Chapter Sixteen
The next morning, James got a call from Jane.
“How did it go at the Purple Blueberry?” Jane’s tone was one of curious optimism.
“She was with a guy.” James walked through the bedroom, looking on the bed for Picasso. The cat hadn’t eaten his breakfast, and James hadn’t seen him this morning. He was starting to get worried.
“A guy? What do you mean? I know for a fact Maxi doesn’t have a boyfriend,” Jane said.
James felt a pang of guilt at suspecting she did. “I know, but it threw me. She was at a table with this guy, Chandler, and a woman named Muriel.”
Jane sighed. “Chandler is the art gallery guy. They were probably talking business.”
“She did invite me to stay, but I got all flustered about the guy. I didn’t stay.” James opened the closet and looked inside. No cat. “Guess I messed up.”
“No. You just missed an opportunity to spend time with her and reconnect. Don’t worry. There will be others. In fact, I have a great idea on how you and Maxi can spend a lot of time together.”
“You do?”
“Yes. We have a table for friends at the wedding on Saturday, and you’re invited.”
“I am? I don’t even know the bride and groom.” James peeked into his office. Picasso had taken to pushing his books off the bookshelf and lying in the empty space, but the cat wasn’t there.
“You don’t need to. All you need is Maxi and a romantic setting.”
James felt nervous. What if Maxi didn’t want him there? What if he messed up again? “I don’t know. What if she brings that guy?”
“Don’t worry. She won’t. She’s not interested in him. She loves you and wants you back, but she also wants to still be able to continue with her creative endeavors. You want her to do that, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course.” James was kicking himself for not nurturing Maxi’s creative side sooner. Whatever she wanted, he was good with it as long as she was happy.
“And you’re going to the gallery opening, right? Her work will be in there.”
“Should I?” James peeked into the bathroom, pulling the shower curtain aside. No Picasso.
Jane sighed. Probably at his cluelessness. Maxi had been the only woman he’d seriously dated, and apparently, in addition to lessons on how to dress, he needed lessons on how to win a woman over. Maybe he should consult with Sally.
“Yes, you should go. It will be a perfect way to show Maxi that you support her new life,” Jane said.
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
“Great, see you then. And don’t worry. Maxi will come around, and you guys will be back together and stronger than ever.”
Jane hung up, and James stared at the phone. He hoped she was right.
A gagging sound had him racing to the bedroom. It was coming from the bed. The cat wasn’t on top of the bed, but...
“Picasso?” James peered under the bed skirt, and his heart sank.
Picasso was crouched down like a rabbit, his eyes mere slits. He reminded James of the way the kids looked when they had the flu.
“Are you okay, little buddy?” James lay on the floor and reached in for the cat. Picasso did not resist, a sure sign that something was dreadfully wrong.
James pulled him into his lap and leaned his back against the bed, trying to comfort the cat, but Picasso wanted none of it. He tried to slink away but only made it a few feet before he started the most ungodly heaving and choking noises James had ever heard.
Oh no! What was happening? Should he call the vet?
Picasso stopped choking and glared at James. James’s heart twisted. He’d become incredibly attached to the cat in the few days he’d been here. If something happened to him, he didn’t know what he would do. He needed to call the vet, but in the meantime, he racked his brain for something he could do to ease the poor thing's suffering.
