Fat Cat Takes The Cake

Anna answered a knock on the back door and let in Dr. Michael Ramos. He was Quincy’s veterinarian and Chase had begun dating him a short time ago. At least she thought they were dating. The actual dates were few and far between since they were both so busy. They talked on the phone a lot more often than they saw each other.

Quincy ran over to rub some orange hair onto Dr. Ramos’s slacks.

“You quit that,” Chase mock scolded. “Look what you’ve done.”

Mike chuckled, a deep, rumbly sound that thrilled Chase’s insides. He picked Quincy up and rubbed the stripes between his ears. After he set Quincy down, Mike settled on a stool.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Anna asked.

“No, you’re all busy. I only wanted to touch base.” He looked directly at Chase with those liquid brown eyes. “I haven’t seen you for over a week.”

It had been longer than that, she thought. “How would you like to go with me to my high school reunion?” she asked.

“What year is it?”

“Fourteen.”

He shook his head, puzzled.

“It’s not a reunion year. Our class president is running for mayor and I think it’s more of a campaign rally. But he’s calling it a reunion and using the high school gym for it.” She sat down next to him to convince him to accompany her.

Mike didn’t reply.

“You’d get to meet all my classmates.”

“Like who?”

“Julie graduated with me.”

“Yes, I know that.”

“I don’t keep in touch with many of them, but it’ll be fun to catch up with them again.” Except for Eddie Heath. But if Mike were there, Eddie’s presence wouldn’t bother her so much.

“Here you go, little fella,” Mallory said, sprinkling the remains of a Peanut Butter Fudge bar she had been nibbling in front of Quincy.

Chase jumped off her stool. “No!” she shouted, ran to the counter, and swept up the dessert bar bits.

Mallory took a step back, amazement and a bit of fear on her face.

“Sorry to startle you,” Chase said. “But cats can’t have chocolate. It’s very bad for them.”

“Really? My dad used to give our cat, Mittens, the last bite of his chocolate bar all the time.”

“A little won’t hurt them,” Mike said. “But it’s a good policy not to give it to cats. Besides, Quincy doesn’t need anything extra.”

Chase finally managed to extract a promise from Mike that he would accompany her to the reunion on Saturday. It might be a fun night, she thought.

After Mike kissed her good-bye and Inger left, Anna said, “It’s time. I have to turn in my recipe Saturday for the Batter Battle.”

Mallory had stayed to finish putting away the baking utensils. “Already?” she said.

“What do you have?” Chase asked.

“The basic muffin dough part is good, I think. But it feels like I need something else. I’ve tried putting a cinnamon-sugar crumb topping on them, but didn’t like the way that turned out. It’s so messy.”

“What else have you tried?” Mallory asked, closing the drawer on the last of the whisks.

“I tried to do a thick vanilla frosting. That made them too sticky-sweet.”

“What about adding blueberries? That’s my favorite muffin.”

“Blueberries. Yes, that’s what’s missing. And what goes on top?”

“How about a vanilla drizzle?”

Anna considered for a moment. “We don’t have any with drizzled icing. Mostly powdered-sugar toppings. That might work. It would be different.”

“And you could put some sherry flavoring in them,” Mallory said with excitement. “I saw a bottle of that in the grocery store last week and I’ve been trying to think where a person would use it. I think it would be pretty good.”

“Sherry flavoring? Excellent,” Anna said. “Let’s do it.”

The three of them stayed late working on the recipe. Near midnight, they all left the kitchen, happy with the results. Anna’s Blueberry Muffin Bar recipe might be a winner at the Minny Batter Battle.

•   •   •

Chase felt like three was a crowd as she walked into the Hammond High School gymnasium with Julie and Jay Wright, the tall, dimpled criminal defense attorney Julie was dating. Chase gritted her teeth at the thought that Mike Ramos had stood her up at the last minute. She’d told him about the reunion Thursday night. Then, the very next day, he remembered an out-of-town conference for the AVMA in Albuquerque. Some old veterinarians’ group. He flew out Friday and was getting home late Saturday. She hoped he had to buy a last-minute plane ticket that cost a fortune. That would serve him right for preferring a bunch of stupid animal doctors to her company.

She and Julie had ridden over together through the cold rain in Chase’s Ford Fusion. The reunion was slated to start at eight o’clock and end at midnight. They’d timed their arrival to be fashionably late, at eight thirty. On the way, Julie said she had a problem and she needed Chase’s input.

“Sure. Shoot.”

“You remember Professor Fear? The guy who lives next door to Hilda Bjorn?”

Chase nodded, concentrating on the dark, slick streets.