Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 196(@200wpm)___ 157(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 196(@200wpm)___ 157(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
“Hi, Coco! These two haven’t run you off yet, huh?” Noah asked over their heads as they snuggled close.
She paused and met his gaze. “Of course not. I should pay them to work here,” Coco said.
“Not on your life.” Sofia challenged that statement, stepping slightly away from her Daddy. “Coco, would you welcome the next dog and cat patients into the exam rooms? I’ll be there in a few.”
“Of course.” Coco continued through the door. Leave it to Sofia to give her a graceful way to help her.
For the rest of the day, Coco reminded herself of the name of the app. Could it really be that easy to find a Daddy? In all the books she’d read, Littles ran into their Daddies in random places. She’d tried to keep her eyes open in case her Daddy showed up, but no one had approached her with that Daddy vibe. Or at least no one interested in her had appeared on her radar.
When Coco got back to her rented room in a big, old house, she grabbed some leftovers from the fridge for dinner and searched on her phone. Spotting the PLAYTIME app, she downloaded it and filled out the questionnaire. Taking her time, Coco tried to be as honest as possible. She didn’t want the program to match her with someone expecting a waif of a Little girl or someone breathtakingly beautiful. She was simply Coco—a girl who loved animals.
After pressing the submit button, she cuddled on the couch with her stuffed teddy bear, Zelda. She watched one of her favorite movies to distract herself but couldn’t focus on the TV. Her gaze returned over and over to her phone screen. If her Daddy had applied to find his Little wouldn’t PLAYTIME match them quickly?
Coco pulled up the program and reread the information.
Because of the complicity of relationships, the matching process could be rapid or delayed. PLAYTIME can’t guarantee a match for Littles or Mommies and Daddies. Its purpose is to find your Daddy, Mommy, or Little—not a Daddy, Mommy, or Little. An instant match is unlikely. Remember, PLAYTIME will notify you when your match is found.
Despite those instructions to be patient, Coco woke up to check her phone throughout the night. When dawn rolled around, she dragged herself out of bed. She hated that PLAYTIME was having a tough time matching her with someone. With her spirits dragging, Coco dressed in her regular scrubs. Why couldn’t she be one of the Littles who found a Daddy quickly?
Thank goodness, the schedule was packed with appointments and seemed to speed past. When she got back to her car, Coco checked her phone. No match yet. “Yet! Remember, the program said it might take a while. You can’t rush perfection,” Coco announced to the empty space in the car. Her pep talk mellowed her despair, but didn’t erase it.
Forcing herself to move, Coco started her car. The low-fuel warning lit up on her dash. Thankful for the cash Sofia had loaned her, Coco stopped at a gas station to fill up. As she pumped her gas, she spotted a fast-food Mexican place half a block away.
“You can’t be depressed and eat tacos,” she said out loud, talking to herself.
“That’s for sure, sweet pea,” an older woman across the pumps from her agreed. “Now I want tacos.”
“Oops, sorry. I didn’t mean to annotate… announce that,” she apologized, feeling foolish.
“I always talk to myself. Sometimes that’s the most intelligent person I speak with all day,” the woman said, chuckling. “Think of it as your good deed of the day. You helped me figure out dinner. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Coco answered and thought to herself. If this isn’t a sign to go get tacos, I don’t know what would be.
Filling her tank fully for the first time in months, Coco celebrated having a good job. She needed to focus on her blessings. If a Daddy appeared, he would be the icing on the cake. Coco smiled as she stopped to grab some yumminess for her and Zelda.
CHAPTER 3
After the best sleep she’d had in weeks, Coco headed to work. About a block away, she noticed the clinic’s lights were all on. That rarely happened until they got ready to open for clients. She hurried there and parked. What was going on?
“Coco! Good morning!” Isabella greeted her.
“You’re so awake,” Coco said as the other woman practically vibrated. Isabella depended on a lot of coffee to focus.
“One of our patients got hit by a car last night. Sofia and I came in a bit after three to stabilize him. He has a broken leg. She’s going to fix it before the appointments come in. Want to help in the operating room?”
“Oh, definitely!” Energy flooded Coco. Getting to watch Sofia operate would be a treat. “Have I met the dog?”