“Can I help you?” he asked in a firm tone. I smiled at him. “Just going for a little stroll.” “Not around here,” he said. “You can just stroll back the way you came.” “Someone’s grumpy,” I said. The man frowned at me. He wasn’t going to make this easy. “You wanna pet my pussycat? It might make you feel better.” The man’s eyes widened and then narrowed as I parted my jacket to reveal Cherub sitting stoically in her sling. “I’m allergic.” He scowled and then pointed down the darkened road from where I’d come. “Go.” I scratched behind Cherub’s ear, never taking my eyes off him. “Maybe you aren’t
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