Meow Mistletoe

by Lisa Lickel

  The room’s lights flashed on and off, effectively snagging everyone’s attention.

  “Everyone! We have your contact information, correct?” Gonzalez called in a commanding tone.

  I couldn’t imagine what would happen to Davidson if anyone disputed his partner.

  “You are all free to leave.” She paused after a look at Dr. Hooper. “If you wish. Please be aware we may contact you in the near future if we need further information. Thank you for your cooperation.”

  Four other uniformed police officers came from the area of the reception room, and one from the hallway with the lattice and mistletoe. Wow, I hadn’t noticed all the fuzz crawling over the place until now. A yowl and a hiss and the resulting officer gasp put the spotlight on that end of the room. A red-faced uniformed policeman danced away from Isis who crouched under the mistletoe, tail flicking dangerously.

  “I may have to ban that cat from future CAT conventions,” Almanzo said, too close for comfort.

  I jumped. “It’s rude to sneak up on people.”

  The incoming president ignored me to laugh at Adam who hadn’t moved from the fence. “Caught you trying to leave the premises.” He held up his hands. “But I won’t tell.”

  “Everybody!” Donald called. “I hope you’re all still enjoying our Christmas gathering and will continue to enjoy the hospitality donated by the Hoopers. Your continued support of this organization both in membership and volunteerism is greatly appreciated. Please make sure you know where your feline friends are as the officers depart. Thank you.”

  I gave Adam a hand as he swung his leg back on our side. Ginger turned Memnet over to me and I thanked her.

  Adam took a breath. I felt an internal struggle to stay civil to Almanzo emanating from him and mentally prayed for peace. “Isis and I may not be a good fit for CAT,” Adam said. “I’ll speak to Donald about withdrawing my support.”

  Almanzo’s gape would have to satisfy my desire to cha-cha in victory at silencing the man. Then Adam’s pronouncement sunk in. He wanted to leave CAT? I glanced back at Almanzo. With him as our next leader, things wouldn’t be the same. Did I want to leave too? Each new leader brought something or took something from our group. I’d learned if I didn’t like something one year, the next it would change. This was a dynamic group of people who had become like family and supported me. Would Donald leave too? At least I’d live close enough to see him again and be empowered by his cheerfulness and positive encouragement.

  Adam and I sauntered toward Isis who allowed Donald and Pfannie to think they were corralling her under the mistletoe. She licked her chops and tilted her head to stare up at the top of the lattice at the mistletoe swaying slightly. Was mistletoe like catnip? I wondered if she was contemplating a climb. How hard would it be to follow her? I’d love to escape this evening if I couldn’t rewind or delete. Adam couldn’t leave now.

  With Pfannie sticking to us, I couldn’t complain about Almanzo. Instead I asked, “What’s going to happen, Pfannie? What are the police doing about Adelaide and Rolf?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t file a report until tomorrow. I just know in my heart I have to stay here and wait for them,” she said. “It’s still early, and Rolf said he’d be back. He may have upset me on this special night, but he’s never broken his word before.”

  Apparently, Tut had decided to leap the barrier, too. Ginger appeared, worried expression creasing the freckles between her sweet brows. “All the other cats have been claimed, Mr. Conklin. Tut just jumped the fence.” She pointed. “I followed him toward the door, but it looks like he’s more interested in the window.”

  A cat-shaped bulge behind the short blue curtain in front of the street-side windows gave him away.

  “He’s a good boy, that he is,” Donald crooned. “Must be something got his attention out there. Don’t worry, Miss Hooper. I’ll take care of him from here.”

  Ginger showed off her mouthful of braces and escaped the old fogey atmosphere. I saw her head for the darkened reception area where, no doubt, she had some electronic entertainment to occupy her until it was time to leave.

  Tut’s tail twitched and swished under the curtain.

  “He really gets a kick out of watching people,” I said.

  Donald indicated the window. “Drives my wife mad, the way he jumps on the sills at home and noses the glass.” He shrugged. “Tut doesn’t hurt anything and our cleaning gal takes good care of things.”

