Page 1 of Swept Away
1
GEMMA
I hearhim crying through my headphones.
And these are good quality, expensive headphones, by the way. They’re supposed to cancel out the noise.
My fingers freeze on the keyboard, my back stiff as I listen.
The crying stopped.
Good.
I shift my eyes back to my laptop and resume typing when I hear him again.
Oh, my God.
I can’t believe him.
I yank my headphones off, push my chair back, and rise to my feet, trying not to stumble over my desk as I spin toward the window and open it widely.
Holding my bathrobe together, I rake my eyes over the lush tree crown concealing part of the building.
These trees are a blessing in the summer, blocking the sun from reaching the brownstones lining the street.
Even so, a trickle of light hits my kitchen in the mornings, making it a delight to sip coffee or have breakfast before going to my desk and starting to work.
In the evenings, though, these trees become a whole new universe populated with little critters like the pest who thinks these branches are perfect avenues for strolling, and a tree fork is the best lounging place.
How many times have I caught him sleeping in the tree this past week?
Five.
And who lost this little guy?
I don’t know.
And why aren’t they looking for him?
Beats me.
I tried to catch him a couple of times by luring him to the ground with a treat and a bowl of water.
Had zero luck.
He looked at me with sleepy eyes and simply ignored me. Or he jumped to a lower branch, giving me hope before flicking his whiskers at me andignoring me.
Short of asking my neighbors if they’ve lost a kitten, which I have, or calling the firefighters to bring him down, which, trust me, I have contemplated, I don’t know what else to do.
It’s a cute little fireball. An orange tabby with eyes bluer than the sea.
I’m sure he belongs to someone, although he has no collar. But he’s well fed, and playful, and likes to fuck with my peace of mind.
I can’t sleep when he’s outside, fearing that something bad might happen to him.
I lean over the windowsill and check the tree, murmuring nasty words under my breath.
“Where are you, you little dick?”
