Deli Witch

Cat Watching

Spencer sits in his cube with a phone head set on. Leaning back in his chair, he listens to someone droning on about a process change that Spencer has never heard about and knows he'll never have to follow. Nevertheless, his attendance is required. Fortunately, he has two screens. While one of his monitors displays the presentation Spencer uses the other to read his email and check for requests.

While the presenter drones on, one of Spencer's coworkers, Jay Polley, walks by Spencer's cube. Jay had the luck to see the same presentation yesterday so he can get real work done today. As he walks by he sees something out of the corner of his eye. It takes him several steps before what he saw registers. Quickly backtracking he looks at the shelf in the back of Spencer's cube. Whatever he thought he saw is now gone. He steps into the cube and begins looking around.

Spencer catches a glimpse of Jay out of the corner of his eye. He reaches over, places the phone on mute, and turns around.

"Hey, Jay. What's up?"

Jay looks around the cube. "Where's the cat?"

Spencer stares at Jay for a moment. "Uh, what cat?"

Jay stops looking and points to the bookshelf. "The cat that was on your bookshelf."

Spencer looks at the bookshelf and then slowly turns to look at Jay. Spencer then turns in his chair to face his monitors to see if he has missed anything.

"Cat? On my bookshelf you say?"

Jay vigorously nods his head. "Yeah, man, there was a real, honest-to-God cat, an orange and green one, I think ... lying on your bookshelf when I walked by."

Spencer wonders what Jay is putting in his morning Coke. However, before Spencer can speak Jay raises his arms to make his point. "No, I swear, really, a cat, lying there, watching you."

Spencer knows that Jay has a strange sense of humor. Spencer decides to play along and wait for the punch line.

"Okay, sure, I believe you. So where is it?"

Jay shakes his head. "I don't know. Man, I hate Mondays."

Jay turns and walks out of the cubical, shaking his head.

"That's it?" Spencer thinks to himself. "Where's the punchline? The 'hah, I got you again' line?"

Spencer shakes his head. "Yeah, I bet he's not finished with the joke. I'd better be careful."

He checks the clock on his computer. "Another forty minutes and I can go to lunch. I'll do something different today and skip the deli. I'm sure Cassandra probably thinks I'm stalking her by coming to the deli all the time. Don't want to scare her off."

He resumes checking his email while the presenter drones on.

0

Spencer sits under a tree in the small park where he met Cassandra. Just as he puts the last bite into his mouth his phone rings. He grabs the phone as he hurriedly chews. He swallows at the same time he activates the phone.

"Hey. No, I'm eating lunch, over in the park. Yes, the small one not too far away. Yeah, I can take care of that when I get back. Give me fifteen minutes. Okay, bye."

He looks up as he ends the call. A small girl has stopped in front of him, causing her young and frazzled looking mother to stop. He smiles, waves, and says hi. However, instead of responding the girl tugs on her mother's arm.

The girl's mother asks, "What is it, dear?"

"I want to pet the pretty kitty."

The girl's mother asks, "What kitty is that, sweetie?"