Damien chuckled as he dealt a fresh hand of cards. I was just picking up my stack when Ronnie’s phonerang.
She froze, looking at the screen. “It’s the cat guy. The guy whose cat had thekittens.”
Ronnie had saved a pregnant cat in the Dream Wars, and had written her number on its belly in sharpie marker. The guy had called her a few weeks ago, said he lived in Seattle and would call her when the kittens could be separated from their mother, if any of them made it. He’d also told her she could haveone.
“Answer it!” I shouted. The prospect of a kitten seemed to have Ronnie inshock.
“Hello?” she said into thephone.
Brisk’s hand came out to rub her lower back, and I was completely taken with how normal they acted as a couple. Not all awkward like Damien and I, who hadn’t touched each other publicly since our time at the hotel. We were in that new and weird phase, where you weren’t sure what was okay or not, and it surprised me that ‘Bronnie’ was already well pastit.
Ronnie’s face lit up. “Umm yes, I would be so honored! I’ll pay you whatever you want for her.” My best friend’s voice was shaking withexcitement.
When she hung up the phone, she squealed so loudly that we collectively jumpedstartled.
“I’m going to be a mommy to a little kitten,” she announced withpride.
I couldn’t help but smile. “That’s great, Ronnie. When do you gether?”
She stood. “I’m going right now. It’s only like a four-hour drive from here, so I’ll be back before we go to sleep tonight. He’s been putting coffee in her milk to keep her awake as much as possible.” It was 5:00 a.m. She had more than enough time to make thetrip.
Brisk stood. “I’ll go with you. I lovekittens.”
We all grinned, even Ronnie. Brisk loved cats about as much as I did, but kittens were a whole different story. They were cuter and less psychotic than their full-grownselves.
“Would you like me to make a dream band for her? So she can go in with us?” Jeremy’s voice called from thehallway.
My head snapped up to him standing in the darkened hallway, holding a baseball cap covered inwires.
“You can do that?” Ronnieshrieked.
He shrugged. “Should beeasy.”
Damien frowned. “How come you never mentioned that idea before, buddy? If people could take their pets in with them, it could be a bigdeal.”
Dream bands for pets would’ve sold like crazy, not to mention that the cats, dogs, and other animals wouldn’t beendangered.
Jeremy shrugged. “I never thought about it. We don’t have apet.”
Ronnie looked like she wanted to hug him but thought better of it. “Thank you, Jeremy. That would mean the world tome.”
He looked nonplussed. “Okay.”
Ronnie and Brisk took off, and Damien looked at his brother again. “How long were you standing there?” Damien askedhim.
Jeremy made a face. “Long enough to hear about your celebrity couple names, and wonder if you and Kit are having sex with eachother.”
I nearly choked on myspit.
Damien shot up into a standing position, red-faced. “Okay, bud, that’s private. What’s in yourhands?”
I was trying to hide my smile. Jeremy was so blunt that it was actually hilarious at times. Maxine was grinning too, not even trying to hideit.
Jeremy walked over and held a black baseball cap out to me. Inspecting the cap, I could see it was definitely one of his prototypes, with several wires and electrodes coming from it in alldirections.
“It’s for Kit to wear. It needs about an hour of readings while she’s awake, and then the rest I need in the Dream Wars,” he stated to the group, staring at thefloor.
Ummwhat?
