Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Later that night, as I lie in bed scrolling through blog posts and videos of people who have traveled to Spain, an alert pops up on the top of my screen that Dylan has posted on Photogram. I shouldn’t click it, but I can’t help myself.
The page reloads and I inhale sharply. The lighting is dim.
Dylan is dressed casually in his normal jeans and button-up shirt.
A five o’clock shadow graces his face. It’s a look he pulls off so well and still sends my pulse racing.
His eyes are looking directly at the camera as he sits on a bar stool at one of our favorite former haunts in Fort Collins, toasting the camera.
I’d recognize the backdrop of colorful bottles anywhere.
I scroll down the page and read his caption: “Treating myself after a long day at CSU with the company of @queenofvultures. Can’t imagine a better way to spend the night. Here’s to the start of something special.”
Under Dylan’s comment is a comment from the Queen of Vultures that reads. “I’ve waited so long for you to be back here. Can’t wait to see how our adventures together unfold.” At the end, she’s added heart emojis.
My phone falls from my hand. I have so many questions. Who is this Queen of Vultures? Just what do these heart emojis mean?
I click on her Photogram account. It’s set to private, but I can still see that her name is Rainy and that she’s a vet, vulture advocate, mountain biker, and dog mom. Her profile picture is small, but I can make out that she has shoulder-length electric-blue hair and brown eyes.
Okay. So this Queen of Vultures, Rainy, is somebody Dylan must work with. The research position he’s taken is studying vultures. But what about the hearts?
I read her comment again. “I’ve waited so long for you.
” My stomach sinks. Is Dylan romantically involved with her?
Is she his type? I frown. Of all the women I’ve seen him date, nobody has come remotely close to looking like Rainy.
She doesn’t tick the tall, model-esque box.
She’s a vet, just like me. And a dog mom, also just like me.
Ugh, I have to stop this. I’m starting to obsess over Dylan to an unhealthy level. I need to get him out of my head. He doesn’t want me. He told me point-blank there will never be an us. The only person who’s miserable and suffering is me.
I rub my temples. It’s like the inside of my head is a Swiss clock and there are two figures inside striking a rubber mallet against the base of my skull. I climb out of bed and walk out of my room to the kitchen. Max trails behind me, his paws clicking against the wooden floor.
As I fill a glass with water from the tap, I bend over and scratch his ears with one hand.
The soothing motion relaxes me. I’m beginning to wonder if Dylan even cared all that much about our friendship.
He still hasn’t texted me. I know it’s a two-way street, but he’s the one who said he’d get back to me.
Clearly, I’m not a priority anymore. Maybe I was always just a business partner to him. A means to an end.
If I want to help myself, I need to completely disconnect myself from all that’s going on. Setting my cup on the counter with a thud, I march back to my bedroom, grab my phone, and one by one, delete each app.
Opening a blank text message, I type to Daphne:
Ava: You’ll be proud. You wanted me to go off the grid for this vacation. So I am. I just deleted all my social media apps. The cleanse starts now.
I don’t expect to hear from my sister. It’s late and she’s probably fallen into bed, exhausted from working a full-time job and caring for her family.
Now I only have one more task to do. I google plane tickets and come up with one airline that’s about a grand cheaper than all the others.
Pulling up the Pacific Skyways web page, I plug in the dates for a week from now.
My hand hovers over the “Book Now” button.
Pacific Skyways used to be a decent airline, but their reviews lately say otherwise.
Is it worth taking a chance? I blow out air. A thousand dollars is a lot of money. Especially when my budget is tight. What I save could go toward my hotel, food, train tickets, or souvenirs.
Decision made. I’ll do it. Taking a deep breath, I click the button. The screen changes, flashing a confirmation number. I’ve just booked myself a non-refundable round-trip business-class ticket to Spain. I’ll worry about figuring out the rest of my trip in the coming days.
“Well, Max, there’s no going back now. I’m really doing it. I’m going on vacation.”
He barks and wags his tail as if he’s telling me, “About time.”
Monday morning, I receive a reply from my sister.
Daphne: Good girl. Not accessing social media is hard at first, but don’t give in to the urge to download anything again.
