Page 86 of Impurrfections

Theo turned to me, but as our lips met, a horn honked outside. Theo pulled back. “That’s probably the framing carpenter. I have to go meet him.”

“I’ll come along.” I didn’t want to sit up here in my apartment like I was hiding away. I tossed a handful of kibble across the floor for Mimsy to hunt down, left the window open if she wanted out onto the roof, and followed Theo down the stairs.

Theo introduced me as the upstairs resident. The carpenter, a bearded man with a wide smile, shook my hand and promised they’d be done by seven most nights, and he’d warn me if they needed to cut water or power. I trailed after them as Theo took the guy around. This was clearly a second visit, since the carpenter knew the layout and had a set of plans.

They stopped occasionally to take a measurement, and as they reached the luxury of the front room, after the basic utilitarian back half, the carpenter laughed. “I told my cousin what you were doing to this building. She came here a few years back for a tasting party, and she said it was super fancy. She couldn’t believe this was going to become an animal shelter, in Marina Park of all places.” The carpenter patted the fancy arch to the hallway. “I like it, though. Hate seeing a place boarded up. My cousin said she’s gonna come by when we’re done, just to see what it came out like.”

I exchanged looks with Theo. If we’d wondered how Van Doren got wind of the project, that made it pretty clear the contractors had been talking. Theo hadn’t asked anyone to keep it a secret, after all.

They talked about the front area, about framing in a double front door like an airlock against escaping pets. Theo slanted me a look as he said, “The barrier to the cat area has to go all the way to the ceiling.”

I grinned.

When they’d wound down, the carpenter said he’d go out and get his guys started on the work. Theo walked back into the side hall with me. “I should head out. They don’t need me hanging over their shoulders. I’ll check the work at the end of the day.” His tone went hesitant. “What are you doing today? Can I drive you anywhere?”

I’d thought about that question all morning, coming up with a different answer each time, but with Theo giving me sad gray eyes, like he thought I’d ditch him, I made up my mind. “Can we walk Foxy and then head down to one of the San Diego Planned Parenthoods?” When he blinked at me, I told him, “They offer STD testing on the cheap for people with no income. Sometimes it’s hard to prove I qualify, but sometimes you get staff that’ll work with you.”

“Or I could pay—” He bit off his words with a press of his lips. “Never mind. Of course, sure. And I should test too. We can do it together.” His expression went warmer. “I’d like that.”

“The couple that tests together, stays together,” I quipped.

“For sure.” He lowered his voice. “And I can’t wait to fuck you bare.”

I took a sharp breath. “You think Foxy actually needs a walk?”

We had to call a couple of the local clinics before getting same-day appointments, but an hour later, we were in the Tesla driving south. After a few minutes of suggesting ridiculous names for the two puppies still being called Thing One and Thing Two, our conversation lapsed. I gazed out at the dry landscape, and Theo whistled off-key under his breath. In most people, that’d be annoying as fuck, but I’d figured out a while back it meant Theo was nervous. I set a hand on his thigh, rubbing circles. He glanced my way and then settled into silence.

“You worried for me or for you?” I asked.

“Bit of both?”

“We’ll be fine. And then we can flip a coin who gets whose ass first.”

“In five to ten days for full results,” Theo pointed out because we’d read the info on their website.

“Yeah. Well, anticipation, right?”

I hadn’t seen Vista before, but a suburb was a suburb. We parked in the paved lot in front of the clinic. I stopped Theo before he could get out. “We’re going in there separately. You pay them or give your insurance or whatever. I speak to the care counselor.”

“Don’t you think…” He hesitated. “If I pay for you, they can save their funds for someone who actually doesn’t have—” He must’ve seen my expression because he stopped right there.

“I actually don’thaveyour money. Knowing I can ask for it and you’ll probably give me some, if I haven’t pissed you off, isn’t the same as having it.”

I saw his fingers flex and clench, and wondered if he wanted to hand me bucks, to make that not true.Too bad, so sad, rich boy.I was going to do this my way, no matter how demented that made me.

“You know what, though?” I punched his shoulder gently, because I didn’t hate that my boyfriend was a generous guy. “You can give them a donation, if you like. Planned Parenthood maybe saved me one time.” A douchebag truckdriver had laughed about being poz after he unloaded in my mouth. PP gave me post-exposure at no cost and I was negative later. “They’re good people.”

Theo wore the serious look I kind of loved on him. “Sure. I could do that.”

“Let’s go, then.”

We took our turns at the reception desk, and I settled in to wait for a care coordinator. Theo was called, vanished into the back, and returned, before an older woman in blue scrubs approached me. She led me to a small office. “Your form says you have zero income?”

“Well, not quite zero. I busk for a living. Ain’t never made enough to report it.” I sat across from her. “But listen, this time, I don’t need your assistance services, except STD testing. I needed help a couple of times in other states. You folks were lifesavers.” They’d connected me with shelters twice when I’d been sick and had nowhere to stay. “This time, I have most of what I need. I just want to know if I’m clear to fuck my fine boyfriend bare.” Ilovedthe nurses at PP. No need for stupid euphemisms.

“The nurse said you got out of a Tesla.”

“Yeah, that’s my boyfriend. He has money. I don’t. I don’t want him paying for me. We’re not like that. But he’d be happy to donate a bunch of cash instead, so tell him what this visit would cost if I had the bucks, double it, and I bet he’ll write a check.”

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