Chapter 16 #2
“Fine.” Gia uncrossed her arms and leaned in close, pointing a finger at Marley’s chest. “But if I find out you’re lying, the deal is off. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Gia’s nose scrunched in distaste. “And don’t call me ma’am. It makes me sound old.”
“Okay, ma—I mean, yes.”
“Come on. Let’s go catch a cat.”
The gleam in Marley’s eyes made Gia’s heart swell with happiness as she followed the bouncing teenager out of the bookstore.
The bell above the door chimed as they exited the bookstore. Standing side by side, Gia considered the next step. She’d borrowed the minivan again, but Marley had clearly arrived on the shiny blue bike resting against the brick building.
“You know the auto shop just a couple of blocks away?” Marley gestured to her bike. “I can meet you there.”
Gia looked over at the bike. She very well couldn’t let Marley bike her way across town. She blew out a breath before gesturing to the vehicle.
“Come on. You can put the bike on the van.” Gia led the way to the white minivan parked in front of them while Marley grabbed her bike. Gia watched as Marley wheeled it to the bike rack on the back of the minivan.
“It’s Minnie’s car,” Gia stated.
She watched as Marley secured the bike to the rack before climbing into the passenger seat. Gia waited patiently until Marley buckled herself in before driving out of the parking lot.
With Marley’s navigating, they arrived at Griffin’s Auto Body within minutes. What they hadn’t counted on was the shop still being open, and since it was late afternoon, it was a clear oversight. Gia pulled over into a spot. The garage bay doors were open, and loud music poured out of the building.
She chewed on her bottom lip and weighed her options. For what they needed to do, it would not do well to have witnesses. Now that she knew what the goal was, an idea came to mind.
Gia shot Marley an impish grin.
“Change of plans.” Gia spun the car around and drove back to town. “We need supplies to catch this cat of yours.”
Marley nodded. “Of course.”
Gia turned on the radio, filling the car with today’s top hits as she navigated to Willowbrook Depot, the town’s major shopping center. She made a mental list of the supplies they needed. Gia parked and faced Marley with a little smile.
“Let’s hope they have what we need.”
Marley nodded with an answering smile on her face, but did not make a move to get out of the vehicle. She appeared lost in thought.
“Ready?” Gia said softly, breaking Marley out of her melancholy thoughts. Gia smiled tightly. Something haunted Marley, and she vowed to do whatever she could to make her smile brightly again. Marley offered a small smile as she opened the car door.
After rounding the car, Gia met Marley on the sidewalk.
“All right, let’s catch a cat.”
They strode into the store side by side. The automatic doors slid open with a whoosh. The cool air felt refreshing against the humidity.
Gia led the way through the aisles as she headed to their destination. Marley followed closely behind her. She’d walked these aisles for years when she was Marley’s age, and could probably do it with her eyes closed.
Despite the time she’d been away, not much had changed about Willowbrook, and she doubted they rearranged the aisles often. Gia headed to the back corner, where they found the pet care aisle.
“Aha!” Gia exclaimed triumphantly.
Gia scanned the aisle, looking at her options before stopping in front of a section of animal carriers.
“How big did you say this cat was?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Um… It looked pretty small, but I’ve never seen it up close.” A small frown marred Marley’s features.
Gia tapped a finger on her mouth as she examined the various sizes. “Hmm… Let’s get the bigger size just in case.”
“What do we need it for?” Marley questioned.
“To catch a cat, we need a good trap.”
“But… how do you plan on getting it in there?” Marley sidled up to Gia as she crouched to reach the carrier.
“Great question.” Gia picked up the largest carrier by its handle and continued down the aisle with it swinging at her side. Marley’s sneakers squeaked on the linoleum as she hurried behind her.
“We need treats to lure it in, and then once it’s inside, we shut it closed. Voilà! Mission accomplished.”
Gia’s gaze found its next target. The large array of pet food stared back at her. She gestured absentmindedly at the rows of canned cat food and treats. Gia had never had a cat before, so she wasn’t sure what flavors to pick.
Do cats like chicken or beef? Why do cats eat beef? What about salmon or tuna?
There were way too many options. Instead of overthinking it, Gia grabbed several cans of food, a container of treats, and some colorful pouches.
“W-wait,” Marley stammered. Gia paused, hand in mid-air as she turned to look at Marley. “I can’t… I can’t buy all of that.”
“Oh, this isn’t for you. This is for me.” Gia returned her attention back to the assortment of treats in front of her, not missing the way Marley’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I’ve always wanted a cat, so this is the perfect excuse.”
“Here, let me hold the carrier open for you.” Marley took the crate from Gia.
“Oh, good idea. We can stuff it full of treats.”
