Cat Snips - a Short Story Collection by Cat Johnson Read Online Free PDF Page A

was
wait for Belinda to get home from work in a few hours and find the
evidence. He glanced at the clock. He would just curl up right inside
this comfy piece of luggage for a nice little nap until she did.

    Belinda walked in the door to the
sound of the ringing phone. She ran for it and grabbed it just in
time before the machine picked up. “Hello.”
    “ Hey. Grace and I want to
do something tonight. It’s Halloween and we’re missing
our youth and feeling like we need to do something to celebrate.
Something that involves scary movies and lots of chocolate.”
    Belinda laughed, out of breath
from her sprint for the phone. “I’d love to, but Max just
got home late last night and I kind of feel like I have to spend some
time with him.”
    She could practically hear the
face Donna was making on the other end of the line. “Okay, but
if you change your mind, we’ll be at my place.”
    “ All right. Thanks.”
She hung up and dropped her bag on the counter. All she wanted to do
right now was take off her shoes, which were killing her, and change
into something comfy.
    Walking into the bedroom, she had
to smile when she spied her black cat curled up in an adorable circle
in Max’s suitcase. “Hey, you.” She bent to pet him.
“You better not let Max see you in there.”
    Then her gaze hit on a small
scrap of lace in the side pocket. Frowning, she reached out to take
it. What it was hit her like a full force body blow.
    “ Oh my God.”
    The cat put a paw on her leg. She
pushed it away and stood up. “Not now, Black Cat.”
    Her heart was pounding, her head
spinning. She was holding some other woman’s underwear in her
hand, unable to move or even think. Then her brain snapped into
action. He would deny it. She knew him too well now. He would
probably say they were hers and she was crazy for forgetting she put
them in his bag. Everything was always somehow her fault, even though
he was the cheating bastard. She shook her head. She
had to find more proof. But whatever she found, cell phone bills,
lipstick, love notes, it wouldn’t matter. He would somehow
explain it away and deny it.
    Then she realized it didn’t
matter. This was her place and as of now, he was out of it. She
started to fling his stuff in his suitcase, thinking how convenient
of him to leave it on the floor and open for her. And when the
suitcase was full, she would move on to putting his stuff in garbage
bags. That seemed fitting.
    She paused in her flinging just
long enough to make two phone calls. Call number one was to the
locksmith to have her deadbolt changed. Call number two was to
Donna’s house. The voicemail message picked up.
    “ Hey, I’m coming
tonight and I’ve thought of something very Halloween-ish for us
to do. Just make sure Grace brings her spell book.” As she hung
up the phone, she glanced out the window at the huge orb of a full
moon just appearing on the horizon. She was feeling very much like a
witch at the moment and she was definitely in the mood to be bad.

Chapter Five
    “ I can’t believe he
was cheating on you. I always knew he was an ass, but I never
dreamed…” Donna poured her a big mug full of hot cider
spiked with rum. She handed it to Belinda. “Here, you need
this.”
    “ All men suck.” Grace
unwrapped another piece of chocolate.
    “ You got that right.”
Donna nodded.
    Belinda was as up for a male
bashing session as they were, but it somehow didn’t seem very
satisfying tonight. And she was really on edge waiting for her cell
phone to ring. It was only a matter of time before Max came home and
found not only all his belongings in the hall, but also that his key
no longer worked.
    God, she hoped he didn’t go
crazy, kick down the door and hurt the cat or something. Then she
remembered. This was Max she was talking about. He would never risk
scuffing his shoes, and she doubted he could kick down a door even if
he wanted to. She looked up to find both her friends watching her.
    “ You okay?”