Between the Lies

5| Service

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Service

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Chapter 5: Service (Vanessa's POV)

"You get your weekends off, don't you?" Priya asked, handing me the towel. 

"Yes," I answered, walking with her from the counter to the cat-room in the back left. 

"Then why do you spend your weekends working, Van?" 

"I'm not working, I'm volunteering. I like animals and it's a good cause." 

"You like animals but do you like bathing, cleaning, injecting them, and cleaning animal poop too?" 

I smiled, stopping at the crate. "I like animals, if I'm taking care of them, the least I could do is all those things." 

"That one's fragile." 

I stopped before I opened the crate and took some cat-nip, placing it in the crate through the metal, luring the kitten forward. "What does this one need?" I asked, barely putting a finger through to scratch it. The black kitten froze and moved back instantly. It made me sad. "What's the story?" 

"Someone found him abandoned near a grocery store and brought him in." 

It hesitantly moved forward and ate what I gave him, accepting a few scratches. 

"We'll be sending him to the shelter on Monday." 

I clicked my tongue, slowly opening the crate and carefully picking him up in the towel despite the shrieks and struggle. "It's okay, it's okay," I whispered, scratching the top of his head. 

"We are taking him for a bath," Priya explained, leading the way. We headed outback. I was finding the right water temperature when the door chimed with the bell, signaling we had a customer. Priya huffed, "Nobody's even here yet. Dr. Sylvia's on the way though. Do you mind getting that?" 

"Sure." I handed over the kitten and then dusted my apron of cat hair. I walked out to the front while sanitizing my hands and dusting them off. "Welcome to Companion Care Vets, how can I help..." I stopped at the counter, tilting my head to one side. "You're kidding me," we mumbled in sync. I sighed, "Aaron." 

"Vanessa," he mumbled. 

I glanced down at the table where he placed a tiny ginger kitten, scratching its head. I blinked in utter confusion multiple times, checking if I was seeing things right. 

Aaron Sinclair has... a kitten? 

"What are you doing here?" he asked. 

I held out a hand while the ginger moved around, exploring the metal table before eventually reaching me. "Volunteering," I answered. "What can I do for you and...?" 

"Blue." 

"Blue," I echoed, scratching under its chin. "I had no idea you had a cat."