Chez Stinky

by Susan C. Daffron

  “Lady loves everybody. Sure, I’ll feed her, load her up, and we’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  As Joel left, Kat went back inside and stood in front of the open refrigerator. The empty shelves didn’t offer much inspiration. She still had a lot of Twinkies left over from Maria’s visit, but they probably weren’t a good option for dinner.

  By the time Joel’s truck rumbled back into the driveway later, Kat had sauce simmering on the stove. Fortunately, Maria tended to buy in volume and there was still a lot of pasta in the house. Joel didn’t know (or need to know) that she’d been eating Italian food for days.

  Linus and Lori woofed from downstairs and ran outside to confront the interloper. As Kat went down the front stairs, she found herself studying Joel as he greeted the dogs. Next to the driveway, Linus and Lori were wagging and sniffing a pretty brown and black dog who seemed to be a mix of collie and German shepherd. “I guess this must be Lady?” she said as she reached out her hand so the dog could sniff her.

  Joel glanced up from the swirling group of canines and looked at Kat. He pointed at Lady. “Lady, sit and say hello.” Lady sat in front of Kat and proffered her right paw. Kat bent down to shake it. “Aren’t you a sweet girl?”

  She looked up from Lady to Joel. “What a well-behaved dog. I’m impressed. Would you like to go for a walk with the dogs before dinner? The weather has cleared off for the moment.”

  Joel nodded and they walked around to the back of the house to collect the other two dogs. Kat said, “I have an unusual arrangement for walking Tessa. Linus actually does all the work. The main thing to remember is to always keep the dogs in front of you and pay attention to where the leash is in relation to your legs. You don’t want to get clotheslined.”

  “Clotheslined?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Kat harnessed the dogs and explained to Joel that weighing down the hyperactive dog and giving her lots of exercise had made Tessa much easier to live with. “She’s actually a good dog now.”

  They walked outside and Kat let go of the leash between Linus and Tessa. The pair took off toward the forest trail as Kat and Joel walked behind them with Chelsey quietly strolling next to Kat. Lady and Lori scampered around them, romping and playing. It looked like they were forming the beginnings of a great canine friendship.

  “Those two certainly seem to like each other,” Kat observed.

  “Lady doesn’t get to play with other dogs much anymore. She used to get to play more often before we moved up here. I’m sure she misses romping with playmates.”

  The scent of crushed pine needles rose up from the forest floor as Kat’s sneakers crunched along the trail. So why did Joel live in Alpine Grove, anyway? “Having friends to hang out with is always a good thing. Did she have lots of doggie friends where you used to live?”

  “My girlfriend had a dog who was Lady’s best buddy. I know Lady misses her.” Joel looked up at the trees along the trail. “It’s certainly beautiful here. Your aunt found a pretty patch of forest. There’s a lot of diversity in the tree species, which is unusual for this area.”

  Kat mentally filed the “girlfriend” reference. Joel had a remarkable knack for changing the subject, but he wasn’t going to get away with it forever. For the time being, she replied. “I don’t know about the species of trees, but I love going for dog walks here. The dogs are so happy. Look at them run through the forest. It’s just pure joy. It’s going to be hard to go back to work. There is no joy in cubicles.”

  Joel laughed, “That’s for sure. I think the cubicles and flickering fluorescent lights suck the joy out of most offices.”

  “So is that why you’re here? To get away from Cubicle America? Or does it have to do with your girlfriend? I’m guessing she’s not up here if Lady misses her…or her dog?”

  “It’s a long story, but suffice it to say, it didn’t work out. Then I lost my job and moved up here.”

  Kat looked over at him. “But why Alpine Grove?”

  “Well, I had a little cabin here that I bought as a weekend getaway place after my sister moved here. The house is basically one room and a bathroom. It’s the type of place the real estate listings call a hunting cabin and that most other people would call a shack. But it’s got a roof and it’s paid for. Plus after things got weird with Allison, I wanted to get away and clear my head. I gave up my apartment, sold most of my stuff, and here we are. Lady loves it up here. As you can see.”

