“I’m going to get going,” she says. “I can relieve Angela early, give her a break.”
“Don’t be surprised if Petunia is at my place when you get home. She can hang with me this evening.”
“Thank you.” She walks away and blows me a kiss. “Really, thanks.”
“Have a good day, dear.”
When I walk back into the gallery, I’m pleasantly surprised to see several patrons strolling around, taking in the art.
Wayne’s eyebrows climb when he sees the books in my hands.
“You wentshopping?”
“No, I’m just taking these home for Sarah.” I stow them on my desk in my office. “How are things here?”
“They picked up a bit,” he says. “I sold a bronze sculpture.”
“Awesome. I can afford to keep you another day.”
He smirks. “Right.”
With the litterbox and bowls set up, I walk over to Sarah’s with her books and let myself in.
Petunia comes running.
“Hey, baby.” I pick her up, and she cuddles right into my neck. “Aw, are you lonely? Okay, come on home with me. I just have to find your food.”
I open the pantry door and retrieve her food, then fill up the plastic bag I brought with me before locking Sarah’s door behind me and setting off for my place, with the cat and her food in hand.
As soon as I set Petunia on the floor, she scurries to the loveseat by the window, climbs into her favorite spot, and settles in to watch the sunset.
“It’s pretty great, isn’t it?”
Not surprisingly, she ignores me as I fill her bowls with food and water and then start making myself dinner.
Halfway into boiling pasta, my phone rings.
“Yello,” I say as I tuck the phone between my ear and shoulder so I can stir the pasta.
“I need some help,” Apollo says. “I’m trying to move some furniture here at my place, and I need an extra set of hands before I kill myself over here.”
“Do you need me to come right away, or can I come after dinner?”
“What are you making?”
I laugh. “Chicken scampi.”
“Do you have enough for two?”
“I’ll add bread. Give me thirty to finish cooking and pack it up.”
“Thanks, man.”
I sigh and glance over at Petunia, who hasn’t looked away from the view for an instant. She’s too enthralled by watching the people walk the beach, and probably by the waves themselves.
“Were you once a beach cat before you were rescued?”
No answer.