She shook her head. “I’m not really hungry. I kind of feel like I’m going to throw up.” She did, too. She felt shaky and queasy, even though she hadn't eaten since she'd left Sari's apartment hours and hours ago.
“Maybe you'll change your mind once it's here,” David said and picked up the phone to place the order.
They designed the flyer while they waited for the pizza to be delivered. Since they didn't have a photo of the cat, Lucy wrote a brief description, biting her lip to keep the tears back as she typed “very small, with two black dots on his nose.”
“I think you should offer a reward,” David said from behind her.
She paused, her fingers poised on the keyboard. “How much?”
“Enough so that people will bother to return him, but not enough to attract a con artist.”
“And in dollars, that would be—?”
“A hundred maybe?”
“Ouch,” she said, typing it in. “But okay. Anything for David.”
“I’ll split it with you,” he said. “Fifty-fifty. Which would be fifty-fifty.”
“No,” Lucy said. “You paid for David in the first place and it's my fault he got lost, so I should pay the whole amount.”
“We're in this together,” David said. “And he's my cat, too— remember the visiting rights?”
“You can't visit what isn't here,” Lucy said. Her voice broke on the last word.
He put his hand on her shoulder. “He'll be back.”
Lucy did think the pizza smelled kind of good when it arrived, but as soon as she looked at it, her stomach tightened and she felt sick again, all shivery with a sudden chill, so she put it back down and excused herself for a moment. She went into the bedroom. She had left her window open and it was freezing in there. She closed the window, then went to her closet to get a sweater. When she opened the closet door, she let out a scream.
David came running. “What's wrong?”
She was squatting down, her back to him, but now she stood up and turned to him, gray fur clutched to her chest. “Nothing. Nothing. Everything's right.”
“The litde guy!” He stroked the cat's head. “How the fuck—? Is he okay?”
“I opened the closet and he was just there.”
David wrinkled his nose and peered into the closet. “Smells like he left you a present in there.”
“It's not his fault—he must have been in there for hours.” Lucy cuddled the kitten tightly against her chest. “Oh, David, you scared the shit out of me. Don't ever go missing like that again.”
“He didn't go missing,” David said. “You must have shut him in there.”
“I have no idea when or how I did that. And I swear I checked in there when I was looking all over for him. I know I did.”
“Maybe he was sleeping then.”
“We should feed him,” Lucy said. “And give him some water.”
“And take him to the litter box,” David said. “There may still be something left in him, although, to judge by the bottom of your closet, I doubt it.”
He took care of the kitten while Lucy cleaned up the mess then David the human went back to eating his pizza while David the kitten crouched on the floor and lapped eagerly at some water. Lucy sank into a chair and took a deep breath. Everything was okay. She had her kitten back.
“Sure you don't want any?” David said, as he took another piece of pizza from the box.
She realized with a sudden ache in her stomach that she was starving. Relief had brought back her appetite with a vengeance. “Yeah, actually, I do,” she said. She reached over and snagged the biggest slice that was left and devoured it.
She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten a slice of pizza like that—the whole thing from the top of the triangle to the bottom, without bothering to blot the grease with a napkin or pick the cheese off or leave the crust or play any of her usual calorie-cutting games.
“I can't decide who looks more blissed out, you or the cat,” David said as she swallowed the last bite. “Of course, the cat has a slight advantage in being able to lick himself clean.”
“Does that mean I have pizza sauce on my face?” Lucy said. She didn't even care. Nothing bothered her. David was back, safe and sound.
“Just a little. On your chin.”
She swiped at it with a napkin. “Did I get it?”
“Not yet.” He leaned forward. “Right there.” He touched his fingertip lightly to the right side of her chin.
She wiped at the spot. “That better?”
“Yeah.” He was still leaning forward.
“Thanks,” she said.
He let his arm fall. “Want another slice?”
“God, no. It was good, though.”
He closed the pizza box and stood up. “I should probably head off.”
“Oh, right.” Her contentment suddenly dropped away. “You left someone waiting. I’m sorry I wasted your whole day. And for nothing.”
“It's okay,” he said. “I’m glad it turned out to be for nothing. Here he is, safe as can be. No one's going to be experimenting on this little kitten tonight.”
“Or ever.” She stood up as he moved toward the door. “Hold on,” she said.
He turned back, questioningly.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was a total idiot about everything. Panicking about the cat when he was fine the whole time.”
“You're not an idiot,” he said.
“I totally overreacted. I was a hysterical girl.”
“It's okay to react to things,” he said. “Not everything has to be a thought-out position in life with a defensible argument, Lucy. Sometimes it's okay to just react.”
“Even if it makes you look like an idiot?”
“Especially.”
They were both quiet for a moment. Then, “Thank you,” Lucy said, moving forward. “For coming today and caring about David.”
“You don't have to thank me for either.”
“Thank you, anyway,” she said, and hugged him. He hugged her back. They stood like that a moment, their bodies pressed together in friendship.