  I shifted Memnet in my arms and pushed aside the curtain to peek out. What had caught Tut’s atttention? There was no one on the sidewalk. A lone gun metal gray truck was parked on the other side, back driver’s side window rolled down a couple inches. That surprised me because the air was so cold. Passing headlights briefly illuminated the interior. Two reflected discs briefly flared. Probably something hanging from the rearview mirror.

  Tut chortled in Mau fashion. Egyptian Maus rarely meow like other cats. They purr and hiss, and in Isis’s case, yowl in primordial hair-curling resonance. Something in their genes. I reached to scratch Tut’s ears. “What’s out there, boy? Adelaide, maybe?” A white cat with dark ears, feet, and tail would be hidden in the day-old mucky snow. I turned away. Besides, the area had been thoroughly searched.

  The caterers were cleaning up the last of the empty shrimp platters, dried cheese and soggy crackers, as Mem and I strolled back to Pfannie. My stomach growled. Isis licked her whiskers under the mistletoe. I came down with déjà vu, the same sensation I got when I read the note Stanley’s mother sent a couple months back. The one about being worried he was rushing into something he wasn’t ready for by saying “I do.” I still wasn’t sure who wrote it.

  “How long are you planning to wait?” I asked Pfannie. “They’re starting to clean up. Did the police say when they were returning? Doesn’t Rolf have a cell phone?”

  “He left it with me,” Pfannie said. “He was only going to be gone a few minutes.”

  “But, why would…”

  Pfannie caught sight of Dr. Hooper and called after him. “Wait! Hey, Doc!”

  I winced, and caught Donald and Adam studying me and Memnet, who was getting heavy. I’m not sure what Ginger gave him for treats, but his breath was not aiding his appeal. I held in my heart the picture of Isis, Tut, and Memnet together a few moments ago. I was more worried about never seeing Adam again, like Pfannie was worried about Adelaide and Rolf, although I know I was delusional even considering it. “You can’t let him go, Donald.”

  “What? Who’s going?” Donald glanced back and forth between me and Adam.

  “Adam. He just told Almanzo Benteen he and Isis were withdrawing from CAT.”

  3

  Adam scooped up Isis, who was having trouble settling down with all the excitement of the police and other pets strolling around. I imagine the scent of shrimp was going to her head since she kept twitching her whiskers toward the buffet table. The lights and colored balls on the green and plaid cloth were most likely tempting targets to explore as well.

  “Who’s leaving CAT, Ivy?” Donald asked.

  Adam’s attractive lips downturned. They were still beautiful. I mentally slapped myself. “I told Mr. Benteen I may withdraw support.”

  Donald and Adam exchanged a whole silent conversation in front of me.

  Another cluster of friends and pets wanted to touch bases with Donald before they left. Adam checked his phone and smiled at it in a way that sent my heart to my heels. This was my final clue that the ice Stanley left around it had melted. Adam nodded to me and took the hissing Isis away. I hoped he wasn’t leaving the party—remains of the party—yet.

  On the other hand, I had no business drooling over a man who just smiled like that over his phone. Probably a woman friend had called. Adam was too mature to have girlfriends.

  “Lovely party,” Michelle Weber said, edging me and Memnet out of Donald’s aura so she could take my place. She was on the board, so she had the right. “Merry Christmas.”

  Hu
mbug. I caught Almanzo, one cheek parked on the empty buffet table, moodily drinking from a can of something—I couldn’t quite see from this distance—and wondered what being on a board of directors with him as president would be like.

  He had asked me out, the first man to do so after Stanley.

  He was an eligible bachelor.

  He owned several of those chain dealership oil change stations and dressed well.

  He raised the can toward Lacy Bukoski and grinned in the direction of her short elf skirt and even skimpier red satin V-neck.

  Nope.

  “He needs someone like you,” Pfannie said.

  I jumped at the sound of her voice at my side. Scaring people must run in the family.

  “Someone to help refine my nephew a little.” Pfannie nodded at me, expectantly. Like romance was up to her? “Smart, savvy. Business-minded.”

