CHAPTER SIX
Jacqueline
Ryan followed me back to an exam room without a word. I could tell he was nervous when I saw him in the waiting room. I was shocked to see him, but I was more surprised to see him holding a cat. Ryan was never an animal person. In fact, I remembered him boldly stating that he hated cats when were kids. As we entered the exam room, I smiled to myself while Ryan set Bob’s cage on the table. I was fiddling with the papers on my clipboard to avoid looking at Ryan.
“If you could just take him out,” I said, without turning around. “That would be great.”
“Um,” he said shakily. “Sure. Yeah, I can do that.”
I heard the latch on Bob’s cage move and then the door swing open. Bob meowed and then hissed loudly, making Ryan jump backward. When I turned around, Ryan’s face was red, and his eyes were wide with anger. I laughed and walked over to the cage. Slowly, I reached inside and pulled Bob out.
He was big and grey with wide eyes. When he looked at me, I could tell he was scared, but I held him against my chest for a few seconds just to calm him. Once he was ready, I laid him on the table and gently stroked his fur while I turned my attention to Ryan.
“Why the hell do you have a cat?” I asked.
“I wanted one.” He shrugged, still slightly red from his interaction with Bob. “I thought having a pet would be nice. You know, everyone should have a pet.”
“Oh?” I asked with raised eyebrows. “They should? Because last time I checked, you hate cats.”
“I do not,” he said, feigning offense. “Why would you say such a thing? And in front of my cat too. Geez, Jacqueline. Really?”
I narrowed my eyes and tried not to laugh. After I left the diner, I never thought I’d see Ryan again. He wasn’t the kind of guy to make much effort when it came to apologies, so I didn’t expect him to try. I especially didn’t imagine he would show up at my clinic with some random cat.
“Is he even yours?” I asked with suspicion.
Ryan laughed. “Of course, he’s mine. I adopted him this morning.”
“Where?” I asked.
“The shelter over on Monroe,” he answered easily. “They said he’d been there for years, so I got him for free.”
“Ah,” I said, nodding. “Justina gave him to you.”
“You know that woman?” Ryan asked, a look of fear passing over his face.
“I do,” I said. “We work closely with all the local shelters.”
“Oh,” Ryan said. “Well, that’s nice.”
“Justina is great,” I said, clearing my throat and turning to face Bob. “If she gave you Bob, then she thinks he’ll be a good fit. She always takes the time to really match a pet with an owner. Not many shelters do that.”
“Yeah, she was definitely something,” Ryan mumbled.
“Since he came from Justina, I’m sure Bob is fine,” I continued. “But I’ll give him a quick check, and we can set up his next appointment. From what I see, he’s about five years old. That means he should be up to date on shots, but I’ll check his paperwork to be sure. Did you bring it?”
“Right here,” Ryan said, handing me a folder.
“Thank you,” I said, taking it and laying it on my clipboard.
“So, he looks okay?” Ryan asked. “Healthy?”
I nodded. “He’s fine.”
“Good,” Ryan said. “I would hate to have to take him back already.”
I looked up sharply. Ryan was grinning, clearly trying to get a rise out me. I just rolled my eyes and looked back down at Bob. I ran my hands over his back, feelings his bones and joints slowly. He wasn’t a young cat, but he also wasn’t old. He was in perfect health, and I just hoped Ryan would take good care of him.
“Listen,” I said seriously. “Having a pet isn’t a joke, okay? You can’t just leave him to his own devices. You have to take care of him.”
“I do?” Ryan asked with fake surprise. “And here I was, thinking I could just install a kitty door and let him loose.”
“Not funny,” I said.
“You mean, he won’t hunt for his own food?” Ryan asked with wide eyes. “Damn, I hoped he might bring me a bird or two. You know how much I love pigeon stew.”
“Shut up,” I snapped. The corners of my mouth twitched upward, but I kept the smile off my face. I was still angry with Ryan for how he treated me at lunch. His jokes were wasted on me.
“Jacqueline, he’ll be fine,” Ryan promised. “I swear, I won’t kill him. If he stops hissing at me, I may even buy him a toy.”
“Okay,” I said, ignoring Ryan’s jab. “He’s good to go. I think we should see him back in about six months.”
“That long?” Ryan asked.
“Yes,” I said, nodding. “Six months. In the meantime, we’ll get you set up with a food sample for him. He can pretty much eat any cat food at this point, but we always give out samples to new patients.”
“I’m going out tomorrow night,” Ryan said suddenly.
“What?” I asked, taken aback by his sudden subject change.
“Tomorrow night,” he repeated. “I’m going out. I don’t know anything about this city, so I need to explore it a bit. You should come with me.”
“Yeah,” I scoffed. “Like that’ll happen.”
“Come on,” he said. “I’m sorry I was a dick, okay?”
I laughed. “That’s your apology? Seriously, Ryan?”
“Jacqueline,” he said. “You are the only person I know in Richmond, so please stop hating me long enough to show me around. Just for one night. Please.”
“No,” I said firmly. “But thanks for the business. Bob’s a cute cat.”
With that, I turned to leave the exam room. Ryan sighed and moved to put Bob back in his cage. Bob didn’t hiss this time, but he wiggled away from Ryan, making it harder for him to put him inside. Just as Bob was safely locked away, I stepped out into the hallway and hurried toward the front desk.
“You’re impossible,” Ryan called, following quickly behind me.
“Just busy,” I said. “Good to see you, Ryan. Thanks for stopping by.”
“Jacqueline!” he said as I disappeared around the corner.
Safely tucked away behind the front desk, I grinned to myself. Ryan was still standing right on the other side of the wall, sighing repeatedly. I knew he could tell I was still there, but he couldn’t see me. I fought the urge to laugh as he finally gave up and walked back into the waiting room. From where I stood, I could see him step up to the front desk, but he couldn’t see me.
My receptionist, Heidi, signed him out and gave him his free samples. After he paid, he lingered by the desk for a few seconds.
“Is there something else I can help you with?” Heidi asked politely.
“No,” Ryan said, shaking his head. “Just looking for this.”
He grinned and plucked one of my business cards from the stack on the counter. I groaned and leaned my head back against the wall. Leave it to Ryan to find a way to contact me, even when I wished he wouldn’t. As he tucked the card in his back pocket, I remembered that my personal number was typed out on the back.
When I ordered the cards, I thought it would be sweet to include my cell number. Most pet owners got nervous easily. Having my personal number gave them a sense of peace, which I felt was important. I never regretted that decision until now. Ryan glanced around him one last time before turning to leave.
“See you tomorrow, Jacqueline!” he yelled loudly. I jumped, as did Heidi and a few people in the waiting room. Ryan laughed loudly and stepped outside.
Heidi turned around to face me with a confused look on her face. I just shook my head and rolled my eyes, not wanting to explain myself. Heidi shrugged and turned back to her work. Slowly, I pushed myself away from the wall and disappeared into my office. There were more patients to see, but I needed a minute to myself.
Ryan clearly hadn’t changed much since we were kids. After lunch at the diner, I knew he was still cocky as ever, but I thought that was the end of it. I left. I stormed out. I expected him to leave me alone. Instead, he adopted a cat and showed up at my clinic. I was frustrated and upset, but mostly amused. As annoying as Ryan could be, I couldn’t keep the smile from appearing on my face.