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15
LENORE
Icall Annie as we’re finishing our lunch break, and Matt tells me to put it on speaker so he can hear the update.
It only rings once, and Annie picks up with a joyful, “How are you, dear?”
“Good. You’re on speakerphone, and Matt’s listening.”
“Hiya, Matty!” she yells like he might be hard of hearing.
Matt chuckles, “Hi Annie. Al home yet?”
“Oh yes. He took Cat to the vet with me. Good and bad news. The poor thing doesn’t have a microchip, so I’m not sure how we could track down his old family, if he has one. Good news is he’s just underweight. Otherwise, fit as a fiddle.”
I feel a rush of relief, and I’m not sure if it's because he’s healthy or because I won’t have to hand him off to a previous family.
You could still put up posters or post his picture in the lost pet groups online.
I push the thought aside and focus on the conversation.
“Thank you so much for doing this, Annie. Tell Al thank you too.”
“It’s no problem. Can you hear them playing in the background? He’s just a young fellow. The vet said maybe two, and he’s got a lot of energy now that he’s not so focused on being hungry.”
Sure enough, I hear Al’s deep laughter and the unmistakable sounds of claws tearing across the carpet.
“He really seems to like strings. He found an old shoestring in the mud room and brought it right to Al. Just yowled until Al took the hint and started wiggling it around.” Annie sounds younger, more carefree, and less concerned about babying Al.
“I’m glad they’re getting along. We can come by after work to pick him up, if that’s okay?” I’ve been thinking about him all day, and I can’t wait to see him again.”
“It’s no problem, dear. See if you can come up with a name for him. Otherwise, Al told the vet to call him Cat so you’ll be stuck with it.”
“Will do.”
“Thank you, Annie,” Matt echoes over my shoulder.
I hang up the phone and stare absently at it for a moment. For the first time in a long time, I’m smiling freely. I’m going to have to find a home for Cat. I know the odds of me being able to keep him—or even afford to keep him—are low. It would be completely irresponsible of me. Which doesn’t change the fact that whenever I rolled over in my sleep last night, I felt him sleeping next to me or sprawled by my feet.
“We’ll figure it out. Just try to think of a name for him this afternoon.” Matt lays a hand on my shoulder before leaving to meet his next appointment. I hadn’t even noticed the car pull in, but I hear an engine idling in the garage.
I shake off thoughts of the future and focus on cleaning up my lunch mess. No one comes into the shop because the sign is still flipped over for the lunch break. I savor the quiet but dutifully go out when my half-hour is over.
I get maybe ten minutes until the afternoon rush starts. Most people are very understanding as I work through the system, getting used to where everything is and how it functions. I swear they mainly want to come in and chat. I wonder if this is how small towns usually are. Matt has a well-established business with a welcoming atmosphere and is a local resident, but I wouldn’t have picked his garage as the local hangout.
While I’m helping a customer who actually came in for parts, I hear two people in the next aisle gossiping about the local board meeting. I realize that this person-to-person news cycle is probably how everyone knows I’m new in town.
There’s a lull in the late afternoon when a delivery man stops by with a small package. It must be one of the custom order products Matt mentioned because the delivery guy hands over his scanner for me to sign. He’s younger, probably just about my age, and tries to flirt. I’m not interested, and my usual reticence gets the message across. After he leaves, I grab the package and take it to Matt.
He’s bent over tinkering with the beat-up car he’s working on for his friend, music playing throughout the garage. With the noise he’s making, I doubt he can hear me. I take a moment and watch him work. Unlike the delivery guy, something pulls me closer and makes me interested in what he’s doing. I realize with a start that I’m attracted to Matt.
Needing to distract myself from that thought, I say, “Package just arrived.” He jumps but thankfully doesn't whack his head on the hood.
“It from the local store?”
“I’m not sure. It was a FedEx guy, so if it is, they must have mailed it.”
“Hmm.”
