“Don’t worry, little one, you’ll find a good home soon.” Kat scratched the elderly gray tomcat under the chin, then latched the door to his cage with a soft click.

“Kat! Do you mind showing the new volunteer the ropes? They need me in the yard.” A voice called from the front room.

“Sure, Alicia!” Kat refilled a water dish in the cat room and headed to the front of the shelter. Coppery sunlight spilled across the beige tiles from tall windows. Two rabbits chewed pellets in one corner, and a monitor lizard lazed under a heat lamp in another. Kat trotted towards the counter where Alicia was talking to a tall, black-haired young man in a dark jacket.

“This is Kat,” Alicia said, waving her over. “She’s a regular volunteer, and she’ll be training you today. Kat, this is-“

“Darius. Darius Jameson. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The man broke in, offering his hand.

Kat brushed cat hair from her palms and shook his hand. A shiver ran up her spine at the warm contact.

“Kat Thomas. It’s nice to meet you, Darius,” she returned his smile with a spark of curiosity.

Alicia grabbed her jacket from a hook and headed for the back hallway.

Kat waved and then ducked beneath the counter to grab a couple of rope dog toys. She set the colorful items on the countertop with a flourish.

 “Now you’ve been shown the ropes,” she said, pleased when Darius chuckled roughly.

“If all I have to do is play with dog toys, I think I’ll like it here,” he said, peering at her closely. Kat realized she was doing the same, trying to figure out where she’d seen him before. There was something familiar about those pale green eyes and messy dark hair.

She snapped her fingers. “Devil’s food with white chocolate!” She declared.

Darius grinned, his teeth white and even. “That’s right! I always order that. I knew I recognized you. Cake Pop, right?”

“Yeah,” Kat said. “I work the counter most days. What a coincidence!” She put the toys away and pulled out the volunteer forms. “Have you filled these out yet?”

He shook his head, and she slid the clipboard across the counter alongside a pen patterned with cartoon dogs.

“We just met, and you’re already asking for my number?” Darius winked.

Kat colored slightly. “I-it’s standard procedure.”

“Just messing around.” He began filling in his information with angular letters.

A lull settled over the conversation while he wrote on the forms, interrupted only by the squeak of a hamster in its wheel across the foyer. Kat idly rubbed at a stain on the counter and straightened some fliers as she waited, then scooped up the clipboard once he’d finished, giving it a cursory once-over.

 “Alright! Come on, I’ll show you around and explain what we do here.”

She led him on a tour of the facility, showing off the cat room, the small dog room, the bathing area, and the outdoor dog yard. Darius listened attentively as Kat explained safety procedures. They stepped outside just in time to see Alicia helping another employee wrangle a mutt who had mysteriously acquired a sock and was determined to consume it.

“It’s not glamorous work,” Kat warned, gesturing towards the scene. “There’s a lot of cleaning up dookie and hairballs, but we do get to goof off with the animals.”

She leaned on the chain-link fence, and a handful of dogs broke away to greet her, their tails waving like flags as they bolted across the straggly grass.

“Hi, guys!” She patted them as they balanced on their hind legs, eagerly vying for her attention.

“I’m not afraid of dirty work.” Darius leaned his elbows on the top of the fence. Immediately, some dogs began investigating the newcomer. “Can I pet them?”

“Absolutely! Only dogs with good manners get to be in this yard, and they love attention.” Kat discreetly measured his reaction to the mob of dogs, noting that he didn’t seem fazed or intimidated by their exuberance. “Honestly, the hardest part of the job is not taking somebody home each shift.”

Darius rubbed a mastiff’s head between his big hands, a slanted smile on his face. “I can imagine.”

Kat walked him through the shelter schedule, then grabbed gloves and led him to a cat socializing room for a cleaning demo. Kat watched discreetly while collecting fur from a cat tree as Darius dove in with the coconut scented spray, displaying no squeamishness, even when cleaning up a fresh hairball.

“That’ll do for today. Employees only from here on out,” she said when the clock struck six. She tossed her disposable gloves into the trash and pulled a fingerless pair from her hoodie pocket. “Thanks for your help!”

“You’re welcome.” Darius followed suit, throwing his rubber gloves into the bin alongside hers. “This was fun.”

Kat raised her eyebrows with a chuckle. “You must really like animals; most people don’t think cleaning up cat puke is fun. I’m guessing you have pets?”

His eyes slid sideways to her. “Geckos,” he confirmed. “I’m used to crickets, mealworms, and cleaning terrariums, so cat puke’s not bad. Is cleaning most of what you do around here?”