Ava: Is this coming from personal experience?
Daphne: Duh. I had to do a social-media cleanse when the kids were born. I wanted them to be the focus, not me taking pictures of how cute they were and sharing them with my internet friends.
Ava: Huh. I never knew that.
Daphne: Now you do.
Ava: How long did you last?
I stare at the screen as three dots blink. Daphne has decent self-control, but she’s not as strong as I am. Her phone is always attached to her hand, as if it’s an extension of her body.
Daphne: About a week.
I snort.
Ava: At least that’s something.
Daphne: In my defense, I needed access to Photogram for work.
I roll my eyes. My sister took eight weeks off work when my niece was born, but I choose not to remind her of that.
Ava: I have one more thing to share. I booked my airline ticket last night too!
Daphne: Oh! Where are you going?
Ava: *Spanish flag emoji*
Daphne: *Big eyes emoji* You’re going overseas?
Ava: Yup. *Grinning emoji* I’ll tell you about it later. Can you meet for lunch at 12?
Daphne: Sure. I’ll bring something to your office.
Ava: Sounds good.
Tucking my phone away, I enter the break room and find Vicki munching away on a bagel.
“Morning, boss. You ready for a new week?” she asks in a cheery tone.
“I am,” I answer honestly.
She sits up taller. “You’re in a good mood. Did you have a double shot of espresso in your coffee? Or meet a hot barista on your way in?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” I shake my head, chuckling. “I booked myself a vacation.”
“Way to go, Dr. B!” She reaches over and we high-five one another. Our hands make a satisfying slap. “Cool beans. So does that mean we’re closing while you’re gone?”
“No. I sent a text to my friend Dr. Owens this morning. If everything goes according to plan, she’ll be covering for me the last two weeks in December.
” I bite the inside of my cheek and force myself not to wonder what’ll happen if she says no since it’s such short notice, and I lose out on the money from my airline ticket.
“You deserve it, boss lady. Since I’ve been here, I don’t think you’ve ever taken a day off. Even when you were sick.”
“I haven’t,” I admit, running my hand over the back of my neck. “This is my first one in a long time. And I’m hoping I can count on you to keep everything running smoothly. Dr. Owens will be in charge of the exams, but you’ll be in charge of everything else.”
“You betcha! I’m your right-hand woman.”
“There’s one other thing. My sister is going to be working on redecorating the reception area and our branding. I know you’ve mentioned wanting to shadow her before.”
“Yes, yes! I’d love to work with her. Even if it’s for a short time.” Vicki squeals and jumps up and down. “Your sister is one of the hottest interior decorators in the state. Have I ever mentioned it was one of my majors for two whole semesters in college?”
“Was that before or after political science and psychology?” I ask. Like Daphne, Vicki is another free spirit. They should get on well. They’re a lot alike.
“Neither. It was after biology and before graphic design, but close enough. Good memory.”
“It comes with the territory of being a vet.”
I let Vicki know I’m planning to be gone beginning next Monday and not to book any more appointments until Dr. Owens confirms her availability.
The remainder of the morning passes in a blur. I take care of a parrot in need of a beak trim, meet a newly adopted pug who needs a routine exam, and give a warm bath to a snake that’s had trouble shedding its skin.
“Just adding a humidifier to his tank will make all the difference. Any brand will do,” I advise my client on the way out.
“Got it, Doctor. Thanks again for fitting us in today. You’re the only vet in the area who does snakes.”
“Of course. I’m more than happy to help. If you know anybody else who needs an all-species vet, send them my way.”
“I will!” The snake’s owner picks up her pet and lets it coil around her neck.
They pass Daphne entering the clinic as they’re leaving, causing my sister to turn her head and blinks a few times. “Was that lady wearing a live snake?” she asks.
“Uh-huh.”
She shudders. “Why?”
“Why not? Snakes can be great pets.” I start listing out a couple reasons just to mess with her. She’s been frightened of them since we were kids. “They’re super intelligent, they only eat every couple of weeks.”
“I know better than to have this conversation with you. You think all animals are amazing.”
“I do,” I say with a laugh.
