Page 10 of A Roommate for Ronny

“I just sent you a short video of him running in the wheel.” I opened texts to see my baby racing at the speed of light in his wheel. “See him go!”

“He really is having fun. Thank you for calling to let me see him. If you don’t mind, maybe we could have a video chat next time?”

He agreed and we said goodbye. I was very intrigued by the pet sitter. Brach had a smooth tone to his voice that made me want to see the face behind it. He seemed to be doing a good job with Bosco, which lifted my spirits, and I needed that. The loneliness weighed upon me, more than I’d realized until I heard a friendly voice.

The next day, we were filming from very early until well after dark, when Brach would be working, so I wasn’t able to speak with him, but the following morning, I was not needed on the set until eleven. I woke around seven but put off calling until nine so I wouldn’t wake him up.

He answered, voice rough from sleep and hair standing straight up. Bedhead and very adorable it was, too. “Hello?”

“You’re still asleep. I apologize.”

“No, I was awake.” He lied cute, too.

“Maybe so, but you haven’t had a chance to get your breakfast or anything.” I guessed.

“No, but I’m glad you called. Look, Bosco, Daddy’s on the phone.” He bent down and when he reappeared, Bosco’s face was next to his. “He’s so happy you called. How is filming going?”

“It’s fine. I’m learning a lot.” And not only about cliques, but I didn’t want to mention that and complain. “The director is amazing.”

“That’s so cool.”

We talked for a while and I listened for hints that the cat sitter was a shifter, but he never said or responded in a way that confirmed it. But I didn’t want to push the issue. Working at Animals, he had to have seen shifters by now, but he wasn’t bringing up the topic, so I let it go. There were a lot more things to talk about with my new friend. Even things besides Bosco. Admiration of whom was something we had in common.

“He’s such a funny guy,” Brach said. “Where did you get him?”

I told him about finding Bosco at the strip mall. “He was just there in front of the charcuterie store when I came out. I picked him up and went from door to door asking if anyone knew whose kitten he was. I thought maybe he belonged to a storekeeper who brought him to work, but no.”

“Poor little baby. Abandoned, you think?”

“Yes. Once I stopped running around and really looked at him, I could see he was thin and his fur was kind of matted. The vet I took him to thinks he was on his own at least for a couple of days.”

Brach scooped him up and held him cuddled against his chest. “That’s just terrible. He’s so lucky you came upon him. Whoever did that is just a terrible person.”

I hated judging anyone and had tried many times to figure out a reason why someone might have accidentally lost him, but if they had, wouldn’t they have asked around? The outlet mall was miles and miles from anything else along the desert highway, so they’d have had to lose or abandon him right there.

“If that’s what happened, I agree.”

We began to video chat every day. Although our schedules were different, we managed to find time. My fellow actors were gradually warming up to me, making things more comfortable, but I still looked forward to talking to Brach as the highlight of my days.

He told me about his ex and I expressed outrage at his treatment as well. We shared everything openly, and I felt as if we’d known one another forever, and my wolf was very interested in all our conversations. He’d never paid attention to my connections with people before, and especially not humans, but every time the phone rang, he perked up and was right there ready to listen in.

I didn’t know what I’d do without my new friend, as we moved to three more sites, working long hours and learning that I loved the work but still didn’t entirely fit in. Maybe it was because I was a shifter, or maybe they still held a little bit of a grudge over their friend leaving, but I was able to throw myself into the acting and had my friend to share with at the end of the day.

As the weeks passed, I found myself drawn back to Animals, wanting to get back into a routine with people who were genuinely kind and seemed to like me. I’d never fully appreciated what a great place it was to work. And it didn’t hurt that I wanted to get back to Bosco. Seeing him with Brach was homesickness in a bottle. Or on a screen. Although grateful for this opportunity and hoping it would lead to more, my heart lay at Animals where I’d go as soon as I had a few days off.

Chapter Eight

Brach

It had been over two months since I started my new job at Animals and moved into my side hustle, watching Bosco. I loved working there. I loved the people. I loved that I was treated like a valuable member of the team, something I never had at my past jobs. But more than anything, I loved my furry roomie.

Bosco was getting so big and, as impossible as it seemed, cuter by the day. I didn’t know a ton about kittens before moving in, and still didn’t. Not really. But if he wasn’t full size now, he was going to require an addition to this place soon.

Who would’ve thought a cat could make me feel like I belonged in an apartment from the very first time I walked through the door? I’d been so nervous that day. I was going into somebody else’s space without meeting them first. To make it more intense, was the fact that I was there to take care of their pet, who they cherished enough they nearly turned down a potentially career-changing role. So much could’ve gone wrong.

Only it didn’t. One step inside, and I knew this was where I needed to be. And then sweet little Bosco came out of his condo and rubbed up against me, and it was all over. I was in love.

It was weird having a roommate I only knew from the screen of my phone or tablet. We video chatted fairly often, and I looked forward to our time together. In so many ways, it was like we’d always known each other, despite still being virtual strangers.