Adventures in Cat-Napping

Chapter 6.

The Uber had finally arrived, and the moment Nora's back was turned, Ali removed the small bottle of hand sanitiser from his pocket, and applied it liberally. The alcohol stung the ripped skin around his nail beds, but he ignored the pain as he entered the car, taking the space Nora had left for him.

The journey was somewhat quiet, and it surprised Ali that the woman beside him was able to keep her lips sealed. A glance in her direction however, quickly determined that she was considering a plan regarding the arrangement they had made. He had never seen someone perusing their mind so overtly, and each factor she considered seemed to express on her countenance. Still, despite knowing this stranger for less than seventy-two hours, Ali was quick to decide that any plan she made, was not one he would follow, and so he laid out his own thoughts, instead.

"I think we should leave tomorrow," He decided. Leena would be back to collect Billy in three days, and it would likely take a whole day to travel to get to Inverness. They needed as much time as they could get. "Early," He enforced and the red haired woman grimaced, adjusting her seatbelt so that it only bound her stomach to the seat.

"How early, is early?"

"I wake up at 5am, so shall we say 6?"

Nora audibly gulped. "Erm, well my morning usually starts at 11:30, but for you....shall we say 10am?"

"9:30am," He negotiated, and she yelled 'deal', gaining the driver's attention as she outstretched her hand. Ali didn't exactly want to have physical contact with her again, but the fire in her brown eyes suggested to him that he had no choice but to comply. He'd reapply hand-sanitiser, the moment she left, at the take-away restaurant she had requested to return to.

"I'll organise an itinerary," Ali also announced. "I am rather particular, and prefer to have things prepared in advance, I hope you don't mind?" Though he questioned her, his tone was clear and thankfully Nora received the message with a salute. She was a surprising woman, and when she offered a wave when they arrived at her stop, Ali sank back into the seat with a small sigh.

"Where we headed to?" The driver asked, and Ali revealed his home address, knowing nothing could soothe him more than a shower.

Once he was scrubbed clean, and changed into clothes that were not tainted by the outside world, Ali headed into his art studio, to start the work that had just been commissioned. It was by a local author who wanted a map created for the story he was just about to release.  Ali adored world-building, and so after preparing his canvas, he stopped in the lounge to pray, had a bite to eat, and got to work.

Nora's response to his life as an artist, was not one Ali was unfamiliar with. He knew that most regarded him as...odd, but his quirks had been a part of him, and he'd had 60 years to find a way to balance and use them to his advantage.

Art gave him the opportunity to break down the walls that he had, in a precise, controlled manner. The paint followed the lines that he determined, and it was very rare he made mistakes.
That was unless he was distracted, but when it came to penciling his sketches, all thoughts no longer existed. Or that had been the case until  Billy started to appear uninvited.

A small sigh release from his lips as he thought back to the cat he was desperate to find, and the daughter who had placed her trust in him. The guilt was quickly eating him alive, and he removed his gloves to locate the mobile in his pocket.

Leena answered on the third ring. "Hey dad," She yelled into the phone, her smile wider than he anticipated. The busy sounds of machines interfered with their connection, but he shouted back, immediately asking how she was.

"I'm doing great," She beamed, temporarily using the phone as a mirror to push back her helmet, leaving a dusty mark on the  black headscarf beneath. "Work has been incredible,"