I’d been writing the personality pieces for a while and according to Melissa, the manager, had helped place a lot of pets. She’d warned me that the cat I was coming to meet was what they considered hard to adopt and really needed my help in finding a forever home quickly. It was all rather ironic that I was so good at figuring out pet personalities since I’d never had a dog or cat myself. My father was allergic and after that it simply wasn’t something I’d considered.
The large shop had originally been a grand shoe store with display windows that surrounded the entrance. Where there once had been boots and sandals, the tiered space in the windows featured cat and dog mannequins showing off an astonishing variety of pet accessories hinting at what was inside. Just before the entrance, a water fountain seemed to be enticing a gray tabby.
Inside it was like a supermarket of pet needs. Several people were creating their own mixture of goodies for their pets from the gourmet treat bar. Maybe it was just because I hadn’t had lunch, but I thought they actually smelled quite good. The adoption area was in the back of the shop with separate rooms for cats and dogs. Inside the rooms, the animals were in generous-sized enclosures. I hated to call them cages, but essentially that is what they were. Each of the rooms had an open area in the middle for the pets to have some play time either with workers at the store or for meet-and-greets with potential adopters.
Melissa was talking to a woman in sweats standing near the front. She waved me over and introduced me as the writer who did wonders helping the resident pets find homes.
‘Natalie walks dogs and trains them,’ Melissa said, gesturing toward the woman. ‘And is one of our best customers for the treat bar.’ The woman smiled and said something about only the best for her charges. Melissa explained I was there to meet a cat and the two of us headed toward the pet enclosures in the back. She always started by thanking me for what I was doing. ‘But you have your work cut out for you this time,’ she said, opening the door to the cat room. It always amused me to note the difference in how the cats reacted to someone coming into their area than the dogs did. The dogs reacted with enthusiastic interest, barking or whining. The cats mostly had an ‘oh, well,’ attitude and rarely made a move. She pointed to an enclosure on the upper level. A large black-and-white cat was sitting at the front of his living space and I could feel that he was watching me.
‘That’s Rocky,’ she said. ‘They brought him over hoping it would help him find a home.’ She dropped her voice. ‘He’s at the end of his stay.’ She didn’t elaborate on what that meant, but I knew she meant getting euthanized.
‘The previous owner dropped him off at the shelter, saying they were moving.’ She pursed her lips in disgust. ‘As if cats can’t move somewhere. Anyway, the problem is that he’s eight.’ She left it at that, and I knew what she was trying to say. People wanted puppies and kittens or at the very least pets that were at most a couple of years old.
She opened the gate on his enclosure and brought him into the open area. He looked around, seeming to be glad to have his freedom, before he hopped on the end of the bench I was sitting on. He looked at me and I looked at him, trying to sense his personality. I’d have to find a way to put a spin on his age, so it seemed like a benefit. He got closer and sat down next to me. After a moment, he launched one paw onto my neck and then he lifted his other paw and the next thing I knew it seemed like he was hugging me.
‘What was that?’ I asked Melissa, as the cat retreated.
‘Some cats are huggers. You could put that in the piece and be sure to say that he likes to cuddle.’ As if to prove her right, he came back and leaned in next to me. Poor kitty, I thought as I reached out to pet him. He pushed his head against my hand, and I heard the rumble of a purr.
Melissa was fascinated with what I did and always asked what I was working on. I told her about Evan and the love letters, without mentioning names of course. ‘Although I wouldn’t quite call them love letters yet. They’re really like letters so far.’ I let out a sigh as I thought about Rachel. ‘My other job isn’t quite so fun,’ I said. ‘Someone I helped with her wedding vows died.’ I stopped and gave the cat a few more strokes as I tried to figure out how to explain what I was doing without making it a long story. It was easier to do that when I was writing because I could go back and edit. But you couldn’t do that when you were talking. ‘She died recently and I’m putting together sort of a memory book to be given out at her service.’
‘You said you wrote her wedding vows. She must have been young. What did she die from?’ Melissa asked.
‘Actually, I only helped with her vows. I just gave them a polish. Yes, she was young. She fell from a balcony in one of the buildings in Lakeshore East.’
Melissa’s expression sharpened. ‘I think I heard about that.’ She thought for a moment. ‘It was Natalie. She works in that building a lot. She was there the day it happened.’
‘Really?’ I said, interested. ‘Is she still here?’ I glanced through the large window of the enclosed area that looked out into the store.
‘There she is. By the treat buffet,’ Melissa said, pointing her out. I followed her gaze to the dark-haired woman I’d met when I came in who was dropping biscuits into a paper sack. I thought about trying to catch up with her, but she was already headed to the cashier. I shrugged it off, figuring she probably didn’t know anything about Rachel’s fall, anyway. Melissa seemed ready to wind things down.
‘I can’t imagine how you would create a book for her funeral,’ Melissa said, getting up. ‘But then, I can’t imagine how you come up with what you write about the animals either.’ She gave my shoulder a pat. ‘I guess that’s what makes you a writer and me not one.’
