“It’s okay,” he said, obliging the kitten by scratching his head. “It’s going to be okay.”
“God, who the hell does she think she is?” I said. Tears streamed down my cheeks.
“Brynn, it’s okay.”
“It’s not okay!” I nearly yelled the last word, and Mark glanced back at the open apartment door. “Lucky could die, and she wouldn’t care!”
“Brynn, shhhh,” Mark said. “She’s the director’s daughter. The director of the Academy.”
“His daughter? So what!”
My eyes must have blazed with anger, because Mark immediately held up one hand to quiet me.
“I know, I know,” he said. “But the guy’s important. I just thought you should know. And hey, Brynn?”
“What?” I wiped at my eyes with my free hand. My nose ran, and Mark dug in his pockets, holding out a crumpled paper napkin. I took it gratefully and held it up to my face. A tissue to stop a leaking dam, it was entirely ineffectual.
“I can take the cat,” Mark said.
I looked at him, uncomprehending.
“We can sneak him into the boys’ room. At least for tonight. And we can take him to a humane shelter tomorrow. ”#p#分页标题#e#
“I’m not taking him to a pound,” I said, hugging Lucky to my chest protectively. “That’s almost worse.”
“Okay, we’ll figure something else out,” Mark said. “Alright?”
I nodded, my face now flushing at how much I had cried in front of Mark. He had only ever seen me break down once before, and I had promised myself never to do it again. I don’t know if it was the cold or the strangeness of the country, or perhaps simply Eliot, but I had felt more emotional here than I ever had in California.
“Put him in my pocket,” Mark said. He turned sideways, holding his front coat pocket open. I tucked Lucky into the coat and he immediately tried to claw his way out. Mark held him down in the pocket by the scruff of his neck.
“He doesn’t like it,” I said. Lucky meowed.
“It’s just for a little bit,” Mark said. “Just until I get down the hallway and into the room. Can you go and be a look out?”
I stepped up into the apartment corridor and peeked into the kitchen, where three of the boys had started up a card game. Inching my way down the hall, I spotted the director’s daughter sitting on her bed. She flipped through a fashion magazine, looking the other way. I waved Mark in and blocked the view from the doorway with my body until he had gotten past me and into the boys’ room. Lucky let out a small meow that I was sure the girl would have heard, but she kept on reading. I turned and mouthed to Mark Thank you! He grinned and closed the boys’ door.
Whew. Lucky was safe, at least until tomorrow morning.
The next day, I snuck out of the apartments early and sat outside on the icy stairs. As much as I didn’t want to call Eliot, I had no other option.
He picked up on the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Eliot?” My voice turned small, shy. I did not want to ask for anything from him.
“Brynn.” A short pause filled the line between us with awkward silence, and I smacked myself in the head mentally for having used his first name. “Why are you calling?”
“I know, I know, I shouldn’t,” I said. “But I need your help. I need you to come take Lucky.”
“I’ve already told the landlady—”
“It’s not that. It’s another girl that has a problem with him. The…the director’s daughter. She hates cats. Can you come take him? Please?” My words sounded strained, desperate. I didn’t know what I could possibly do if Eliot couldn’t take the kitten. Another period of silence passed.
“I’ll be there soon.”
Elated, I snuck inside and to the boys’ room. Before I could knock on the door, however, it opened and Mark peeked out with eyes still crusted with sleep. Lucky sat behind him on the floor, his ears perked up.
“I heard footsteps,” he said. “What’s up?”
“I found someone to take Lucky,” I said. “He’ll be here soon.”
“Good. The little guy needs to go out, I think. He’s been pacing by the door. Is it safe?”
I looked back, but the girls’ room door was shut.
“I think so,” I said. Mark opened the door and Lucky darted out into the hallway, circling around my legs in a figure eight and purring. I picked him up and he licked my nose.
I took Lucky out to the front and he darted behind the granite steps. I sat down and waited for him to finish his business. Soon he jumped back up to my lap for petting. Mark came outside into the street, having put on some warmer clothes, and sat beside me.