Page 6 of Psychic Obsession
"It's been a year."Or a year since Frode had first noticed him.Maybe he'd been around since Frode moved in.If his theory about him being the former owner's cat was true, then he'd been there for five years.He wasn't a kitten, but it was hard to tell how old he was, poor thing.
All Hjalmar did was shrug."And in the beginning, he ran off as soon as you exited the house.Now he's eating when you're in the barn."
"I'm thinking about getting a dog."He wasn't sure if he was for real.What would Captain Scratch think about there being a dog in his kingdom?Maybe it was a bad idea.
"Sounds like an awesome idea!"
Eh...If Hjalmar believed it was a good idea, it had to be an awful idea."Why?"He spoke carefully.
"Then you'll have to get out and meet people."
A shudder ran through him."No, I don't.A dog doesn't need to meet people."
"Sure it does.You'll need to go to the vet, have it groomed, set up play dates with other dogs, and get a dog sitter if you're working a big case."
"Big case?I don't work cases."
"You know what I mean.If you're going to touch several things."
There were stipulations in his contract.He only did one reading per day, but sometimes there were ten bullet casings they wanted him to read, which meant he'd work for ten days, and since he was more or less dead to the world for hours after having done a reading, he wouldn't be able to take care of a dog.
"You're right.I'm not able to have a dog."
"Yes, you are.I think it'd be good for you."
But it wouldn't be, and it sure as hell wouldn't be good for the dog because while Frode would take it to the vet, he would not get a dog sitter, and he would not go on play dates, which meant the dog would be alone and miserable.
As if Hjalmar sensed the topic was closed, he moved on."Guess who I ran into."
Oh no.He'd believed this was a check-up, not an attempt to get Frode to talk to someone."Chance?"It was most often Chance.
Frode had dated Chance for about a year back in college, and Hjalmar had been thrilled.
"No.Have you talked to Chance?"Those impossibly blue eyes lit up.
"No, but it's most often Chance when you ask."
Hjalmar frowned."Is it?"
"You realizeit's been like fifteen years since Chance and I were together, right?We were kids, and while he's a good guy, itwon't happen."
Sometimes Frode got drunk and hooked up with nameless, faceless guys, but hedidn't do relationships.He'd been with Declan for a year and a half.He'd met him shortly after he'd turned thirty, and he'dbelieved maybe, maybe, Declan would stick around.That maybe he'd be okay with Frode's rules and whims.But apparently Frode was too frigid, and a guy has needs, and so what if he got those fulfilled on the side.It wasn't his fault Frode didn't so much as want to hug him when he came home from work.
Hjalmar had never liked Declan, and he'd certainly not liked him after Frode had told him it was over.He might not have told him Declan had been screwing around or why he felt the need to, but he was sure Hjalmar had a pretty good idea about what had happened, at least part of it.
The thing was, while he was hurt and betrayed, he most likely should shoulder some of the blame.He'd never been an affectionate person, and Declan hated it when he wore his gloves.He'd wanted Frode to touch him without them, and he had, but not before Declan had removed every item of clothing.Apparently, it wasn't enough.It wasn't spontaneous.
Nah, it was better he was on his own.He and Captain Scratch against the world.A two-man team, or more like a team consisting of one reclusive man and his feral cat, but it was fine.
"Nikolai."
"What?"Had he zoned out so long he'd missed an entire conversation?
"I ran into Nikolai Nesterova.You remember Nikolai, right?"
How could he forget?Nikolai was a cocky, obnoxious asshole.He'd also been one of Hjalmar's best friends back in school.They'd both been on the football team, both big stupid jocks, who walked the corridors as if they owned them.
"I believed he moved away."
