don’t know how it’ll turn out,” Jennifer said. “But I do know this — she worked really, really hard.”
The waitress asked if there would be anything else and Jennifer said, “Just the check.”
“Wait,” said Adam. “An order of mashed potatoes to go.”
The waitress looked at him funny and Jennifer said, “You’re still hungry?”
Adam leaned toward Jennifer and whispered, “For Sammy. The cafeteria Spotlight Team stickability test.”
“Right,” said Jennifer, and turning to the waitress, she said, “Definitely mashed potatoes.”
“Definitely mashed potatoes it is,” said the waitress.
“You got to admit,” said Adam on the way out, “I’m thinking like a coeditor.”
“You left your helmet in the booth,” said Jennifer.
At the shelter, they locked their bikes out front, then raced up the handicapped ramp, which zigzagged twice and was more fun than stairs. The lobby featured a bronze statue of a boy and a girl hugging a dog with the words,
Man’s Best Friend.
Nearby was the reception desk. Adam told the woman they wanted to see Danny.
“He expecting you?” she asked.
“We’re friends,” said Adam.
“Then you’re a lucky boy,” said the receptionist. “When he’s up, Danny’s the best.” She paged him over the loudspeaker.
While they waited, Adam and Jennifer scanned the forms people filled out to adopt a pet. There were lots of personal questions.
They watched the shelter workers, dressed in dark green polo shirts, rushing through the lobby. Everyone seemed so busy. It looked like a fun place to work.
Pretty soon there was a commotion on the far side of the lobby. They could hear barking and howling from behind the wall, a door swung open, and a large, bald man was walking briskly toward them. “Is my vision deceiving me?” the man bellowed, cupping his hands around his eyes like binoculars. “Is that him in the flesh and blood? Adam Canfield, star of stage and screen, and my former good friend? The one who’s always too busy to visit, yet sends me e-mails by the thousands?”
Adam smiled shyly, but before he could think of anything to say, Danny swooped over, lifted Adam, and gave him a huge bear hug. Adam weighed all of eighty-five pounds and was barely visible wrapped inside of Danny’s hug. It felt good to Adam, like all the shyness was being squeezed out of him.
“How you doing, Danny,” Adam said after he was placed back on the ground.
“Boy, you’re getting big,” said Danny. “Pretty soon I’ll need a front-end loader to lift you. And who is this — don’t tell me, you got married since I last saw you. And what a beauty. You must have lied big-time to get her to marry the likes of you.”
“This is Jennifer,” said Adam.
“
The
Jennifer?” asked Danny. “True Gladiator Jennifer? At last we meet.” Danny bowed. “Jennifer, explain one thing,” he said. “Why on earth would you marry a guy who can’t get past Gladiator-in-Training?”
“Brains aren’t everything,” said Jennifer. “The boy has a good heart.”
“That he does,” said Danny. “I can see you are an astute observer of human nature, which will serve you well here at the Tremble animal shelter.” He motioned for them to follow and headed back through the far door, into an airy, high-ceilinged room full of chainlink cages holding row after row of dogs and cats. As Danny passed, one animal after another came to life, standing on hind legs, barking and meowing as if paying tribute to the master.
“It’s like they know you,” said Jennifer.
“They do,” said Danny. “And I know them. They all want to be fixed up with someone. They
Adam nodded.
“All right,” said Jennifer. “Fine. Then I expect you to make things right with Phoebe. The
Slash
needs her, and she thinks you hate her.”
Adam rolled his eyes. “I wonder why she thinks that,” he said.
“I wonder,” said Jennifer.
“How’d she do on the smile contest?” asked Adam.
“I don’t know how it’ll turn out,” Jennifer said. “But I do know this — she worked really, really hard.”
The waitress asked if there would be anything else and Jennifer said, “Just the check.”
“Wait,” said Adam. “An order of mashed potatoes to go.”
The waitress looked at him funny and Jennifer said, “You’re still hungry?”
Adam leaned toward Jennifer and whispered, “For Sammy. The cafeteria Spotlight Team stickability test.”
“Right,” said Jennifer, and turning to the waitress, she said, “Definitely mashed potatoes.”
“Definitely mashed potatoes it is,” said the waitress.
“You got to admit,” said Adam on the way out, “I’m thinking like a coeditor.”
“You left your helmet in the booth,” said Jennifer.
At the shelter, they locked their bikes out front, then raced up the handicapped ramp, which zigzagged twice and was more fun than stairs. The lobby featured a bronze statue of a boy and a girl hugging a dog with the words,
Man’s Best Friend.
Nearby was the reception desk. Adam told the woman they wanted to see Danny.
“He expecting you?” she asked.
“We’re friends,” said Adam.
“Then you’re a lucky boy,” said the receptionist. “When he’s up, Danny’s the best.” She paged him over the loudspeaker.
While they waited, Adam and Jennifer scanned the forms people filled out to adopt a pet. There were lots of personal questions.
They watched the shelter workers, dressed in dark green polo shirts, rushing through the lobby. Everyone seemed so busy. It looked like a fun place to work.
Pretty soon there was a commotion on the far side of the lobby. They could hear barking and howling from behind the wall, a door swung open, and a large, bald man was walking briskly toward them. “Is my vision deceiving me?” the man bellowed, cupping his hands around his eyes like binoculars. “Is that him in the flesh and blood? Adam Canfield, star of stage and screen, and my former good friend? The one who’s always too busy to visit, yet sends me e-mails by the thousands?”
Adam smiled shyly, but before he could think of anything to say, Danny swooped over, lifted Adam, and gave him a huge bear hug. Adam weighed all of eighty-five pounds and was barely visible wrapped inside of Danny’s hug. It felt good to Adam, like all the shyness was being squeezed out of him.
“How you doing, Danny,” Adam said after he was placed back on the ground.
“Boy, you’re getting big,” said Danny. “Pretty soon I’ll need a front-end loader to lift you. And who is this — don’t tell me, you got married since I last saw you. And what a beauty. You must have lied big-time to get her to marry the likes of you.”
“This is Jennifer,” said Adam.
“
The
Jennifer?” asked Danny. “True Gladiator Jennifer? At last we meet.” Danny bowed. “Jennifer, explain one thing,” he said. “Why on earth would you marry a guy who can’t get past Gladiator-in-Training?”
“Brains aren’t everything,” said Jennifer. “The boy has a good heart.”
“That he does,” said Danny. “I can see you are an astute observer of human nature, which will serve you well here at the Tremble animal shelter.” He motioned for them to follow and headed back through the far door, into an airy, high-ceilinged room full of chainlink cages holding row after row of dogs and cats. As Danny passed, one animal after another came to life, standing on hind legs, barking and meowing as if paying tribute to the master.
“It’s like they know you,” said Jennifer.
“They do,” said Danny. “And I know them. They all want to be fixed up with someone. They
Similar Books
