Page 94 of Hold the Pickle
He runs the back of his hands along his jaw. “I can. But the fun is in the discovery.”
I swing my legs off the bed. “All right. Let’s go.”
He takes me in. “The sister I remember would never be caught dead in downtown Boulder in gray sweats and a messy bun. I like this new you.”
My hands fly to my hair. I haven’t gotten properly dressed or done any hair or makeup since I arrived. “I’m living up to my underachievement.”
Axel’s face twists into a frown. “You’re the smartest of the bunch. Did this move from LA do a number on you? I heard you had a roommate. A boy roommate.” He lightly punches my arm.
Doppy drops into another crouch, ready to pounce on Axel again.
“You get him, Dop,” I tell the kitten. “Use all your black cat magic because he’s asking questions that are none of his business.”
Doppelgänger tightens his stance, shifting his little paws.
But Greyson has been watching from the pillow, and right when Dop is about to spring, Greyson leaps on top of him and bites his neck. They tumble in a blur of fur.
Axel laughs. “Saved by the sibling. Hey, there’s four of them. You should have named them after us.”
“Even the genders are right,” I say. “Three boys and a girl.”
He picks up Dop. “This one would be Rhett. Black like his soul.”
“I think that would be our cousin Diesel.”
It seems our cat toy excursion is delayed, so I sit back down. “I should call Diesel. Get some advice on avoiding Uncle Sherman.”
“If you could find him. I don’t think he’s talked to anyone but Grammy Alma in a year.”
“He didn’t get sucked into Pickle Media.”
“Neither did I.”
“You got richer than Uncle Sherman.”
Axel sighs, as if the money is a burden. “Maybe. It did get me out. I can get you out. I could make you my personal assistant.”
I roll my eyes. “For what work? Scheduling your hikes? Definitely not for buying your wardrobe when you do them.”
He grins. “Fair enough. I get it. So what do you want to do?”
“Get a job in LA. Find a place for my cats.”
“Well, let’s do it then.”
“I’ve been applying. I haven’t heard a single thing back from anyone. I don’t have any experience.”
“Let’s get you some.”
Dop and Greyson have stopped fighting and try to climb up Axel’s back. He reaches around with more flexibility than I have and plucks them off to move them to his lap. “What would be the perfect job if you knew you could make enough money?”
That’s easy. “I’d run a cat rescue.”
“Okay, done. We’ll start one. I’ll bankroll it.”
“Axel! You can’t do that. Besides, I don’t know anything about running a rescue. I need connections. Veterinarians. Volunteers. Paperwork. Permits.”
“Then go work for one. Learn the ropes.”
