I picked out a whole chicken that was on sale and put it in my basket, along with some fresh vegetables. The meat was pretty expensive, but the vegetables were cheap and much better than anything I could’ve gotten in a store back in New York. It was one of the perks of living out here—we did have access to some great produce.
Who was she?
I put my groceries on conveyor belt and stared off into space as the elderly checkout lady scanned the items.
“Sixty-nine,” the woman said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Uh, sorry?” I asked, smiling apologetically.
“Twenty-two sixty-nine. Your total.”
“Oh, right.”
I paused and frowned, reading the text. And that’s when I saw it.
“Um,” I said, pointing. “I think… you overcharged me for the chicken. It said it was on sale for $3 a pound.”
She straightened her glasses an
d double-checked a little binder of coupons she had next to the register. “Oh, you’re so right. I’m sorry.”
I smiled, paid the new price, and then bagged the groceries myself. It was quite warm out, so I put the bag in my trunk and drove the short distance down to the pet store. I’d just be in and out to grab some kitty litter and pet food.
“Hi there, welcome to Pampered Paws, I’m Patty. Anything I can help you with?”
The woman behind the register smiled a dazzling smile that was outlined with bright red lipstick that seemed to be twenty years out of style, and the loudest outfit I’d ever seen. “I’d like to buy some kitty litter and cat food,” I told her.
“Sure thing, that’s right over there.” She pointed.
I selected a small bag of generic kitty litter and a small bag of dry cat food, paused, and then put them back and exchanged them for larger bags. Why shouldn’t I keep him? Turn him over to Pampered Paws and he probably would never be adopted, considering the customer base here probably changed every 50 years.
I lugged the bags onto the counter, and the lady scanned them. “You a new owner? I’ve never seen you around before,” she said, smiling brightly.
“Yeah, something like that,” I said. “Actually, I found this cat just out in the storm the other day.”
Patty’s smile disappeared. “Really? Is he a black cat?” she asked.
I frowned. “Yes?”
“Oh my goodness! That young lady is going to be so relieved. Ma’am, I think you rescued this cat that’d been reported missing just the other day!” She whipped out a piece of paper and handed it to me.
“Missing: Henry. Black cat, five months old,” I said, reading the paper. My heart was already beating fast, but then I read the number to call. Reynold? Young lady?
My mind immediately went to the newcomer I’d seen at Reynold’s gas station. My little guest is her cat? My vision blurred out for a moment as I registered what it all meant.
“Does that sound like your rescue?” she asked hopefully.
“Ah,” I replied, blinking. “Yeah… I guess it does. I guess I’d better call her. Or hell, Reynold is just down the road. I’ll just stop in.” Stop in and meet that girl too.
I had to. After all, I probably had her cat.