Reality Bytes

by Jane Frances

  “She didn’t get the chance. Most everyone stayed long after you’d gone.” Cathy re-crossed her legs and smoothed the material of her slacks. “And given the day was held in Lisa’s honor, we couldn’t just walk out. As it was, we didn’t even go home before we headed to Lisa’s folks’ place for dinner.”

  The hint of irritation in Cathy’s tone didn’t altogether surprise Toni. On Saturday night, only minutes after Cathy deposited Toni on her doorstep, Toni realized she had interrupted their first official evening at their now shared home. So caught up in her own worries, she completely forgot it was a hallmark night for the pair and had trundled over, expecting to be entertained. That Emma also barged in on their privacy less than an hour later was of no consequence. Toni still felt bad for not remembering. “Oh, well, only four more sleeps and you can forget about all of us for the next month.”

  “Sounds divine. By the way, how are you fixed for appointments on Friday morning?”

  The Palm Pilot that housed Toni’s schedule was retrieved. “Nothing until two. Why?”

  “I thought you might like to take us to the airport. If you want, you can keep your car in our garage and use the company car while we’re away.”

  Toni’s smiled brightly. She relished any opportunity to drive the BMW Cathy leased on behalf of her business. “Just tell me the time and I’ll be there.”

  “Great.” Cathy stood, looking like her request had been accepted a lot easier than imagined. “The plane leaves at nine-fifteen. So that means I’ll see you Friday morning at—”

  Toni groaned, realizing what she had just agreed to. Travel to Italy was not as tightly controlled as travel to the United States or England, but still it required checking in at least two hours before takeoff. Add forty-five minutes to drive to the airport and that meant, “Six-thirty.”

  Left alone in the office, Toni continued with her mental arithmetic. To be at Cathy’s by six-thirty meant she’d have to be up by…Gods, five forty-five. If she’d been awake that time of the morning in the recent past, she’d blocked it from her memory. Toni made a mental note to check her clock batteries and turn the alarm volume up as far as it would go.

  Chapter Five

  Lisa bounded up the stairs leading from the garage three at a time, calling as she went, “Honey, look what the cat dragged in.”

  Toni took the stairs at a much more sedate pace. Putting one foot in front of the other was all she could manage at such an ungodly hour of the morning.

  Lisa had greeted her at the door fresh-faced and grinning, traits of the morning person that left those with closer attachments to their cozy beds, such as Toni, diving under the covers for protection. Toni was not the morning type—she had enough trouble getting to the office at nine a.m. And she rarely made it to her fortnightly eight-thirty meetings with Cathy on time. This morning’s five forty-five alarm was utter torture, not at all aided by the headache she woke with, probably caused by the previous night’s stress of checking and rechecking that her alarm was correctly set and operating.

  Toni rubbed her temples as she mumbled a hello to Cathy, who, as much the early bird as Lisa, trotted down the stairs, toting two pieces of cabin luggage. They were dropped next to the pair of suitcases already zipped, locked and tagged.

  “Hi, Toni,” Cathy said, giving a lopsided grin. Obviously Toni looked as much like she had been dragged out of bed backwards as she felt. “You made it.”

  “Of course.” Toni rubbed her temples again, hoping the headache pills she’d swallowed before leaving the house would kick in soon. She glanced pointedly at her watch, just to drive home the fact she was not only on time, but a whole two minutes early. “Are you about ready?”

  “I think so.” There was a final check of tickets and passports. “Let’s go.”

  Once Cathy and Lisa had checked in and been issued their boarding passes, Toni accompanied them as they walked past the airport’s souvenir shops, news agency and cafés.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to have breakfast with us?” Cathy asked, indicating a café from which the enticing smell of freshly brewed coffee emanated.

  “Positive,” Toni said, shaking her head. “I still have to feed Virgil.” She glanced down to her track pants and fleecy jacket. “And I’m not exactly dressed for eating out.”

