First Impressions

by Aria Ford

  I turned to leave, shaking my head as I walked. I couldn’t believe my own stupidity. What was I thinking? I couldn’t take care of a pet. I could barely take care of myself most of the time.

  “Wait,” the woman called. I turned around slowly, waiting for her continue. “You like this girl?”

  “Not romantically,” I said quickly. “She’s my best friend’s little sister. He’d kill me if he knew I upset her. I’m just trying to make it right.”

  The woman smiled knowingly and nodded. Without a word, she motioned for me to follow her. She led me into the backroom where cages were lined up against the walls. I was shocked to see how many animals she had. There were dogs and cats and, sure enough, birds. Everywhere I looked, my eyes fell on a furry or feathery face.

  “This way,” she said. “I’m thinking a cat for you. If you don’t like animals that much, a cat would be perfect. They can pretty much care for themselves. As long as you feed them and provide a litter box, they’re good to go.”

  “That sounds perfect,” I said with a nod.

  “You don’t have to cuddle them,” she said. “But don’t you dare mistreat them. They’ll claw you to bits if you do.”

  “I won’t,” I said, laughing. “I don’t hate animals, you know. I just didn’t grow up with pets. Never had the chance to get one.”

  “That’s a shame,” she said, stopping in front of a cage. “Every child should have a pet.”

  “I guess,” I said. I looked at the cage behind her and saw a small, grey cat lying in a ball.

  “This is Bob,” the woman said. “He’s been here for years. He needs a home. What do you think?”

  Bob was pressed against the back wall of his cage with his eyes squeezed tightly closed. I crept closer to the cage and peered inside, inspecting him silently. When I put my hand on the cage, his eye shot open and locked on my face. He looked at me with a bored expression, meowed once, and then went back to sleep. I laughed and turned back to the woman.

  “I’ll take him,” I said.

  She smiled. “Great. Head back up front and I’ll get him ready for you.”

  I nodded and turned around. Walking back to the front of the shelter, I felt an odd sense of excitement wash over me. I’d never liked cats much, but Bob seemed okay. If anything, he would just lie around and leave me alone. To me, that was the perfect kind of pet.

  It was a few minutes before the older woman made her way back up front. She held a small cage in one hand with a folder in the other. She set the cage on the counter, and I saw Bob sleeping inside.

  “Here he is,” she said enthusiastically. “I just need you to sign some paperwork, and you’ll be good to go.”

  “Okay,” I said as she laid a sheet of paper and a pen in front of me. I signed the paper quickly and pulled out my wallet. “How much?”

  “He’s free,” she said with a wave of her hand. “We’ve had Bob for too long. If you’re willing to take him, I won’t charge you.”

  “Really?” I asked, wondering what was wrong with him. “Why?”

  “I’m just happy he’s getting a good home,” she said.

  I nodded and picked up the cage. She smiled as I left, taking Bob and the paperwork with me. I’d already looked up Jacqueline’s vet clinic and knew exactly where it was. I drove for fifteen minutes before I found it. My hands were sweating when I pulled into the parking lot. As I walked inside, I felt ridiculous. My plan suddenly seemed insane.

  “Hi there,” a young receptionist said as I stepped into the waiting room.

  “Hi,” I said. “I’m here to get my cat checked out. I just adopted him this morning, so I want to make sure everything’s okay before I take him home.”

  “Sure.” The receptionist grinned. “What’s his name?”

  “Bob,” I said, slightly embarrassed.

  “Well hello to Bob,” she said. “Just take a seat, and I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a nod.

  I took Bob over to a free chair and sat down. As I looked at him inside the cage, I thought about letting him out, but I was afraid he might bolt. The last thing I needed was to chase my new cat all over Jacqueline’s clinic. Instead, I just held the cage in my lap and watched the door, waiting for it to open.

  When it did, Jacqueline stepped into the waiting room with a clipboard in her hands. She was looking down and didn’t see me at first.

  “All righty,” she called out. “Bob. Bob the cat?”

  “Right here,” I said, standing up and taking a few steps forward.

  Jacqueline finally looked up, and her eyes fell on my face. She looked from me to Bob’s cage with a confused expression. I stood there awkwardly, just waiting for her to say something. She didn’t. Instead, she jerked her head to the side, gesturing for me to follow her back. Together, we walked to the back, letting the waiting room door slam shut behind us.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Jacqueline

  Ryan followed me back to an exam room without a word. I could tell he was nervous when I saw him in the waiting room. I was shocked to see him, but I was more surprised to see him holding a cat. Ryan was never an animal person. In fact, I remembered him boldly stating that he hated cats when were kids. As we entered the exam room, I smiled to myself while Ryan set Bob’s cage on the table. I was fiddling with the papers on my clipboard to avoid looking at Ryan.

  “If you could just take him out,” I said, without turning around. “That would be great.”

  “Um,” he said shakily. “Sure. Yeah, I can do that.”

  I heard the latch on Bob’s cage move and then the door swing open. Bob meowed and then hissed loudly, making Ryan jump backward. When I turned around, Ryan’s face was red, and his eyes were wide with anger. I laughed and walked over to the cage. Slowly, I reached inside and pulled Bob out.

