AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sally?” I say, slowly blinking in order to soothe the cat—and wishing someone could do that for me.
“Sally?” Dorothy says. “As in, his cat?”
“Yeah,” I say. “One and the same.”
“Watch out,” Dorothy says worriedly. “Cats can give you T. gondii.”
“What’s that?” I ask. It sounds like “Gandhi, I”, which could be an autobiography—except for the bit where cats can give it to you. Speaking of stories about great men, I wonder if Evan hates biopics as much as book adaptations? If so, I’ll need to make sure to point out to him how amazing the Gandhi movie with Ben Kingsley is.
Wait, why am I planning conversations with Evan? I probably won’t see him again.
“The ‘T’ stands for toxoplasma,” Dorothy says.
“And that’s supposed to explain it?” I do file the word away, though, as one day it might score me twenty-one points in Scrabble.
“It’s a parasite.” Dorothy enunciates the word with way too much relish. “If it’s in your brain, it makes you like cats and leads to other risky behaviors.”
“How is liking cats a risky behavior?” I stare at Sally and wonder if I already have said parasite—because I like this cat way too much, considering our short acquaintance.
“Didn’t I just say?” Dorothy grumbles. “Cats can give you T. gondii.”
Is that circular logic, or is that what the cat’s brain parasite wants me to think?
Jolene fakes a yawn. “I’ve got to say, the cat thing is uncreative. Evan wants pussy, so he’s using pussy to get it? If I were you, I’d get a pet rooster and send him to Evan’s house.”
“That’s dumb,” Dorothy says sternly. “The cat would eat the rooster.”
That’s what’s dumb about her idea?
“The pussycat is with Brooklyn, so the cock would be safe,” Jolene says. “Keep up.”
“I’m going to go deal with Sally,” I state firmly.
“Fine, but keep us posted.” Jolene waggles her eyebrows libidinously.
“And stay out of the sun,” Dorothy says with motherly concern that’s in sharp contrast to my other friend’s antics.
“Bye.” I hang up, then face the cat. “Hi. How did you get in here?”
Sally blinks at me, then leaps into my lap.
Okay.
Petting her soft fur, I look around.
Yep. I’m in an aluminum cage covered by still-intact netting on all sides—a pool enclosure designed to keep bugs and animals away.
Maybe she got into the house first and then got in here? But houses are also designed to keep things out.
“How did you get in here?” I ask again softly.
Sally purrs in reply.
“Out of the two of you, you should have been called Harry, as in Houdini.”
“Sally!” Evan shouts somewhere in the distance.
“She’s here,” I yell back and get a glare from the cat for my troubles.
