Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 68538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Maven’s brows rose. “He did?”
“Yep,” I confirmed. “What do you want? I was thinking about a large pizza, but I hate to break it to you, I’m so hungry myself that I can’t share.”
Her eyes twinkled as she said, “I want the goat cheese and Canadian bacon one anyhow. Get a medium, and I can take it to work with me Monday for lunch.”
I placed the order, and we went back to talking about Pepper.
“She’s always just so angry,” she admitted. “She has this inner fire that stays lit one hundred percent of the time. And it all stems from her sister and her family. Which I know isn’t doing too well.”
“I hate to admit this, but I can’t really stand Sage.” I winced. “I feel for her, but I don’t like her as a person. And Atlas always defends her actions, but I don’t agree with him. I think he’s seeing the victim and not the game she’s playing.”
“What kind of game?” She gestured for us to head to the couch.
I sat and explained, happy when she curled up on the same couch as me.
“At first, I didn’t quite see it,” I said. “But now, it’s like she almost competes with us for Atlas’s attention. And not saying that she doesn’t deserve the sympathy, she was kidnapped and hurt after all, but she’s almost making her entire life about it. She tells everyone she knows that she’s been hurt. She’s writing a fucking book for Christ’s sake. And let’s not mention how she always gets her way. She plays the sympathy card, and all of a sudden, everything is given to her. I’ve seen her get so many free meals it’s not even funny.”
If she wasn’t aware of how strongly I felt about Sage, she would be more than aware now.
“What the hell is that?” I asked as a peach looking rat like thing popped out from the blanket that was next to my hip.
“That’s Linda.” she explained. “She’s a Sphynx.”
Every time I ask the universe to send me a sign, and it does, I always wait for a better, more signier sign.
—Maven to Athena
MAVEN
I’d done it.
I’d grown a pair of really big lady balls, and I’d asked the man out.
I couldn’t believe he’d said yes.
I couldn’t believe he was in my house, staring at my cat like it was an alien from another planet.
“It looks like a rat.” He paused. “That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.”
I barely contained my laughter as I gestured to her. “She was actually a rescue. I found her out on the side of the highway. I-635 no less. I was driving, and I saw a flash of pink on the side of the road. It was so surprising that I pulled over and went back to look. I found her there, huddled against one of the concrete barriers separating traffic.”
“Jesus,” he shook his head. “I hate stopping on 635. You’re lucky she wasn’t dead.”
“I agree,” I said. “I can’t say that I would’ve chosen her on my own, if given the chance. She’s a lot of work.”
“How?” he asked, still staring at the cat.
“Well, they can get sunburns easily,” I said. “And their skin gets really oily, so they need baths a lot. And without any fur, they’re more susceptible to abrasions. Not to mention I have to wipe her butt for her at least twice a week.”
His eyes went wide.
“I love her, though,” I admitted. “She’s like a tiny little toddler.”
“Sounds fascinating,” he lied.
I flashed him a grin.
“Go ahead and touch her,” I said. “You know you want to.”
He didn’t look too sure, and I had to laugh at that.
The first time Athena’s mom touched her, she’d been disgusted.
“Why are you laughing like Dr. Evil?” he asked, pausing halfway to touching the cat.
“Athena’s mom is really religious,” I said as I started to explain my giggling. “So the first time she met Linda, she looked at her curiously and asked, ‘What does she feel like?’”
“And you said like a pair of balls?” he asked, sounding amused.
I flushed dark red as I said, “Well, not quite. I mean, I was thinking it, but I didn’t say it. Athena could tell I was trying hard not to blurt it out, so she helped change the subject to picking a name.”
“And how did you come up with the name Linda?” he wondered. “That seems really random for a cat.”
“I kept saying ‘listen’ to her when she was searching for her food bowl. And you know that saying ‘Listen, Linda?’” I asked.
He nodded. “Well, it just kind of stuck. I started using it more and more, and now she’s an overweight Sphynx cat with an attitude problem. It fits really well, actually.”
“I can see that.” He narrowed her eyes. “Does she always climb in between the couch cushions like that?”