Flirting with the HR Girl

Chapter 24

Saturday morning rose even more gloriously than the day before. Jennifer awoke to Zack Morris snuggling her face blissfully unaware that he was going to the vet that day. Kelly Kapowski was still fast asleep on Jennifer's feet as she stretched and decided to go for a run. The mornings were starting to get darker and chillier but that couldn't put a damper on her mood as she laced up her running shoes and ran out the door. Listening to her favorite upbeat tunes, she jogged almost twice as far as she normally did when she realized that she didn't want to be worn out.

Her perfect day hit a small snag when she finally had to hunt down Zack and stuff him in his kitty carrier. He was incensed and even Kelly was yowling, wondering what was going to happen to him. Turning up the music in the car, Jennifer gave up trying to comfort her cat as he howled all the way across town. Luckily, his vet was a very patient woman, who had a way of handling him better than even Jennifer did. The appointment went well with a new prescription for his inhaler in her hand as they left. And a new kitty diet plan for his extra pounds but Jennifer decided not to tell Zack about that part.

Jennifer stopped by the pharmacy on the way home from the vet. Happy to be going home, Zack had calmed down before she went into her usual place. There was a new woman behind the counter.

"Insurance card, please," the woman said barely looking up. Her disheveled hair was a testament to how busy they were as well as the glasses about to fall off the end of her nose.

"I don't have one," Jennifer said feeling the person behind her in line shifting impatiently. "It's for a cat."

"What?" the lady looked annoyed. "This prescription is for an inhaler."

"Yes, my cat has asthma." Jennifer had been through this with the last tech. "It's from his vet."

"And you can't get it there?" she asked all but rolling her eyes.

"It's cheaper here," Jennifer explained. She kept her sarcastic retorts to herself.

"All righty, then, one inhaler coming up for a -" she hesitated when she read the name but finally removed her glasses and laughed. "A Mr. Zack Morris."

"Yep." Jennifer nodded as the person behind her chuckled. She ducked out of line and wandered through the pharmacy aisles. She was just contemplating buying a fresh box of condoms when the woman called her back to the counter.

"Miss, are you aware that this inhaler is four hundred dollars?" she explained.

"What?" Jennifer was not aware. "Even for the generic?"

"There is no generic yet," the woman said gently. "Has Zack Morris had this before?"

"Yes, but over two years ago," Jennifer said feeling sick in her stomach. "It was only one hundred and fifty then."

"I'm sorry. If you don't want to spend that on just a cat, I don't blame you." She put her glasses back on and looked behind Jennifer at the next person in line.

Jennifer wanted to shout that he wasn't just a cat but knew that she would have to wait until her next payday to get the inhaler. Unless she wanted to take her new outfit back. Her decision was made for her when the man behind her pressed forward.

Feeling awful, she went back to the car and gave Zack a scratch under his ear, he meowed that he was ready to go home. He hadn't had an asthma attack in months. His vet said that he was healthy. His inhaler could probably wait two weeks. Pushing the guilt over not getting his medicine from her mind, she went home and got ready for her date.