 “Most of what volunteers do is feeding and cleaning up, but there are also classes in socializing cats and dogs if you’re interested. Some even count for college credit.”

Darius dusted his hands off and tucked them into his jacket pockets. “Yeah? Tell me more.”

“There are grooming classes and dog-training seminars. The website has more info if you’re curious. Or you can come in tomorrow and get a jump start on volunteering if you’re keen on getting started right away.” She said brightly.

“I’m a hands-on kind of guy.” He bent to examine a turtle lazily swimming in a tank in the front room. “I’ll come back tomorrow, and you can tell me more?”

“Sounds great! I’m only here every other Friday, though,” Kat explained, leading the way to the glass doors at the front of the building.

Darius glanced away. “Maybe I’ll swing by Cake Pop tomorrow instead.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for you.” As she paused to brush some fur from her pants, Darius reached past to pull the door open for her. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure. It was nice to officially meet you. Have a good night, Kat.” He waved and walked towards the parking lot, leaving a whiff of cedar cologne in his wake.

“You, too!” She watched him for a moment longer and turned to hurry home before dark.

#

“Thanks for coming to Cake Pop! You enjoy those.” Kat finished boxing a batch of St. Patrick’s Day-themed cupcakes for a customer and turned to the next person in line. Her expression brightened as she recognized the black-haired man in front of her.

 “Hi, Darius.” She said. “Looks like you made it after all! Should I get you the usual?”

Darius looked around the small store, festooned with shamrock streamers and green sprinkles, then back at Kat. “Actually, there’s something else I’d like. Are you doing anything after work? I’d love to take you out for a bite to eat.”

Kat’s customer service cheer faltered as her eyes darted to the girl at the other register, whose raised eyebrows and laser-focus on typing an order offered no assistance.

“I, um...” Kat fumbled for words.

“Sorry,” Darius added quickly, noticing her discomfort. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I thought you could tell me a little more about how volunteering works... No pressure.”

His fading smile stirred Kat to speak.

“No, it’s fine,” she said, good manners overriding the lockdown in her mind over the unexpected offer. “I’m not busy tonight.”

 “Great!” Darius said excitedly. “I was thinking we could meet at that new burger place, Meyers, one street over. Does eight thirty sound alright?”

“That sounds good,” Kat found herself saying. “Did you... want a devil’s food cupcake?” She stammered, attempting to return to her work routine.

 “Oh, no thanks. I got what I wanted.” He smiled brightly, tucking ten dollars in the tip jar before waving goodbye. The little bell above the glass doors chimed with his exit. Kat waved back, watching him through the big front windows until a knowing chuckle from her coworker brought her back to the present. Cheeks blazing, Kat returned to work.

While sunlight drained from the gray-streaked sky, Kat’s nerves buzzed faster and faster. By the time she clocked out and hung up her apron, she was sure the bees in her stomach were audible to everyone around her. She ducked into the restroom and freshened up as best she could. She batted icing sugar from her jeans and combed her fingers through her scruffy ponytail. She rubbed at the bags beneath her eyes, but there was no point. She looked exactly how she felt, tired and out of her league.

Everyone besides her manager and her husband had gone before Kat left, and she bid them a cheerful farewell, nodding when they advised her to be careful walking home.

She tugged her hoodie over her work polo to protect herself from the chill and scuffed the toe of her sneaker on a stain on the sidewalk as she waited for the light to change, the traffic thick even now that streetlamps flickered to life. When the walk sign appeared, she trotted across the street, merging with a trickle of people who still had things to do in the city’s heart. Light spilled out of shop windows, briefly gilding everyone who walked past. She walked past wrought iron railings and a vendor selling soft pretzels, trying to compose her thoughts.
On the one hand, she’d been meaning to try the food at Meyers since Cami had attended the opening and praised the quality of the desserts. On the other hand, she hadn’t been on a date since January, when Cami had last set her up with a stranger who happened to enjoy painting deer skulls to look like aliens.

This guy could be anybody, she thought, and then frowned at herself and corrected the negativity before it could spiral. Darius had asked about volunteering, and they were meeting at a public fast-food place.

She walked through Davenport’s bustling street, weaving around strangers until she found herself outside the brightly lit restaurant, its brick walls at odds with the modern office blocks across the street. She fussed with the cord of her necklace and stepped inside, met by a burst of warm, hamburger-scented air. She spotted Darius immediately. Even seated, his height and dark jacket were readily recognizable. As if he felt her eyes on him, he looked up and raised a hand in greeting. Kat took a deep breath, buried her anxiety, and approached him.