Page 22 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
“Good, because I might not be as forgiving as Josie,” she teased, nudging her shoulder against Lauren’s. “Now come on. I’ll show you how to prepare the cats for the night.”
They stood, but the change in equilibrium intensified the pain throbbing behind Mia’s eye. She winced, pressing a hand against her forehead.
“You okay?” Lauren asked.
“Migraine,” Mia told her with a self-deprecating smile.
“Sorry. Why don’t you sit? Just tell me what to do to finish up.”
“I’m fine,” Mia said reflexively. When she was a lawyer, her schedule hadn’t allowed her to slow down for a migraine, and old habits died hard. She led the way to the supply closet to show Lauren how to prepare the cats’ nighttime meal, but when she bent to retrieve the cans of cat food from the bottom shelf, the pain behind her eye was so intense, she had to rest a hand against the shelf to steady herself.
“Sit,” Lauren said as she took the cans from Mia’s hand. “Let me handle this.”
Reluctantly, she backtracked to the nearest chair and sat, rubbing her temples. “You’ll spread that wet food across four paper plates,” she told Lauren. The cats had access to water and dry food all day, but she fed them canned food before the café opened in the morning and again after closing. It was a special treat for them and also an easy way to slip medication to whichever cats needed it. “One of the plates will go in the crate with Chaos and Mayhem, and the rest on the floor.”
“When will Chaos and Mayhem come out of their crate?” Lauren asked as she worked.
“Tomorrow morning. I’ll come down early to help them get acclimated to the other cats before the café opens. Then we can keep an eye on them all day to see how they’re adjusting.”
“Want a hand in the morning?” Lauren asked.
“I actually don’t need you until the afternoon when Wendy leaves. I’ll email you later tonight with a schedule for the week.”
“Okay,” Lauren agreed.
While they talked, Lauren spread food across the plates as instructed. Never one to sit still, Mia stood and freshened the cats’ dry food and water bowls. By the time she’d finished, she was light-headed from the pain, so she asked Lauren to wipe down the tables, sweep, and scoop litter boxes. Mia walked to her office and fumbled through the drawers of her desk until she found a bottle of ibuprofen.
She popped two pills and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. Upstairs, her empty apartment waited, and even though she ought to be glad for the peace and quiet tonight, she still didn’t look forward to it. She’d thought living alone would suit her, but it was becoming apparent she’d been wrong.
“Everything’s all set,” Lauren said quietly.
Mia opened her eyes to see her standing in the doorway. “Thank you.”
“How’s the head?” Lauren asked.
Mia sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I’ll live.”
“You should go upstairs and lie down,” Lauren said. “Is there anything I can do?”
“No, but thank you, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” Mia stood. The pain had spread to her stomach now, thanks to the ulcer that stubbornly refused to go away. Nausea gripped her, and she held her breath as she waited for it to pass.
“Hey.” Lauren’s voice sounded closer now, and a moment later, Mia felt a warm hand on her wrist. “At least let me walk you upstairs.”
“I don’t need—” Mia’s protest died on her lips when she realized Lauren was just trying to be a good friend. Of course, Mia could go upstairs by herself, but hadn’t she just been lamenting the empty apartment that awaited her? “Thank you,” she said instead, slipping her arm through the elbow Lauren had offered.
They went into the hall, and Mia locked the door to the café behind them before leading the way upstairs to her apartment. She let them inside and paused, not sure what to do now. Should she just thank Lauren and ask her to leave? She wasn’t in any shape to play hostess at the moment.
“Sit,” Lauren said, gesturing to the couch. “Have you taken anything for the pain?”
Mia sat, leaning into the cushions behind her as she closed her eyes. “Yes, but now my stomach’s angry at me for it. Sorry, I’m a mess.”
Lauren chuckled. “You’resonot a mess, but even if you were, I’m the last person to judge. Stay there. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” Mia wondered what Lauren was doing. A little voice in the back of her mind wondered if she should get up and see for herself, but no. If they were going to be friends, she had to trust that Lauren wasn’t going to steal from her. She heard water run in the bathroom and then Lauren’s footsteps approaching the couch.
“How’s this?” Lauren asked softly as she laid a cool wet cloth over Mia’s forehead.
She flinched at the unexpected sensation, and then she sighed in relief, because that felt amazing. “That’s nice. Thank you.”
