Chapter 38
Lexie
I wipe away the irksome tear that snuck out of my eye the minute the door slammed behind him. What just happened? One minute we were snuggling; Gabriel holding me tightly like this thing with us was real. The next, he’s insulting almost the only family I have left. Just imagine what he’d say about my dad if he ever met him. Which he never will. I’ll make sure of that.
No, Gabriel’s behavior was unacceptable. If I had to choose between a man and my furry, feathered little family, I’d pick my animals. They never let me down, never disappoint. Granted, they can’t give me the kind of pleasure Gabriel gave me tonight, but he also gave me pain. Pain that has seeped down into my spine. A good person doesn’t treat animals like that.
Deciding to check on Cy, I grab my robe that hangs behind my door and make my way into the living room. Honestly, he doesn’t usually squawk at night. Something must have upset him. We all sleep very soundly here. The only nocturnal noise-makers around here are Ron and Hermione, and those sounds are caused by their wheels which I rub with vegetable oil every now and then to prevent the squeaks.
Stepping into the living room, I can see Cy in his cage, one wing flapping frantically. “Cy, sweetie. What’s wrong?” I peek into his cage and gasp. “Oh, poor Cy.” His wing has gotten pinched between the hinge of the door and the cage. I unlatch the door and ease his wing out. “How’d you do that, Cy?” I coo softly. “Poor baby.”
Once his wing is free, I touch it gently to see if he damaged anything attempting to free himself. Nothing feels broken. I sigh with relief. But, I’ll keep an eye on him this morning as I clean cages. There’s no way I’ll be able to go back to sleep now. I might as well make good use of my time and get that task done. If I have time, I’ll do up those dishes too. Laundry will have to wait until Saturday since I’ll need to go to the laundromat.
By seven thirty, I’m pleased with everything I’ve accomplished in three hours. Cages have all been cleaned with fresh food, water, and fresh bedding for everyone. Cy’s wing is fine. He was pretty chipper after I cleaned his cage too. (chipper. haha, get it?)
I also scrubbed down my kitchen, sorted my laundry in preparation for Saturday. I showered and shaved everything and selected a cute outfit for the interview this morning, one that Gabriel purchased for me. I chose a pair charcoal gray wide-legged pants along with a silver-gray sweater set that sparkles just a tiny bit when the light hits it just right. I’ve also chosen a pair of plain black pumps. Nothing over the top to embarrass the jackass, er, I mean Gabriel.
What can I say? He was a jackass. I don’t know why I’m doing this for him. In the last three hours, I’ve been increasingly angry with him calling him every name in the book, in my head. I’ve alternated between telling him off and forgetting the entire scene from last night. At six fifteen, I all but decided to end this whole charade with him. By seven, I was back to giving him another chance. I still don’t know what I should do. My exhaustion is playing havoc with my common sense.
At eight thirty, there’s no sign of Eric, so I jump into a taxi to make sure I’m not late. “The Waldorf Astoria, please.” I check my makeup in my tiny compact and reapply my lipstick. “God, I’m nervous,” I whisper to my reflection.
When the driver pulls up to the hotel, I slide out and feel the chill of winter whip up my pant leg. I didn’t bring my coat along. I knew Gabriel would probably have a coronary if I walked into this fancy-schmancy place in a parka. So, I’ll just freeze my buns off.
