by Jane Frances
“Well is he alright?”
“I think so.” Lisa watched Virgil lift a leg to lick his nether regions. “His neck movement certainly seems okay.”
“Good.” Joel shifted his weight. “Can we go now? You’re not exactly good for my neck movement.”
“Better make it quick.” Lisa’s heart thumped as the woman she had bawled out appeared in the room, gave Virgil a scratch behind the ear, then frowned in her direction. “I think we’ve been seen.”
“Bullshit. If the lights are on they can’t see us.” Nevertheless, Joel made quick work of dropping to his knees so Lisa could climb down.
They crept along the fence line, breaking into a run when the back door of Virgil’s house creaked open. Once home they decided it was better to stay indoors for at least a little while, just in case Virgil’s mum decided to investigate any farther than her back door.
Cathy knocked, then waited for what seemed an inordinately long time for footfalls on the other side of the door.
“Who is it?”
Surprised at the request to identify herself—surely Toni hadn’t forgotten the invite for dinner—Cathy said simply, “It’s me.”
The door opened and Toni practically threw herself into a hug. “Cathy. It’s you.”
“It was last time I looked.” Cathy laughed, pushing Toni to arm’s length. Seeing the worry on her face, she sobered. “What’s wrong?”
The door was quickly closed, but not before Toni had glanced from side to side, then down her driveway. “I think there’s someone hanging around out the back.”
“Oh.” Cathy mouthed, in keeping with Toni’s whispering. In the four years of their acquaintance, she had become well aware of her dramatics, her brilliant excuses for constantly arriving late to work testament to her penchant for exaggeration. “Maybe it was the mystery pot-tipping cat.”
“I’m being serious here.” Toni’s eyes pleaded. “I was in the back room with Virgil when I thought I heard something. I peeked outside to check and I’m sure I heard people running down the lane.”
Cathy took a long hard look at her friend. Toni was no shrinking violet, yet she seemed genuinely shaken. She tried for the obvious. “It was probably only a couple of kids, Toni.”
Toni flew a withering look. “Yeah, and maybe it was a couple of axe-wielding murderers.”
Cathy sighed, “And maybe not.” She pulled Toni toward the kitchen. “Are all your doors and windows locked?”
“Shit yes.”
“Well, there’s nothing to worry about then.” Cathy plopped into one of the chairs surrounding the large table that dominated Toni’s kitchen. “What’s for dinner?”
Momentarily forgetting her fear, Toni swelled and said, “Pizza.”
“Let me guess.” Cathy tried as hard as she could to keep a straight face. “You bought yourself a pizza maker.”
“Not just any pizza maker. This is the best on the market. It’s got—” Toni trailed away, a look of complete incomprehension on her face. “What are you laughing at?”
Later, after a meal of Toni’s “pizza with everything,” Cathy said, “I reckon this is an evening worth remembering. Good wine, great food, and not a soul within shouting distance.”
“Don’t forget the outstanding company.”
“Of course,” Cathy grinned, confident in her teasing. Toni was much brighter than before, her fears abated. And her new pizza maker—actually it was more of a mini pizza oven—providing results that surpassed any takeout. “Virgil has been a pleasure.”
“As usual,” Toni smiled sweetly, not biting, and said, “Now, how about dessert?”
“I couldn’t.” Cathy patted her tummy. “I couldn’t fit another thing in.”
“You sure? I’m thinking apple pie with double cream.”
“Oh, God,” Cathy laughed. “Did you buy yourself a pie maker too?”
“No.” Toni shook her head gravely. “I’m talking real apple pie.”
“Oh.” The reply was just as grave. “Sara Lee.”
Toni nodded. “Sara Lee.” She took Cathy’s plate and headed to the kitchen.
An hour later, Toni and Cathy lay flat on the floor. Toni had undone the button on her jeans. Cathy had pulled her T-shirt from her 501s. They were both clutching at their stomachs.
“I’m going to have to roll home you know.”
“I’m going to be sick.”
“I can’t believe we ate the whole thing.”
“You had most of it.”