  “I’m still recovering from my called-off engagement,” I told her, and hitched Memnet higher in my arms.

  Pfannie’s compliments sounded semi-sincere, but I was not about to encourage her.

  Despite our incoming president helping himself to personnel records from CAT with the excuse of an officer’s need to know, Almanzo Benteen probably didn’t realize how much Adam Thompson and his string of trendy Chicagoland coffee and bookstores, Mea Cuppa, supported CAT. Almanzo probably drank coffee from his oil change dealership lobby.

  Business sponsors were the only way CAT could feasibly function. Dues and advertising covered prizes by constitution, but the conventions, perks like newsletters, educational seminars, and school talks, and help to adopt and vaccinate, spay, and neuter pets…things like that were costly. While I couldn’t donate cash from McTeague’s Technical Services, I donated, well…technical services.

  People like Donald, Babs, Hortense, Dr. Hooper, and Adam Thompson made the world of pets work. Adam lingered, still here, talking with one of the caterers, a brunette who cooed at Isis. I wondered how long he’d been married, and what his late wife had been like.

  My phone sang again.

  Mom.

  Memnet swished his tail against my side and back. I answered. “Darling, I just wanted to check on you. I know it was supposed to be your special day, but sweetheart, I think you’ll look back on this and be glad. Really I do. Stanley…”

  Somehow, I must have hit the button that put the caller on speaker. And I called myself a techno geek. Mortified, I silenced the phone and turned away to hiss, “Mother!”

  “I agree with her,” Pfannie whispered and sashayed out of hearing.

  “Oh, there you are, sweetheart,” Mom’s voice said in my other ear. “As I was saying—”

  “It was supposed to be last weekend. The wedding was scheduled for last week. Tonight I’m at a party.”

  “See, you’re getting over it already. It’s good to get out and do something, isn’t it? Don’t mope. Your father would have hated to see his little girl all sad.”

  Oh, don’t play the Dad card. Please don’t play the Dad card. My father had a heart attack and died under our Christmas tree. When I was a little girl.

  “Going to a party is one thing, sweetheart, but you need to get back out there and live.”

  What did she think I’d been doing all fall? “Well, I have been asked out, twice now, by the way.”

  “Wonderful! Good for you.”

  I would have preened and pirouetted if the askee had been anyone other than Almanzo Benteen. Memnet licked the phone and chuckled gruffly.

  “You’ve got your darling Mem with you. Good kitty.”

  Mom and Mem were great friends and they conversed for a full minute. Then Mom got back to me. “The reason I’m calling is that you have mail. It might have been mistakenly delivered here?”

  “Oh? Where’s it from?” Mom wouldn’t call about advertising.

  “The bank says you’re all approved to buy that little house.”

  “Oh, good! They called me of course. It’s really the cutest house. You’ll love it.”

  “Are you sure you still want to move? So suddenly? Making major decisions like that on a broken heart isn’t always a good idea.”

  “It’s not a sudden decision, remember? I told you weeks ago. And yes. I think it’s the right one for me.”

  “You’re not moving to be near your new young man, are you? I haven’t met—”

  “Of course, I’m not moving just to be near my new boyfriend.”

  “I must meet him. And I haven’t even seen this place. And Apple Grove…well, I looked it up and…”

  “That’s why I want to go there. To help.” I held the phone away from my ear and moved closer to the wall when I felt someone come close. Mom’s voice kept going, so I searched for a distraction while she discussed my potential life-altering error with herself.

  A cool nose poked my cheek.

  Memnet reared back.

  “Excuse us!” Adam whispered, a strangely hollow grin making his face look morose.

  At this rate of being surprised, I was not going to need any aerobics this week. My heart was getting enough of a workout right here. I frowned, but hid it. How much had he overheard?

  “I’ll call you later. Love you! Bye.” I closed the phone.

  Adam’s eyes crinkled, though his mouth retained its posture of nonchalance. I rubbed my cheek against Memnet’s head.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt. Isis and I wanted to say Merry Christmas and good bye.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment cascaded down the back of my neck. “Merry Christmas. I hope you’ll reconsider dropping your membership.”