  Kat looked in the direction Joel had pointed. Lady and Lori were panting and wagging as they chased each other around a particularly large Ponderosa pine. She said, “I love how they are able to play with Tessa and Linus without getting tangled up in the leash. Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for, I think.”

  Kat didn’t have the nerve to ask about the mysterious Allison yet, so she settled for a more innocuous work-related question, “Do you miss your job?”

  “I did at first. I’ve been working since I was 15. It felt weird to not go to work every day. After a while, I relaxed and spent some time fixing up my place, which did need work. Now that’s done and I’m starting to get a little bored. But I’m not sure I want to go back to a full-time engineering job again. I don’t miss commuting, and I like the quiet. I’ve been thinking of doing some type of computer-related work from here, but I’m not sure what yet. I suppose that doesn’t sound particularly impressive.”

  Kat smiled. “I can tell you my mother wouldn’t be impressed. She’s all about the Puritan Work Ethic. And a steady paycheck. You’re a little young to have a mid-life crisis, but I understand. I was going along with my life on autopilot. Then everything changed the day I got the call from the lawyer about Chez Stinky.”

  Joel chuckled and gave her a sidelong glance. “Chez Stinky?”

  “When I first got here, the place smelled incredibly bad because of the varmint Bud removed from the wall. When I was talking to Maria, the name just slipped out of my subconscious, I guess. Then it kind of stuck.”

  “You have an unusual sense of humor.”

  “I know. I can’t help it. Most people don’t get it and think I’m strange. But I did have a point. What I meant was that I understand how you feel. I have to go back to work, and I’m not sure I want to. It’s weird.”

  Joel smiled. “You’re a little young for a mid-life crisis, too.”

  “I guess we’re just a pair of slackers with no direction. I can feel my mother frowning disapprovingly at me out there somewhere. But right now, I’m a hungry slacker. Let’s go back and eat.” Kat turned around with Chelsey and called the dogs. “Come on guys, it’s dinner time!” Linus spun around and dragged Tessa back with him.

  Kat said, “Watch out!” and smiled as Joel deftly dodged the canine onslaught racing toward the house.

  After feeding the dogs, Kat cooked the pasta, and she and Joel finally sat down to dinner.

  Joel looked up from his plate. “This is good. I saw all the pasta in your cart at the store. You must like it a lot.”

  “Maria is what you might call a power shopper. When you go to the grocery store with her, she has a tendency to throw things into the cart when you’re not paying attention. When we checked out, I discovered I had six boxes of pasta. I think it was the most expensive trip to the grocery store I’ve made in five years. We also have Twinkies for dessert, if you’re interested.”

  “I think I’ll pass.”

  “Apparently, they last for centuries. Just let me know if you ever want one. They’ll be here unless Maria visits again.”

  A loud crash and yowling noise came from downstairs. Kat and Joel jumped up from the table simultaneously and ran to the top of the stairs. Dolly Mae scrambled up and over the gate below and shot up the staircase. The orange blur whizzed between Kat and Joel, who both turned and watched as the cat dashed around the perimeter of the living room once, then disappeared under the sofa.

  Kat crouched down and peeked underneath the couch. Dolly Mae’s yellow eyes glared back at her accus
ingly. Kat sat back on her heels and looked up at Joel. “Do you have any idea what happened?”

  Joel shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure, but Lady likes to chase cats. I didn’t know there was a cat downstairs.”

  Kat frowned. “I wonder where Tripod is. And what that crashing noise was.”

  Dolly Mae obviously wasn’t coming out of her hiding place any time soon, so Kat and Joel went downstairs to investigate the damage.

  Tessa was galloping around the basement hallway, reveling in the noise and excitement. Chelsey was hiding under her table, and Linus had a worried look on his face. The two “good dogs,” Lori and Lady, looked suspiciously pleased with themselves. Kat gave Lori a stern look. “Did you do something bad?” The dog averted her eyes, dropped her head, and looked guilty.

  Joel said to Lady, “Did you find a cat?” Lady wagged and sat down. He sighed. “I guess you did.” He looked over at Kat. “I hope you didn’t like that pitcher on the dresser in the bedroom over there. It’s now in about 2,000 pieces.”

