“What the fuck?”
The bigger cat was sitting on the end of the couch, cleaning his paws. He paused long enough to look up at him and meow.
“Where is she?”
Since he wasn’t expecting an answer, Simon was stunned when the cat hopped down and went to the front door, rubbing his head against the wood.
“Why would she be out there?”
This time, the cat simply sat down and peered at him as though he was an idiot.
“Fine,” he muttered, opening the front door to look outside.
He frowned when he noticed Violet’s car was gone.
Closing the door, Simon went back to her bedroom to get his clothes. He pulled them on, searching for his cell phone in the process. When he found it, he sat on the edge of her bed and dialed her number.
The call went to voicemail.
“Hey … uhm… Yeah. It’s me. Simon. I woke up, and you’re not here. Call me, please.”
He disconnected the call, tucked his phone in his pocket, then wandered back into the living room.
What the hell was he supposed to do now? Did she run out to get coffee? Maybe breakfast? Should he wait? See if she comes back?
Worried she would be upset if she returned to find him gone, Simon took a seat on the couch. He found himself surrounded by felines within seconds. Both cats rubbed at him until he gave them the attention they were seeking.
Then there they were, the three of them, waiting for Violet to return.
Thirty minutes and three text messages later, Simon accepted that Violet wasn’t coming back. Nor was she returning his texts. He wasn’t sure what else to do except go back to the B and B so he could shower and change.
“If she does come back, make sure she knows I didn’t bolt,” he told the cats.
He flipped the bottom lock on the door, double-checked that he had his keys, wallet, and phone, then pulled the door closed and headed for his car.
The drive back to the bed and breakfast felt awkward. Considering how weird it was to wake up in a woman’s house only to find yourself alone, Simon was having a difficult time sorting reality from fiction. Did last night actually happen? Or was he about to wake up from the best dream of his life and find out it was all in his head?
He made it back to the B and B, parked his car, walked to the door, and still didn’t wake up. Once inside, he was greeted by the smell of cinnamon rolls and coffee. His stomach rumbled in earnest.
Would that happen if this was a dream?
“Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence,” Holt said from his spot in the living room. “Things went well with Violet, I take it.”
Simon frowned. “You can see me?”
Holt barked a laugh. “Of course I can see you.”
That didn’t make him feel better. Maybe this was his subconscious playing tricks on him. Was this a dream version of Holt?
Holt’s grin faded. “You okay?”
“I don’t know.”
That wasn’t the right thing to say because Holt got to his feet, his expression morphing from amused to concerned in an instant.
“What happened?”
“I woke up,” he said, peering around, waiting to see if there would be a blue rabbit or a green tiger. Something to confirm this wasn’t real.