“Bullshit.” Cathy couldn’t help but notice the slight shifts Toni had made across the carpet. Barely discernible by themselves, their sum left them less than a few inches apart. “I saw you take that extra large slice when you thought I wasn’t looking.”
“I fed most of it to Virgil.” Toni shifted again, this time to lie on her side, head propped by her hand. Her eyes moved quickly down the length of Cathy’s body then settled on the ball of fur that sat at her feet licking its paws. “I don’t think she’ll be up to any mischief tonight.”
Also moving to rest on her hand and watch Toni’s much-loved companion, Cathy took advantage of the time to weigh her options. She knew Toni had a crush on her. Never mind the comments by Sue, her outspoken receptionist, when she scheduled their meetings (“Toni will really look forward to that,”) every fiber of Cathy’s being picked up on the vibes. Her plan was just to ignore it. Like every crush, it would eventually go away.
The trouble at the moment was Toni looked so damned attractive. Hell, she was an attractive woman. In Cathy’s eyes it had never been an issue, just a fact. Cathy shifted, the weight of a full belly bringing her back to reality. Toni was a valued workmate and friend. That was a lot to lose for the sake of . . .
“Hey,” Toni’s voice was soft as it broke through Cathy’s thoughts. “What’s on your mind?”
“You,” Cathy said without thinking, immediately feeling color spread up her neck, to her cheeks.
“That makes two of us.” Toni’s smile was as soft as her voice. Her hand reached to Cathy’s face, a single finger tracing a line across her lips. Realizing what she had just said, a bubble of laughter emerged. “I meant, I was thinking of you.”
“I know what you meant.” Cathy laughed too, trying to rise above the tide of feeling sweeping through her veins. It was hard. For a long, long time she had worn the badge of celibacy. Now her awakening body was forming a mind of its own. Again she fought, “Do you know what we’re doing?”
“Yes.” Toni’s eyes closed as she leaned closer.
“I don’t want to ruin our friendship,” Cathy said in between kisses—kisses that left her gasping for breath, but coming back for more.
“I don’t want—” she tried again, but words escaped her as Toni slid a hand beneath Cathy’s T-shirt and found a small, firm breast. “Please . . . Toni,” Cathy gave in to her fight, pulling Toni on top of her, leaving Toni’s lips only to wrench Toni’s shirt from her shoulders.
Unbelievably, in the red heat that swam before her eyes, a picture of the two of them at work entered Cathy’s vision. They were arguing. Toni was late again. Only this time there was no cheerful resolution, just a combined lover’s sulk that sent them both to their respective corners.
Cathy’s hands dropped from Toni’s waist and fell to the floor. Still laboring for breath she forced out, “I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Cathy?” Toni’s flushed face was bewildered, as fingers that had found a taut nipple continued to stroke, tempting more life. They dropped away with Cathy’s shake of her head. “Cathy. What’s wrong?”
“This is.” Looking directly into the eyes of the woman who had become her best friend, Cathy pleaded for some understanding. Finding none, instead feeling the rush of lust again shiver through her bones, she wriggled, sending a non-verbal message for Toni to move away.
Like the vision that had brought such a sudden halt to the proceedings, Toni and Cathy retreated to lean against opposite ends of the couch. Without a word, bo
th readjusted their clothing. The tension was palpable.
Now unable to meet Toni’s eyes, Cathy concentrated on picking at the cat hair that had drifted onto her clothes. She wished she could take back the last few minutes, either that or flee. Knowing an exit now would only make Toni feel even worse, she struggled to find something to say. A repeated “I’m sorry” was the best she could come up with.
From the edge of her peripheral vision, Cathy saw Toni give a slight nod as she stood, raking fingers through her hair. “Umm, would you like a coffee or something?”
The opportunity to flee came and went. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
Toni headed for the kitchen, leaving Cathy to fidget in the sitting room. Virgil, who had witnessed the whole affair, fixed Cathy with a glare and padded behind her companion.
Cathy was not alone with her thoughts for long. Finding Toni’s retreat was not to fill her bowl with more goodies, Virgil loped back into the room. She sniffed the hand held out to her but found it empty and thus uninteresting. Adeptly sidestepping Cathy’s effort to pick her up, she jumped onto the stereo cabinet and disappeared behind the curtain. Almost immediately came the sound of claws scratching against the wooden window frame.
