“Oh.” Shelly looked like that explained it. “You might want to try Costco next time.”
Gabby and Justin exchanged a look. Shelly was insufferable. To hammer home her annoyance, she said, “Did you try that book I recommended, sweetie?”
The way she said “sweetie” made Gabby cringe.
“Yes, I did.” In retrospect, it wasn’t surprising Shelly had been behind an activity that involved cataloging all of Gabby’s flaws.
Shelly set her uneaten shrimp down and said, “Neither of you have seen Tarragon, have you?”
Gabby had been hearing about Shelly’s missing cat, Tarragon, for weeks. At one point, Shelly had implied that Mr. Bubbles had something to do with it.
Justin shook his head no—in full cat face. When Shelly looked down at her phone, he mouthed to Gabby, “Who is that?” and she loudly whispered back, “Her cat.”
“I try to keep him inside, but he always manages to sneak out.”
Justin waxed poetic, as if he hadn’t just realized that Tarragon existed. “Nothing is meant to be cooped up inside all day long. I’m sure Tarragon is living his best life.”
The pros and cons of a dangerous life versus a safe life trapped in a house—it was like they’d tapped into Gabby’s thoughts. If only she could sneak away and talk to Justin about it.
As Shelly and Justin got into a heated conversation about how much a house cat should be allowed to explore, Gabby’s thoughts turned to the EOD and Markus. She sent a quick text to calm her anxiety:R u OK?It was only polite to check after the pepper spray incident.
He responded almost immediately:At ER.
The look on her face must have been bad, because Justin rubbed her arm in a comforting way. “Sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t know you were passionate about cats.”
Before she could decide how to respond, Markus answered:JK. I’m fine.
“It’s something else.” Sharing personal info with Shelly was always risky, but she needed to download. “I started a new job today, and I’m not sure I’m up to the challenge.”
Shelly stopped short. “A job? I didn’t know you were looking.” She seemed offended for not being in the know.
For that matter, so did Justin. His expression was the same as ifthere’d been a dramatic reveal onReal Housewivesthat he hadn’t seen coming. He rejected all plot twists he didn’t predict.
“Whatare you doing?” Justin looked ready to talk her down from a stripper pole.
“Just some… office work.”
“I suppose you had to because of the—” Shelly mouthed, “Divorce,” in an exaggerated whisper as if it were a secret, as if Gabby might have forgotten she was divorced.
Gabby nodded. It was easier than explaining that the EOD needed her because she was the only one on Facebook who looked like a dead secret agent.
Shelly started in with the condolences. “I’m sorry, honey. If you need anything, I’m here. I thought about going back to work once, but it’s just not worth it.” Shelly got so defensive about her choice not to work outside the house that she ended up attacking anyone who made a different choice.
Justin stood and motioned for Gabby to follow. “Can you excuse us for a minute, Shelly? I need Gabby to help with some kitchen duty.” He was clearly just helping her out of the conversation. Gabby was grateful, because she could have been there all night.
After they refreshed their cocktails, Justin said, “Back to my taxidermy collection. You are going to die!”
She said, “Great,” but she mostly wanted to talk about her job problem. “Justin, I’m just not sure I can do this job.”
“Hold that thought, babe.” He gestured to the raccoon and another animal next to him. “I picked this lynx up at the flea market yesterday.” He scratched under the stuffed cat’s chin. “Kitty kitty would have been lonely by himself.”
At the sight of the stuffed creature, Gabby started chokingon her drink. In between gasping for air and coughing, she said, “That is not a lynx. That is Tarragon.”
“Tarragon?”
“You remember Shelly’s cat, the one that’s missing?”
“Noooo.” He rocked back on his heels and looked at the cat. “That’s not a house cat.”
