Read Online Early Bird Special by Tracy Krimmer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tracy Krimmer
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thirties and still hadn't figured it out.
"It's wonderful having the extra money, but now that everyone's so much older, we don't go on yearly vacations anymore. You're always busy working and Teddy is doing whatever it is I guess he's doing." My mom nodded her head towards him and I sensed her hesitation to accept Teddy's quest to create the next bestselling video game. Five years ago, he quit his job to dedicate all his time to it. He ended up having to move back in with our parents and he spent most of his time in the basement playing video games. My mom called it "procrastination" and he referred to it as "research."
The wind picked up and took my breath away. I sucked in the freezing air, my lungs aching. "What the hell are we doing here then instead of sitting at home while Dad prepares to watch the football game and you and I cook up dinner?" The tradition was fun to start with when I was little. Standing in line with so many different people and playing card games while we waited in line seem to be an adventure in my younger years. Now I only wanted my fuzzy slippers, oversized Packers sweatshirt, and black leggings.
Dad rose from his chair as though coming out of a complicated yoga pose, one vertebrae at a time. He patted his hands on my shoulders. "We love spending the time out here with you kids. We always have. It's a tradition."
I groaned. "Maybe it's time to start a new one."
CHAPTER TWO
"Start a new what?"
The voice came from behind me and didn't belong to anyone in my family. I stayed in my chair as I searched around me for whomever jumped into my conversation with my parents. Suddenly, next to me stood a gentleman, average height, bundled in a bright red winter coat, black gloves on his hands, and a multi-colored mask covering his face, big eyes poking through the holes on top. Based on his barging into my conversation, I guessed a pretty big mouth rested behind the mask, too.
"Can I help you?" What interest did this stranger hold in a discussion I had with my parents?
"Francie, don't be rude." My dad loved to embarrass me in public and also scold me. I'm in my thirties, and my dad still threatened me with time-outs. Did I mention I owned my own house and didn't mooch off my parents like my brother? Thankfully my dad walked away, but unfortunately that left me with this bozo.
Strange-man-in-a-face-mask nodded at my dad as he walked away, like men often did. I didn't know why they even needed to acknowledge each other. "Francie? Interesting name for someone your age."
I leaped out of my chair, and wanted to yell "put 'em up" at this guy. "First you butt into my private conversation, then you insult my age? And my name?"
"Whoa." He put his hands against his chest. "Calm down. I wasn't trying to offend you."
I wished this guy would take his mask off and prove a pimply, immature teenager, or pre-pubescent child hid behind it, because he already worked every nerve in my body. "I'm pretty sure you did. What is it that you need?"
He slouched over as he laughed from his belly. "What is it that I need? It's Thanksgiving, Francie! Cheer up!"
This guy spoke to me as though a friendship existed between us, and for many years at that. Don't get me wrong, it was very nice he remembered my name, but I didn't barge into his house on a holiday and start asking twenty questions. "I'm trying to enjoy Thanksgiving with my parents and brother here. You're kind of interrupting that."
Masked man eyeballed each of my family members - my dad, now resting his eyes; my mom, now covered from her neck down in a snuggie, reading a book; and, my far from involved brother Teddy, who only stopped moving his hands on his gaming device long enough to wipe his nose with his jacket arm. "Those people over there? The ones you're not even talking to?"
Ugh! My face, no longer pink from the wicked wind and cold temperature, became a deeper shade of red by my annoyance with this character. "I'm not sure who
"It's wonderful having the extra money, but now that everyone's so much older, we don't go on yearly vacations anymore. You're always busy working and Teddy is doing whatever it is I guess he's doing." My mom nodded her head towards him and I sensed her hesitation to accept Teddy's quest to create the next bestselling video game. Five years ago, he quit his job to dedicate all his time to it. He ended up having to move back in with our parents and he spent most of his time in the basement playing video games. My mom called it "procrastination" and he referred to it as "research."
The wind picked up and took my breath away. I sucked in the freezing air, my lungs aching. "What the hell are we doing here then instead of sitting at home while Dad prepares to watch the football game and you and I cook up dinner?" The tradition was fun to start with when I was little. Standing in line with so many different people and playing card games while we waited in line seem to be an adventure in my younger years. Now I only wanted my fuzzy slippers, oversized Packers sweatshirt, and black leggings.
Dad rose from his chair as though coming out of a complicated yoga pose, one vertebrae at a time. He patted his hands on my shoulders. "We love spending the time out here with you kids. We always have. It's a tradition."
I groaned. "Maybe it's time to start a new one."
CHAPTER TWO
"Start a new what?"
The voice came from behind me and didn't belong to anyone in my family. I stayed in my chair as I searched around me for whomever jumped into my conversation with my parents. Suddenly, next to me stood a gentleman, average height, bundled in a bright red winter coat, black gloves on his hands, and a multi-colored mask covering his face, big eyes poking through the holes on top. Based on his barging into my conversation, I guessed a pretty big mouth rested behind the mask, too.
"Can I help you?" What interest did this stranger hold in a discussion I had with my parents?
"Francie, don't be rude." My dad loved to embarrass me in public and also scold me. I'm in my thirties, and my dad still threatened me with time-outs. Did I mention I owned my own house and didn't mooch off my parents like my brother? Thankfully my dad walked away, but unfortunately that left me with this bozo.
Strange-man-in-a-face-mask nodded at my dad as he walked away, like men often did. I didn't know why they even needed to acknowledge each other. "Francie? Interesting name for someone your age."
I leaped out of my chair, and wanted to yell "put 'em up" at this guy. "First you butt into my private conversation, then you insult my age? And my name?"
"Whoa." He put his hands against his chest. "Calm down. I wasn't trying to offend you."
I wished this guy would take his mask off and prove a pimply, immature teenager, or pre-pubescent child hid behind it, because he already worked every nerve in my body. "I'm pretty sure you did. What is it that you need?"
He slouched over as he laughed from his belly. "What is it that I need? It's Thanksgiving, Francie! Cheer up!"
This guy spoke to me as though a friendship existed between us, and for many years at that. Don't get me wrong, it was very nice he remembered my name, but I didn't barge into his house on a holiday and start asking twenty questions. "I'm trying to enjoy Thanksgiving with my parents and brother here. You're kind of interrupting that."
Masked man eyeballed each of my family members - my dad, now resting his eyes; my mom, now covered from her neck down in a snuggie, reading a book; and, my far from involved brother Teddy, who only stopped moving his hands on his gaming device long enough to wipe his nose with his jacket arm. "Those people over there? The ones you're not even talking to?"
Ugh! My face, no longer pink from the wicked wind and cold temperature, became a deeper shade of red by my annoyance with this character. "I'm not sure who
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