Sun & Moon

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Catalina closed the door to her boss’s office, folders in hand. She had a small meeting with him to deliver three different crises plans for upcoming events and he had accepted them all with only minor moderations, looking over the finely printed plans and steps for each error that could go wrong.

Of course, in crises communication, there were an infinite amount of things that could go wrong, things out of their control that would surely be somewhat unfixable. The idea of having someone as a crises management person was to cover the most they could, to have someone think about a majority of the problems that could go wrong and provide solutions ahead of time.

A big part of Catalina’s job was knowing. She had to know everything and if she didn’t, she had to fake it until she made it. She had to pretend that nothing caught her off guard and she had to remain cool and collected, even if a press release went horribly wrong, or if something major went wrong at an event. She had to be a smooth sailing Titanic in water full of icebergs.

Catalina checked the slim watch on her wrist. It was a Thursday and it was well past six o’clock. She technically had nothing on her desk to do and there were no messages left on her phone or with the intern manning the front desk. So she turned off everything in her office and called her brother to check in on him. He didn’t answer so she left a message.

As she walked through the parking garage, she flipped through her small agenda. She had an early doctors appointment in the morning for final checkups for any sign of permanent damage from her new pal Patrick hitting her with the car. She also had to ensure she called her insurance company to make sure everything was filed correctly. (Surprisingly, Patrick was on top of that).

Home was empty when she arrived. She let out Benny and cleaned up after him before walking to her room and changing into lounge clothes. She tossed herself on the couch and picked up the chocolate lab pawing at the edge of the couch, setting him in her lap. He didn’t stay there, of course. Rather, the dog ran up and down the couch, wagging his tail all along and deciding to chew on her socks that she was wearing. She rolled her eyes and turned on the TV.

Ever since attending the game three nights prior, Catalina attempted to pay attention to hockey. It was hard to do on her own but a lot of the time, Erin already had a game on. She would mention things here and there but Catalina was a quick learner, picking up things on her own. She paid particular attention to the New York Rangers, a team that she had seen countless times while rooming with Erin in college. They were always on the TV, normally just background noise to her.

Absently typing on her phone, Catalina texted Erin to ask where she was. She replied with dropping off stuff at her brothers house before she came home, adding that she had something amazing to tell Catalina. Catalina didn’t put much thought into it, continue to wiggle her toes as Benny tried to chew on them while staring at the TV and occasionally answering work emails as they came in on her phone.

Forty or something minutes later, Erin walked in, tossing things on the counter, talking on the phone to what Catalina guessed was her mother. Benny jumped off of the couch and ran over to Erin, dog tags jingling all the way there. Catalina glanced over the top of the couch

“Okay mom, love you too. Bye.” Catalina could hear the sound of Erin picked up Benny, cooing at him lightly. Her cat was somewhere else in the house, probably watched with hate-filled eyes as Erin gushed over the puppy. “You will never guess what happened today.”

“Jonathan Toews asked you out on a date?”

“Okay so you guessed what happened today.”

Catalina smiled as Erin walked around the corner, sitting on her feet with the wiggling puppy in her arms. She let him go and he ran down Catalina’s legs, jumping on her stomach and causing her to grunt. “I figured it was only a matter of time before he did. He was quite enthralled with you.”

Erin shrugged nervously. “He didn’t seem like he was.”

“You don’t think him hanging around you all night and asking you about your life is into you?”

“No, it’s polite.”

“He also couldn’t stop smiling and he was flirting with you the entire time.” Catalina wiped her hand across her face and hit the mute button on the television. Benny was laying on her stomach now, blinking tiredly. “Like serious flirting.”

“Well he had to be Patrick’s wingman, kind of.” Erin wasn’t looking at Catalina. Her friend was looking at the buttons on her blouse, picking away nonexistent fuzz. “You and Patrick were talking a lot and Jonathan couldn’t leave me to just stand there or interrupt you?”

