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“Oh. Guess I should have left it then.”
“Doesn't matter. We're all here now.”
Kathleen said, “You're a guy, James. What would you think of this”-she showed him the photo of the bikini-”in hot pink?”
He tilted his head and studied the picture. “Depends on who's wearing it.”
“Me.”
“Then I’m all for it.”
“See?” Kathleen said to Lucy. “He likes it in hot pink.”
“Right,” Lucy said. “A guy likes the idea of a gorgeous girl wearing a skimpy bathing suit-I’m sure it's all about the color.”
“No, it's-” James stopped. “Hold on.” His head turned. “What's that?”
“What?” Lucy looked in the same direction. David was sitting on the floor a few feet away, one leg in the air, his neck curved gracefully downward as he carefully licked his balls-or where his balls would have been if he hadn't been neutered. “Oh, that.”
As they all turned to look at him, David froze in that position. His eyes darted back and forth among all the humans. He slowly lowered his leg.
James said, “Kathleen? Sari? Will one of you please tell me that cat is yours?”
“Sorry,” Kathleen said with a cheerful shrug, and Sari said, “I can't even stand being in the same room with it. Allergies.”
“That would make it-” He looked at Lucy. “Yours.”
“Yeah,” she said. “I got a cat. Surprise!”
“You've got to be kidding me.”
“Why? You know I like animals.”
“And you know I think it's idiotic to spend money and time on something that doesn't contribute anything useful to the world.”
“He's soft,” Lucy said.
“Softer than you, James,” Kathleen said. “I mean, I’m just guessing…”
He didn't even smile. “I’m serious, Lucy. Pets have to be the biggest waste- Do you know that there are children starving in this country? In this city? And you're going to spend money on food for this thing?”
“I’m not taking food out of their mouths,” Lucy said. “I mean, I’m not not giving money to charity because I have a cat. It doesn't work that way.”
“Yeah, Lucy wouldn't care about starving kids even if she didn't have a cat,” Kathleen said.
“Stop helping her,” Sari said. “Stop talking.” She patted the chair next to hers firmly and Kathleen carried her knitting stuff and magazine over, sat down, and joined her in casting on stitches. But they were both listening to every word.
“I just can't believe you would go and get a cat when you know I hate the whole idea of pets,” James said. “Unless that's the point.”
“I realize this may come as a total shock,” Lucy said. “But not everything's about you.”
“You want something cute and cuddly? How about I buy you a stuffed animal? And I give this guy to a friend of mine who uses kittens for his research?”
“You're joking, right?” Lucy said.
“I’m deadly serious.”
“You're sick.”
“Oh, please,” he said. “I thought you were smarter than that.”
“I guess I’m not,” she said. “I guess I’m an idiot like all those other idiots in the world who don't think exactly like James Shields.”
“The world would be a much better place if people thought like me,” he said. “And you know it.”
“Can't you for once put yourself in someone else's shoes? Can't you see that someone might like to have a pet and still not be an idiot?”
“Nope,” he said. His mouth was a flat line. There was a pause.
Lucy shifted abruptly and said, “The book you wanted- where'd you leave it?”
“In the bedroom, I think.”
“Let me check.”
While she was gone, Sari said, “There are bagels, James, if you're hungry.”
“No, thank you,” he said.
Lucy came back into the room. “This it?”
He nodded and she handed it to him. Their fingers didn't touch. “Thanks. Goodbye, everyone. Lucy, I’ll call you later.” He turned and left, closing the door hard behind him-not quite a slam, but almost.
There was a moment of silence. Then: “No one wants to stay with us today,” Kathleen said. “I think it's all your fault, Sari. Offering a man a bagel. What's wrong with you?”
“I’m just a social klutz, I guess.” Sari glanced up at Lucy. “You okay, sweetie?”
“Yeah.” She sank down into a chair. “Slightly pissed, but okay. He's not right, is he? About the cat?”
“Definitely not,” Kathleen said. “It's your apartment and your life. Who the hell gave him the right to say you shouldn't have a pet?”
“I don't like cats,”
Sari said, “but I’ll defend to my death your right to have one.”Lucy stared at the knitting needle that was picking up stitches from the yarn wrapped around Sari's thumb and forefinger, like she was mesmerized by it. Then she said, “I don't know what's going on with me and James. Sometimes he just-” She stopped.
After a moment, Kathleen said, “I still think he's one good-looking dude.”
“And smart and obviously good at what he does,” Sari said.
“Yeah,” Lucy said. “But he can be kind of a dick.”
And by the way her friends didn't say anything, just suddenly got very involved in their knitting, she knew they didn't disagree.
VI
Sari checked her e-mail when she got home from the knitting circle. And there it was-her daily e-mail from [email protected] /* */
The subject line was, “Worried about Zack.” She went to delete it the way she normally did, but accidentally hit “read” instead.
She was fairly certain it was an accident.
She read the first line.
“I’m begi
She closed it down immediately and this time had no trouble finding the delete button. She sat at her desk, her head in her hands, for a long time.
VII
By the time James stopped by the lab on Wednesday afternoon to check in on that week's progress, he and Lucy hadn't spoken for three days-not since Sunday morning. They were cordial, though, and kissed each other quickly on the lips in front of David, who politely busied himself changing the rats’ water.
“You look tired, Lucy,” James said, and she said, “I am tired. David wouldn't stop jumping on me in bed last night.” The human David looked up with a laugh.
“So,” James said when the joke was explained to him, “you're to blame for this kitten.”
David went over to the sink. “I guess so.” He turned on the water.
“You disappoint me, Lee,” James said. “I thought better of you.
“Yeah, well, I disappoint a lot of people,” David said cheerfully. “You're in good company.” He washed his hands, dried them, and tossed the towel in the trash. “Shall we knock off now, Lucy? I know it's early, but I have to pack. I’m driving to my folks’ later tonight.” He headed to his desk.
“Sure,” Lucy said. “Happy Thanksgiving, David.”
David slipped his laptop into its case. “Happy Thanksgiving, Luce. Later, James.”
James raised his hand silently and David left. There was a long pause. Then Lucy said, “Oh, I edited that grant proposal.”
“Great.”
“It's in good shape. I’ll e-mail it to you tonight.”
“Fine.” There was a pause. Lucy sat down at her desk and shut down her computer.
Then James said, “You want to have di
She closed the laptop lid. “I’m meeting Sari.”
“Oh,” he said.
“You're welcome to join us.”
“No, thanks.” He stuck his hands in his pockets, rattled his change. “You want to come over to my place afterward? Maybe spend the night?”
“I should go home,” she said. “David will have been alone all day.”
“That would be David the cat.”
“Obviously.”
“You know,” he said with a half smile, “women who choose cats over men end up crazy old ladies who live alone with a hundred cats in a smelly old house.”
“I’ll risk it,” Lucy said. “You could come over to my place though. We could rent a movie.”
“I’d hate to come between you and the kitten.”
“Then don't come,” Lucy said. “I don't care.”