"So what's next?" Miranda asked Eric when Rona had gone out the back to try to find the cat.

"Well we're gonna have a launch party for the single" Eric said. "I mean that's just a given. But we can't do that 'til we get some copies printed."

"Seven-inch, yeah?"

"And C.D.s as well, maybe. Or even cassettes."

"Cassettes?"

"Yeah, people are back into that shit now."

"God, people are weird."

"But we've gotta find a venue" Eric continued. "But that shouldn't be too hard."

They heard the back door swing shut and Rona came back into the room. "I can't find her anywhere" she said. She was still holding the can of cat food that she'd bought at the shop, but it was open now. "Miranda, are you sure you didn't let her out?"

"I'm sure I didn't let her out" Miranda said, "but you now how sneaky she is. She could've got out."

"Fuck. I'm gonna go out the front and have a look for her."

"Okay" Miranda said.

"Do you want a hand?" Eric called out as Rona disappeared down the hallway, but Rona didn't hear him or just didn't answer.

Miranda watched her go and then turned back to Eric, shrugging. "The joys of pet ownership" she said. "So how'd your 'Winter of Gigs' go in the end? It seems to have petered out a bit."

"Yeah it died in the arse a bit" Eric admitted. "But I think we did pretty well. We got out there." He smiled, just the corner of his mouth curling up. That was as much as Miranda ever saw him smile, but it seemed to brighten his whole face. "Might have to roll it into a Spring of Gigs" he said.

"Summer, too" Miranda said, and she grinned broadly as if trying to show Eric how to do it. The house was quiet, and the night was quiet, and Rona had left the front door open and they could hear her calling out for the cat.