She shakes her head and holds up a brown paper bag. “I brought sushi and some bento boxes for lunch. Hope you don’t mind. I’ve been craving California rolls for ages, but Brian doesn’t do anything that’s fishy.”
My brother-in-law is a steak-and-potatoes kind of guy. “You know me, I’ll eat anything.”
“Where’s Vicki?” she asks, setting the bag down on the reception counter.
“At lunch. She had a hair appointment, so I let her go a couple minutes early.” Walking over to the door, I lock it and flip the “Open” sign to the “Will Return at 1:30” side.
“How did she take the news about your vacation?”
“She was gung ho.” I peek inside the bag and the scent of teriyaki chicken tickles my nose. “All right, you got my favorite dish! We can eat in the break room.”
“You only order one thing from Samurai Sushi, it wasn’t exactly rocket science. I know the rolls I like won’t fill you. You eat like a college student.”
We sit down, spread out our lunches, and I fill Daphne in on Dylan and the Queen of Vultures.
“I’ll continue to say it every time you bring him up. I’m sure that man was using you,” Daphne tells me emphatically. “Does that mean you’re finally going to cut him off?”
“Not completely.” I play with a bit of rice caught on the edge of the plate. “I’ve decided if he wants to talk, he can contact me. The ball is in his court.”
“Well, it’s a start.” Daph presses her lips together. “At least a vacation will get your mind off him. I just never thought you’d go all Eat, Pray, Love on me and choose Spain of all places. I didn’t even know you had a passport.”
“I got one last year when Dylan and I were supposed to visit Banff National Park in Canada.”
“And you didn’t go because . . .”
“His mom needed help moving.”
“How convenient.” Daphne mutters the word “flake” under her breath, then clears her throat. “Well, I think Spain is a great choice. It was one of the places Brian and I visited on our honeymoon cruise. We loved it.”
“That’s right.” I snap my fingers.
“Where are you thinking about going?” Daphne pops the last roll into her mouth.
“Fernan—I mean, one of my friends gave me a couple of recommendations. There are the big cities like Madrid and Barcelona. And a few smaller cities like Granada, Toledo, and Seville. I need to figure out how to get around, but I was thinking that—”
Daphne swallows hard and holds up her hand. “Hold on a second, you said your friend recommended these places to you?”
“Um, yes?” I sputter.
“As in a male friend?”
“Uh . . .” My cheeks begin to burn as if I’ve been sitting outside in the sun too long.
“Ava. Please tell me you aren’t going on this trip with a rebound guy you just met.”
I release a breath. “No. It’s nothing like that.”
My sister relaxes. “Then who is he?”
“Just someone I met a week ago. He needed some help with a friend’s cat.”
“Uh-huh.” She looks me up and down. “How many times have you two spoken? It must have been quite a few. I know you. One, you’re on a first-name basis with Ferdinand, and two, there is no way you’d be so casual about taking suggestions from him unless you trust him.”
“His name is Fernando,” I automatically correct.
Her eyes gleam with mischievousness, challenging me to try and sneak a lie past her. We hold one another’s gaze for several seconds before I give in. Daph has always been able to get whatever she wants out of me. She’s so darn stubborn and would never back down from a challenge when we were kids.
My shoulders hunch. “We crossed paths at the antiques market on Saturday. And yesterday, we went out for dessert after he helped me out with my monthly clinic. My car wouldn’t start, and he offered me a ride. I felt like it was the least I could do.”
“I was wondering where your truck was. You could’ve called me or B for a ride.”
“I didn’t want to inconvenience you two.” I play with a stray piece of hair. “I know how much you have going on. Between soccer, hockey, swimming, and all the other activities the kids do, you guys are always busy.”
Daphne stays silent for a few moments. “I’ll give this Fernando the benefit of the doubt for now. Just promise me you’ll be careful. Guys have motives. They don’t do favors without wanting something in return.”
“I don’t know, he seemed genuine to me.”
My sister wrinkles her nose. “Just trust me. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
I close my eyes and shake my head. On this, I’ll just have to pretend to agree. “Fine, I’ll be careful.”
“Good. Now about Spain . . .”