  They stopped at the entrance to departures. Once through the security check, Lisa and Cathy would head for the lounge reserved for business and first-class ticket holders. Despite her headache, Toni could not help but smile when she turned to Lisa. The woman looked like she could almost jump out of her skin. Initially floored when Cathy’s last-minute surprise upgrade from business to first class was announced, now, if possible, Lisa was even more excited about the trip than before. For Cathy’s sake Toni hoped, but doubted, there was something in the departure lounge that could help Lisa burn off her excess energy before she boarded. Toni definitely didn’t envy Cathy sitting next to a Mexican jumping bean for the twenty or so hours they would spend in the air.

  “Well, here we are guys, point of no return,” Toni said.

  “Thanks so much for doing this for us.” Cathy drew Toni into a hug. “And for holding the fort while I’m away.”

  “No worries.” Toni pulled away, her skin inexplicably tender. She assumed it was another side effect of throwing her body clock all akimbo. Toni jangled Cathy’s car keys, BMW tag dangling. “Anyhow, I think I got a pretty good deal out of this.”

  Toni also drew away from Lisa’s hug. Hopefully the shower she hadn’t yet had time for would help her touchy skin.

  “Have a fantastic time, you two, and I’ll see you both in a month.”

  Once home and parked in her driveway Toni leaned into the leather headrest and closed her eyes. God, her head hurt. She decided to stop at the chemist on the way to work and pick up some industrial-strength painkillers. For now she had a cat and a troop of birds to feed, plus a shower to have and clothes to iron. Why, oh why had she not laid out her clothes the night before? Oh, well, for the moment she was boss, so no one could tell her off for being tardy. Toni sat with eyes closed for one more minute. She really was not feeling very well. Maybe Heather had been right. Maybe she had overindulged once too often and her liver was packing it in, unable to cope.

  With more than a little reluctance, Toni hauled herself from the luxuriously comfortable interior of Cathy’s car and headed inside. She left Virgil alone in the kitchen to crunch on a breakfast of professional formula cat biscuits and set about performing her least favorite task of the day, emptying and washing the litter tray. Virgil was curfewed from sunset to sunrise but spent the day with access to the outside world via the cat flap that swung from the back door. Toni left the tray to drain in the laundry trough and retrieved a bag of birdseed from the cupboard above the washing machine.

  Lisa had encouraged the continued residence of a family of rock doves in her garden by feeding them daily for the last seven or so years. Toni had agreed to take over the task now that Lisa had moved from the house that sat immediately behind her own. Keys to the gate that gave access to the rear lane were plucked from their hook and Toni adjusted the deadlock so she could shut the back door without latching it. Once outside, the bag of used kitty litter was tossed into the wheelie bin and Toni headed to the rear of her yard.

  She stopped short of the gate, pocketing the keys. The doves, although having a reputation for being minors in the intelligence stakes, had already realized the seed now appeared in the lane instead of in Lisa’s backyard. Toni did not need to announce birdie-breakfast by entering the lane; she could just toss it over the fence. Sure enough, moments after rustling the bag and throwing the first handful, rock doves fluttered from the branches of Lisa’s lilly pilly tree. A couple even landed on the fence itself, cocking their heads to one side, seemingly sizing up their new benefactor. Or maybe they were just waiting for Toni to leave so they could retrieve the seed that had fallen short of the fence and lay scattered on the grass.

  Toni
slowly took a few backward steps to see what the fence-sitting doves would do. By step ten the pair fluttered down to the grass. Pleased at the display of trust already being shown by a typically wary species, she continued her slow retreat, turning around only when more than halfway to the back door. The sight of Virgil outside and on the grass surprised her. Toni’s eyes darted to the door, which, sure enough, was open at least a foot. The little sneak must have nosed it open. Either that or the wind that gusted occasionally around Toni’s ears had been enough to push at the timber. Regardless, Virgil was now on the wrong side of the door for dove-feeding time, and she looked like she was making the most of the opportunity. Her stance was that of the feline hunter, body flat to the ground, one paw inching its way ahead of the other, tail slowly sweeping from side to side. Luckily, Virgil was not renowned for her hunting abilities. She’d get so excited at the prospect of a bird that she emitted what could only be described as a loud staccato meow. Toni could hear her doing it right now. It was such a comical sound she was unable to keep her voice stern as she scolded, “Virgil! Get back inside, you naughty girl.”

