My days at the office were mostly centered around helping others do their jobs successfully. I answered phones, filed, printed, managed schedules, and basically kept the office running so everyone else could focus on clients. Occasionally I got to help out with bookkeeping and assist the staff with clerical work. Those days made all the others worth it.
At six o’clock I emptied and cleaned the coffee pots, restocked paper in all the printers, and then knocked on Harry’s door.
“Come in.” He glanced up and smiled as he removed his reading glasses.
“Do you need anything before I head out?”
“That time already?” He rubbed his nose where the glasses had been and then raked his hand through his hair. “No, I’m good. See you tomorrow.”
I was grabbing my things from the desk when Bobbi walked up with her coat on and purse in hand.
“I thought you’d already left.”
“No, I was stuck on a conference call with DJ and some clients in Oregon.” DJ was another partner in the firm notorious for scheduling meetings after five. He’d gone through a lot of assistants because of it, not to mention his brash personality. Bobbi was my favorite of all that had come and gone and was a good fit for him too. She wasn’t one to let anyone take advantage of her.
“Wanna grab dinner?”
“Another night. I should get home.”
She smirked knowingly. “I get it. I’d be anxious to get home too if a celebrity was staying there.”
“It’s not like that and you know it. I have Richard. And besides, he’s probably already gone.”
“Richard is snooze town.”
My mouth fell open.
“I’m sorry, but it’s true.”
“Richard is a good man and good for me. Successful, kind, handsome, everything I could ever want. Just because he’s not famous or living every moment of his life out on social media, that doesn’t make him boring. At least not to me.”
She stopped and studied me carefully. “Fine, but does he make your knees weak?” she asked dreamily.
“Men who make women weak in the knees also tend to make them stupid.”
I could smell Finn when I walked through the front door. The faintest hint of a clean woodsy scent floated around and stopped me in my tracks.
It wasn’t so much Finn, but the way his presence in my house reminded me I lived alone. You never noticed the smell of your house until it changed.
I dropped my purse on the kitchen counter and found a note scribbled on a loose piece of paper. Be back tonight for my stuff.
I took off toward the spare room. When I opened the door kitty took off, a blur of white fur. Poor thing had been shut up in there all day probably. The litter box was set up in the corner, a fancy electronic thing that looked like a spaceship. Her pink mat with matching water and food bowl with bling that matched the rhinestone collar on her neck. I was glad to see he was taking care of her, but man he’d really spent some money on the accessories for this kitten that he was so adamant to get rid of.
I changed into leggings and a tank and put on my sneakers for a run. The kitten batted at the frayed edges of a throw blanket lying over the arm of the couch.
“Back in a little bit,” I told her as I opened the front door and stepped out. Either my words or the sound of the door opening caught her attention and she zipped in front of my legs before I could catch her.
“Oh no!”
She took off in a run, pumping her little legs fast. She passed my neighbor’s house and disappeared. I ran after her looking left and right and calling for her. The neighborhood was an older one with lots of trees and shrubs, basically the perfect places for a small kitten to hide.
I went around the block twice before admitting defeat. I couldn’t go home without the kitten, so I went to Chance’s.
“Hey.” My brother held the door open and gave me a curious stare. “You okay?”
“I lost the cat.”
“What cat?
“Finn’s cat.” I trudged inside and threw myself down on the couch. “I was going for a run and she darted out the front door. I’ve looked everywhere.”
“Uh, did I miss something?” Chance sat down beside me. “Why do you have Finn’s cat?”
“It’s not a big deal,” I started, worried after the way Richard had overreacted. “We went to a bunch of hotels and no one would take the cat, so I offered to let him stay at my place last night. When I got back from work, he’d left a note that he’d be by later to grab his things.”
Chance’s blue eyes, a darker shade than my own, studied me carefully. “You let Finn stay at your place? What the hell did Dick think of that?”
“Not you too. I don’t see the big deal. You let him stay here.”
“Not alone with my wife.”
“He slept in a room on the opposite side of the house.”
CJ came running into the living room and grabbed a small truck off the floor shouting, “Mine!” before he took off in the opposite direction.
Chance chuckled. “See, we don’t share well – at any age.”
I rolled my eyes. “I should go.”
“What are you going to do about the cat?”
“Knock on doors, put up flyers, post on the neighborhood page.” I shrugged. “Hope he doesn’t notice.”
“Good luck with that. Did you at least take the diamonds off from around her neck first?”
“It’s real?!” I squeaked.
Chance laughed and gave me a little apologetic shrug.
I walked slowly, calling for the cat and asking the neighbors that were outside if they’d seen her. No one had. Defeated and feeling a little sick over it, I approached my house. A large black SUV was parked out front and Finn sat on the front steps with kitty in his lap.
“Oh my God, you found her.”
“Found her?” He stood.
“She got out when I was leaving for a run and disappeared. I’ve been around the block looking for her. Where was she?”
“She was sitting here when I pulled up.”
I reached out and petted her – or attempted too – she swatted my hand and brought my finger to her mouth to bite. “You little wild thing. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
I scratched around the diamond collar but didn’t dare ask why in the world he’d give the cat diamonds… a cat he was trying to get rid of no less. Finn cleared his throat. I pulled my hand back and let us into the house.
“Did you find somewhere for kitty?” I walked to the fridge and grabbed a water. I offered him one, but he shook his head. His gaze swept over me and I realized I was probably a mess from running around looking for kitty.
I raised my brows when he didn’t immediately answer, and he snapped out of his judgmental trance. “Not yet. I spent the day finding a new place to live.”
“And?”
“I found a place.”
“That’s great. Do they allow pets?”
He flexed his jaw. “Yeah, but I can’t move in for two weeks, so I was wondering if you’d reconsider letting her stay here? I’ll take care of everything. She’s got food and water, a litter box. And if you want me to hire someone to feed and change the litter, I will.”