Page 14 of August Heat
She shoves her arms up barnyard animals’ asses for a living, so…Krys assumed Siobhan washed up well. Here was hoping, anyway.
That’s not why she was so nervous, though. She was anxious because something about Siobhan’s behavior toward her turned her off.
I don’t think she likes me very much.
Krys didn’t see that as a challenge. If anything, it hurt her to know that someone she barely knew didn’t think too highly of her. Had Krys done something? She had come on too strong. That was the problem. Lorri and the others were always telling Krys that she couldn’t run up to every pretty lady and ask them out like it was another day ending in Y.Maybe I’m off my game. It’s been how long since I asked someone out?Krys approached the office door and knocked.I’m not as suave as I used to be. This is it. This is what it’s like to become a dating has-been.
The door opened. Siobhan blocked the entryway, her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail that continued to take up more space than her shoulders. Or the big lab coat that draped over her tank top and khaki capris.
“So…” Siobhan’s eyes darted up and down the length of Krys’s body. She wasn’t so much checking Krys out as she was… what? Sizing her up? Getting a good look at her? Making assumptions based on how well Krys took care of her body? “You came. To play with my kittens.”
“I’m assuming that was actually okay. You didn’t say I couldn’t, so I…”
Siobhan stepped away. “They’re in here. Just woke up from their naps so they should be nice and energetic for you, Ms. Firefighter.”
“What are you trying to say?” Krys chuckled as she shut the door behind her. An air conditioner worked in tandem with a standing fan to keep air moving through the small kennels in the back. The kittens were still the only animals in there, which meant Siobhan had released them to run around the enclosed space. Toys littered the floor. Fuzzy strings hung from the exam table. A blanket was piled in the corner, long since abandoned now that four baby animals tussled and mewled. No wonder. The food dish was empty. Somebody had lots of energy.
“Knock yourself out,” Siobhan said. “I’ve got some paperwork from an appointment to fill out in the other room. Let me know if there are any issues.”
Krys already had one wiggly kitten in her hands. “You’re not gonna help mesocializethem?” Huh. That was a terrible pickup line. She should try again. “I mean, I would think the more people that do it at once might be…”
“Overstimulation,” Siobhan said. “Bombarding someone with too much talking and touching can cause overstimulation, and then you lose all progress.”
She said it so quickly that Krys wondered if they were still talking about cats. “Cool. I’ll hang out for a while. By the way…” She caught Siobhan before she went into the other room. “I talked to my chief down at the firehouse. He said it’s cool if I collect some money to cover the costs for these little guys. You may not believe it, but firefighters are the biggest softies of any emergency response bunch.” That wasn’t something Krys had ever thought about until now.It’s kinda true, though.People assumed firefighters got into it because they loved the thrill, the adventure, thecoolfactor of jumping into fires and barely making it out alive. Okay, so maybe that was a part of it. In Krys’s case, she had thought about becoming an EMT and putting her empathetic nature to work, but more than one person suggested she had the body and stamina for firefighting.Here I am, rescuing kittens from the smoldering rubble.Krys looked down at the squirming furball in her grasp. The kitten was desperate to pounce on his brother, the kitten currently rubbing up against Krys’s leg.
“Big softies, huh?” Siobhan asked with crossed arms. “Stop talking about how nice you are and prove it.” She closed the door, although a glance through the tiny window assured Krys that Dr. O’Connor was at her desk in the other room.
Krys sat in one of the chairs on the side of the small room and cuddled two of the kittens. They bit her fingers before gingerly licking them. They faked her out by pretending to want belly scritches, only to nip her a moment later. They climbed her shoulders like she was Mt. Everest, and one little girl was brave enough to stand on top of her head and take full survey of her domain. Krys hadn’t realized they were old enough to accomplish such feats.How old is a kitten that is ready to be adopted?When did they need to be fixed? When did they cross the threshold from adorable kittens to hellacious juveniles?It’s been so long since I’ve had a pet, and most of them were dogs.Tomboy Krys knew all about playing outside with dogs. Big labs, little terriers… either kind were good for running, jumping, barking, and swimming. Cats, though? They were sweet, but they weren’t what she thought of when she imagined a lifelong pet to go on adventures with, whatever they may be.
I wonder what Siobhan’s favorite animal is…She seemed like a horse girl. Didn’t most horse girls have dreams of becoming veterinarians and that’s how it always began?I wonder if she’s gay…
Krys didn’t think she was such hot stuff that she could have any woman she wanted, but it was strange how Siobhan acted around her. She both knew Krys, yes… knew almost nothing about her. They had never had a conversation before that week. Krys barely recognized her from years of living in Paradise Valley. Siobhan was a hermit who only left her isolated property to go tootherisolated properties. Her clients were animals, not people. She seemed old enough to not only have life experience, but romantic experiences as well. She lived with an aunt, for God’s sake. That didn’t scream a woman looking for romance, of either the homo or hetero variety.
Why do I care so much?
Because Siobhan was gorgeous? Intriguing? Fascinating? Krys knew she wouldn’t start dating again until the right woman crossed her path. Hm, it had happened, huh? All she had to do was pick up some kittens.
After a while, she stopped thinking so much about Siobhan. When alone with four playful kittens, a woman jumped into the exciting world of babysitting.
It only took her fifteen minutes to define the differences between them. This one had white socks. That one had a giant, prominent black M on his forehead. This one was fluffier than the others, and that one had a short, stubby tail. Now, Krys didn’t know anything about sexing cats, but she recalled that two were male and two were female. The hairy one was female. After that? She guessed.
“Look at you guys. Where’s your mama, huh?” Krys sat cross-legged on the floor, her lap covered in kittens. “Somebody put you out there in that box. You guys are strong, but you didn’t get there on your own. You trying to tell me that’s what happened?”
She was met with a chorus of happy meows. The hairy little girl attempted to leap off Krys’s lap and instead tumbled to the floor. Krys picked her up and gave her a tiny squeeze. Protests prompted her to put the kitten back down.
“People always be dumping their pets like it’s nothing. You guys gotta get fixed so it doesn’t happen to any descendants of yours. You know how many cats we’ve got on this planet? You guys are adorable, but we don’t need more of you. That’s why I’ve gotta raise some money to get you guys…”
The one with the prominent M chomped on her thumb. Krys yelped in both pain and surprise.
That was the moment she knew. No, not the moment she was bitten like a toy… the moment she looked down in that kitten’s eyes, and he guiltily backed away like he knew he almost ruined a good thing.
“Hey, doc.” Krys opened the door, careful to keep the kittens from spilling out the crack. “What if I took the kittens home when they’re ready to go? I’ve got plenty of space in my garage for them to run around without getting into too much trouble. Got some friends who’d love to play with them.” Her roommate might raise an eyebrow, but…
Siobhan leaned back in her chair, hands behind her head and fingers digging into her curly hair. “Didn’t you say your lease doesn’t allow pets on the premises?”
“Not like the landlord makes weekly or monthly inspections. Guy doesn’t live in the state anymore. I could totally get away with some smuggled kittens until they’re adopted.”
Why was Siobhan rolling her eyes? “You really like those kittens, huh?”