Someone knocked on the glass and Melissa winced. ‘Got to get back to business.’ She picked up the cat and put him back in the cage. I stayed behind for a few minutes, scribbling down a few notes before gathering up my things. I took a picture of Rocky with my phone for reference purposes. ‘I hope I can help,’ I said to the cat before I walked out of the room.
Then it was time to change gears. I checked my watch and saw that I just had time to get back to the dance place in time for the tap class. I liked it when I could dovetail things like this and work on two projects during one trip downtown.
Dance with Me looked a lot different when I returned. There were about twenty or so people loosely organized in two lines. There were a few men mixed in with the crowd. I checked out everyone’s attire and compared it to my own. Darcy had said street clothes were fine, and I was wearing leggings with a loose top and walking shoes, but still I felt out of place. Most of them had on stylish exercise clothes and tap shoes.
I left my jacket on one of the hooks at the back and I tried to fit my bag into one of the cubbies, but it wouldn’t fit. Finally I hung the bag with my jacket and just put my phone and wallet in the cubbies as the others seemed to have done.
I checked the two lines and found an empty space. Feeling a little self-conscious, I stepped into it. The women on either side of me gave me the once-over and both stared at my shoes. Darcy had assured me that tap shoes weren’t required, but my walking shoes seemed all wrong.
‘First timer,’ I said. ‘It was a last-minute decision to come.’ I was relieved when they both smiled at me.
‘That’s OK, New Girl,’ the one on my right said. ‘But it is more fun with the shoes.’ To demonstrate she did some kind of shuffle step that made a clatter. ‘Kat,’ she said introducing herself.
‘Veronica,’ I said, turning to both of them.
‘I’m Kelly,’ the other one said. ‘Don’t worry about the shoes, but Kat is right. It’s good to be able to make noise.’
More people had come in and a third row was forming. It occurred to me that I should explain why I was there and see if I could get some useful information from them. Maybe even a quote. They were both about my age and would have looked almost like twins with their short dark hair and even features, but Kat had tinted her hair aqu
a. ‘I’m here for a dual purpose: exercise, but also to gather some color to write up some publicity pieces for Dance with Me. Actually, it’s a triple purpose: I came here looking for information about another project I’m working on. Did either of you know Rach— I mean Ray?’ They both took a moment to think before nodding.
‘She’s a regular, though I haven’t seen her for a while,’ Kat said.
‘That happens all the time,’ Kelly said. ‘People come religiously for a while and then we never see them again. I haven’t missed a week since the place opened.’
‘Then you don’t know what happened to her?’ I said.
‘Something happened to her?’ Kelly said, surprised.
I mentioned her fall and they both gasped.
‘I had a feeling something was going on with her, but I had no idea it was that serious,’ Kat said, and I realized she assumed it was suicide. I suddenly panicked not knowing who was overhearing our conversation. I didn’t want it to get back to the Parkers that I was undermining their effort to make it seem Rachel’s death was an accident. I quickly added that it had been an accident. Kat shrugged off my comment. ‘She was all bubbly and excited when she first joined. She thought dancing would be fun and she wanted to lose a few pounds. She wasn’t fat or anything, but somebody must have said something to her.’
‘She said she was newly married. Maybe her husband was the someone who said something,’ Kelly said. ‘The last time I saw her I remember noticing that she didn’t look well. I even asked her if anything was wrong.’
‘What did she say?’ I asked, trying not to appear as interested as I felt. One of the teachers had said something similar.
‘Ray shrugged it off. I thought maybe she wasn’t eating enough and exercising too much. But then we were just gym friends. You know, you talk before class – like this – so I let it go.’
Kat nodded. ‘Ray and I talked about getting together outside of here, but we never did. Now I wish we had.’
I saw that the teacher had come in and quickly told them about the memory book and collecting stories about Rachel. ‘Any chance you might have a memory about Ray that I could include. Like something she said about the dance classes or a fun moment.’
The two women looked at each other. Kelly shrugged, but Kat spoke. ‘I have something you might be able to use. A woman came to a tap class with her special needs daughter. The girl had Down’s syndrome and you could watch people giving them disparaging looks and moving away as they tried to find a place in the class. Ray saw what was going on and helped them find a spot and then stood next to the girl. She was friendly and helpful when the girl had trouble with the steps. She put us all to shame and I was determined to follow her lead the next time they came, but the mother and daughter never came again.’
‘That’s just the kind of story I’m looking for. Would it be OK if I attribute it to you? I’d just use your first name and say something like fellow tap dancer,’ I said, and Kat nodded.
‘I’ll try to think of something, too,’ Kelly said. ‘Maybe next time we meet in a class. But now it’s time to boogie with Debbie.’ She pointed to the front of the room as music came up and the teacher began the warm-up.
They might have boogied, but I just tried to keep up. By the end of the class, I was beginning to figure it out. The most important thing seemed to be to move in the same direction everybody else was.
‘The first time is always the hardest,’ Kat said, as we all walked to the back to collect our things. I thanked her for the encouragement, then let everyone leave ahead of me.
