99999999999999999999999999999999999999

" He didn't answer, so I left some messages on his home and cell phones." Nat told me when she returned to the living room. Damn it!

"The owner couldn't be reached?" Larry asked.

"Nope" Nat sighed.

"Maybe he hoped for this arrangement to last longer than two days." I suggested cynically with my arms crossed. "Did he even call you at all today?"

"Yeah, this morning!"she said.

999999999999999999999999999999

After Natalie made the calls and told Dad the news, things between them seemed strained.

A few days later, when I went to see Larry at his office, the parrot was there.

"Hello!" it told me, when I greeted Larry.

"Why is the bird here?" I asked.

"Natalie found out this morning that the bird's owner died" he whispered, as ifafraid to alert the bird ."So she called me, and asked if I would be interested in adopting it. I met with her to pick it up, and to get instructions about birdcare. She really knows a lot a bout them and offered free house calls! After my last class of the day, I'm going to get a bigger cage, and buy some books!"

Larry, a parrot owner? He never failed to surprise me.

"It's good to see that the bird found a new home" I told him.

99999999999999999999999999999

Nat went to see me, with a bribe of takeout.

"Hey babe! I've got great news! "She beamed upon arriving at my desk.

"The owner finally decided to pick up his bird?" I asked coolly.

"Larry decided to adopt it!" she told me.

"Larry?" I was puzzled. "What about the owner?"

"I found out that he died this morning" she said somberly.

"Died?"

"He got shot during a robbery" she said.

"That's terrible!" I told her, but before we could talk more, her cell rang and she answered it. A few seconds passed and I figured out it was Larry. By the time she finished on the phone with him, it was time for me to meet with a client.

999999999999999999999999999999999999

Charlie called me on my cell.

"Guess what? the bird's owner died!"

"Really? How?"

"He was killed in a robbery"

"What?"

"There's more! Larry adopted it!" Charlie said. "Natalie really got lucky!"

"Yeah.." I agreed. Dad didn't seem too happy about the bird, and its leaving would pacify him somewhat.

"How can he stay with someone who is inconsiderate of his feelings?" Charlie asked with concern.

"I'm as puzzled as you are buddy"

"Dad needs an intervention." I could hear the pout in Charlie's voice.

"We just need to give him time." I consoled him with more confidence than I felt.

"Time! Look what's it's gotten us so far? Dad still lives with her!" he retorted.

"We've tried to tell him, kiddo; Dad's just gonna have to figure what kind of person Natalie is, for himself" I sighed.

"Maybe Megan can do something?" Charlie hoped.

"Come on man!"

999999999999999999

A few days later, Nat and I prepared to have dinner with one of my clients around eight. She wore a pretty aqua dress that I hadn't seen before. Things between us were getting there.

"Is that a new dress?" I asked.

"A little something I bought on the fly" she replied ,with a smile, though I could tell that she was nervous. Nat wasn't much of a schmoozer.

Soon enough we met with my client and his wife, Georgina, who both were about my age. It was a nice French restaurant called Taix. I had come there few times. We were all seated at a booth.

"This place had the best chicken cordon bleu." Georgina beamed.

"It sure does" I agreed. The place looked the same with its light carpeting, fake candles on the walls, and nineteenth century wallpaper.

999999999999999999999

I remember going to this place once for a date, It looked the same. I had felt apprehensive, when Alan had first told me about the dinner invitation, but I knew how important this kind of socializing was to his business. I desperately hoped that they were pet owners. Not surprisingly, the couple started to talk about their kids, while Alan talked about the boys.

"You don't have any children, Natalie?" Georgina asked.

"No...two legged ones, if that's what you mean" I joked lamely.

"Like my daughter. She adores her cats, and acts like their mother" she remarked.

"Natalie's a vet" Alan told her.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah..." I said. ."I co own a practice."

9999999999999999999

The conversation turned to other things, and Nat didn't say much. Just when I thought things couldn't get more awkward, they did.

TBC