Page 29 of Impurrfections


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Theo waved at the couch. “That thing’s actually pretty comfortable. We could watch a movie.”

“It’s white,” I pointed out.

“We just got super-clean.” Theo grinned at me.

“I meant…” But I was showered and my clothes were washed, so why the fuck not? I dropped into the couch’s cushy embrace. “Sure.”

“Want something to drink? I have some beer.”

“I’m not much of a drinker,” I said.

“Me neither. Although I had to learn to like beer. It was already hard enough to get construction folks to take me seriously looking like a total twink. Being able to hold my beer was a mark in the respect column back when I was learning the trade.”

“Makes sense. A lot of the carny folk were hard drinkers too, at least the ones I hung out with.”

“Sounds risky. Rides and all.”

“Oh, not while we were open. Antonopoulos would’ve had our heads.” The owner had been pretty easygoing, but he had limits. “When the rides stopped and the lights went down, the booze came out. At first, I went along with that, made friends and all. But I did a couple of stupid things while drunk.”Almost got someone killed, and I’ll remember that moment till I die.“So I decided to cut way back and… it was like that country song where the guy says his wife was way more fun before he stopped drinking. They thought I was judging them, and honestly, I had to be drunk to sit through Big John’s naked-woman story for the tenth time. I decided to split, and they weren’t all that sorry to see me go.”

Theo opened his mouth, then paused as if second-guessing his words. He went with, “I cut back on the beer once I became the boss. So what can I get you? Soda? Coffee? Hot chocolate?”

I’d planned to ask for soda, but that last one caught my attention. “Hot chocolate? Really?”

“Sure. I’m a fool for all kinds of chocolate.”

“Haven’t had that since I was a kid. It’s not really a California thing, is it?”

“It is if we say it is. We can take our mugs outside in our shirtsleeves and get chilled while drinking the good stuff.”

“I’m gonna drink mine in this nice warm house, if it’s all the same to you.” SoCal January might be better than the Midwest, and today had been pretty, but it’d clouded over and that meant back down to fifties, probably. I hadn’t been really warm in a long time. In this house, I felt like a plant brought into a greenhouse out of the frost, even though this area never saw frost. Leaning back, I stretched luxuriously. I hadn’t even needed to put my jacket back on.

“Sure. I’ll get the drinks.” Theo pointed at a remote. “You can figure out what we should watch.”

I wasn’t up on recent movies. Even when I wasn’t squatting, most of the places I stayed, I was lucky to have electricity, let alone a TV. Some of the guys went to the movies if there was a five-dollar night, for some fun and a warm place to sit, but those were usually older stuff or classics.

Mimsy jumped down from the windowsill and came over to me, rubbing her cheek back and forth against my shins. I bent to stroke her, hearing a microwave buzz and ding in the kitchen. “What do you think, Mims? Alley cats like us don’t really belong here, but it’s nice while it lasts, right?”

Sheprrped and sprang to my knees, headbutting my hand till I petted her properly.

“Yeah, don’t get too used to it, you say?”

Mimsy turned to knead her claws into the white-fabric-covered arm.

“Oh, no, not a good plan.” I unhooked her nails and lifted her farther into my lap. “This sofa probably costs more than I’ve ever made in a year. Although watch, I’ll spill hot chocolate on it. Wanna bet?”

“Sofas can be cleaned.” Theo came back in with a mug in each hand. He held out one to me. “It’s just instant cocoa, but I make it with milk, not water.”

I took the mug and sipped, almost burning my mouth. I didn’t know what to say anymore. This was some kind of alternate universe and I’d surely wake up soon, but the chocolate was sweet and smooth on my tongue.

Theo sat beside me, set his drink on the coffee table, and picked up the remote. “Did you choose a movie?”

“You pick.”

“Okay.” He turned on the TV that was five times the size of the crappy one my folks owned and began scrolling through options. “Oh, hey, how aboutGravity? It’s not new, but you saidThe Martianwas your favorite.”

“You remembered?”

“Shane, you just told me, like, an hour ago, remember? My favorite movie’s Lord of the Rings, the Martian was yours.”