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“You don’t want the rain check?”

“It serves no purpose. I can buy any item in the store at regular price when it’s in stock. I have no use for a rain check. Besides, you don’t carry that brand. Are you planning on carrying that brand?”

“No, Sir, we don’t know how that hap-pened.”

“So you want to give me a piece of paper that would serve no real purpose if you carried that brand, but you don’t intend to order that brand anyway. Is that right?”

“I don’t fol1ow you, Sir.”

“So you won’t sell me the Sangria for $3.49?”

“We’re not allowed to make substitutions, Sir.”

“I’d say a substitution’s already been made. I’m not responsible for how you stock your shelves, Ma’am.”

A lane opens up next to us and a cashier urges people into it. The people from the back of the line rush over and the woman behind me is still trapped. She fumes. Alex can actually see the heat rising from her neck.

“I can still give you the rain check.”

Alex hands her the Sangria. “Put this with your rain check,” he tells her. She walks away, and he watches her put the bottle back on the shelf in the same spot. The horse-toothed woman starts barking at the cashier as soon as he clears the check out stand. He’s not sure how long this has gone on. All he knows is that he didn’t buy the Sangria, or any cat food, and it’s dark out.

When he reaches the complex the cat is gone, but there’s a note at the door. It’s from the catwoman. He unloads the groceries. The cat-woman is worried because she saw the cat. She wants to know if he can take him to the vet in the morning. She wants him to call immediately, no matter what time he gets in. He decides to call her in the morning. His phone’s disconnected and he’s too tired to walk to the payphone. His pager goes off, so he walks to the payphone. He’s hungry.

Alex checks his messages. It’s the catwoman. She wants him to call. She’s worried about the cat. She says she can take him to the vet to be neutered in the morning if he can’t manage it. She put a collar on the cat in case management spots him, so they’ll think he belongs to someone. Alex tromps home and makes dinner. He’s exhausted and needs to study. He opens a book and drifts off.