  He was big and grey with wide eyes. When he looked at me, I could tell he was scared, but I held him against my chest for a few seconds just to calm him. Once he was ready, I laid him on the table and gently stroked his fur while I turned my attention to Ryan.

  “Why the hell do you have a cat?” I asked.

  “I wanted one.” He shrugged, still slightly red from his interaction with Bob. “I thought having a pet would be nice. You know, everyone should have a pet.”

  “Oh?” I asked with raised eyebrows. “They should? Because last time I checked, you hate cats.”

  “I do not,” he said, feigning offense. “Why would you say such a thing? And in front of my cat too. Geez, Jacqueline. Really?”

  I narrowed my eyes and tried not to laugh. After I left the diner, I never thought I’d see Ryan again. He wasn’t the kind of guy to make much effort when it came to apologies, so I didn’t expect him to try. I especially didn’t imagine he would show up at my clinic with some random cat.

  “Is he even yours?” I asked with suspicion.

  Ryan laughed. “Of course, he’s mine. I adopted him this morning.”

  “Where?” I asked.

  “The shelter over on Monroe,” he answered easily. “They said he’d been there for years, so I got him for free.”

  “Ah,” I said, nodding. “Justina gave him to you.”

  “You know that woman?” Ryan asked, a look of fear passing over his face.

  “I do,” I said. “We work closely with all the local shelters.”

  “Oh,” Ryan said. “Well, that’s nice.”

  “Justina is great,” I said, clearing my throat and turning to face Bob. “If she gave you Bob, then she thinks he’ll be a good fit. She always takes the time to really match a pet with an owner. Not many shelters do that.”

  “Yeah, she was definitely something,” Ryan mumbled.

  “Since he came from Justina, I’m sure Bob is fine,” I continued. “But I’ll give him a quick check, and we can set up his next appointment. From what I see, he’s about five years old. That means he should be up to date on shots, but I’ll check his paperwork to be sure. Did you
bring it?”

  “Right here,” Ryan said, handing me a folder.

  “Thank you,” I said, taking it and laying it on my clipboard.

  “So, he looks okay?” Ryan asked. “Healthy?”

  I nodded. “He’s fine.”

  “Good,” Ryan said. “I would hate to have to take him back already.”

  I looked up sharply. Ryan was grinning, clearly trying to get a rise out me. I just rolled my eyes and looked back down at Bob. I ran my hands over his back, feelings his bones and joints slowly. He wasn’t a young cat, but he also wasn’t old. He was in perfect health, and I just hoped Ryan would take good care of him.

  “Listen,” I said seriously. “Having a pet isn’t a joke, okay? You can’t just leave him to his own devices. You have to take care of him.”

  “I do?” Ryan asked with fake surprise. “And here I was, thinking I could just install a kitty door and let him loose.”

  “Not funny,” I said.

  “You mean, he won’t hunt for his own food?” Ryan asked with wide eyes. “Damn, I hoped he might bring me a bird or two. You know how much I love pigeon stew.”

  “Shut up,” I snapped. The corners of my mouth twitched upward, but I kept the smile off my face. I was still angry with Ryan for how he treated me at lunch. His jokes were wasted on me.

  “Jacqueline, he’ll be fine,” Ryan promised. “I swear, I won’t kill him. If he stops hissing at me, I may even buy him a toy.”

  “Okay,” I said, ignoring Ryan’s jab. “He’s good to go. I think we should see him back in about six months.”

  “That long?” Ryan asked.

  “Yes,” I said, nodding. “Six months. In the meantime, we’ll get you set up with a food sample for him. He can pretty much eat any cat food at this point, but we always give out samples to new patients.”

  “I’m going out tomorrow night,” Ryan said suddenly.

  “What?” I asked, taken aback by his sudden subject change.

  “Tomorrow night,” he repeated. “I’m going out. I don’t know anything about this city, so I need to explore it a bit. You should come with me.”

  “Yeah,” I scoffed. “Like that’ll happen.”

  “Come on,” he said. “I’m sorry I was a dick, okay?”

  I laughed. “That’s your apology? Seriously, Ryan?”

  “Jacqueline,” he said. “You are the only person I know in Richmond, so please stop hating me long enough to show me around. Just for one night. Please.”

  “No,” I said firmly. “But thanks for the business. Bob’s a cute cat.”

  With that, I turned to leave the exam room. Ryan sighed and moved to put Bob back in his cage. Bob didn’t hiss this time, but he wiggled away from Ryan, making it harder for him to put him inside. Just as Bob was safely locked away, I stepped out into the hallway and hurried toward the front desk.

  “You’re impossible,” Ryan called, following quickly behind me.

  “Just busy,” I said. “Good to see you, Ryan. Thanks for stopping by.”

  “Jacqueline!” he said as I disappeared around the corner.

  Safely tucked away behind the front desk, I grinned to myself. Ryan was still standing right on the other side of the wall, sighing repeatedly. I knew he could tell I was still there, but he couldn’t see me. I fought the urge to laugh as he finally gave up and walked back into the waiting room. From where I stood, I could see him step up to the front desk, but he couldn’t see me.