And then Lucy felt something move against her leg. For one ridiculous moment, she thought of the cat. And then she realized it wasn't an animal.
David had a hard-on.
So maybe it wasn't just friendship.
The polite thing to do was to ignore it, she thought.
And then she deliberately pressed her hip against him.
“Excuse me?” he said startled and taking a step back.
“I didn't say anything.” She moved up against him again and pushed her thigh right where his dick was jutting up inside the light fabric of the scrub pants he was wearing.
There was a pause. Then: “Yeah, about that,” he said, twisting away from her. His face had turned red, and he wouldn't look at her. “I’m sorry. I can't always—you know—control it—and we were kind of … shoved up together there. And all men are pigs. Did I mention that before? That all men are pigs? Because that pretty much sums it up. And these scrubs don't hold you back at all. Or the boxers, either. Anyway … I should probably go. I already stayed too long.”
“No,” Lucy said. “Don't go.” And, pressing the length of her body against his—making sure her hip was right up against his erection—she lifted up her face and offered him her mouth. Which he accepted, at first uncertainly and then with growing enthusiasm.
The kiss didn't do anything to subdue or calm the hot dick against her leg. It bobbed about even more enthusiastically than before.
When they finally came up for air, Lucy hid her head in his shoulder and said, “I can't believe we're doing this.”
“We can stop now,” David said. He cleared his throat. “I could still go.”
“You sure you can walk?”
“I could probably limp out of here.” He took a deep breath. “Seriously, Lucy, if you want me to go, I’m gone. We still have to work together. I’m not saying I haven't dreamed about this— okay, fa
ntasized about this—from day one, because I have. But you made it clear a long time ago that it was never going to happen and I’ve accepted that.”
“Have you?” Lucy said, looking down at the tent in his pants.
“Yeah,” he said. “Intellectually I have. Maybe not so much physically. But I can still walk out of here and never say another word about any of it.”
“Really?” she said, gently bouncing her leg right where his dick was straining hard against the thin fabric. “Just walk right out of here?”
He closed his eyes with a little moan and said, “I think I can.”
“You sound like the little engine.”
“Are you just torturing me or is there a point to what you're doing?”
She answered his question by taking him by the hand and leading him into her bedroom.
There was a pause after she rolled off of him. They lay side by side on their backs, eyes closed, breathing hard. And then he said, “I thought I could, I thought I could,” and they both cracked up. “Uh-oh,” David said suddenly. “We're not alone.”
Lucy opened her eyes. David the kitten was crouched on the end of the bed watching them. “Here, David,” Lucy cooed. “Here, kitty. Don't be afraid.” He came walking toward her, picking his way carefully among the folds and lumps of the quilt. Lucy held her hand out to him and he came closer and cautiously sniffed at her fingers. “Now that he's seen some very grown-up things, I think we'd better explain the facts of life to him, don't you?”
“Definitely. Let me.” He scritched behind the kitten's ear and said, “Kid, stay away from girls. They'll only break your heart.”
“Hey!” Lucy propped herself up on her elbow. “That's so not true.”
“Been true in my experience.”
“I’d say you were the one with some explaining to do. Didn't you leave some cute little undergrad back at Starbucks, sobbing into her extra-foamy decaf latte?”
“I have to assume she's gone home by now.”
“Seriously,” Lucy said.
“I can't help it if I like you better. And I didn't actually leave her there, you know. I dropped her off at her place.”
“You like me better?” she said.
“Always have,” he said. “But you were never available or interested.”
“I’m both now,” she said.
“I can't believe it,” he said. “I should have given you a cat a long time ago.”
She reached down for the quilt and pulled it up over both of them. “You want to stay the night?”
“You really want me to?”
“Yeah. That way, in the morning— Oh, my God! The morning!” She sat up. “I’m going to Hawaii in the morning!”
“You're kidding.”
She shook her head.
“Jesus, Luce, when were you going to tell me? You can't just take off on a vacation—we have a ton of work this week.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I swear I was going to call you as soon as I got home, and then the whole thing with David happened and I totally forgot.” She told him about Kevin's call.
“All right,” he said. “I guess you kind of have to go if your friend's getting married. But you can't stay any longer than that, no matter how beautiful it is there.”
“I won't. I promise.”
“Wish I could go with you.”
“Well, you can't,” she said. “Which is a good thing.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“No, I mean, it would be nice to have you there—but if you're here, you can take care of David for me.”
“Yeah, okay,” he said. He scooped David up in his hand. “Looks like it's going to be just me and you for the next few days, buddy. Let's have some fun. Let's go find us some pussy.”
“I knew that sooner or later you were going to make that joke,” Lucy said. “You are so predictable.”
“He thinks I’m funny.” He held up the kitten. “I mean, he's trying to keep a straight face, but you can tell that on the inside he is totally losing his shit.”
“You're a nut,” Lucy said. She flung back the quilt and swung her legs off of the bed. “I’m going to pack as quickly as I can, and then I’m coming back to bed, and you both better still be here. Understand?”
“Understood,” David said. “Do we have to be awake?”
