“All cats are gray in the dark. And besides, her actions have less to do with her, and everything to do with you.”

“Ah yes, now you’re beginning to feel it. It’s so satisfying to see my best efforts coming to fruition. Undoubtedly one of the most gratifying rewards of my profession. It would warm my heart—if I had one.”

“Oh, I don’t mean to infer that you’re not a great guy. I’m sure you’re the exception to the rule.”

“She’s really not my kind of girl — most of them have tattoos or nose rings — but there’s something about her smile. She smiles like she’s in love with whoever she’s looking at. She smiled at me a few months ago. I’ve been trying to get her to do it again ever since.”

“What are you doing here?” a deep voice demanded. My heart burst into a rapid staccato as I swung around, ready to defend myself. Only instead of a guard or employee, Giguhl sat a few feet away laughing at me. “Dammit, you scared the crap out of me.”He laughed, a spooky noise coming from an even spookier-looking cat. “You should have seen your face.”

“Well, you will have to do. If you had died along with your mother, I would have taught the cat to read.”

“What up, peeps?"I looked at my hairless cat for a moment. "What up, peeps? You've been watching MTV again, haven't you?""Word.”