  My receptionist, Heidi, signed him out and gave him his free samples. After he paid, he lingered by the desk for a few seconds.

  “Is there something else I can help you with?” Heidi asked politely.

  “No,” Ryan said, shaking his head. “Just looking for this.”

  He grinned and plucked one of my business cards from the stack on the counter. I groaned and leaned my head back against the wall. Leave it to Ryan to find a way to contact me, even when I wished he wouldn’t. As he tucked the card in his back pocket, I remembered that my personal number was typed out on the back.

  When I ordered the cards, I thought it would be sweet to include my cell number. Most pet owners got nervous easily. Having my personal number gave them a sense of peace, which I felt was important. I never regretted that decision until now. Ryan glanced around him one last time before turning to leave.

  “See you tomorrow, Jacqueline!” he yelled loudly. I jumped, as did Heidi and a few people in the waiting room. Ryan laughed loudly and stepped outside.

  Heidi turned around to face me with a confused look on her face. I just shook my head and rolled my eyes, not wanting to explain myself. Heidi shrugged and turned back to her work. Slowly, I pushed myself away from the wall and disappeared into my office. There were more patients to see, but I needed a minute to myself.

  Ryan clearly hadn’t changed much since we were kids. After lunch at the diner, I knew he was still cocky as ever, but I thought that was the end of it. I left. I stormed out. I expected him to leave me alone. Instead, he adopted a cat and showed up at my clinic. I was frustrated and upset, but mostly amused. As annoying as Ryan could be, I couldn’t keep the smile from appearing on my face.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Ryan

  I tried to call Jacqueline once on Friday afternoon. She didn’t answer, so I gave up. I wanted her to show me around Richmond, but I refused to be annoying about it. If she wanted to see me again, she would. I left my number on her voicemail and tried to put her out of my mind. It was harder than it should have been.

  She was Jacqueline, after all. Bradley’s dorky little sister with glasses that magnified her green eyes. As kids, Bradley and I made fun of her for it, but now I couldn’t even think about her without picturing those same eyes locked on mine.

  She was beautiful in a way she hadn’t been before. Not only did she grow up well, but she grew into herself gracefully. She moved with a confidence not possessed by many. Part of me was proud of the woman she’d become, but a bigger part wished she was still the same, awkward teenager I once knew. It would have made my life so much easier.

  If I was honest with myself, I never truly thought of Jacqueline as my sister. Bradley was my brother, and for a time, I thought of his parents as mine. They took me in, they tried to turn me into a better person, but they gave up quickly. Sometimes, I wished they hadn’t bothered. Still, my time with the Keeton family brought me closer to Bradley.

  He was my brother, my best friend, and my confidant. I didn’t know what I would do without him. Jacqueline was different. We never formed any kind of bond. She was always just … around. It was almost like she existed in the background of my life with Bradley, never quite important enough to pay much attention to.

  We were polite to each other back then. When I wasn’t helping Bradley tease her, I tried to be nice. Now I didn’t know how to feel about her. I tried to think of her as a sister, but it didn’t work. Her sexy figure kept creeping into my mind, making it impossible to think of her as family. When she snapped at me at the diner, I was annoyed and slightly angry, but there was something about her that lit a fire inside my gut. She refused to take my shit, and that, more than anything, was a huge turn on.

  As night fell, I tried to push my thoughts of Jacqueline to the back of my mind. I read about a club in downtown Richmond that I was eager to check out. Knowing myself, I knew driving wasn’t an option, so I ordered an Uber. When the driver arrived, I hurried outside and climbed in the backseat. We didn’t speak the entire way to the club, but I didn’t mind. I was never much for small talk. When we pulled up to the club, he nodded at me in the rearview mirror as I opened my door and jumped out.

  The club looked normal. There were two bouncers standing at the doorway, checking IDs. As I approached, they both nodded me through without a word. I always looked older than I was and had almost never been carded. My scruffy face only made me look older, so I wasn’t surprised when I could walk right inside.

  Glancing around me, I saw that this club wasn’t anyth
ing special. The music blasted so loud, I could barely hear myself think. Groups of people crowded together on the dance floor, moving along with the beat. I moved immediately to the bar.

  “Shot of whiskey,” I ordered, yelling over the music. “Whatever kind you got.”

  The bartender nodded and poured me a glass. I slapped my credit card down and picked up the glass, taking it down in one gulp.

  “Another,” I said, placing the glass on the bar.

  After five shots, I ordered a beer and moved to the dance floor. Dancing was always easy. Moving my body to the beat allowed my mind to wander. It wasn’t long before a few women came over, rubbing their bodies against mine. I danced with each of them, placing my hands on their hips and letting my eyes travel over their curves. They were all gorgeous, sexy women, but they couldn’t hold my attention. I quickly excused myself and hurried back to the bar.

  “Another beer,” I called out. The bartender nodded and poured me a draft. I took the beer and walked a few feet away, scanning the club slowly.

  “Not much for dancing?” someone asked from beside me. I glanced over to see a petite redhead smiling up at me. She was adorable, with freckles on her nose and a cute figure.