Page 74 of Buck & Mari

He opened the bedroom door and came feet to paw with Ebi.

“Morning,”

He reached down to scratch the cat behind its ears, but the cat smacked at his hand with a paw and gave him a yowl that sounded like a rebuke.

“What?”

Ebi lifted a paw and licked at it.

Buck tried to give the cat another scritch and the cat froze him in a place with a HISS.

“Fine, Pain in the Ass.”

The cat reared back like it had been splashed with water.

“You’re hungry I bet.”

The cat made a noise that sounded more like an indignant snarl and turned, heading into the kitchen like it would take care of the issue himself.

Buck rolled his eyes and followed after the cat.

It might be a spoiled little idiot, but she probably knew where the food was.

He draped his shirt over the back of a chair in the kitchen and followed Ebi wearing only his boxer briefs.

Ebi stopped at the cabinet directly under the sink and parked her butt there, lifted her eyes in an expression that clearly said. ‘I’m waiting.’

Buck sighed and opened the cabinet and saw containers of cat food. “Okay. Let’s figure this out.”

MARI

Mari woke up when her phone rang.

The ringer was a song that told her it was Reiko calling.

Groaning, she reached for the nightstand and managed to pick it up without dropping it.

Curling on her side, she brought the phone up to her ear and yawned. “’ello?”

“Mari!”

There was something in Reiko’s tone that made her smile.

“Yes?”

“There is a hot man on my couch!”

Mari shook with laughter. “Hoss? Or another hot guy.”

“So you knew?”

“Yes. Everyone at the bowling alley knew that he left with you.”

“OH. MY. GOD.” Reiko groaned. “I’m never drinking again.”

“You don’t have to stop entirely,” Mari stretched on the bed. “Maybe just don’t have so much next time.”

“But does that mean I have to give back the hot guy?”