Turning Thirty-Twelve Read Online Free Page B

Let me know when he does.”
    “I will. I promise.” I pushed the paper into my pocket and promptly forgot all about it.
     
    ***
     
    Jellybean wolf-whistled at me as I walked in from the garage.
    “Why, thanks, Pal.” I opened the cage door to let him out to play. “It’s nice to be appreciated.”
    He went to a small mirror I keep on the top of the cage and began to whistle the theme song from the old Andy Griffith Show and ignore me.
    I dropped my purse and briefcase on the table and kicked off my shoes. Rubbing the sole of one sore foot and planning a massage for the other, I glanced around my empty home.
    I still hadn’t gotten used to the quiet. I missed my boys.
    The answering machine flashed two messages. I punched the button to listen to them.
    Nate’s voice was first. It warmed me just to hear him. “Hi, Mom. I wanted to tell you how great my classes are. I love it here. I met a neat girl in my econ class. I think I might ask her out. Gotta go. Love you.”
    “Good for you,” I said aloud to no one.
    I started to wonder if I was talking to myself to banish the quiet or because I was losing my mind.
    Jellybean was still butchering the Andy Griffith theme, but he’d added a few notes of “Pop Goes the Weasel.”
    I sure as hell didn’t want that medley stuck in my head for the rest of the night.
    The second message wasn’t as much fun. “Jackie, it’s David. I need you to sign some insurance papers. Since the boys are both over eighteen, I’m dropping you as beneficiary and adding them, Ashley, and Duncan. I’ll bring the papers over. Call me and let me know when you’re home.”
    Yeah, I’ll get right on that one, loverboy.
    “End of new messages,” the machine said in that annoying feminine, mechanical voice.
    I wished the electronics companies would get some guy with a deep, seductive voice to record the prompts for answering machines. I figured it would make life a little more pleasant for old ladies like me. Plus, I had someone perfect to recommend.
    The phone rang, and I jumped in surprise. Picking up the handset, I was a bit shocked to see “Brennan, Mark” in the caller-ID window.
    Mr. Yummy!
    I punched the answer button. “Hello?”
    “Um, hi. Is this...Jackie?” He sounded incredibly nervous. I think his voice actually cracked like one of my student’s might.
    I nodded before I stupidly realized Mr. Yummy couldn’t see me. “Yes, this is Jackie.”
    “Hi. This is Mark. Mark Brennan. I’m a friend of Suzanne Roberts. We go to the same church. She thought... She figured that we might... I don’t know. She said we might want to go on a blind date.”
    My heart started pounding so hard I could hear the rhythm roaring in my ears. Mr. Yummy was the guy that Suzanne and Abs had been trying to force on me.
    God, love them!
    I sure did!
    Although my head was spinning, I had enough sense remaining to realize that he didn’t recognize my name. Knowing Suzanne and Abs, they had probably just written down my first name and phone number.
    “You still there?” Mark asked.
    “Sorry. Yeah, I’m still here. I was just thinking that I should probably tell you that I know who you are, and that you might not want to take me out when you find out who I am.”
    “Why? Are you a serial killer or something?” He chuckled.
    Mr. Yummy has a sense of humor.
    “My last name’s Delgado. We met at the OfficeMax. Remember?”
    “I thought the name sounded familiar. You’re Carly’s biology teacher, aren’t you?”
    I nodded again. Boy, could I be lame sometimes. “Yeah. I understand if you don’t want to go out now.”
    “Why?”
    “I’m your daughter’s teacher.”
    “Is there some rule against parents going out with teachers?” He sounded confused.
    “Well, no. But...”
    “Look, I wasn’t really thrilled about this whole idea—”
    “Fine!” I interrupted. My insecurity was already thrumming through me like the beat of a big bass drum at the notion of a man as gorgeous as Mark