I made a stop on one of the benches in front of the display windows. My excuse was I wanted to scribble down some notes about the class along with some about Rachel and the special needs girl, but I needed a few minutes to recuperate before I walked the few blocks to the train. I was glad I’d brought a bottle of water and power bar. It was shocking to realize how out of shape I was. And clumsy, too. More than once I’d almost stepped on Kelly’s foot. Darcy saw me sitting there and came over.
‘So, made it through,’ she said with a friendly smile. Then she said basically the same thing Kat had about it getting easier with time. ‘I forgot one important step in the membership process,’ she said with a smile. ‘We need to add your photo. Give me your phone so I can take one.’ I hardly looked my best, but she assured me I had a glow from completing the dance class. I unlocked my phone and handed it to her. She snapped several shots and then handed it back to me. ‘Pick the one you like best and then print it from your phone.’ She held up a small photo printer.
I thought I looked awful in all of them, but picked the least bad one and a moment later it rolled out of the printer. She stuck it on the wall along with all the other faces.
‘What did you think of the class?’ she asked.
‘I like the format and I really needed it,’ I said. ‘Writers sit too much.’
‘And you probably spend a lot of time alone,’ she said. ‘I saw you talking to the women around you. It must have been nice to be around people.’
‘Yes, having a computer being my significant other can be lonely and I did enjoy the company. They were very encouraging, and the bonus was that one of them had a story about Rachel.’
Darcy wanted to know the story and nodded with interest. From there, I somehow segued into talking about myself. I never did that with clients, but she seemed interested and was easy to talk to. By time I left, I felt like I’d told her my life story, including mentioning the manuscript lingering on the shelf. I ended by telling her that I’d be back for a ballet class the next day.
As I rode the train back to Hyde Park, my thoughts were on Rachel. It was thanks to her that I’d ended up at the dance gym and gotten the gig writing about it. I imagined she’d probably be happy about it since I’d heard how excited she’d been about the place. And I’d gotten another story for the book. It just reaffirmed what the teachers had said and what I’d seen in the short time I’d spent with her when I’d been working on her vows. She was a genuinely caring person. It made it even sadder to think she’d been having a rough time herself. I felt a pang of guilt thinking back to what Luke had said about her needing a friend. Could I have made a difference?
As soon as I got home, I took a hot bath in the claw-foot tub to ease my aching muscles and dressed in some comfortable sweats. I could have gone right to my computer and started work on everything, but I felt like I needed it all to simmer in my unconscious for a while first. It was getting dark when I went into the kitchen and made myself a cheese and mushroom omelet with a side of salad. Someday I’d get the kitchen brought up to modern standards with cabinets, counters and modern appliances, but it worked for now even if I did have to wash the dishes by hand. I took my food into the dining room and thought about what Darcy had said. She was right – I did spend a lot of time alone.
When I felt compelled to clean up everything before I went to my work, I realized I was stalling, hoping I’d build up steam and when I sat down at the computer that the words would explode from my fingers to the screen. My notes from what Kat had said about Rachel were pretty sketchy and I wanted to get them in the computer while the story was still fresh in my mind. Rocky was depending on me to come up with something so heart-wrenching it would get him his forever home. And I had to come through for Evan. The only piece that didn’t seem too daunting was the description of the dance class.
My office felt cozy and inviting when I finally got in there. I turned on the student lamp and it illuminated my desk, the burgundy-colored wing chair and the old oriental rugs in shades of red covering the wood floor. I used one of the metalwork wall sconces to light up the perimeter of the room. I was pretty sure it dated from when the building had been constructed. The lamp itself was meant to look like a candle. Some people put in flame-shaped bulbs, but I used a regular bulb covered by a silky off-white lampshade. Outside the patter of raindrops began to hit the glass. It was a nice night to be inside.
Tap never goes ou
t of style, I began writing. Drop in any time to get your shuffle ball change on. No experience or shoes required, though it’s more fun if you have tap shoes. You learn the steps to a fun routine and dance away the hour. I wrote a note to myself that it might be a good idea to get some quotes from members about the different classes.
It turned out to be no problem typing up Kat’s story about Rachel. I made sure to include how Rachel’s behavior had inspired Kat. I moved on to the layout using placeholders for the photographs and a capsule of the copy that would go around them. I wrote out the basic story about the purse that Rachel had auctioned off and then used the money for school supplies, to get an idea of how much space it would take. I put in placeholders for the other stories I hoped to get from the Parkers and from Luke. There might be something more from the dance classes, and if need be, I could always put in some poetry. Then I set it aside since it wasn’t as immediate as my other tasks. Evan needed his note so he could get it to Sally, and Rocky needed his story posted as soon as possible so he could get adopted.
I was on a roll now and started on to Evan’s note. The challenge was to write something romantic, but in a tone that sounded like him.
Hi Sally,
I really enjoyed the time at the zoo with you. I’d really enjoy being anywhere with you. I’m so sorry you had to leave our date because of work. I was hoping for a raincheck and the chance to whisk you away on a cruise. It won’t be to the Panama Canal, but the Chicago River is a lot closer. I thought we could spend the afternoon on the architectural cruise gliding along past tall buildings and interesting sights while we sip wine. You might not have noticed because I’m so serious at work, but I can be fun.
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