  “I guess I forgot to close the door to the bedroom. Oh well. I’ll go get a broom.”

  Joel wandered around the bedroom picking up some of the larger pieces of the pitcher as Kat swept up the many shards of porcelain. “I guess Lady hasn’t been around cats before?”

  “No, except to chase them. I think she considers them fat squirrels.”

  “My cat Murphee isn’t fond of Dolly Mae, either. That poor cat always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Larry tripped over her the first time I came out here. Louie just kind of hangs out, but Dolly Mae is a bit of a problem child.”

  “You have a cat, too?”

  “Yes, I know it’s a cliché to be the single cat lady, but I am. I found my cat Murphee next to a Dumpster near my apartment. She’s a wonderful cat, although she’s still adjusting to living here with the other felines.”

  “I’ll take your word for it. I’m not really a cat person. I’m allergic to them.”

  “Allergic? You’re not going to turn purple or explode, are you? You were pretty close to Tripod when you removed him from the wall.”

  “It’s usually not a problem, as long as I don’t touch my eyes after petting a cat. No exploding.”

  The couple went upstairs in silence. Kat was digesting the information Joel had shared. He and his dog both had issues with cats. She wasn’t kidding when she said she was a cat lady. Who didn’t like cats? That was just wrong.

  As they sat down at the table to finish their food, Kat moved back into nosy mode. “So I guess your girlfriend doesn’t have a cat. Just a dog?”

  “No, no cats. She really is allergic. She doesn’t quite turn purple, but she sneezes a lot as soon as she walks into a house with cats. She doesn’t like cats at all.”

  “Which means that every cat she meets sits on her lap.”

  Joel smiled, “Yes, usually.”

  Kat took a deep breath and decided to confront the large pachyderm in the room. “So where is your girlfriend? Is she still in the city?”

  “Yes, Allison is still there.” Joel looked uncomfortable at the turn the conversation had taken, but Kat continued to gaze at him intently, mentally willing him to elaborate.

  He seemed to have clammed up again, so she persevered. “So when you moved here, she didn’t?”

  “Yes. It was complicated. And for the record, I’m not sure if she’s my girlfriend or ex-girlfriend.”

  Kat raised her eyebrows. “If you don’t know, who does?”

  “I guess she might.”

  “Seriously? How can you not know if you’re together?”

  “We had a fight. I thought we broke up. But I’m not sure she thinks we broke up. I got a letter from her like we never had that conversation. And when I talk to her on the phone, she makes it sound like I am just on a little trip to the country. Like I said, it’s complicated.” Joel squirmed in his chair and looked down at his plate. “I should really go.”

  Kat figured she had pushed the nosy factor as far as she could for one night. Clearly, she wasn’t going to extract any more pertinent information about the mysterious Allison. “Are you sure you don’t want a Twinkie? I have about 700 left.”

  “That’s okay. I’m sorry Lady broke the pitcher downstairs. I hope it wasn’t valuable.”

  “I doubt it. According to Larry, my aunt was a bit of a cheapskate. Looking at the other knick-knacks around here, I think she spent a lot of time at yard sales.”

  Joel smiled. “That’s a relief. I’d feel bad if Lady destroyed a cherished family heirloom. I need to teach her that she shouldn’t chase cats. It’s never really been a problem, since there aren’t any cats around my place.” He stood up and carried his plate to the sink. “Thank you for dinner.”

  Kat stood next to him and touched his bare forearm. “Thanks for tarping my house.” He turned his gaze down at her and their eyes met for a long moment. Kat’s stomach fluttered and her heart seemed to be beating extremely loudly in her chest.

  They walked together toward the door and went outside around the back of the house to collect Lady. The dog scampered around them in circles as they slowly walked beside each other toward Joel’s truck.

  Joel gestured at the large green Ford. “Lady loves riding in the truck. She sits up and looks straight ahead. I’ve sometimes wondered if she might think she’s driving.”

  “It’s good to keep your eyes on the road. Someone has to do it.”

  Joel chuckled, “Yes, she’s quite a responsible dog, when she’s not breaking things.”

