outside your window on the fire escape. It ran off as soon as it saw me. You seemed to be sleeping soundly so I just closed your bedroom door so I wouldn’t hear it if it came back. A little too much wine?” Lisa teased with a smile.
“I didn’t think so, but maybe I did.” Sarah was still frowning about not hearing the cat.
“Is it a neighbor’s cat? I’m surprised they let it out in the city.”
“Not that I am aware of. The cat has come almost every night for just over a week and meows until I get up. The first few nights I thought it was a stray. It would run before I could get a good look at it. But then one night I got up to the window and it looked right at me. I mean, right in my eyes, staring. And it was not scrawny, it actually looked silky clean. When I went to open the window, the cat stood up and slowly walked away.”
“Cats are pretty aloof.” Lisa thought about it for a second and added, “It hissed at me before it ran.”
“Hissed?”
“Well, I think it was a hiss. It ran off quickly.” Lisa stood up and gathered her coffee mug and plate from earlier to bring to the kitchen.
“Sorry the cat kept you up.” Sarah added as they dropped the subject and moved on to Lisa’s departure.
Lisa moved around the apartment, picking up her few items from the weekend and the bag with souvenirs she picked up at Faneuil Hall. Fitting everything into her Under Armor backpack she was ready to hit the highway within a few minutes. Sarah pulled her hair back into a ponytail while she watched her friend zip up the bag and pull her jacket on.
As they left the apartment Sarah noticed the door across the hall was ajar and momentarily hesitated. Lisa followed her gaze.
“Another apartment?”
“No,” Sarah lowered her voice, “its storage. But I think only the landlord goes in there.”
Lisa looked at Sarah expectantly.
Sarah took one more glance at the door and said, “Come on, Lisa. I will walk you downstairs.”
As they descended the marble steps to the lobby, Sarah wondered if she should stop and say hello to Mason when she went back upstairs. Maybe she should even ask about having a pet. Maybe take Midnight in? It was getting pretty cold at night for a cat to be outside.
The two friends hugged in the lobby and Sarah held the heavy door for Lisa. Standing in the doorway, cracked open to avoid the November chill as best she could, Sarah waved at her friend as Lisa hopped in her car. Looking across the street Sarah saw a black cat sitting on a front stoop before she closed the door.
Sarah reached the third floor and saw the attic door was still ajar. She approached the door and listened for a moment before knocking. Mason cleared his voice before answering.
“Yes?”
“Hi, Mr. Brown, it’s Sarah Carter.” She squinted, looking into the dark room; the only light was what was able to penetrate beyond the curtains. She could not see Mason beyond the tall pieces of furniture and stacks of boxes, but she stayed at the doorway not feeling like she should enter without being invited.
“Can I help you, Miss Carter?”
“I had a thought and wanted to run it by you. I wasn’t sure if you allow small pets here or if it would be a problem with the lease. There’s been a stray cat coming around and its getting cold . . .”
“A cat?” There was movement from the back of the room and she could hear him making his way through the maze of stored items. Mason’s voice was louder, sounding alert, almost wary. “Where did you see this cat?”
“It’s been coming around at night. – out on the fire escape.”
“The fire escape?”
“Um, yes. It’s a black cat, I don’t think it belongs to anyone here but I am not sure if it’s stray or not. It’s getting cold and I wasn’t sure if I should let it in . . .”
“No! Don’t let her in.” Mason was emphatic and Sarah was surprised by the tone.
“OK. Well, if you don’t allow a pet that’s fine.”
“Don’t let the cat in. Do you
“I didn’t think so, but maybe I did.” Sarah was still frowning about not hearing the cat.
“Is it a neighbor’s cat? I’m surprised they let it out in the city.”
“Not that I am aware of. The cat has come almost every night for just over a week and meows until I get up. The first few nights I thought it was a stray. It would run before I could get a good look at it. But then one night I got up to the window and it looked right at me. I mean, right in my eyes, staring. And it was not scrawny, it actually looked silky clean. When I went to open the window, the cat stood up and slowly walked away.”
“Cats are pretty aloof.” Lisa thought about it for a second and added, “It hissed at me before it ran.”
“Hissed?”
“Well, I think it was a hiss. It ran off quickly.” Lisa stood up and gathered her coffee mug and plate from earlier to bring to the kitchen.
“Sorry the cat kept you up.” Sarah added as they dropped the subject and moved on to Lisa’s departure.
Lisa moved around the apartment, picking up her few items from the weekend and the bag with souvenirs she picked up at Faneuil Hall. Fitting everything into her Under Armor backpack she was ready to hit the highway within a few minutes. Sarah pulled her hair back into a ponytail while she watched her friend zip up the bag and pull her jacket on.
As they left the apartment Sarah noticed the door across the hall was ajar and momentarily hesitated. Lisa followed her gaze.
“Another apartment?”
“No,” Sarah lowered her voice, “its storage. But I think only the landlord goes in there.”
Lisa looked at Sarah expectantly.
Sarah took one more glance at the door and said, “Come on, Lisa. I will walk you downstairs.”
As they descended the marble steps to the lobby, Sarah wondered if she should stop and say hello to Mason when she went back upstairs. Maybe she should even ask about having a pet. Maybe take Midnight in? It was getting pretty cold at night for a cat to be outside.
The two friends hugged in the lobby and Sarah held the heavy door for Lisa. Standing in the doorway, cracked open to avoid the November chill as best she could, Sarah waved at her friend as Lisa hopped in her car. Looking across the street Sarah saw a black cat sitting on a front stoop before she closed the door.
Sarah reached the third floor and saw the attic door was still ajar. She approached the door and listened for a moment before knocking. Mason cleared his voice before answering.
“Yes?”
“Hi, Mr. Brown, it’s Sarah Carter.” She squinted, looking into the dark room; the only light was what was able to penetrate beyond the curtains. She could not see Mason beyond the tall pieces of furniture and stacks of boxes, but she stayed at the doorway not feeling like she should enter without being invited.
“Can I help you, Miss Carter?”
“I had a thought and wanted to run it by you. I wasn’t sure if you allow small pets here or if it would be a problem with the lease. There’s been a stray cat coming around and its getting cold . . .”
“A cat?” There was movement from the back of the room and she could hear him making his way through the maze of stored items. Mason’s voice was louder, sounding alert, almost wary. “Where did you see this cat?”
“It’s been coming around at night. – out on the fire escape.”
“The fire escape?”
“Um, yes. It’s a black cat, I don’t think it belongs to anyone here but I am not sure if it’s stray or not. It’s getting cold and I wasn’t sure if I should let it in . . .”
“No! Don’t let her in.” Mason was emphatic and Sarah was surprised by the tone.
“OK. Well, if you don’t allow a pet that’s fine.”
“Don’t let the cat in. Do you
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