“There was literally fifteen minutes where Patrick was in the bathroom and I was sitting in silence drinking by myself while you too kept talking without notice. I’m pretty sure that is not true.”

Erin glanced at her. There was genuine worry on her face and Catalina’s tone softened. She forgot that sometimes Erin’s mind worked different differently than Catalina’s. Erin had a history of boys taking her kindness for weakness. Catalina had a history of slamming down anyone who made her weak. They were different. “You think so?”

Catalina smiled. “I think you.”

Erin nodded then. “You’re right. I’m a bad ass lady who doesn’t need a man but kind of wants one and maybe-"

“Erin.”

“Yes?”

“You’re going to have an amazing date, you know that, right?”
She grinned then. “Yeah, I am. He’s taking me somewhere that’s a surprise. All he said was that we were going somewhere Italian because he remembered it was my favorite.”

“And you thought he wasn’t listening.”

*

Catalina heaved open the door to Lou Mitchell’s, a gust of air hitting her in the face. She took a direct right, walking towards Sean who waved his hand at her. Catalina was dressed in shorts and a simple shirt, her hair wavy and down. Sean was absent of his sisters presence, which was weird for Catalina. She was used to seeing the two blonde powerhouses together, both of them looking like a halo had settled around them.

“Ordered you coffee,” Sean said when she leaned his way, kissing him lightly on the cheek. He did the same as she sat down across from him. She dragged the white mug towards her, fingertips feeling the warmth of the chipped cup. “I remember you always ordered coffee when we all go to breakfast.”

“Thank you.”

Sean had called Catalina two days earlier about public relation questions and she offered to meet him to discuss some of it. Sean was about to finish a degree in law and had a job lined up for him at a private firm. He was also interning there as he was preparing to finish, but he had a few questions regarding media and press releases that he wasn’t quite understanding.

Public relations and law almost always intersected. The legal team of companies always wanted everything to be a big secret to avoid lawsuits, while public relations teams demanded that companies maintain an air of transparency. It was a war that more often than not, legal teams won.

Ordering something simple to eat, Catalina pulled her feet up on the chair. “How’ve you been?” Catalina questioned, setting the mug back down. “Everything okay at the firm?”

Over the first cup of coffee, Sean explained that the firm was having issues with one of its public relations reps and they needed a few press releases written and possibly someone else to go to. Catalina wasn’t prepped in that field but he wanted to know if she had any suggestions and what her opinion was on how to handle it and what to look for.

Law was never her thing but she pulled out whatever she had learned in school. A lot of people weren’t specialized in doing work for law firms and lawyers but there were a few out there who knew how to do the job well enough.

When their food arrived, Sean had written down a few people that Catalina knew he could get in touch with. She offered her own rate for work until he found someone- her rate wasn’t free. Catalina learned early on that it was her job to never offer work for free, no matter the cause, and to never lower her rate. Her rate was her rate, and it should stay that way. People so often confused free-lance writing with public relations writing that it gave her a headache when people expected things for free.

“Look what the cat dragged in.” Catalina looked up as she chewed on bacon. Patrick walked by her table with a lazy smile, three guys Catalina didn’t know at his side. Her eyes followed Patrick as he sat down in the booth behind Catalina and Sean, facing her. “Hi, Cat.”

“Kane.”

“Whatcha doing?”

“I’m eating breakfast.” She watched him. One of the guys was sitting next to him, eying her. The other two glanced over their shoulders to look at her too, obviously wondering who it was that their famous friend was paying attention to. Sean watched her with dry amusement, though she didn’t know why. “That’s what people come here to do.”

“Some people like to come here to enjoy friendly company.” Patrick’s eyes glanced to the back of Sean’s head and Catalina could have almost rolled her eyes and laughed at him. Patrick Kane, professional hockey player and professional jumper-to-conclusions. “If that’s you’re kind of thing, though.”