  Kat leaned on the truck, which was probably completely coated with mud. Oh well, so much for clean clothes. She looked up at him. “I’m heading back home tomorrow, but I’ll be back next weekend.”

  Joel reached down toward the truck handle and gazed into Kat’s eyes. “I know this sounds like a line, but your eyes are an amazing color of blue. They’re exactly the color of the Cornflower crayon.”

  Kat blushed but didn’t move, anticipating what might happen next. “I’ve never been compared to a Crayola before.”

  Joel smiled, bowed his head and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. As his lips touched hers, Kat closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and put her arms around his neck. An electric warmth coursed through her and the nervous feeling that had made her stomach feel funny all night finally disappeared. As she relaxed into the kiss, Joel enveloped her with both arms, wrapping her in his warm embrace.

  Lady barked sharply, startling them out of the moment. Kat put her hand on Joel’s chest to separate them and looked up into his eyes.

  He looked down at her. “Wow.”

  “You really are a man of few words, aren’t you?”

  Joel grinned and raised his eyebrows in a mock leer. “Sometimes it’s better to just shut up and enjoy the moment. I think Lady is ready to go home now. I’ll give you a call next weekend after you get back.”

  As she watched Joel’s truck roll out of the driveway, the beating of Kat’s heart finally slowed down to a reasonable rate. ‘Wow’ was an understatement. She grinned up at the trees and squealed like a giddy third-grader as she ran back up the stairs into the house to pack.

  After convincing Cindy to take on pet-sitting duty for the rest of the week and explaining her new dog-walking protocol, Kat packed up the car and drove back to her apartment. Since it was only for a couple days, she had opted to forgo fighting with Murphee about the cat carrier and left her in Alpine Grove. The cat probably wouldn’t be excited about being cooped up the bedroom, but Cindy had promised to check in on her. Cindy also had made it clear that this was her last pet-sitting stint out at Chez Stinky. Apparently her new marketing efforts had worked well and she was booked up with in-town dog-walking work for the foreseeable future.

  Kat spent most of the two-hour drive back home mooning over Joel and his phenomenal kissing skills. Like a horny teenager, every time she recalled the kiss, a little thrill went through her body as she mentally relived
the humming electricity between them.

  As she opened the door to her apartment, she was greeted by the musty aroma of warm dust, the hallmark of a place that has been closed up for a while. She went around the apartment and opened the windows, starting to regret her decision to leave Murphee at Chez Stinky. Normally she liked quiet, but the stillness and emptiness of her apartment was lonely and oddly depressing. She curled up on the sofa with a novel in an effort to distract herself from thinking about the prospect of returning to work.

  Walking into the office the next morning, Kat noticed a heavy feeling settle over her shoulders. The place still smelled of old electronics, burnt popcorn, and anxiety. Some things never change.

  She walked through the maze of cubicles to her desk. As she moved from the entryway down the first cubicle corridor, it became apparent that some things definitely had changed. In fact, everything had changed. None of her fellow employees were located in the same cubicles they had been in when she left. She stopped at her cubicle location, but none of her stuff was there. It obviously wasn’t her cube anymore. Where was her desk? As she snaked through the labyrinth of cubicles, she waved to a few colleagues.

  Bridget was one of the women she often went on walks with during lunch. “Hi, Bridget. Do you know where my desk is?”

  Bridget looked up. “Hi, Kat. We missed you. Let me look at the map. Mark made a chart.”

  “A chart?”

  “Yes, everything was moved last weekend. When we came in on Monday, he handed out maps, so we could find our desks. I’m not sure why, but we’re not grouped by department anymore. Writers and editors like you and me are scattered all over the place.” She studied the piece of paper on her desk. “Okay, there you are! Go down and to the left.”

  “Thanks Bridget. Are we walking today?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there.”

  Kat wandered down the corridor, slowly peeking into cubicle doorways to determine who was where now. At the end of the row, she found a cubicle with a map and a banker’s box filled with her stuff sitting on top of the desk. Kat picked up the map and looked at it. A graphic artist had obviously created it for Mark, neatly typing all the names on the grid of offices. She noticed that her name was not printed in a tidy Helvetica font, but appeared to have been scribbled in by hand as an afterthought.