Perfect Impurrfections

Chapter 8

Best Laid Plans

                Crystal’s shift at the complex had wrapped up for the morning she was grabbing her stuff to head out to the next gym.  She took her phone out of her locker and turned it on checking to make sure she hadn’t missed a call from her mother.  The only missed call she had on there was from an unknown number.  She nearly dismissed it and probably would have but they had left a voicemail.  Curious, Crystal listened as the message played out pleasantly surprised to find it was someone answering her personal ad.  She hadn’t been entirely sure just how many still read the personal ads anymore besides her, but she had put one out there on the off chance that Mr. right didn’t use dating apps.  Sitting down she dialed Casey’s number hoping he would be free for the night so he could B.B. sit tonight.

                “Hey Chris, what’s going on?”  He yawned out across the line irritating Crystal to no end that he was still in bed

                “Do you have anything planned for tonight?”  She ventured hoping that he was free for the night.

                “I have a date tonight.”

                “Damn.  Never mind Casey you have fun tonight.”  She ended the call disappointed that she was going to have to try scheduling it for another night.  Anna walked into the locker room seeing her despondent friend staring at her phone in disappointment.

                “What’s up?”  She broached cautiously watching carefully in case Crystal broke down in tears.

                “I had someone answer my personal ad for a date tonight, but Casey has a date tonight and won’t be able to watch B.B.”  Anna rolled her eyes and sat down next to her on the bench.

                “If you need someone to babysit for tonight, I can do it.”  She offered watching as Crystal’s face light up with hope.

                “Really?”

                “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.”  Crystal reached over crushing Anna in a bear hug.  Anna got up getting her stuff together to go to her next scheduled spot for the day.  Crystal called the guy back and set up the date for the evening a couple hours after work was done for the day.  Turning around to face Anna she found her friend standing there waiting patiently with her tote resting beside her.

                “Ready?”  Anna asked as Crystal beamed a large smile at her.

                “I am now.”  Crystal answered picking her own gym bag up and followed Anna back.  They had roughly twenty minutes before they had to be across town to the next gym.  That was more than enough time for them to walk back to the houses to pick up one of their cars and drive over.  At least they worked the same schedule that day instead of at different gyms like usual.  It was rare when their schedules and places matched up and made for a more pleasant day all around.  The drive over to the high-rise condos went by faster as the two of them had an impromptu duet the entire drive.  They turned the radio up and belted the songs out over the music.  Since both of them had their windows rolled down, they drew quite a bit of attention from pedestrians.  Mostly because on a good day when they were trying to hit the right notes both of them were tone deaf, but on a day where they were just having fun the sound could be offensive. 

                The commute seemed to take less time then normal and Crystal wished it could have lasted longer when they pulled into the lot.  Heading inside they greeted the security guard on duty who knew both of the girls well.  He had been the security guard since Crystal started seven years ago.  Anna had been hired not long after and the two of them had befriended the man within the first week.  He insisted they call him Paul and would have friendly conversations every time they came to work.  He was a nice older man who had just celebrated his 65th birthday the month before.  The girls had each brought him a cupcake to celebrate when they saw him that day.  He had been tickled pink.  Today he was busy talking to a tenant of the building, so they merely waved to him as they passed by.  Since they were already dressed for the day they just walked to their designated rooms.  This week Anna was handling one of the spin class rotations while Crystal was on yoga.  As Anna entered her room Crystal hurried on by.  Her friend seemed to channel a whole other personality once she entered a class.  Crystal half expected to hear her calling the people in her session maggots or something.  On average Anna was one of the nicest people someone would ever meet, but there was no way she would ever take one of her classes.  The only people who even stayed in the classes where ones that were serious about getting into shape.  The ones that just wanted a light workout usually left her class for one of the other instructors.  While Crystal didn’t allow people to slack off either she wasn’t as uptight about it as Anna was.  She was bad enough that new members were generally warned when choosing a class so they could decide whether they wanted one of the stricter instructors or not.  Entering her own room Crystal smiled seeing that no one was here just yet.  She liked to take a few minutes before each class just for herself.  It wasn’t always possible but on the rare days it happened it made her day.  So far, it’s shaping up to be a decent day.

                Crystal was just about done getting ready for her date when Anna showed up.  Peeking her head around the doorway Crystal squeaked in surprise making Anna laugh at her reaction.  It was nothing new really since Anna tended to have a light tread when she walked.  She startled most everyone she approached if they didn’t see her coming.  Entering into the room she gave Crystal a once over walking around her in circles.  Crystal fidgeted in place waiting to hear Anna’s opinion on her simple outfit for the night.  Her anxiety mounted higher and higher with every circuit Anna made.  An impish smile fell across Anna’s lips by the sixth pass as Crystal rolled her eyes realizing that her friend was messing with her.

                “Would you stop screwing around and tell me what you think already?”

                “You look good hon.”  Crystal’s shoulders tensed ready to freak out that she hadn’t told her she was amazing looking or beautiful.  Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly.  There was no reason to get herself overly worked up over semantics.  Relaxing Crystal smiled lightly as her hopes for the night settled back in.  Grabbing her little handbag, she checked it over for all the predate requirements.  Remembering her last date, she also took a small perfume bottle off of her vanity and dropped it into the clutch.  Making a quick call to order a cab for the ride to the venue she made a point to ask that the last cabby she had would not be the one to pick her up tonight.  As they descended the staircase Crystal chuckled at the sight of B.B. rubbing himself all over Lewis as Lewis tried his best to get the cat off of his lap with minimal contact.  Crystal wasn’t sure what the story was with Lewis exactly he was one of Casey’s friends that they had met through him.  Anna and Lewis had hit it off almost immediately and it was a comical pair.  Lewis was an uptight accountant who wasn’t very social, and Anna was a sweetheart of a person who was the biggest social butterfly anyone could ever meet.  Making a small sound of distress Anna rushed forward and removed the overly lovey B.B. from her boyfriend’s lap.  Crystal shook her head at her cat quirking her eyebrow at him as he waddled his fluffy butt into the kitchen for food.  Crystal would almost swear that he did that on purpose every time he saw Lewis just to drive him crazy.  B.B. could be such an asshole.

                Hearing a horn sound outside Crystal made her way to the door saying a brief hello to Lewis on her way there.  He said a cordial greeting while glaring at the kitchen where the cat had retreated for something to eat.  Shaking her head, she walked out closing the door behind her on the start of the romantic comedy Anna had brought over for the couple to watch.  Crystal just hoped her evening went better than the last one.