  Virgil’s ears flicked, indication she heard Toni, but chose to ignore her.

  Toni repeated her order, this time with increased command. “Virgil! Get inside. Now!”

  Again she was ignored.

  Virgil’s slow stalk suddenly accelerated, limbs barely apparent as her belly skirted the ground. Toni watched in morbid fascination as Virgil launched off her back legs. For a moment she seemed suspended in midair and in that moment, Toni thought Virgil a picture of feline grace and beauty. The moment was shattered by the fluttering of a dozen set of wings, every dove in the vicinity, regardless of which side of the fence they were on, taking urgently to flight.

  All doves except one.

  “Virgil!” Toni rushed forward. The dove caught under Virgil’s paw struggled frantically, wings beating against the earth as it made a desperate attempt to free itself. “Virgil! Stop!”

  Toni appealed in vain. Virgil took the dove between her teeth and, ears back, trotted past Toni, a low growl warning Toni away.

  Appalled by the base animal instincts her companion was displaying, Toni set after Virgil, hoping she would retreat indoors and hence give a chance to coax the release of her prey. Virgil did head for the back door and she slunk up the three concrete steps.

  Toni felt the sudden gust of wind and saw the back door swing on its hinges. What she wasn’t prepared for was the slam of the door. It was loud enough one could be mistaken it had been shut forcefully in anger. Nor was she prepared for the howl of pain that accompanied the slam.

  “Virgil!” Toni screamed in horror as she saw a length of fur poking between the closed door and the jamb. Her bag of seed spilled to the lawn. “Virgil!”

  Toni ran to the back door, choking back tears as she ascended the steps. Virgil howled again, and Toni was almost physically sick. The length of fur was still attached to her companion—Virgil’s tail was caught. Toni pushed as gently as she could on the door but the action evoked a blood-curdling yowl from the other side. Toni immediately realized that her attempt at gentleness was only causing more pain. A tooth-pulling approach was needed. She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat, closed her eyes, prayed silently to the Goddess and gave the door a good, swift push.

  “I’ll get that, Maggie,” Emma called to the veterinary assistant who was in the rear of the premises, cleaning out the cages that housed their post-operative patients. She turned the sign on the door to Open, snapped the latch to unlock the door and hurried to the reception desk to answer the phone.

  “My Best Friend’s Veterinary Service, Emma speaking.” Emma placed a hand over her ear so she could hear above the high-pitched yapping coming from the back room. The cocker spaniel recovering from yesterday’s surgery was in high spirits, probably as much to do with the attention Maggie lavished on her charges as finally gaining relief from the grass seed that had worked its way into his ear canal. Emma grinned when the caller announced himself. “Hey, Pete. How are you?”

  “I’m good, Em.” Pete’s voice was low, evidence of an illicit call. Colleen frowned upon personal calls being made or received during work hours. Hell, Colleen frowned upon everything that didn’t maximize her profits. She was the most non-vet-like vet Emma had ever come across. “I have to keep this short. The boss has just ducked out to the loo.”

  Emma’s smile dissolved as Pete quickly related his reason for phoning. Apparently Colleen was on the rampage and Emma was the target. While doing the monthly accounts, Colleen noticed a discrepancy in the bill for Blue, a five-year-old Border collie owned by Frank, a retired postman. Frank’s wife had recently passed after a long struggle with cancer. Her ongoing treatment had all but decimated their savings so Frank was now not only grieving, but trying to survive on what remained of their retirement nest egg while the authorities shuffled the piles of paper associated with his pension application. So when Blue was brought in, bent and bloodied from an altercation with a car reversing too fast out of its driveway, Emma was unable to further add to Frank’s burden. She waived all of Blue’s costs except the initial consultation charge. “What’s Colleen’s problem?” Emma frowned into the phone, wishing she had also waived the consultation fee and hence left no paper trail, “Hasn’t she got a single compassionate bone in her body?”

