Chapter Three
Kane
No paper. Of course. Every time I tried to print something, I always got the same message.
It seemed I was the only one in the office who knew how to put paper in the printer.
After loading the tray, I hit the button on the document and waited for the December Community Meals calendars to print.
I had to take them with me to the other side of the building where we served dinner to those in need.
It was a weekly event for us, with other shelters and community groups hosting on other evenings throughout the month.
Once the sheets were printed, I grabbed the warm paper, turned everything off, and locked up before heading through the hallway to the dining room.
When I first started at the Good Neighbor House, we used to walk around the building in both good and bad weather to get to the other side.
A gracious contractor offered to change that for us if we paid for the material, which we got at his discount.
With the way the snow blustered outside, I remained thankful to that guy.
I hung my coat in the lobby, having taken it with me so I didn’t have to go back into the office before I left.
Edward, a badger shifter, waited at the table in the foyer, acting as both registrar and security.
Mukesh would join him soon enough, likely already helping Bill, our meal coordinator, unload food from the freezer which local grocers had donated for our patrons to take home after their meal.
I handed the calendars to Edward. “Hey, good to see you.”
“You, too.” He set the papers on the table before standing to shake my hand. “Do you think it’s going to be busy tonight with the weather?”
I shrugged. “Hard to say. Sometimes we are, sometimes we aren’t. It depends on whether they’re hungry enough to venture out. We’ll probably get those within a couple blocks, but I’m not sure about the others.”
Leaning on the right side of the double doorframe, he glanced into the dining hall. “Well, whoever shows up is sure to get a great meal. It smells good already.”
I stepped past him. “It does. Smells like some kind of pasta bake. I can’t wait for our turn after.”
“Definitely the best part.” He patted my shoulder. “Enjoy serving it. I think my stomach would growl the entire time.”
With a chuckle, I continued on, passing through the dining room to the kitchen.
I scrubbed my hands at the sink right inside the door, grabbed my apron, then waved hello to the other volunteers.
None of us were paid in terms of money for working at the meal, but we did get to enjoy the same food after all our guests had eaten and the tables were cleaned up.
“So, what’s for dinner?” I asked Sharon, the red panda shifter who organized the cooking and baking of the meals.
She grabbed a pair of oven mitts and opened the oven to remove two foil-covered baking dishes.
“Chicken pasta bake for the meat eaters and a spinach one for the rest of us. Some garlic bread to go with it, and pie for dessert. There’s salad for anyone really against pasta, but, as you know, it rarely ever gets eaten. ”
“Yeah.” After opening the sliding door out to the dining hall, I grabbed a cloth to wipe off the serving counter before any food was set on it.
“That’s why I usually end up taking it with me.
There’s a mouse shifter on the way home who never comes here but always appreciates when I drop it off to her. ”
“Ah, old Sandy. How is she doing?”
“She has arthritis everywhere but tries to do what she can. Still lives with Gladys, too. I worry what will happen to one if the other is hospitalized or passes.” There were so many elderly people in the community who had to live together to get by.
Two pensions together were barely enough to pay rent.
The seniors made up a large portion of the patrons who visited us, having no family or ones that lived far away from them.
Sharon patted my back with the mitt still warm from the oven. “You’re such a good soul. We really appreciate all the work you do. Hey, I heard you got a big donation today for the Christmas drive.”
“Yes, we did. Hopefully it will start to bring in more.” I withheld saying anything more, trying to forget what had happened during the television spot that was to air on the news in a short period of time.
As more food came out of the oven, I moved some to the counter and other dishes to warming trays.
Since I was a deer shifter, I didn’t have to scoop out the meat dish, leaving that task to a human.
I was assigned the garlic bread, instead, as well as the salad, but no one expected that to run out at all.
Once the food was set, I opened the wooden doors and greeted the servers.
With around half of those who came to our meals being disabled or elderly with canes and walkers, we had volunteers take plates to the tables to reduce the risk of anyone falling or injuring themselves in any way.
I saw the usual crew of Bernard, Monica, Taleh, Odesa, and Augusta.
Someone new stood off to the side wearing jeans and a black shirt.
A man whose appearance from the back of him seemed vaguely familiar.
When he turned around, I gasped and choked on the air I tried to breathe in.
I knew him. I met him a few hours earlier.
It was the guy from Adan Records. The one who had petted me.
When I caught my breath again, I tried not to look at him but couldn’t help myself.
He was handsome, with short dark hair that was a little longer on the top to show off his perfect waves.
A little bit of stubble grazed his jaw as well as his upper lip.
When he smiled at me, part of me wanted to blush and give him a wave.
I probably would have if I could have gotten past the fact that he petted me.
Nothing would make me forget that violation of basic shifter etiquette.