Marley stood silently holding the crate while Gia shoved it full of the treats and cat food.
“I don’t think one cat will eat that much food…”
“Well, what if it doesn’t like chicken? Maybe it likes beef flavor instead? Or what if it’s a fancy cat and wants the fanciest brand? We can’t be sure, so it’s better to be prepared.”
Gia stooped to grab the fish-flavored cans.
“Besides, it won’t go to waste. We can always donate what we don’t use to the animal shelter.”
“We don’t have an actual animal shelter…”
“What?” Gia whipped her head to look up at Marley.
“There’s no animal shelter in Willowbrook.”
Gia raised her brow in disbelief. “Weird. I assumed every town had one.”
“We have a vet in town, but that’s as close to a shelter as we’ve got.”
“What do you do with all the stray animals?” Gia wondered.
“I… I don’t know. I know the vet has some abandoned animals in the back.”
“Well, what are we going to do once we catch this cat of yours? Keep it?”
Gia watched as Marley’s eyes widened comically. If she had to bet, it was probably what Marley was hoping to happen as the best-case scenario. She was a sucker for heartwarming stories of stray cats finding loving homes.
“Oh my God, can we keep it?”
Gia grabbed two cans from the bottom shelf and stood up gracefully.
“Now, that’s between you and Jake. I can’t be involved with anything that man does.” She probably should not talk badly about Marley’s guardian or whatever Jake was to her, but she couldn’t help it. Every time she thought about his stupidly handsome face and their almost-kiss, it drove her nuts.
Does he not want me anymore? Am I too broken for him now?
The yawning chasm inside her stretched wider. It hurt to know Jake didn’t want her, even if she was definitely not interested in rekindling anything with him.
“I know.” Marley bit her lower lip. “But it would be pretty cool if I could keep it.”
“Let’s focus on catching the target first.”
“Right. Do you think we’ve got enough food for now?” Marley hefted the overfilled container in question.
Gia nearly grimaced at how packed it was.
“I think it’s a great place to start.”
“There’s enough food for a whole cat sanctuary here.”
“Now, that’s an idea.” Gia smiled warmly at Marley, taking the carrier and cradling it against her chest as they made their way back down the aisle in search of the checkout lanes.
“Oh my God, is that you, Gia Lien?”
While walking past the chip aisle, a shrill voice stopped them in their tracks.
Fuck my life.
Gia turned stiffly, keeping her face blank as she faced the blond woman who used to make her life miserable.
“It is you! I never thought I would ever see the day you’d come strutting back into town.”
Gia and Marley stood still as the overly made-up woman stalked closer.
“Don’t you recognize me? It’s Ruth. We used to sit next to each other in biology class freshman year. Remember?”
How could I forget the asshole who made fun of my brother?
“Ruth. How could I forget?” Gia deadpanned.
“Oh, don’t be like that. Those were good times.” Ruth stopped a foot away from where they stood. “Well, what brings you back to town?”
“I’m just here—”
“Oh my God, are they shooting your next movie in Willowbrook?” Out of the corner of her eye, Gia saw Marley flinch at the screech.
“Um. No. Definitely not.”
“Oh.” Ruth deflated. “Well, we should get together soon. Grab a coffee and catch up. Just like old times.”
Not in this lifetime. Or the next.
But before Gia could respond, Marley pulled on her arm and led her away.
“Sorry, Ruth, but Gia and I have to get going. We have a project and we’re running behind.”
She threw Ruth an apologetic smile even as she was applauding Marley’s fast thinking.
After checking out, Gia settled in the car and cast an appreciative glance at Marley.
“Thanks for the save, Marley.”
“Oh, that? That was nothing.” Marley waved her hand dismissively.
“Ruth is such a bitch.” Gia gasped. “Shit. I mean, don’t swear.”
Marley smiled widely.
“It’s okay to swear. I do it all the time.”
“You do?”
“Well… not when Jake’s around.”
Gia laughed.
“Don’t tell him I swore or he’ll never let you be around me again.”
“He won’t be mad.”
The sounds of the radio played softly through the speakers as they made their way back to Griffin’s.
“So, what’s the plan, boss?” Marley asked.
“Okay, so here’s what we’re going to do…”
Gia navigated back to the auto shop. By the time they made it back to Griffin’s, the shop was closed.
“All right, now is probably a good time to figure out the plan,” she said, tossing a glance at Marley.
She pulled the car into the lot and found a parking spot around the back of the building.
“Okay, so Operation Tuna Melt—” Marley began.
“Wait, Operation Tuna Melt?” She turned to look at Marley.
“Yeah…”
“I love tuna melts.”
“Me too!”
The two turned and grinned at each other.
“Okay, what is Operation Tuna Melt exactly?”