Jumping up to investigate, Cathy called, “Toni. Come here— quickly!”
Toni was at Cathy’s side just in time to see a tail disappear through a loose flap of fly wire. “Why, the little shit.”
“I nearly had her but she slipped out of my hands.” Cathy turned an accusing eye to Toni. “I thought you said you’d locked all the doors and windows.”
“I did.” Toni pulled the curtain aside to reveal a window lock, bolt intact. “It’s locked just a few inches open.”
“Oh.” Chiding herself for snapping, Cathy reached to finger the flap of fly wire. It had a covering of fur at its jagged edges. “It looks like Virgil has been using this as an escape route for a while.”
“The little shit.” Toni repeated. “She knows I keep that curtain drawn.” She again raked her hair, a nervous habit. “What are we going to do?”
“I suppose we’ll have to go and find her before she goes round annoying any more of your psychotic neighbors.”
Toni paled. “Shit. It probably was Virgil this morning then.”
“Looks like it. Come on. She may still be in the backyard.” Toni hesitated, so Cathy pushed her toward the door. “Don’t worry. I’ll scare away any would-be robbers,” Cathy said.
Once outside and with eyes finally adjusting to the darkness, Cathy pointed to the rear of the garden. “Look, there she is.”
They crept toward the motionless shadow. The shadow came to life when they were less than a few feet away.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Toni’s vocabulary was still suffering its downward slide, this time as she witnessed Virgil disappear over the back fence. She plopped down on the grass. “Now we’ll never find her.”
“Don’t be such a pessimist.” Hands on hips, Cathy stood over her friend. “Get off your bum, and get me the key to the gate.”
A look of horror crossed Toni’s face. “No way.”
Two minutes later they stood in the lane, scanning in both directions.
“Now what?” Toni whispered, their scan fruitless.
Cathy shrugged her shoulders. “You’ll have to try calling for her.”
“Like that’s going to work.” The sarcasm in Toni’s voice was evident, yet she called in increasing whispers, “Virgil. Virgil.”
A rustle followed by Virgil’s unmistakable meow came from across the fence. “She’s in that yard.” Cathy pointed to the house immediately behind Toni’s. “Keep calling.”
“Virgil.” Toni called a bit louder, “Virgil!”
“Trust you to have the most stubborn cat in the world.” Virgil evidently thought this some new, fun game of hide and seek. Not another meow or rustle came. Cathy searched the fence for any sign of a hidden gate similar to Toni’s. There wasn’t. “Here, give me a leg up.”
“You can’t go jumping people’s fences,” Toni protested. “What if someone’s out there? I can see the patio lights are on.”
“This isn’t shotgun country Toni. If someone comes I’ll just explain we’re trying to get your cat back.”
“She’ll run.” Toni now looked thoroughly miserable. “Please Cathy, don’t do it.”
“Fine,” Cathy said, folding her arms. Virgil wasn’t the only frustrating member of their little household. “We’ll just stand in the lane all night and wait until she’s good and ready to come home.”
Toni sighed audibly but cupped her hands.
“I really hate you sometimes,” she whispered as Cathy placed a foot in the handhold and hoisted herself up.
Cathy grinned as she peered over the fence. She and Toni were already getting back to their normal banter. Hopefully they could put the incident in the house behind them. “Yeah, I really hate you sometimes, too.”
Cathy lifted herself further, dangling one leg over the fence, holding herself upright as best she could. A pair of green eyes shone from under a bush directly in her new line of sight. “Virgil,” she coaxed, making little clicking sounds with her tongue. “Virgil. Come here.”
Echoes of movement from an unseen section of the garden silenced her. It was a human movement, the sound of irregular footsteps. And they were approaching. Despite her previous assurances to Toni, a knot of fear turned in Cathy’s stomach. Ignoring it, she attempted a confident voice. Not much more than a squeak emerged. “It’s okay. We’re just looking for our cat.”
