CHAPTER FIVE
Ryan
My week dragged on torturously. After lunch with Jacqueline, I didn’t do anything for three full days. When she stormed out of the diner, I was surprised by how much of a drama queen she’d become. Just when I finally relaxed enough to talk to her normally, she flew off the handle. I couldn’t believe she would overreact like that. As I finished my burger, I thought about calling Bradley to tell him how crazy his sister was.
As the week progressed, though, I realized Jacqueline may not have overreacted. I was a little gruff with her. Being in the military for so long hardened me. I was always cocky, arrogance was my most prominent trait, but I’d worsened over the years. My friends didn’t care because they were the same way. All SEALs had a cocky undertone when they spoke, but most of them could hide it around other people, especially girls. Me? I never saw the point. I wasn’t around anyone long enough for it to matter, and I never spent more than one night with a woman.
Jacqueline was different. She was Bradley’s sister. I’d known her for years. I realized too late that I shouldn’t have popped off on her that way. She didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of my snarky comments. If anything, she deserved my best behavior.
It was nice of her to come by and see me. Even if Bradley asked her to, she didn’t have to listen. She could have easily moved on with her life without giving me a second thought, but she didn’t. She came over.
Thursday morning was slow. I went for a jog and took a long shower. When I got out, I realized how much of the day was left. I sighed and sat on the couch, just staring at my blank walls. This would have been the perfect day to call up a friend for lunch or drinks, but I didn’t have anyone in Richmond. The only person I knew was Jacqueline, and I’d successfully managed to piss her off already. As I thought that, I realized that I needed to fix things. Jacqueline was Bradley’s sister after all. I couldn’t let her hate me forever. Plus, it couldn’t hurt to have a friend in town.
I grabbed my phone and looked up where the nearest animal shelter was. Once I found it, I threw on my shoes and hurried out to my car. I drove a few miles until I reached the place. It was tucked in the corner of an old shopping center.
At first I worried it was closed. There didn’t appear to be any lights on inside, and only one car sat out front. With a frown, I parked and walked up to the front door. Peering inside, I saw movement behind the desk. I opened the door and was greeted by a loud bell.
“Welcome,” a chipper voice said. I looked behind the counter and saw an older woman standing there with a wide smile on her face. “How can I help you today?”
“Well,” I said, stepping forward. “I’m looking for a pet.”
“We have those here,” she said, smiling. “What kind? Dog? Cat? Bird?”
“You have birds?” I asked, surprised.
She nodded. “We do. Do you like birds?”
“Honestly, I’m not really an animal person,” I admitted.
She frowned and leaned across the counter, eyeing me closely. I immediately felt self-conscious and wished I’d dressed better. This woman was old enough to be my grandmother. I felt like she was seconds away from scolding me.
“Young man,” she said. “Why are you really here?”
“Okay,” I said, sighing. “Listen, there’s this girl who I really pissed off. She’s a veterinarian, and I thought that I could … I don’t know, I thought if I showed up with a … You know what? Never mind. This was a shitty idea.”
I turned to leave, shaking my head as I walked. I couldn’t believe my own stupidity. What was I thinking? I couldn’t take care of a pet. I could barely take care of myself most of the time.
“Wait,” the woman called. I turned around slowly, waiting for her continue. “You like this girl?”
“Not romantically,” I said quickly. “She’s my best friend’s little sister. He’d kill me if he knew I upset her. I’m just trying to make it right.”
The woman smiled knowingly and nodded. Without a word, she motioned for me to follow her. She led me into the backroom where cages were lined up against the walls. I was shocked to see how many animals she had. There were dogs and cats and, sure enough, birds. Everywhere I looked, my eyes fell on a furry or feathery face.
“This way,” she said. “I’m thinking a cat for you. If you don’t like animals that much, a cat would be perfect. They can pretty much care for themselves. As long as you feed them and provide a litter box, they’re good to go.”
“That sounds perfect,” I said with a nod.
“You don’t have to cuddle them,” she said. “But don’t you dare mistreat them. They’ll claw you to bits if you do.”
“I won’t,” I said, laughing. “I don’t hate animals, you know. I just didn’t grow up with pets. Never had the chance to get one.”
“That’s a shame,” she said, stopping in front of a cage. “Every child should have a pet.”
“I guess,” I said. I looked at the cage behind her and saw a small, grey cat lying in a ball.
“This is Bob,” the woman said. “He’s been here for years. He needs a home. What do you think?”
Bob was pressed against the back wall of his cage with his eyes squeezed tightly closed. I crept closer to the cage and peered inside, inspecting him silently. When I put my hand on the cage, his eye shot open and locked on my face. He looked at me with a bored expression, meowed once, and then went back to sleep. I laughed and turned back to the woman.
“I’ll take him,” I said.
She smiled. “Great. Head back up front and I’ll get him ready for you.”
I nodded and turned around. Walking back to the front of the shelter, I felt an odd sense of excitement wash over me. I’d never liked cats much, but Bob seemed okay. If anything, he would just lie around and leave me alone. To me, that was the perfect kind of pet.
It was a few minutes before the older woman made her way back up front. She held a small cage in one hand with a folder in the other. She set the cage on the counter, and I saw Bob sleeping inside.
“Here he is,” she said enthusiastically. “I just need you to sign some paperwork, and you’ll be good to go.”
“Okay,” I said as she laid a sheet of paper and a pen in front of me. I signed the paper quickly and pulled out my wallet. “How much?”
“He’s free,” she said with a wave of her hand. “We’ve had Bob for too long. If you’re willing to take him, I won’t charge you.”
“Really?” I asked, wondering what was wrong with him. “Why?”
“I’m just happy he’s getting a good home,” she said.
I nodded and picked up the cage. She smiled as I left, taking Bob and the paperwork with me. I’d already looked up Jacqueline’s vet clinic and knew exactly where it was. I drove for fifteen minutes before I found it. My hands were sweating when I pulled into the parking lot. As I walked inside, I felt ridiculous. My plan suddenly seemed insane.
“Hi there,” a young receptionist said as I stepped into the waiting room.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m here to get my cat checked out. I just adopted him this morning, so I want to make sure everything’s okay before I take him home.”
“Sure.” The receptionist grinned. “What’s his name?”
“Bob,” I said, slightly embarrassed.
“Well hello to Bob,” she said. “Just take a seat, and I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.”
“Thank you,” I said with a nod.
I took Bob over to a free chair and sat down. As I looked at him inside the cage, I thought about letting him out, but I was afraid he might bolt. The last thing I needed was to chase my new cat all over Jacqueline’s clinic. Instead, I just held the cage in my lap and watched the door, waiting for it to open.
When it did, Jacqueline stepped into the waiting room with a clipboard in her hands. She was looking down and didn’t see me at first.
“All righty,” she called out. “Bob. Bob the cat?”
“Right here,” I said, standing up and taking a few steps forward.
Jacqueline finally looked up, and her eyes fell on my face. She looked from me to Bob’s cage with a confused expression. I stood there awkwardly, just waiting for her to say something. She didn’t. Instead, she jerked her head to the side, gesturing for me to follow her back. Together, we walked to the back, letting the waiting room door slam shut behind us.