Absinthe

Chapter Two

Absinthes eyes fluttered as Hank closed the front door behind him on his way out to work. Grumbling to herself, she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. Meowing, Venny jumped up onto the bed next to her and nudged her head. When she didnt respond, he climbed up on her back and began kneading her hair. "Knock it off, Venenatta," Absinthe growled, lifting her head to glare back at him. Venny meowed again but didnt move. Groaning, Absinthe dropped her head back onto her pillow.

Suddenly, her phone began shrieking from her desk across the room. Grumbling under her breath, reminding herself of Hank, Absinthe crawled from her bed and stumbled across the room. "What?" she groused after hitting the button.

"Good morning to you, too," Hank chuckled.

"What was the point of sneaking out if you were just going to call and wake me up?" Absinthe grumbled as she fell face first back into her soft bed. Venny hissed as she almost hit him then turned around and snuggled up to her.

"I snuck out two hours ago, Absinthe," Hank chuckled. Her head buried in her pillow, Absinthe mumbled several unintelligible words. Hank couldnt help but shake his head. Growing serious, he continued. "We need you to come down to the station this morning."

"Why?"

"We've got six complaints we need to vanquish."

"Vanquish? Really Hank?"

"Really."

"What about Mr. Harold?"

"I'll worry about him. You worry about getting your butt down here. Now."

Sighing, Absinthe struggled to sit up. Rubbing her eyes, she ignored Hank as he continued to speak in her ear. "Hank," she interrupted. "I have no idea what youre saying. Im going to coffee and shower." Absinthe could hear Hank chuckling as she pulled the phone from her ear and hung up.

After washing up, Absinthe headed for her small kitchen. At the entrance to her living room/dining room/kitchen Absinthe froze. "Hank!" she snarled as fury whipped through her. Eyes narrowed on her living room, Absinthe pulled her phone from her back pocket and dialed Hank.

"Yes?" Hank answered in his best innocent voice.

"Dont you play that with me. If you want me to come to the station, then you better get back down here and clean up the mess you made."

"Mess?" Hank exclaimed. "That is not a mess. Its a nest. Get it right, Abs."

"A nest," Absinthe deadpanned, her eyes scanning the mound of pillows and blankets in front of her couch.

"Yep."

"You know what, not arguing. You made it, you clean it up." Without another word, Absinthe hung up. Skirting the nest, cue eye roll, she made her way into the kitchen portion of the room and started the coffee machine. While it went to work, she gathered up what she needed to make a quick and easy breakfast burrito.

Not ten minutes later, the front door opened, and Hank came strolling in. "Is that breakfast burritos I smell?"

"Nope," Absinthe responded, her mouth full. Gathering up an arm full of blankets and pillows, Hank made towards her hall closet. Absinthe quickly swallowed and called out to him. "Excuse you! Thats not how that works!"

"But folding them takes so long!" Hank shouted in exasperation while holding out the last word.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Yours," he responded triumphantly. A smirk spreading across his face. Narrowing her eyes, Absinthe chose not to respond as she raised her coffee mug to her lips. Rolling his own eyes, Hank dropped his arm full of blankets onto the couch and grabbed up a blanket. After shaking it out, he began folding it. "So, whats the plan for today?"