by Jeffrey Freeman

Created on: May 20, 2009

To Save the Cat

"Hey Rick! Could you help me with something?"
I looked up from the sales computer as a young woman made her way across the sales floor towards me. I sighed and nodded quickly as I returned my gaze to the computer.
"Just let me finish up this sale, Bernice." I quickly closed out the sale and handed the customer his receipt before I glanced back at the young woman.

"Now what could you possibly need my help with?" I asked as I walked from around the counter to stand before her.
Bernice was probably about twenty-five or twenty-six, and had been working here on the sales floor at Lumber, Lumber, and More Lumber for a few years longer than me. She was a little strange, though, and she was always needing help with weird projects. Just last week she had asked me to help lay out some newspaper in the parking lot. I'm still not entirely sure why we did that.
Despite her strange behavior, she was a really attractive woman. I wasn't really her type, though. She had shoulder-length brown hair and bright blue eyes and a perfect smile. Me, on the other hand...I had unkept brown hair and dark brown eyes, and my smile was always crooked. It always looked strained.
"Rick. There's a customer outside who says there's a kitten in his engine."
I stared down at the woman and slowly raised an eyebrow. "A kitten in his engine?" I asked slowly.
"Yeah. He said he saw it run under his truck and he was afraid to start his motor, 'cause he was afraid he was going to kill it. My arms aren't long enough to reach it. Would you mind coming out here and help me get it out?" She stared up at me hopefully, smiling brightly.
I blinked down at her in surprise. My glasses slid down my nose slightly and I slid them back up slowly. This was right along the line of what she usually did.
"Uh, I don't see why not. Just lead the way."
She laughed happily and spun on her heel, hurrying towards the front of the store. I followed after her shaking my head slowly. I didn't really like cats, but I guess helping a kitten wouldn't be so bad. She led me to an older model Chevy pickup that had the hood raised. The owner of the truck was bent over the grill, looking deep into the engine for the kitten, apparently.
"Sir! Rick here is going to save the cat for you!" Bernice practically danced over to the middle-aged guy as he straightened up.
"Really? That would be great. My wife is waitin' for me to paint our livin' room. This little fella' here is holdin' me up somethin' fierce." He grinned and clapped a

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