“Do you know what you’re doing?” asked Nadine as he gave them each a treat through the barred windows of their carriers in a futile attempt to stop the cacophony of plaintive meows. It had taken almost an hour to wrangle them all in.
“No.” He pointed at Erma. “But how could I leave that face?”
Nadine looked down at his complaining baggage. “They’re not going to appreciate their new kibble life,” she predicted.
“They’re very adaptable animals and know going nonorganic isworth it to be together.”
Cats secured in his car, they returned to the front hall for one last look. Nadine could almost see the ghostly figure of Dot in a sequined caftan sweeping by Janice and Sir Latimer. She should be depressed. There was an extremely good chance Daniel would reject her, and they’d fail despite their hard work and best intentions. Instead, she was filled with an intense gratitude to have been able to experience Dot and Wes and everything this magical house had to offer. She looked at the ceiling and gasped. It was patterned with the reflections thrown up from Sir Latimer’s armor, and they looked like little flags.
Wes wrapped his arm around her waist as if he would always be there to support her. He whispered, “Thanks, Dot.”
Nadine swore she heard that low wheezy laugh and a familiar gravelly voice say,You got it, handsome.
Then, they walked out and locked the door to Dot Voline’s house for the last time.
Forty-four
Wes shifted his gaze from his phone to the clock on the night table beside his childhood bed. In twenty minutes, Nadine had her meeting with Daniel. Her last text had been,I’m going to throw up.
He’d sent her back a heart emoji and some gold flags, backed up with the good vibes he’d been aiming in her direction all day. That is, all the ones he could spare, because his mother had not taken his coming home well yesterday and had been especially displeased by the cats. He didn’t blame her, but it was another reason he needed to sort out his life.
A text came in from Caleb.Talk to Pris yet?
Pris was the employment lawyer he’d recommended and had been as sharp as Caleb promised. She hadn’t been sure they could prove Tyler’s lies but told him they’d make theSpearsuffer.
She’s great, wrote back Wes.
Remember loyalty is a one-way street for a company. You don’t owe them shit.
Wes had to read this twice.This isn’t your usual defense of capitalism.
I’ve been thinking about it a lot.There was a pause.Talked to Isabelabout the wedding.
Wes sat down, preparing himself for bad news.And?
I was honest about feeling like a fungible asset.
Is that how you phrased it?
Yeah, why?
Wes tried not to laugh. Caleb was something.No reason. What’d she say?
Cried, like I said she would, and said she was doing her best, which I know is true. But I asked her why we were doing this. I’m spending my best years away from her and for what?
How did it go?
It took a while for the block of text that was Caleb’s reply to arrive.
Good. She thought I was the one who wanted all this stuff and she’d been doing it to keep me happy, which kind of killed me. You know what the guys at work are like. I hadn’t realized how much I’d been doing to keep up with them, and she was worried because she thought she needed to do the same. We’ve been working sixty-hour weeks for a life neither of us want.
Now what?asked Wes. This was big. Huge, for Caleb.
First thing is that we’ve decided to have a small wedding and I’m not taking the contract extension. I want to be with Isabel. She’s cutting down her hours too, and then we’re going to see.
Congratulations.
Hey, it’s not so small a wedding you can’t have a plus-one.