Enchanting Lily

Enchanting Lily by Anjali Banerjee Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: Enchanting Lily by Anjali Banerjee Read Free Book Online
Authors: Anjali Banerjee
Tags: Fiction, General, Contemporary Women
“So you’re opening up some kind of shop full of old stuff. I mean, vintage.”
    “I’m trying, but right now I have a problem: the cat. Any ideas?”
    The girl sits back beside Lily, the ripped knees of her jeans pointing toward me. “I bet the cat used to live here. Cats can travel thousands of miles to return to their place of origin.”
    Lily hesitates, as if unsure how to respond. “The previous owner didn’t mention—”
    “Either way, she’s hungry. Give her tuna. Tuna will make her come out, I guarantee it.”
    “How do you know it’s a girl?”
    “Just guessing. You can’t keep calling her ‘it.’”
    I slink forward. I’m glad nobody can see me drooling.
    Lily gets up. “I think this cat was here once before, and I fed her tuna then, too. I might have another can in the kitchen.”
    “Do you sleep here, too?” The girl looks around as if she might see a bed stashed nearby.
    “I sleep upstairs.”
    “That’s pretty cool. You eat here, sleep here, and you could totally have a shop cat in here.”
    Shop cat. I like the sound of that—except for the plethora of spirits. They don’t all belong in here.
    “It’s not that I don’t want a cat,” Lily says slowly. “But I’ve got a lot of work to do, and I’m not sure I’m ready…Anyway,she must belong to someone. What if we take her to a shelter? Is there a humane society nearby?”
    My hackles rise, and a soft rumbling sound rolls in from somewhere. It’s me, growling. No way am I going there.
    “Not a chance.” The girl’s face contorts as if she accidentally sucked on a lemon. “Meow City is our only shelter on the island and it’s way full.”
    I’m glad for me but not for my comrades who may have ended up there.
    “Then what should I do?” Lily asks.
    “If she doesn’t belong to a neighbor, then you could talk to my dad. He’s the vet up at Island Animal Clinic. I’ll call over there.”
    Vet, animal clinic—not my favorite words. I’ll have to escape.
    “Can you take her?” Lily says. “I’ve got things to do.”
    “The clothes aren’t going anywhere. Didn’t they belong to dead people?” The girl gets up, her face disappearing from view.
    I sense Lily flinching at the words “dead people.” “Jennifer Garner wore vintage Valentino to the Oscars. So did Julia Roberts. Reese Witherspoon wore nineteen-fifties Dior.”
    “Awesome. You know that shop across the street, TheNewest Thing? They don’t have any old stuff. Totally different smell in there.”
    “Oh, what kind of smell?” Lily’s voice is dripping acid.
    “I dunno—like new and flowery. This place is more like a museum. A messy museum.”
    “Great, a museum. Um, I’ll be right back.” Lily hurries into the hall. I can hear her rummaging around, cans clacking in distant cabinets. There are no lingering smells from cooking, so she must subsist on prepared food.
    While Lily is gone, the girl’s red sneakers move around the shop. I hear papers shifting, clothes coming off hangers. She disappears into the fitting room and returns in high-heeled red shoes and pants with bright green cuffs. When Lily returns, she gasps. “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t just dress up—”
    “Why not? It’s fun. You need chairs in here.” I hear a clicking sound, like a cell phone camera taking a picture. “How do I look? Totally awesome or what? Do I look like I’m from the olden days?” The girl’s high heels tap across the floor.
    “Be careful with the hat. The detail is Aurora Borealis rhinestone. Jack McConnell was a premier New York milliner.”
    “Oh, sorry. I’m putting it back. You know what? I know what a milliner is. Someone who designs hats.”
    “That’s great. Be careful, though. I haven’t finished setting up that display—”
    “The Newest Thing has an awesome window display. Did you see?”
    “I’m trying not to.”
    “I want to show you something.” The girl’s shoes totter to the counter, more paper rustling.

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