Adventures in Cat-Napping

Chapter 4.

Nora awoke to a quiet apartment, and her complaint was immediate as she burrowed herself into the three blankets that adorned her sheets. She rolled, falling into the empty space that her body heat hadn't warmed, and the sudden cold forced her to open her brown eyes.

The emotion was quickly replaced with panic, however, and she sat up in search of the clock and forced herself into the chill. It was 10 am, and she was severely late. Jerry was going to kill her; he was going to lynch her alive, throw every insult...her thoughts quickly halted as she paused from sliding on her socks and remembered: Jerry couldn't say or do anything; she didn't work for him anymore.

Her lips pulled into a smile as she jumped back into the bed, immediately revelling in the warmth her covers offered as she rolled herself into a burrito. Without a job, she didn't have any reason to leave her bed at all, and she snuggled deeper, angling a pillow so that it lay adjacent to her side and she could hold it tight. Without a fellow human for company, it was the next best thing, and her eyes fluttered closed as she allowed herself to sleep.

It was music that Nora awoke to, the second time, and she groaned once more, looking for her device "Hello?" She answered, her voice muffled by her pillow as Leo's laugh brought her to her senses.

"Still in bed, I see," he chuckled as she hummed, rolling onto her back with a yawn.

"Yup, and loving it, I could get used to this,"

"I'm sure you could," he agreed, "but you can't, so get up and shower, get dressed, and find out who you sold Billy to," he spoke to her as if each instruction needed to be broken down and enunciated. As if Nora had forgotten her plans...okay, she could concede that sleep had overridden her itinerary but it was sleep. Who wouldn't want a lie in, in the middle of the week?

"All right," she exhaled another yawn, "You don't have to speak to me as if I'm a child,"

"Nora, you may be 25, but too have nerves grown up," he laughed, causing her eyes to roll as her brother used his sibling authority voice. "Don't forget, you need to start sending resume's out too,"

"I won't forget," she promised half heartedly, escaping her bed and walking into the lounge space where her smile widened. "Thanks for breakfast," she beamed, lifting the microwave cover to expose the fresh danishes he must have baked.

"Anytime, good luck! love you,"

"Love you too," she hung up the phone and darted into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She contemplated a shower, and though she had her resolutions, she committed to Leo's order before helping herself to the food in her dining room. It was only 1 pm, which would give her ample time to dress.

Nora was even in the mood for makeup, which was not something that she wore on the weekdays due to work, and spent the time leisurely to contour her nose and hide her double chin. Though no amount of shadowing could hide that- Nora was a curvy girl, and she loved her body for it. She had stretch marks and rolls, and sliding on skinny jeans often caused her to feel out of breath, but her body was hers, and she appreciated every blemish and mark the good Lord had given her.

Choosing to pair straight jeans with an orange shirt, she embraced the look with a bucket hat before making her way down the fire escape steps and onto the busy street. Though Nora usually took the bus, the sun was bright enough to persuade her to walk and pop into the cafe at the bottom of the road for a hot chocolate, to start her day.

The steaming polystyrene reminded her of the one thing she knew about her ex-boss. Just as much as she loved her hot drinks, Jerry enjoyed coffee even more, and usually headed to her brother's cafe, unknowing of her relation, to order his own. He usually paired it with a danish of some kind, a small indicator that despite Jerry's annoyingness, he also had great taste when it came to food. And no one baked quite like Leo, unless of course Nora decided to enter the kitchen herself. Her talent was undeniable.