  “I only said I’d reconsider my support,” Adam said after a beat. “Isis would miss Memnet.” She obligingly flattened her ears. He reared. “Anyway, I enjoyed spending time with you and Memnet. It seems there’s so little opportunity at the conventions.” Isis reached her paw toward Mem. Adam took another step back. “Isis and I hope you and your…boyfriend…”

  Almanzo took this moment to give me my fourth—or was it fifth?—heart palpitating moment of the evening when he invaded my personal space and put his skanky arm around my shoulders. “My one and only. I’ve been searching for you.” He glowered at Adam.

  How could my life turn into such a train wreck in the space of a couple hours?

  Adam bowed slightly in that courtly way true gentlemen have and strode out of my life.

  I wiggled out from Almanzo’s arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Showing you how life could be, cutie.”

  “Stop saying that!”

  “I’m a whole man, not some scarred Frankenstein.”

  I couldn’t bother to respond to such a crude comment given with beer fumes. He matched my movements and continued to squeeze my shoulder. I was about to make a loud protest when Pfannie glided in. She made a show of checking the big clock on the wall. I followed her.

  How could it be only eight fifteen?

  Memnet wiggled to get down and I let him plop to the floor. I forcibly removed Almanzo’s hand and got away, brushing my shoulders. Was this worth filing charges over? I’d already decided not to attend any conventions under his leadership.

  Pfannie twisted her mouth to the side like she’d had a full blast of pet breath and dusted her hands. “Well, I guess he’s not coming back after all.” She snorted and tossed her head. “Good riddance.” She pushed away from the wall. “I’ve had enough of this. Almanzo!”

  Once again I winced at her level of decibels. My cat shook himself and trotted toward Tut’s window and leapt up beside his friend. Two tails swished in tandem under the curtain.

  Cute! One thing I’d learned was to grab a moment when I saw one, and this was one of those moments that might never come again. Although difficult, I shunted aside Almanzo’s crude advances, right behind congratulating myself over not getting my hopes up over a relationship with Mr. Thompson. In the process of getting out my phone again to film the cats, I realized what Pfannie was telling her nephew.

  “Come on
, Almanzo. Enough of this. I want to go home. Get Adelaide now. I want to try on that cute outfit at the store. It’s fifteen percent off tonight only, and they’re probably going to close soon since this party’s such a dud.”

  What? I lowered the phone.

  “I already tried. She’s not there.”

  “What do you mean?” Pfannie didn’t bother to keep her voice down, like Almanzo.

  They both looked at me. I shrugged and made like I was walking away.

  “Wait! Ivy! I—it was just a joke.” She sent an evil eye toward Almanzo and took two paces toward me. “It was for Rolf. He…”

  Pfannie was definitely not retaining friends here. I didn’t even want her this close. She had her hand on my arm again, red claws that might break the skin if I hadn’t been wearing my favorite pea-green Merry Kitties sweater.

  She withdrew her hand, just like the first time that evening she’d asked for my help.

  “You’re not seriously telling me you…” I started breathing heavily and nodded at Almanzo who hadn’t moved. “And he set this whole thing up?”

  “And now Adelaide is really gone,” Pfannie whined. She glared scathingly at Almanzo. “I can’t believe you lost my cat!”

  I cocked my head. The way Tut and Memnet were guarding the window made me think of something. The reflection from the truck across the street…

  “Almanzo! Is that your truck parked across the street? The gray one?”

  “Yeah.” He had the grace to act sheepish.

  “That’s where you stashed Adelaide?”

  “I left the window open. I’m not that dumb.”

  I heaved an angry breath. “That’s what people do in the summer. To keep the inside from getting too hot.”

  “You left the window open, you idiot?” Pfannie screeched.

  With so little entertainment left, what else could the last six people in the room do but gather around us?

  “What is this?” Dr. Hooper asked.

  “He lost my cat!” Pfannie pointed at Almanzo.

  Animals kept overnight at the clinic began to make noises. The distinctive bay of a coon dog wailed from across the reception area.