Cathy held her breath as the footsteps stopped, then resumed, along with a female voice. “It wouldn’t happen to be a cat called Virgil would it?”
The voice that came was so deeply ingrained in Cathy’s mind she recognized it immediately, even with the slur that indicated its owner was quite drunk. Lisa? Cathy’s brain made the connection but couldn’t relay the information to her mouth. Speechless, she could only hang her jaw as a familiar figure emerged from the shadows, dangling a cat collar in one hand, clutching a stubbie of beer in the other.
Toni had not lost her voice. A desperate whisper hurtled upward, “Shit. I know that voice. That’s the woman from this morning.”
The next seconds degenerated into chaos. Virgil, having finally decided it was time to make her move, bolted from her hidey hole and sprang onto the fence. Lisa, already unsteady on her feet, lurched in fright and dropped her stubbie onto the pavement. The crash of glass was too much for Toni. She let out a shriek that so startled Cathy she fell from her precarious position on the fence into Lisa’s garden.
“My God, are you okay?” Lisa rushed to her aid, her heavy work boots crunching on the remains of the stubbie.
Cathy nodded, shaken by her fall, which luckily had been into the relative softness of a lavender bush. She was more shaken by the golden haired woman who was pulling her to her feet. Once upright, Cathy dusted herself off and waited for the moment of recognition. It took a few seconds as Lisa blinked, either from disbelief, or to get her bloodshot eyes into focus. “Cathy?”
“Uh-huh.” A million questions were running through her mind, but only the most inane emerged. “How are you?”
Frantic scuffling from the other side of the fence stopped Cathy from finding out. Two sets of eyes focused on the third set that appeared; Toni’s knuckles were white from the effort of holding her head above the fence line. “You two know each other?”
Cathy nodded, bristling under the scrutiny coming from both sides of the fence. “I take it you two know each other.”
In turn, Lisa and Toni nodded, Lisa holding up the collar she still grasped. “I think this belongs to you.”
Cathy took it, Toni unable to let go of the fence. “Thank you.”
“Listen,” Lisa turned from Cathy to regard Toni. “I’m sorry about going off this morning. I kind of had a bad start to the day.”
“I’m sorry about my cat.” Toni smiled sheepishly. “She’s a regular Harry Houdi
ni.” With Lisa’s blank expression, Toni explained the broken fly screen and their subsequent chase. She trailed off toward the end of her tale, giving a pained groan, and saying, “My fingers are going to break off any second.” Toni’s head disappeared and her feet thumped to the ground. “Anyway—”
Lisa interrupted Toni’s attempt to finish her story, asking, “Would you like to come over for a drink? Fresh supplies should be arriving any minute.”
Cathy, already on the right side of the fence, took the invitation to include herself. She desperately wanted to stay—eleven years of questions she had—but, being Toni’s guest for the evening, she waited for her to accept or refuse.
Her hopes were dashed.
“Thanks, but we really should see if Virgil has found her way inside.”
Lisa appeared ambivalent, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders. “Okay.” She turned back to Cathy. “Would you like a lift up or shall I get a ladder?”
“A lift would be good.” Doubly disappointed at Lisa’s attitude, Cathy felt tears sting her eyes. Ashamed, she faced the fence, pretending she was just as eager to be gone. Her foot found Lisa’s hands and she readied herself for the strain of the upward pull. My God, she’s strong, much stronger than I remember, Cathy thought to herself as she found her head above the fence with little effort on her part. With a leg on either side of the fence, Cathy looked down. “Thank you Lisa.” Her answer was a backward wave, Lisa already weaving unsteadily back toward the house.
Predictably, given Toni’s irrepressible curiosity about anything to do with Cathy’s life, Toni was full of questions even before Cathy’s feet hit the ground. Her first question was asked in an ever so light tone. “How do you know her?”
“We went to Uni together.”
“Oh.” Toni hesitated. “You never mentioned her.”
“She dropped out.” Cathy swung open the gate and ushered Toni through. “We lost contact.” Cathy closed and bolted the gate, then pressed the key into Toni’s hand. “Do you think I could possibly have that cup of coffee now?”