Fuzzy Logic Read Online Free Page B

her mother’s suitcase full of puppets and Michael was shouting “Swwooooosie” repeatedly. To Jan, it sounded like he was calling for a hooker. She bent her head, hoping no one would notice her with this guy. Of course, since she was wearing an oversized man’s jacket, it was hard to remain inconspicuous. Maybe everyone would think she was part of one of the wedding “routines,” since whatever entertainment her mother had planned was likely to be odd. Jan did look a little like Red Skelton dressed this way. How mortifying.
    A flash of white appeared amid the grove of eucalyptus trees up ahead, and Michael grabbed Jan’s hand. “Let’s go. You have to help me.”
    Reluctantly, Jan let herself be dragged across the lawn. At the trees, Michael released her hand and then reached into his pocket. “Give her this and say ‘treat’ in a sing-song voice. She can’t resist it!”
    Jan put down the suitcase and looked down at the stinky piece of desiccated meat in her hand. “That’s revolting! What is it?”
    “Dehydrated liver. Dogs love it.” He turned toward the trees and called out, “Swoooooooosie. Come get your treat! It’s right here. You know you want it.”
    A white muzzle peered around a tree, and Jan could tell Swoosie was wise to this ruse. If the dog fell for the old get-your-treat ploy, she’d be reattached to her leash and fun-time was over. Michael might have been a little optimistic about his dog’s level of gluttony.
    Undaunted, Michael kept calling the dog and holding out the treat as he approached the copse of trees. Swoosie moved slightly, but she didn’t come toward him. As he drew closer, her body tensed and it looked like she might make a break for it. Jan was struck again by the fact that the dog appeared to be smiling mischievously. In fact, Swoosie looked downright amused by the whole situation. The dog’s normally pointy ears were down against her head, so it looked like Michael was being taunted by an overly cheerful baby harp seal.
    Jan had to admit that the fluffy white dog was cute. Even if she was a furry little twerp. Swoosie looked a bit like the stuffed white rabbit Jan had adored when she was little. Mr. Bunny had been her favorite toy and she’d carried him everywhere. Maybe the dog wasn’t really so bad. Jan reached out her hand with the treat toward the dog. “Hi, Swoosie. I’m Jan. I have a treat for you. Come get your treat. It’s really good.”
    Continuing to smile and wag, Swoosie took a few steps toward Jan. The dog’s fluffy white tail curled up, so as she wagged the feathery tip of the tail dusted the middle of her back. Suddenly, the dog launched off her back feet into the air. Given Swoosie’s earlier behavior, Jan put her hand over her head and ducked away from the flying white ball of fur, dropping the treat on the ground.
    Swoosie pounced on the treat, gulped it down, and spun around on a back paw, heading back toward the sheltering eucalyptus.
    Michael yelled, “What did you do that for? You almost had her!”
    Jan straightened, put her arms at her sides and scowled at him. “Self preservation. I didn’t want to get tackled again. I don’t see a dog on the end of that leash you’re holding. Whatever you’re doing certainly isn’t working, either.”
    Michael turned away toward the trees where Swoosie had disappeared, continuing to call her name and trying to lure her with food.
    Jan was sick of trying to catch the wily animal. Clearly, Swoosie had no intention of doing what Michael asked. And Jan had bigger problems. Clutching the top of Michael’s jacket to hold it closed over her chest, she picked up the loathsome suitcase again, turned back toward the parking lot, and sighed. She had to figure out how to fix her wardrobe situation before the wedding. Maybe she could run to a store in the next half hour. Who was she kidding? It had taken her three weeks of shopping angst to settle on her now-shredded dress.
    Jan was disturbed from her