Page 2 of Once Bitten

Chapter Two

“Tommy, I’m home.” I called out as I burst into my apartment, arms full of the bags of work I’d brought home. “You’re not going to believe what’s happened!” I threw the bags down and ran to the bathroom, as was my usual routine.

“Guess where I’m going with Larry in two days! PARIS! Can you believe it? For a WHOLE week. He’s got back to back meetings for the first two days, then nothing for a few days before he has some more meetings before we go home. So he thought we might as well stay there! He’s even giving me an advance on my pay for the week. Shopping, baby!” I yelled through the door.

“Tommy?” I called out again, walking out into the living room. He wasn’t there.

“Anyway, so I work a half day tomorrow, and then I’ll come home to get some sleep and we’re catching the red eye flight on Wednesday. So you’ll have the apartment ALL to yourself for a whole week. But Grandma’s going to come over every few days and visit you so you don’t get too lonely, ok?” I rambled as I strolled to the kitchen, thinking he was there. He wasn’t.

That was weird. Maybe he’d gone out for a walk.

I stripped off my work clothes as I shuffled to my bedroom, always ready to change into something more comfortable the minute I got home. The black skirt I wore almost every day was tight around my thighs, and my white shirt barely contained my breasts. The outfit wasn’t comfortable but I knew I looked good in it and it gave me the confidence I needed when I talked to some of the important people I had to on behalf of my boss.

I was pulling the shirt off when I saw Tommy on the bed.

“Oh, there you are, baby,” I reached over and gave him a pat on the head. “You’re such a good kitty,” I cooed at my cat, Tommy. “Did you hear what I said about going to PARIS! Isn’t it amazing?” I ran my hands over the soft fur of his back.

He purred and closed his eyes, ignoring my chatter.

“But like I said, you don’t have to worry, Grandma is going to come and feed you every other day, and probably spoil you, I’ll come back and you’ll have a nice round belly.” I looked at myself in the mirror. “A little like mine,” I puffed out my stomach and patted it gently. Eh, I’d start exercising after Paris.

I pulled on a long t-shirt and padded back out to the foyer, grabbing my work bags and headed out to the living room.

Tommy followed me, probably hoping I was going to take a detour through the kitchen for some cat food, but settled down for a nap next to me on the couch when he saw me take out my laptop.

We’d settled into a pretty comfortable routine in the four years we’d lived together. I’d inherited him from the previous owner who’d promised me that he only showed up every few days for a quick bite, a drink and then he was off exploring the city again. But Tommy had a stomach for leftover gourmet food, apparently, and once he got used to the yummy tidbits I’d bring back from my work dinners out, he became a more permanent guest. Now I couldn’t go a few minutes without talking to him, while ignoring the niggling thoughts that at 33 I’d already become a spinster cat lady.

“Who cares, if I‘m a spinster, eh, Tommy?” I tickled him under the chin and he yawned. “I have work, I have you...and next week, I’ll have a new stamp in my passport.”

I worked until Tommy nudged me with his cold nose, reminding me that his stomach was never to allowed to get too empty. My stomach rumbled in agreement and I picked him up and went to the kitchen. I knew what was in the fridge even before I opened it, but it I was an optimist at heart.

“One limp carrot dipped in mustard, and a week old boiled egg sprinkled with moldy parmesan cheese, coming up. Yummm,” I said to my cat, closing the fridge, “but what are YOU gonna have?”

I opened a can of cat food and tipped it into Tommy’s bowl before grabbing my phone and speed dialing the Vietnamese restaurant downstairs.

“It’s Kara,” I spoke into the phone when someone finally answered, “just the usual, Mai. And hold the soy sauce. I’m bloated enough as it is. Thanks, see ya in 15.”

I unlocked my apartment door and sat back on the couch waiting for the food, listening to the racket downstairs drifting in through my 5th floor window. Tommy jumped back onto the cushion next to me, licking the last of his dinner off his lips. It’d been a long time since I’d gone out for a crazy night on the town. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d gone a whole day without doing any work.

I checked my phone. No missed calls, no messages, from anyone. Too bad Tommy didn’t have opposable thumbs, I thought.

I’d chosen this life, I reminded myself. And as much as I did hate the travel sometimes, it was still the most exciting work I’d ever imagined I’d be lucky enough to find.

Larry was a great boss, he was kind and generous, and made sure I always had what I needed and paid me more than my peers. But at night, he went home to his wife and family, and I came home to my laptop and Tommy.

And spring rolls! I reminded myself, as a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

“It’s Mai, Kara.”

“Come in,” I called out. The door opened and a gorgeous, petite Vietnamese woman came in, carrying a bagful of food.

“Hey Tommy,” she cooed to my cat, “I brought you a little something.” She opened a small container with some steamed fish and waved it in front of his face. “How are you doing, babe? You’ve been ordering in a lot more than usual lately.” She said to me as she sat on the edge of the couch and watched me go through my food containers, breathing in their delicious scent and drooling.

“Not for the next week, I’m going to Paris,” I told her, breaking apart a pair of chopsticks.

“NO EFFING WAY!” She said, and jumped off the couch. “About time you went somewhere you could bring me back a decent souvenir. I keep telling you, I don’t have room for any more magnets. And that’s saying something considering I have an industrial size refrigerator!”

I stuck my tongue out at her before digging into my papaya shrimp salad like a starving person.