Oops! Sorry! Wrong boilerplate!
What I meant to say was that, as always, the previous parts of this whole adventure serial inspired by Poetigress's Thursday Prompts can be found as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, and 37.
This, then, is part 38. "The scandal" was the phrase that triggered it.
Both Eric and Donna stood in the hallway when Deena's dad
and I moved out of the office. Donna stepped forward, the smile
broad on her dark face, her hand outstretched. "Mr. Schwarber?
I'm Donna Basilone, the resident care manager here at Chrysalis
House."
They shook hands, and I tried not to panic. I like Donna a
lot, don't get me wrong, but when she's all dressed up in her
business suit, the black tangles of her hair packed into a bun
at the back of her head, she just exudes authority. It's what
you might call a very effective look: makes me think I'm about
to be arrested every time I see it, at any rate...
Add to that the way Eric was looking at Serena, and even
though the squirrel was standing very nice and quiet in my lap,
well, as I'd discovered, it was more the existence of the
animals I brought into the house than their behavior that folks
objected to.
Donna was still smiling at Mr. Schwarber. "I hope you
don't mind me being forward, but Gus here's one of our favorite
residents, and I--" She faltered, something like fear
fluttering over her like a moth across a porch light, but then
the smile sprang back into place. "Is everything OK?"
El Brujo's ears folded, but it was more in amusement than
anything else. "August! You've become a source of scandal in
the community! Well done!"
I started to object, but Mr. Schwarber was speaking, his
smile looking more real than Donna's. "Everything's fine, Ms.
Basilone. Gus and my daughter have been getting acquainted over
the past few days is all."
Her tail swishing, El Brujo gave a feline laugh. "'Getting
acquainted'? Is that what you profligate youngsters call it
these days?"
Waves of cold and heat prickled over me, and I realized I
was blushing furiously. "I swear, Bru," I said, never more glad
that humans couldn't hear animal speech, "I'm gonna make violins
outta you if you don't--"
"No, Mr. Augie!" Serena gave me a stern look over her
shoulder. "You have no need for embarrassment! You and Miss
Deena will make very good mates, and anyone who sees you
together will know that to be the truth!"
Judging from the smirk on Eric's face, he was thinking
something along those same lines, and I couldn't help letting a
groan escape. "Could we please," I got out in words my human
audience would be able to understand, "not bring the whole house
in on this?"
Donna swung a startled expression toward me. "Gus?"
I froze for a moment under the scrutiny, but-- "Relax,
August," El Brujo muttered, shifting across my thighs. "It's
merely the longest and most intelligible speech she's ever heard
from you. Nothing to be concerned about."
That made me blink, and I realized it was true. It still
took a lot of effort to get my brain, throat, and tongue working
together, but I guess I'd been doing it more often lately. Like
lifting weights: the damn things don't get any lighter, but your
body gets more able to work with them anyway.
Her smile now looked almost as genuine as Mr. Schwarber's.
"Is everything OK?" she asked again, but she was asking me this
time.
Holding up a hand, I crossed my index and middle fingers.
"I'm hoping so," I told her. "I should be back in an hour or
so."
She nodded. "You have your key?"
For the life of me, I couldn't think what she meant by
that, but El Brujo shifted again, saying, "Your key to the side
door in case you're out past 10PM." Her tail snaked over to
whap the little belt pouch I used since pants pockets were
pretty much useless to me when I was sitting in the chair. "I
put it in your pack earlier, so unless you've removed it--"
"Here," I said out loud, patting the pouch. "I shouldn't
be that long."
"All right." She turned to Mr. Schwarber and held out her
hand again. "A pleasure meeting you, sir."
"Likewise," he said. They shook once more, then Donna
pushed open one of the big doors that led out into the non-
resident side of the house. Eric got the other; I nodded to him
and rolled through, Mr. Schwarber right beside me.
Part 39 lies just on the other side of the link earlier in this sentence.
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