Zoe waved and wrapped her arms around herself as she watched him walk off. “The nights are getting chilly. Give it another two months and it will be cold sleeping with the door open.”
“They’ll be gone by that time,” Marcy said. She took off her shirt and draped it over Zoe’s shoulders. “And even if they aren’t, I’ll always keep you warm.”
“That’s sweet.” Zoe’s eyes roamed over Marcy, who was now only wearing a white tank top, and she ran her hand underneath it to caress her back. “But now you’ll be cold. We’ll have to do something about that.” She kicked off her heels and cast Marcy a flirty look over her shoulder as she went inside. “Come to bed.”
Marcy followed but they halted a few feet away from the bed. “God. Please, no.” Marcy sounded both amused and defeated as they came face to face with the two little furballs who were sleeping on the bed with their mother, on top of the mosquito net that they’d torn from the ceiling. “What now?”
“I don’t know,” Zoe whispered. “Thanks, Tank.” Tank lifted her head, then went back to sleep as if it was perfectly normal for her to be there. Although she’d really been looking forward to getting into that big bed with Marcy, she couldn’t help but giggle. “Can’t blame them. I guess they realized it was much more comfortable than the floor.”
“I’m not supposed to touch the kittens,” Marcy said with a sigh. “And I don’t want to chase them off.”
“How about a bath and the couch?” Zoe studied the big corner couch. “It looks like it folds out.”
“Yes, I got it in case I have guests over. There’s a spare duvet, pillows and bedlinen in the shed, I’ll go and find them.”
“Okay. Then I’ll deal with the couch.” As Zoe went to work, she realized they would need a mosquito net too, especially when sleeping so close to the door. It was kind of funny how Marcy had created this slick and calm designer haven that had turned into total chaos from the moment Tank had moved in. The rugs were gone, along with any glassware, there was constantly dirt around the plant pots from Tank’s digging, there were the occasional blood stains and rabbit carcasses, and now they’d have to build a tent to sleep in because the wild cat and her kittens had taken over the bed. Folding out the couch was easy, though, and once she’d managed it looked big enough for three people to sleep on.
“Found it.” Marcy placed the huge box with bedlinen on the floor and let out a chuckle as she glanced at the couch. “This is crazy.”
“Couldn’t agree more. Do you have anything we can use to keep the mosquitos away?” Zoe scanned the space but there was not much furniture left. “I don’t mind not having a net, but I know you can’t sleep without one.”
“I have some spare wood and thick rope somewhere, so I can try to tie together a wigwam construction if you help me hold them up.” Marcy arched a brow at Zoe. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have me drop you back at your parents’ house? I can’t promise it will be comfortable here and it will take a while before it’s done.”
Zoe shook her head, inched closer and kissed her. “No. I want to be with you tonight. This alternative sleeping arrangement might be long-term, so let’s just make the best of it.”
“Good.” Marcy smirked. “Anyway, the best things are worth waiting for.”
As she went back outside to find wood, Zoe made the bed and an hour and much laughter later, the makeshift tent was standing. They’d used Marcy’s old seventies bedsheet to create a canopy over the bed. Held up by two pairs of wooden planks tied together in triangles, it looked like something kids would have built, but it was cosy and comfortable inside, with lots of pillows and a jar filled with battery operated fairy lights that provided light.
“Not bad, right?” Zoe said proudly as she took in their hard work.
“Not how I imagined living here, but I have to admit, it looks pretty comfortable.” Marcy playfully slapped Zoe’s behind. “And anyway, I’ve always wanted to try camping.”
66
“I’m not sure how much longer I can cope with this.”
“I don’t think you have a choice.” Zoe felt for Marcy as she took in today’s damage. The bed was covered in bloodstains from another rabbit Tank had dragged in and the kittens were playing with the disembodied parts that were scattered across the floor. They’d covered the bed in a plastic sheet and topped it with old bedsheets that they washed regularly, but it was still a macabre sight. Marcy, Zoe and Rico took turns cleaning, and it absorbed a lot of their time. Tiger and Titty were very active now, and they’d had trouble sleeping at night, with them milling around the tent and occasionally tugging at the sheets. It was also getting harder to ignore them, as they were curiously seeking them out and they loved following them around and hunting for their feet. Zoe’s ankles were covered in scratches and Marcy – who tried to wear jeans at all times since they’d started exploring their hunting skills – still had a big gash on her hand.
“I know.” Marcy scanned the living room, then noticed there were paper snippets everywhere. “Oh, no, not my architecture books.” She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. “I thought they were safe on the coffee table since they’re big and heavy and well… they’re books. I didn’t think they’d be interesting to them.”
“Just about anything is interesting to them at this moment in time,” Rico said, joining them in the doorway. He took in the scene, wide-eyed. “I’m so sorry; that must have happened while I took a nap right before you got here. I’ll help you clean up but it’s best if we wait until all food has been eaten.” He shot them a regretful look. “We didn’t know what to expect as it’s a unique situation, but this is worse than I imagined.”
“Yes. The books are totally my fault, though. I underestimated them, and I should have put them in the shed. It wouldn’t be so bad, if only they would sleep through the night. And it’s so hard not to give them attention when they ask for it.” Marcy sighed. “How long do you think before they finally start making a mess outside?”
“It’s hard to say. Six to eight weeks, maybe.” He looked from Marcy to Zoe and back. “You both look tired. How about we get some people in for night shifts so you can get away for three or four days?”
“Can you make that work?” Marcy asked hopefully.
“Of course. As long as you don’t mind us sleeping in your tent, we’d be happy to look after the house.”
“No, I don’t mind. A little trip sounds like heaven.” Marcy turned to Zoe, who was wearing one of the few dresses that hadn’t been torn to shreds. They’d been out for a romantic dinner by the harbour and had been flirting relentlessly all night but coming home to this was a mood killer and so was the sound of destruction when they were in bed each night. She constantly had to check what was happening and their intimate moments had become few and far between lately. “What do you think?”
“Yes!” Zoe threw her head back and laughed. “Can we go right now?” she joked, then shook her head with a smile. “Never mind. I’ll have to make arrangements at work, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Marcy immediately felt her spirits lift. She’d been worried Zoe might have had enough of the constant chaos in and around the house. She’d been wonderful and staying over most nights so she could look after things in the mornings before work, but Marcy could tell she was tired too. “Amazing. When do you think we can go?”
“Well, I am the boss, and we currently don’t have any big events on, so whenever you want.” Zoe’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Imagine… somewhere quiet with a real bed.”
