food?” I asked as I bent down and scratched behind his ears. I was answered with a long meow. “All right then, I’ll take that as a yes.” I smiled.
I stood and attempted to walk toward the pantry where I kept his food, but Binks darted in front of me, nearly tripping me. I caught myself, but knocked over the trash can in the process. Everything came tumbling out and scattered across the kitchen floor.
“Aw crap,” I said, staring at the mess with my hands on my hips. “Look what you made me do, you crazy cat,” I said to Binks.
He was huddled in the corner of the kitchen, staring at the trash pile with the hair along his spine raised.
“Guess it scared you more than me.” I grinned at him.
I bent down to pick up the larger pieces of trash, but Binks began hissing and I paused, hand still extended toward the mess.
My eyebrows drew together as I glanced at him. “What’s the matter, Buddy? It’s just trash.”
Pulling the trash can back up into a standing position, I reached for the larger pieces of trash again. This time Binks didn’t just hiss at me, he lunged at me and swiped at my hand with his paw.
I jumped back. “Geez, what the hell is your problem?”
I was answered with another vicious meow. Binks darted toward the broom that leaned against the wall. Vera must have forgotten to take care of it after she’d cleaned up the mess she’d blamed on me. He began brushing against it lovingly, and I got the distinct impression that he wanted me to use the broom to clean up everything and not my hands. I glanced back at the mess in front of me and decided it wasn’t a bad idea.
“Okay, guess I’ll use the broom then,” I said.
After cleaning up the mess in the kitchen the way Binks seemed to want me to, I got changed into my newest lavender bikini and met Vera at the bottom of the stairs. We spent the day at the beach, soaking up the sun and coating our skin in thick layers of sunblock. The day was gorgeous and exactly what I’d needed after all the craziness that had been introduced into my life lately.
As nice as it was to hang out with Vera like I’d intended to during this break, I had to admit there was something off about her. She seemed incredibly antsy and unable to sit still. We’d walked up and down the beach a dozen times in just a few hours. Something was bothering her and I wished she’d just tell me already.
“What is going on with you?” I asked finally, after we started back toward our little adopted piece of sand from another one of her walks she insisted that we go on.
Vera sighed and tugged her long hair free from her hair tie. Combing it with her fingers, she twisted it up into a higher bun on top of her head. “I don’t know. I just have this feeling I can’t shake.”
“What kind of feeling?”
She sighed. “I don’t really know how to explain it… It’s almost like I need to leave here, like if I stay in this town any longer I’m going to burst into flames.”
I laughed at her. “What? That’s crazy.”
“You asked, so I told you. I don’t understand it myself, but I can’t help how I feel.” She frowned. We’d finally reached our beach towels, and Vera bent to scoop up hers. She shook out the sand and wadded it up to tuck beneath her arm. “I’m sorry, Add, but I really think I’m gonna call my mom and see if she’ll meet us halfway. I wanna go home.”
My mouth fell open at her random confession. She wanted to go home? “You’re not serious, are you? What happened to the Vera who wanted to find a hot fisherman fling and have fun before she went off to college?”
She picked up her bottle of sunblock and tossed it into the hot pink polka dot beach bag she’d bought especially for this trip. “I know, I know. I just—can’t explain it.” She shrugged a shoulder and started toward my house without another word.
What the hell? Had I done something, said something maybe, that would have ticked her off? I couldn’t think of
I stood and attempted to walk toward the pantry where I kept his food, but Binks darted in front of me, nearly tripping me. I caught myself, but knocked over the trash can in the process. Everything came tumbling out and scattered across the kitchen floor.
“Aw crap,” I said, staring at the mess with my hands on my hips. “Look what you made me do, you crazy cat,” I said to Binks.
He was huddled in the corner of the kitchen, staring at the trash pile with the hair along his spine raised.
“Guess it scared you more than me.” I grinned at him.
I bent down to pick up the larger pieces of trash, but Binks began hissing and I paused, hand still extended toward the mess.
My eyebrows drew together as I glanced at him. “What’s the matter, Buddy? It’s just trash.”
Pulling the trash can back up into a standing position, I reached for the larger pieces of trash again. This time Binks didn’t just hiss at me, he lunged at me and swiped at my hand with his paw.
I jumped back. “Geez, what the hell is your problem?”
I was answered with another vicious meow. Binks darted toward the broom that leaned against the wall. Vera must have forgotten to take care of it after she’d cleaned up the mess she’d blamed on me. He began brushing against it lovingly, and I got the distinct impression that he wanted me to use the broom to clean up everything and not my hands. I glanced back at the mess in front of me and decided it wasn’t a bad idea.
“Okay, guess I’ll use the broom then,” I said.
After cleaning up the mess in the kitchen the way Binks seemed to want me to, I got changed into my newest lavender bikini and met Vera at the bottom of the stairs. We spent the day at the beach, soaking up the sun and coating our skin in thick layers of sunblock. The day was gorgeous and exactly what I’d needed after all the craziness that had been introduced into my life lately.
As nice as it was to hang out with Vera like I’d intended to during this break, I had to admit there was something off about her. She seemed incredibly antsy and unable to sit still. We’d walked up and down the beach a dozen times in just a few hours. Something was bothering her and I wished she’d just tell me already.
“What is going on with you?” I asked finally, after we started back toward our little adopted piece of sand from another one of her walks she insisted that we go on.
Vera sighed and tugged her long hair free from her hair tie. Combing it with her fingers, she twisted it up into a higher bun on top of her head. “I don’t know. I just have this feeling I can’t shake.”
“What kind of feeling?”
She sighed. “I don’t really know how to explain it… It’s almost like I need to leave here, like if I stay in this town any longer I’m going to burst into flames.”
I laughed at her. “What? That’s crazy.”
“You asked, so I told you. I don’t understand it myself, but I can’t help how I feel.” She frowned. We’d finally reached our beach towels, and Vera bent to scoop up hers. She shook out the sand and wadded it up to tuck beneath her arm. “I’m sorry, Add, but I really think I’m gonna call my mom and see if she’ll meet us halfway. I wanna go home.”
My mouth fell open at her random confession. She wanted to go home? “You’re not serious, are you? What happened to the Vera who wanted to find a hot fisherman fling and have fun before she went off to college?”
She picked up her bottle of sunblock and tossed it into the hot pink polka dot beach bag she’d bought especially for this trip. “I know, I know. I just—can’t explain it.” She shrugged a shoulder and started toward my house without another word.
What the hell? Had I done something, said something maybe, that would have ticked her off? I couldn’t think of
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