“They don’t seem to like me.I figure it’s best if I keep my distance.I’d hate to cause a kitty riot.”
“I see.Well, it’s true cats have a knack for recognizing the most uncomfortable person in the room, then they make a beeline for that person.They’re extremely intelligent creatures, and they are predators.”
“Right.So, you have quite the place here.”
“Thanks.I’m proud of the work we do.”
Lacey was cooing at an old tabby cat in the corner.“Claire, I love this little guy.Tell me about him.”
“That’s Mortimer,” said Claire.“He’s a sweet old man.A neighbor brought him to us years ago.He’d been abandoned and was living rough.He lives here permanently.Would you like to pet him?”
Lacey looked like someone had just asked her if she’d like to direct George Clooney in a movie.“Yes, please.”
Claire unlatched Mortimer’s cage and brought him to her.Lacey gushed over the feline, and so did Michael and Eli.
As for Mortimer, after giving them a good sniff, he rubbed his face all over their hands.
“Mortimer’s my old buddy,” said Claire.“I always tell new volunteers, ‘Mortimer needs to give you the seal of approval before you start working here.’He thinks he runs the place, you see.I call him the Manager.Luckily, he loves everyone.”
Lacey gushed.“We’ll have to get you on film telling us that story.”
Claire turned to Nick.“Would you like to try petting him?I’ll hold him for you.”
“I don’t know,” said Nick.
“He’s very gentle.”
Just do it.He’s an itty bitty cat.“Okay.”Nick took one step.
Mortimer hissed.
Nick’s flight instinct kicked in, and he jumped back.All six feet, two inches of him.
Like a total badass.
“Mortimer!”Claire hurriedly put him back in his kitty condo.“I’m so sorry.He never hisses.”
“It’s okay.I’m used to it,” said Nick, feeling strangely deflated at not getting the Manager’s seal of approval.“So, what’s next on the tour?”
As Claire showed them around the rest of the facility, Nick breathed a sigh of relief as they entered a few cat-free zones.Of course, there were pictures of cats hanging on all the walls, and he could swear their beady little eyes followed him.
The sanctuary itself was well-organized and the volunteers bustled around them as they performed their daily chores.Lacey made notes as they walked.Nick knew how her mind worked.She would want to film the staff at work so viewers could see what happened in a cat shelter.
As they toured the place, Nick could see all the repair projects that had likely been put off time and again.There were spots of damp on a couple of the walls in the office.Claire told them they’d had a couple of bad leaks two years ago, and when she’d brought in a contractor, the guy hadn’t done a good job.The leaks had reappeared with the next big rain.
That pissed Nick off.He hated when lazy contractors took advantage of their customers.It tarnished the entire profession.Now, the drywall would need to be removed on those walls, and those leaks needed to be located before Claire’s property suffered any more damage.
She showed them the room where they washed all the cat blankets and other linens.The room itself was little more than a closet.Wedged in there was the saddest washer and dryer Nick had ever seen.There was a load of linens in the washer, and the machine clunked and groaned as it spun.
It was a good thing one of theHandymensponsors had promised new laundry appliances.They were already sitting in their warehouse, waiting to be put into action.
Nick eyed the laundry room wall, wondering if they could knock it down and make the room bigger.
Michael’s wheels must have been turning at the same time.He leaned in toward Nick.“That wall has to come down.”
“Agreed.She shouldn’t have to squeeze into this tiny space to do laundry.”
Several other items were added to Nick’s to do list as they finished up their tour.The reception area wasn’t as welcoming as it could be.It needed a good paint job and the furniture needed an update.The counter itself was a remnant from the nineteen-eighties, and was too big for the space.They would fit Claire up with a new, sleek counter, one that suited the surroundings.There was a lot of good light coming in from the windows, but the windows themselves needed to go.Once they put new ones in, she’d see a reduction in her heating and cooling costs.
