"Oh thank goodness, I was just about to give up. I have to run, really you are like a half hour late, I mean it's okay, I just need to go. Here's the key, there's a list on the table of schedules and things that need taken care of, honestly I did about half of them and it seemed fine, but you know how she is so particular and well...It was nice to meet you! I really have to go!"
Sarah stood on the steps holding the keys that were thrust into her hands and watched the woman race off toward the bus stop. Had she taken a single breath the whole time? She wasn't sure. The woman paused before getting on the bus, "OH! Number 42 if you forgot!!" she shouted towards her.
Sarah shook her head and looked around. That was a lot of energy for one quick encounter. She was not one of those people. She was the calm one in most situations. The one that paced herself. The one that didn't get overly excited. The one that life was passing by and she hadn't even realized it until she woke up and found that her friends were all doing exciting things and she was still waitressing and waiting for her big break. She took a breath. She had promised to stop the negative loop going on in her head. Just because it seemed like everyone else was growing up and moving on..stop it, stop it, stop it...
She looked around the front entryway, it was a nice building. Secure entrance. No doorman, but really did you need one if the front door was key entry only? Sure it would be nice for package delivery but wasn't it a little pretentious other than that? She was a pro at making things she didn't have seem unworthy of wanting. Things like a partner, or kids, or even a job with some sort of future...She was doing it again. She knew she was doing it again. She needed a new message to put in her head. She had read that in a self help book years before. Change the tape. It had made her laugh because who even listened to tapes anymore? Change the digital download...
She let herself into number 42 pausing to listen for an alarm. She didn't think there would be one, breathless out there hadn't said anything, but she was in such a hurry that she might have forgotten. But no, no alarm. The cat on the sofa raised its head and stared at her, blinking slowly. Not impressed. She walked over to the table to read the instructions. The cat needed to be fed twice a day. Wet food in the morning, a half a can, the second half kept in the refrigerator until the next day and gently warmed in in the microwave for 35 seconds before serving to take the chill off. Dry food in the evening. A half a cup. If there was still dry left in the dish from the day before it was to be stirred into the new food so the fresh could hide the stale. There were 7 water dishes (locations listed) and all of them were to be refilled with the bottled water on the counter after washing the dishes and rinsing well so no soap residue was left.
Rebeccah would handle grooming duties on the 12th and the 15th. As today was the 16th Sarah decided that must have been Rebeccah she got the keys from. Allison would need to trim Sir's nails on the 18th as well as brush his coat and apply the oil for his dry skin. Sir did not like to have his nails trimmed so Allison would want to wear long gloves.
Allison.
So she was supposed to be Allison. Where are you Allison? You didn't show up for your turn housesitting. And, Sarah flipped through 4 more pages of notes, this does not look like the sort of friend who would take you forgetting lightly.
Sarah kept reading the notes. She might as well handle Allison's job. What else was she going to do today?
"Sir. Your name is Sir? Really?" The cat opened one eye and stretched out a paw. Claws flexing out and then back in. She sat down next to him and scratched the top of his head. Both eyes closed again and a deep rumble came from his chest. "Okay, Sir, you and I are going to hang out for awhile. At least until Allison shows up."
Allison did not show up that night. Or the next. Or the next. Nail trimming day. "What do you think, Sir? Should we skip it?" Sarah and Sir had settled in to a nice routine by then. It was a great apartment. Much better than hers. The view was better. The food in the fridge was better. The clothes were nicer. And luckily for her she and XoXo Z--- were the same size. That's how she thought of the letter writer. XoXo Z--- She had no idea what the Z stood for. But it didn't really matter. In three days her, well Allison's, shift would be over and Graciella would be taking her place. XoXo Z--- was on a pretty long trip. Who lived a life that included a month away? And enough friends to cover that time? Well, most of that time, Allison bailed after all.
She wondered what would have happened if Rebeccah hadn't just assumed she was Allison. A week alone? Would Sir have been okay? Or would Rebeccah have called XoXo Z--- and gotten emergency back up? Life is full of those sort of oddities, right? Things that happen that change everything.
She had three more days living XoXo Z---'s life.
That's really what she was doing. She realized it after the second day. When she took a bath in that impossibly deep tub surrounded by incredible smelling bubbles and realized that XoXo Z--- could do this all the time. And probably did. Her life was the kind of life with cats named Sir who had their food microwaved to take off the chill. Who wore silk to sleep in. Who ate imported cheeses. Who left 5 pages of notes on how to take care of her life when she stepped out of it.
Sarah did trim Sir's nails. And he was fine. XoXo Z--- must not have the right touch. It's really all about making sure the cat is relaxed before you start. You can't just scoop them up and start trimming. Nobody would like that. Imagine if you went to get a pedicure and the just swooped over and scooped you up and started cutting your toenails while they held you upside down? You'd scratch someone too.
She watered the plants and checked the mail. Sorting the sales flyers from the important looking envelopes. Adding to the neat piles started by...she checked the list...Jennifer. Not really kept up by Rebeccah, it looked like. She had gotten pretty sloppy over her few days. Sarah bet she hadn't even microwaved Sir's food.
She was starting to get worried that Graciella would be like Rebeccah and not follow the list. That Sir would be forced into cold food and unfreshened water. That he would get brushed and oiled every three days like he needed to be. Can you imagine the hairballs that would cause? All over the obviously very expensive rug? Unimaginable.
Maybe she should just let Graciella know that she could handle the rest of the time? She could just wait for her out on the stoop and send her back on her way. Then she would just stay here until XoXo Z--- got back home and they would laugh at how bad Rebeccah was at following directions and...well maybe XoXo Z--- wouldn't find the fact that Allison had blown her off to be so funny. And she might not actually be cool with Sarah having stepped in at all.
So...probably not a good idea after all...
And what if Graciella knew Allison? Obviously Rebeccah didn't, but Graciella? What if they were all very close and then she called the police on Sarah for impersonating a housesitter? And then XoXo Z--- would find out that she had been wearing her clothes and using her bubble bath and...
Well she had three days to figure it out.
She didn't ever figure it out.
Not really. Not in a good way. She had cleaned the apartment thoroughly, wiping down every surface and spot she might have left, page 4 of the notes had told her where all the best cleaning supplies were but not to worry too much because Nan would be stopping by to clean right before XoXo Z--- came home. Then she had packed a suitcase with her favorite XoXo Z--- clothes and took those and Sir with her. Which might not have been the best plan, but it was a plan. And she did feel awful every time she thought about XoXo Z--- learning about the cat theft. She did obviously care about Sir. She didn't love him, not the way that Sarah did. That was obvious in how Sir never scratched Sarah when she trimmed his nails and how he ate dry food without complaint and drank out of the chipped china bowl just fine in her place. He was obviously relieved to be able to act like a cat instead of a prop in an overdone, overly expensive who wants to live in a museum eating food that costs too much place anyway?
She'd left the keys under the mat and changed the tape...
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