“I’m a little surprised she didn’t have me fill out a job application today,” said Leanne, “so she could check out my work history and all that before I start work.”
Cassandra shrugged. “I guess because it’s only part-time, they figure they don’t need to be that thorough.”
After choosing the crème colored rat that Leanne decided should be called Marshmallow, they headed for Leanne’s parents’ house. They couldn’t visit for long since they didn’t want to leave the rat in the warm SUV for any extended amount of time.
Leanne excitedly told her parents about her new job and the work she did at Cassandra’s house. Leanne’s dad helped her dig the old cage out of the garage while Cassandra chatted with her mother. She could tell that while it certainly made her parents feel better to meet the person she was staying with, her mother was a bit overwhelmed by all the sudden change. Leanne had always been close to her parents, so she didn’t need to hear her mother express her concern in words to know that she actually was. She saw it on her face. “Mom,” she said, hoping to reassure her when they were alone in the kitchen, “I’ll call soon and we’ll chat some more.”
“Ok, hun. It’s just that this is all so sudden. Don’t you think things are happening rather fast?”
“I do, but given the circumstances, there’s not much I could do about it unless you want me to move in here or impose on someone else instead.”
“Oh, you’re never imposing, kiddo. You know that.”
Leanne smiled and hugged her mother. “It’s good to know I have you to run to if things don’t work out.”
Back out in the living room, Leanne told her father, “I wrote down the address of where I’m staying. Just call my cell anytime, as always.”
With that, Leanne and Cassandra headed home with their new furry friend. “Your parents seem very nice,” Cassandra said with a smile.
“They are. With all the people I hear complaining about all the horrible things their own mothers and fathers have done to them, I guess you could say I’m pretty lucky. Maybe someday I’ll be just as lucky with love instead of having to be dumped for some quality I don’t quite possess, like the ability to shoot sperm or drive a car.”
Cassandra smiled knowingly. “Well, you just gotta see it this way; if we’re not good enough for them, they’re not good enough for us.”
“So true, but not always easy to tell ourselves when we’re really interested in someone who doesn’t want us.”
“Yeah, I know what it’s like. Think being so tall and having such a demanding job helps?”
Leanne laughed. “For whatever it’s worth, I like tall women and there’s nothing wrong with a demanding job either. Someone’s gotta take care of the sick and injured.”
“Yes, they do.”
Leanne thought about it and realized that the nurse had probably seen her fair share of heartache and gore, but she didn’t want to say anything more about it. Those weren’t the kinds of jobs one wanted to take home with them.
After they got the rat set up in his cage, Cassandra asked, “Can I pick him up by his tail?”
“It’s best not to, unlike with mice. His tail is essentially an extension of the spine, so it’s best to just scoop him up like this.” Leanne lifted the rat by its body and held it out to Cassandra. Cassandra patted him on the head and then got ready for work.
“Sure you’ll be ok by yourself?” she asked when she stepped out of the bedroom ten minutes later.
“I don’t see why not.”
“Mom’s number is on the fridge. Just call her if you need her.”
“Ok.”
Cassandra kissed her goodbye, on the lips, much to Leanne’s delight, and then she was gone.
Leanne settled into the couch with Marshmallow on her lap. “What should we do tonight?” she asked the curious critter. The rodent looked up at her as if to say, “How the hell should I know?”
Leanne sighed and let her head rest on the couch cushions. She expected an uneventful, even boring night. Her night would be anything but that, though she did not yet know it as she struggled to decide whether or not to watch a movie or maybe get back to her old blog. She did like to write, after all. Then again, maybe she could see if Alexis was currently on Facebook and up for a chat.
She logged into her Facebook account and noticed she was still connected to Kelli. Had Kelli, like her, simply been too busy to delete her and file her away as a chapter of the past? “Well, you might be too busy trying to get knocked up,” Leanne thought aloud, “but I’m ready to move on.” With that, she deleted Kelli for good.
Most of Leanne’s account was public. She got a kick out of knowing that Kelli would be curious enough to check it out and wonder how she’d gotten a new job so fast, and how quickly she went from ‘single’ and back to ‘in a relationship.’
She chatted with Alexis and some guy in Europe she’d never met before but had struck up a cyber friendship with after meeting on another site.