“Nah,” she said with a grin. “I think I can figure out a way to wake you up.”
He wasn't asleep when she came back, but he pretended he was.
8
Knit Two Together
I
You know,” Lucy said, craning her neck to get a better view, “I don't think we need to bother trying to go see a volcano. The most impressive rock formation in Hawaii is right here in front of us.”
“It's not bad, is it?” Kathleen said, moving her hand so the diamond caught the light and released its hidden rainbow of hues. “A little heavy on the finger—”
“Are you complaining?” Lucy said. “Because if it's too heavy for you, darling, I could be persuaded to carry it around a while.”
“Just don't expect to ever get it back, Kath,” Sari said. She tilted her face up to the sunlight. “Man, this is the life, isn't it?” They were sitting on beach chairs on the sand, the ocean booming and crashing just feet from their toes, the sun warm, the breeze soft, and the sky an intense turquoise blue. They wore bikinis and sarongs and were covered with sunscreen, floppy hats, and sunglasses.
Lucy sighed with pleasure and dug her toes into the sun-hot sand. “Kathleen, you are no idiot.”
“That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.”
“I can't believe Kevin actually owns this place,” Lucy said. “It's beautiful. It's beyond beautiful. It's what Eden would have been like if it hadn't been a garden, and I’ll take the ocean over some dumb flowers anyday. If you don't marry Kevin, I will.”
“I never knew you were so materialistic,” Kathleen said.
“I don't think it's materialistic to want this,” Lucy said. “The beach and all. I’m just appreciating nature.”
“A minute ago, you were appreciating her diamond,” Sari said. “Any more appreciation from you, and Kathleen better start looking over her shoulder. Especially now that you're back on the market.”
“I’m off the market again,” Lucy said. She lifted up her chin to let the breeze cool off her neck.
“You and James make up?” Kathleen said.
“No,” Lucy said.
Sari said, “She even destroyed the sweater.”
“She destroyed the sweater?” Kathleen said. “No one told me that.”
“I had to,” Lucy said. “It was a symbolic gesture.”
“I told you,” Kathleen said. “I told you not to knit a sweater for a boyfriend.”
“And I told you not to knit a bikini in hot pink.”
“Hey,” Kathleen said, flinging out her arms and posing like a catalogue model. “I think it looks pretty fucking fabulous on me.”
“I dare you to go in the water with it.”
“No way. As you just pointed out, I’m no idiot.” Kathleen relaxed back on the chair. “Anyway, the point is that I was right about the sweater.”
“Fine,” Lucy said. “You were right.”
“Which means you were wrong.”
“Whatever.”
“Say it. Say you were wrong. I just want to hear the words come out of your mouth. Have you ever admitted you were wrong? In your life?”
“Shut up.” Lucy kicked some sand in Kathleen's direction. “Don't you even want to know why I’m off the market again?”
“Of course,” Kathleen said. “What's going on?”
“I slept with David Lee last night,” Lucy said.
“With David Lee?” Kathleen repeated.
“My lab partner,” Lucy said. “The half-Jewish, half-Chinese guy you met at the walk.”
“I know who David Lee is,” Kathleen said. “That's why I’m confused.”
“Fuck you,” Lucy said. ??
?I happen to like the way he looks.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Kathleen said. “I think he's adorable. I’m just having trouble processing it. Remember when you first started working together? You said he had a crush on you and you had to shut him down completely.”
“Things change,” Lucy said. “I changed.”
“I wasn't surprised,” Sari said. “I knew when he gave you that friggin’ cat that there was something going on between you two.”
“There wasn't, though,” Lucy said. “I was still with James then.”
“Maybe,” Sari said. “But the kitten definitely started something.”
“Yeah, I guess. It's weird, though.”
“What?” Kathleen said. She extended her right foot so she could admire her bright red toenail polish. She had gone out to get a manicure and pedicure that morning in preparation for the wedding and when she walked back in the house afterward, Lucy and Sari were there waiting for her. She was so surprised, she had screamed. Then they all screamed and hugged one another while Kevin beamed. “What's weird?”
“That someone can be right there and you don't think of him in any special way. And then suddenly you do think of him that way and it makes sense. Has that ever happened to either of you?”
“Does sixth grade count?” Sari asked. “Because I remember suddenly noticing Fidel Mateo in sixth grade, and we'd been in school together since kindergarten.”
“Before my time,” Lucy said. “So what happened with Fidel?”
“Coco Kronenberg was a big fat slut who stuffed her bra. That's what happened.” “His loss,” Lucy said.
Kathleen said suddenly, “Let's go to a hotel bar and get royally drunk. It's the night before my wedding, girls. I need to get wrecked.”
“What about Kevin?” Sari said.
Kathleen stood up. “He can stay home.” She picked up her beach chair and folded it. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll be stuck with him every night for the rest of my life.”
“That's so romantic,” Lucy said. “I may cry.”
Three hours and nine daiquiris later, they had achieved in triplicate Kathleen's goal of getting wrecked.