It was midnight and Stella staggered home from the bus stop across the street, exhausted. Tesla was mad at her and scratched up her sofa for ignoring him as much as he did, not to mention that she had not allowed him to see Lics all week long. It was Saturday night and she had worked over time but needed to catch the last bus home. She wasn’t comfortable taking an Uber or a taxi and refused the manager’s offer to drive her home. She had been given a small dressing room where she could change and leave her performance clothes.<br/><br/>“I’ll play with you tomorrow,” she promised the cat, as she kicked off her shoes and clothes where she stood before falling into bed. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and didn’t care. Lately she often forgot to eat, she was too busy to remember, she told herself. She fell asleep, make up and all. She woke up once during the night, a nightmare.... the same one lately. Magdalene thrusting lingerie at her telling her Anton liked it, and Anton was laughing as he watched. After a glass of water she fell back into bed and didn’t wake up again until she dreamed she couldn’t breathe. When she opened her eyes it was obvious, Tesla was lying on her chest staring at her with his big eyes. She shoved him off and dozed a little longer, cuddling with the big cat until he made it clear that while she had lost interest in eating, he hadn’t.<br/><br/>After the cat had been fed, she made herself a cup of tea and contemplated having to eat something. It was just too much effort, she felt. Why cook? A bowl of special K and milk would suffice.<br/><br/>She hadn’t heard from Anton since that day, but that might be because she had broken her cellphone charger and had not yet taken the time to buy a new one. She planned to remedy that today.  That and play  with Tesla, and catch up on laundry and cleaning. Between the symphony and the bar she had been too busy. Not teaching little brats any more was heaven, but now she was fending men in various states of inebriation who thought a lounge singer sounded like that because she needed a man to make her happy. That was so the wrong angle on her right now, but they couldn’t know that.<br/><br/>After Stella washed her bowl she spent an hour on the floor playing with a delighted Tesla. That is until he went to the door and started to meow at it.<br/><br/>“Sorry kiddo,” she said, getting off from the floor. “It’s not likely you’ll see her again.” Maybe if she ...when she moved,  she’d take Tesla to a shelter to see if he liked any of the cats there. It wouldn’t be Lics, but he wouldn’t be so alone.