Hitched

11

Thank God for my animals, Joyce thought, as she placed a puppy she’d been grooming in the front window of the pet store. They always want to be with me. Unlike Francis who had called from the road and said that he was going to Atlantic City with Marco. She couldn’t wait for that Marco to get lost. He was such a bad influence. Hopefully, Francis could go back to work soon, Marco would leave, and she and Francis could get their life back.

Joyce wanted to settle down. It was about time. She wanted to have kids and animals and buy a house out on Long Island. Just not too close to Francis’s mother, who had called and asked if Joyce wanted to come out and spend the night with the folks while Francis was away.

No thank you! she had responded, almost too quickly. She would go home and take it easy. It would be nice to have some peace and quiet in the house. Marco had the television on every second he was awake. In the middle of the night, he’d wake up and turn it on, then the parrot would start to squawk.

Although the parrot enjoyed watching television.

“Hey, Joyce,” her co-worker Bunny called to her. “You have another phone call.”

“Thanks.”

All the workers at Teddy’s Pet Store had cell phones, but Teddy insisted the phones remain off in the shop. “All that ringing and beeping and those crazy songs disturb the peace,” he declared. “The animals shouldn’t have to put up with it!”

Any personal calls would be on the house phone, and they would be brief. “If you’re not taking care of a customer, you should be giving love to the animals,” he proclaimed.

Joyce hurried to the phone by the register. “Hello,” she said as she played with a tiny Velcro ball that was on the counter and intended for cats’ amusement.

“Joyce, it’s Cindy.”

Cindy was Joyce’s single neighbor. Nosy but nice. They saw each other more in the summertime when they threw barbecues together. Cindy was about her age, divorced, and always on the hunt for a new guy. “Hi, Cindy. What’s going on?”

“I saw Francis and Marco speed down the block before. Are they heading out of town again?

She’s always digging for information, Joyce thought. Cindy should have been an archaeologist. “Another boys’ night out,” Joyce answered, forcing herself to sound cheery. “It’s okay. By the time I’m through here, I’m happy to go home and relax.”

“Uh-huh, sure. Listen, Joyce, I’m going into the city with some of the girls tonight. We’re going to Little Italy for pasta. The place has music. It’ll be fun.”

Joyce paused-for a fraction of a second. She loved the energy in Little Italy. Its narrow cobblestone streets, colored lights, and bustling restaurants all made for a great atmosphere. “That sounds great. I’m not that tired.”

“You go, girl,” Cindy said. “If the boys can go out and play, so can the girls.”

“That’s for sure.”

“What time do you get off work?”

“Five.”

“Go home and relax for a couple of hours. Take a nap. I’ll pick you up at eight. We’ll make it a fun night.”

Pasta, a little wine, music, some laughs with the girls. It’s what I need, Joyce thought as she hung up the phone.

So what was bothering her?

The front door opened, and a young mother and her son came in. His arm was bandaged.

“What happened to you?” Joyce asked sweetly.

“I fell going up the steps and I had a glass in my hand. I cut my arm, and it bled all over.

Joyce’s mind flashed to the bloody paper napkin she’d found in the bathroom wastebasket this morning. Francis and Marco were sleeping when she left for work. She’d forgotten to ask Francis about it when he called.

“I told my mother I’d feel better if she bought me a puppy.”

“I’m sure that would make you feel better…” Joyce agreed, leading them to the front window where three little cocker spaniels were scampering around in piles of shredded paper.

I wish I knew what would make me feel better, she thought. Maybe a night on the town with the girls will do the trick.