“Sean,” Catalina said rolling her eyes. “I'm sure you know who this is. He’s a client. Mr. Kane, meet Sean. He’s also kind of a client.”

Sean turned around in the seat and lifted his hand in an easy wave. Patrick nodded his head in Sean’s direction but his eyes went back to Catalina, hardly paying the blonde any mind. If Sean was bothered or felt strange about the encounter, he didn’t show it. Instead, he plucked bacon of Catalina’s plate.

“So you do take all your clients to breakfast?”

“Actually, they seem to keep taking me.” She finished her coffee. “Have a nice breakfast, though. I’m sure you and your friends have lots to talk about… you know, over there. At your table.”

“Mhmm,” he replied, opening the menu, face vanishing behind it.

With the tiniest shake of her head, Catalina looked at Sean. He smiled at her, shrugging his shoulder in response to the passing comment between them. “I would tell him that I was bi, but somehow I don’t think that really would change his response.”

“I don’t think it would. Actually, he might be kind of annoyed that you aren’t hitting on him.”

“I’m not into blondes.” Catalina raised her brows. “Yes, I’m aware that I am blonde, which is why I’m not into blondes. Actually, you’re like the perfect option. Dark hair and light eyes.”

She leaned back, grinning at him. “And you haven’t asked me on a date? Shame on you.”

“I’m starting to see someone.” Sean grinned. Catalina liked him. He was insanely nice and nothing seemed to ruffle his feathers. Flirting with him didn’t get a response, being loud never made him flinch and even Patrick’s presence hadn’t made him bat an eyelash. “I’ll remember your number if it doesn’t work out.”

Catalina placed her hand over her heart and pouted. “You wound me so.”

For the rest of their breakfast, Catalina and Sean discussed his siblings and Catalina’s own family. Topics were explored and tossed out easily in casual manner. It was easy for Catalina to talk to him, though she had to try extremely hard not to pay any mind to the man sitting a booth away. Because it was clear that he was consistently flicking his eyes over to her.

Despite trying not to be rude to Sean, Catalina did have the urge to stick her tongue out at Patrick. He was deep in conversation with his friends at some points, but watching her at others. Catalina got the distinct feeling that if she were to look up at him, he would make a face at her. She wasn’t sure why she got that feeling, but somehow she knew that was the kind of person that he was.

“Do you think he’s into you?” Sean asked as they waited for the bill. “You know, the cute hockey player behind me?”

“Thought you weren’t into blondes?”

“Good point. It’s the eyes. Like I said, I’m a sucker for the light ones.”

Catalina snatched the bill lightly when it came, Sean’s fingers reaching for it. She cut him off with one icy glare. “And no, I don’t think he is. I’m pretty sure it’s that innate curiosity that people get when they find something new and shinny.”

“That’s a really weird comparison.”

Catalina handed the waiter her credit card. “Weird, but accurate. You’ve had that same thing with someone, right? A new friend that you’re starting to hang out with but you kind of push limits to see where you can and can’t go? Like finding the grey areas.”

Sean made a face. “Yeah, in college.”

“You are technically in college.”

“Low blow.”

“No me importa.”

Bill paid and business finished, Catalina and Sean stood. She drew Patrick’s attention- though she already had it- and ran her hand through her hair, pulling it out of her face. Sean turned his head and nodded at Patrick. “Nice to meet you, Pete.”

“Patrick.”

Sean gave him a smile and Catalina had the sudden urge to burst out laughing at Sean’s misuse. It was a very soft poke at Patrick, one that Catalina hadn’t seen coming. He didn’t seem irritated or put out, but the comment was enough to make Patrick frown. “Have a nice rest of your day,” Catalina said politely.

“Will I be seeing you any time soon?”

“I hope not.” Patrick flinched slightly. “It would mean you did something wrong and showed up in my office.” Without another word, Catalina nodded and turned around, following Sean out of the restaurant. “Like I said,” she told Sean. “Pushing that grey area.”