  “Seems not. She’s really ticked off. I just wanted to let you know because you’re likely to get a call from her sometime today.”

  Emma rubbed her left temple. Colleen wouldn’t get much joy ringing her at home since she wasn’t there. “Thanks for the warning, Pete. I’ll work on my defense today and be ready for her tonight.”

  “I don’t think you’ve got that long. Em, she also knows you’re working. And where.”

  Oh, great. Emma grimaced, although she didn’t have anything to worry about on that count. There was nothing in her employment contract stating she couldn’t work at more than one practice. And it wasn’t as if she was encouraging her regular clients to come to her while she was working as locum for Tricia. “How did she find that out?”

  “I have no idea. Probably one of her cronies saw you slipping in the back door or something.” Pete’s voice lowered even further and it sounded muted, like he was cupping his hand over the mouthpiece. “I have to go, Em. I can hear her click-clacking up the hall.”

  “Okay, Pete. Thanks for the warning.” The words were hardly out of Emma’s mouth when the connection was terminated. Emma returned the receiver to its cradle, leaned back in the office chair and assumed her thinking position—elbows on the armrests, fingertips resting against each other.

  In retrospect, Emma really should have told Colleen she had waived Frank’s bill and why. After all, Colleen was the owner of the practice and it was therefore Colleen’s equipment and supplies used in Blue’s treatment. Emma had undertaken the work in unpaid overtime—let’s face it, all her overtime was unpaid—but Colleen would no doubt be untouched by that argument. In Colleen’s eyes she was probably already branded a thief. And, even if Colleen did not ordinarily take such a dim view of pro bono work, in this case it probably provided exactly the excuse she was looking for to oust Emma from the practice.

  Emma sighed. She may as well start drafting her letter of resignation right now.

  What a wonderful start to the day.

  Actually, Emma’s day had already begun badly, Justine waylaying her on the return from Kayisha’s morning walk.

  “Hi, Justine.” Still unable to look Justine in the eye, Emma had crouched down and pretended to adjust Kai’s harness. She hadn’t seen Justine since Saturday’s marriage announcement, deliberately avoiding all contact, even changing the route of her walks with Kayisha so she didn’t have to pass Justine’s house. However, this morning Justine came charging up the road before Emma could escape to the safety of her veranda.

  “I’m so glad I caught you.” Justine seemed breathless, as if she’d been running a lot farth
er than the few dozen steps from her front door.

  “What do you want?” Emma didn’t intend the sharpness of her tone; it just came out. She stole a glance from her protracted pretend harness adjustment to find Justine sporting a bewildered expression. Guilt surfaced. It wasn’t Justine’s fault Emma had fallen for her, and it wasn’t as if Justine had ever hidden the fact she was straight. Emma had simply misinterpreted an innocent kiss. On the mouth. “Sorry, Justine,” she lied. “I’m just a bit tired. I didn’t sleep too well last night.”

  Justine’s recovery was swift. She broke into a broad grin, literally bubbling with excitement as she danced happily on the spot. “Me either. And Paul flew back to the mine this morning…”

  What a shame, Emma thought. Her hopes rose. Why would Justine be so pleased at this? She remembered when her partner Chris, a public relations consultant, went away on business trips—the time of departure was certainly no cause for celebration. Not for Emma, anyway. Probably a different matter for Chris though, who no doubt used the time away to publicly relate with The Trollop.

  For goodness’ sake, woman. Focus. Emma snapped her mind back to the present.

  “…and be a bridesmaid.”

  “Sorry? What?” Emma must have tuned out for longer than she thought. She had no idea what Justine was talking about.

  “At our wedding.” Justine either missed the fact Emma sported a confused frown, or she chose to ignore it. “We want you to be a bridesmaid.” A petite hand had been placed on Emma’s forearm, exerting a light pressure on her skin. “Oh, please say yes, Emma. I have no sisters and you’re the best friend I have…”

  Now, as Emma replayed the morning’s conversation in her mind, she dreamed up at least five alternative responses to the one she had given: “Yes.”