After a bathroom break, the doorbell rang. Leanne froze in her tracks, heartbeat now running just a little faster.
Who the hell could be at the door now?
Cassandra hadn’t mentioned anyone coming over for any reason, so maybe it was best to remain quiet, let the person think no one was home, and hope they went away.
Then again, what if it was Rena coming to check on her? Wouldn’t the woman worry if she didn’t answer? But if it was really Cassandra’s mother, why not just call her?
Hurry up and decide! she urged herself just as she heard a youngish woman call out hello. Realizing it was Brittany, she finally gave in and opened the door.
Brittany just looked at her for a moment, then she looked past her. “Cassandra at work?”
Leanne nodded. “Can I give her a message for you when she gets in later on?”
“Well…” Brittany hesitated.
“Better yet, would you like to come in? I’m not doing anything other than wasting time on Facebook.”
The redhead studied Leanne a moment, shrugged, and said, “Yeah, I guess I can come in for a minute or two.”
Leanne realized she felt a bit uneasy in Brittany’s presence. She felt like Brittany had something to hide, yet was up to something at the same time. “Is everything ok?”
“Yeah,” Brittany mumbled, stepping into the house. She noticed the cage right away and asked, “What’s that?”
“Our new rat.”
Brittany sort of frowned for a moment and said, “You guys already got a pet?” as if to suggest it was premature or something.
“Well, it was one of those spontaneous decisions. I’ve had pet rats before, and well, we were browsing through the mall and I got all excited when I saw him.”
“Nice cage,” Brittany said, staring almost blankly at it.
“I had it stored away at my parents’ house, so we stopped by and picked it up on the way home.” Brittany half-smiled for a second, and Leanne still sensed something was amiss. “You sure nothing’s wrong?”
“Well,” Brittany said hesitantly. “Has Cassandra ever mentioned a girl named Angel to you before?”
Uh-oh
“No, she hasn’t,” Leanne lied, hoping she sounded convincing enough.
“What about the names Thomas Mason or Brent Castwood?”
“No.” At least that was the truth.
Brittany continued her semi-blank stare into the rat’s cage. Leanne waited for her to speak again. When she didn’t, she asked her to explain.
Brittany looked up at her, still very hesitant. Leanne wasn’t sure if she should try to get whatever information she could out of Brittany for Cassandra’s sake, or maybe some information for her own sake. If Cassandra had something to hide, something that went beyond a horrible and tragic accident, she wanted to know about it.
“Is something wrong that Cassandra needs to be made aware of?” Leanne decided to ask.
“Why would you ask that?”
Not what she expected. Thinking fast, she said, “Well, you almost sound like you don’t want to worry me about something.”
Another half-smile. “I wish it were that simple.”
“Wish what was that simple?” Leanne was now becoming as frustrated as she was confused.
Brittany’s cell phone vibrated in her jacket pocket. Pulling it out, she looked at the display and then opened the phone. “Hello, honey… Uh-huh… Oh, really?… Then I guess I’d better tend to that sore back of yours real soon… Any other body parts I need to take care of?… Ha-ha, funny, you hunk… I’ll be home soon… No, I stopped by Cass’s place, but she’s already left for work. I keep forgetting she changed shifts.”
Once Brittany snapped her phone shut, she faced Leanne with a more focused and serious expression. “Listen, could you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“It’s a huge, huge favor.”
“Ok.”
“Can you not tell Cassandra I was here?”
Leanne thought a moment, surprised by the request. “I guess I could do that, but why must she not know you were here?”
“I don’t have time to explain it right now, but I promise you I’ll get back to you because I may need your help with something that might even be good for you too, in the end. Know what I’m saying?”
“I don’t, but I’ll keep your visit a secret as long as you get back to me soon enough. You want my cell or email address?”
“No way. I’ll explain everything in person, face to face.”
“Ok.”
“I’ll come back tomorrow night. That is my promise to you, ok?”
“Sure.”
“Until then, please forget the names I mentioned, ok?”
“I will.”
Brittany left a few minutes later. She watched her pull away through the living room window, then she turned to the rat and said, “Phones and doorbells ought to be slapped silly for all the disruptions they cause.”
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