A Strange State of Affairs Ch. 13

            Riyel went home later that morning in his truck.

            Fye dragged himself out of bed and made breakfast for himself.  He poured a dish of milk for El, who sighed upon seeing it. 

            I’ve already drunk a whole cow’s worth of milk in just this week, she thought,  Why are animal meal choices so limited?  Nevertheless, she lowered her head and began to lap at the liquid.  She and Fye ate in silence.

            The thud of a ball bouncing off of the kitchen window startled them both.  Fye jumped up and smacked his leg against the table, while Elevine took a large swallow of milk and began choking.  She hacked and coughed while Fye opened the window to shoot a surly glare at the children across the street. 

            Gingerly rubbing his shin, Fye looked over at Elevine, who was just managing to overcome her coughing fit.  He saw something streaming from her eyes onto her paws �" tears?  Did cats cry?  Could cats cry?

            The young man approached the cat swiftly.  “Sorry, ‘la” he said, “Bear with me for a minute.”  He scooped the cat up in his arms and held her at eye level for a thorough inspection.

            The kitchen was silent as he peered at El’s face.

            Elevine purred gently (albeit a bit hoarsely) at him.  Even though he had her in a chokehold around her ribs with the rest of her body hanging free beneath his hands, she was completely at ease.  This young man would never drop her…

            Fye grinned at her.  “Elala,” he cooed, “Elala…”  He suddenly remembered the open window and the possibility of lurking reporters.  “Ack,” he sighed, putting the cat down and running over to the window.

            Elevine staggered back onto the table, where her legs gave way beneath her.  Somehow, Fye’s gaze always made her feel breathless and aflame…

            The phone rang shrilly, and the artist sprinted to answer the call.

            “Hello?”  He paused for a moment, then rolled his eyes.  “Yeah, Pona, I am.”  He paused again.  “Eight o’clock at the Oloi Restaurant.  Across from the Puri Suites, I know.  Huh.”  Fye huffed and hung up the phone while Pona was still ranting on about something. 

            The day progressed slowly.

            Fye snuck out to mow his lawn after a thorough inspection for any lurking paparazzi.  Liking the feel of the sun on his chest, he stripped off his light blue shirt as he cut the sweet sandgrass, a type of vegetation native to Puri Beach.

            Elevine flubbed her way to the window and watched him longingly.  Her paws throbbed faintly, but she ignored the sensation.

            El herself didn’t approve much of this date.  She had been fervently hoping for the past week that the woman Pona had set Fye up with was a real hag, inside and out.  She hoped that Fye would turn her down (kindly, of course) and find someone more suitable.  Not for the first time since she had arrived here, Elevine wished she were human. 

            Fye skipped lunch but made a bacon sandwich for El, watching in disbelief as she wolfed the whole thing down.  El could tell he was nervous by his incessant movement, but what could she do to soothe him?  She was a cat.

            At last, the artist left the house.  He dressed quickly and darted out half an hour ahead of schedule, muttering something about not having the right directions to the restaurant.

            El flicked her ear in annoyance as she watched his car peel frantically out of the driveway.  She didn’t want him to leave.  Seeing him go just didn’t seem right somehow.

            Without Fye, the house was too large.  Shadows lurked everywhere, and she felt small and afraid.  She settled herself against the window and put her head down to wait.  Within minutes, she was asleep.