Coming up to a sitting position on the couch, my body screaming in protest the whole time, I look wildly around the living room. There’s no sight of her. I scan the room, searching, my heart pounding wildly. I hunch, my elbows on my knees, and look down at my socked feet on her rug. I don’t remember taking off my boots last night.
I hear movement and look up from the ground, not moving my body. Her large cat—at least I think that thing is a cat, I didn’t want to offend her last night by asking—struts into the room, coming from the back of the house. It looks at me with its odd yellow-green eyes. I feel like it sees right through me. We continue our staring contest, the only movement from the cat/beast coming from the hairy tail swooshing behind it. I watch the feline jump on the coffee table before walking to the edge, stopping when its face is right in front of mine, just continuing to stare at me.
It’s creepy as fuck.
“You’re awake.”
I nod, not wanting to look away from the beast in front of me and give it the upper hand. I’m also not entirely sure it couldn’t claw my face off. Best to keep my eyes on this thing. “This is a house cat?”
I hear her laugh softly; then, to my shock, the couch move a bit as she settles behind me, climbing right over the back of the couch like it’s the most normal thing to do. Her comfort around me eases some of the trepidation I had felt when I woke up alone. I feel a little guilt that I instantly thought the worst when I didn’t see her in here, but let the thought vanish when I feel her move behind me. Her legs spread as her knees roll across my back. She shifts, I feel it in the moving cushions, and I wait for her to settle. When she leans forward, though, you could have blown me over in shock. Her chin hits my shoulder, one arm wraps around my torso, and the other reaches out toward the cat/beast.
Her actions and her comfort with me show me that she meant what she said last night about giving us a chance. She isn’t holding back. If I had to guess, she feels the need just like I do to be as close as possible.
“His name’s Earl and he’s my sweet baby. He eats too much, hogs the bed, and sometimes snores, but I love him. He’s just curious about the big man in his space.” The smile in her tone relaxes me completely and I lean back into her. She drops her hand from the cat and wraps it above her other arm, holding me to her tightly.
“You named your cat Earl?”
Her soft giggles tickle my cheek. “What can I say? I was going through a Dixie Chicks stage.”
I turn my head so that I can see her face. My arms going around her spread legs to wrap them around my body. I’m completely surrounded by her. We’re so close that I have to remind myself not to rush this and fuck her right here on the couch. “You do know what that song is about, right?” I joke, rubbing my hands up and down her smooth-as-fuck legs.
Her face lights up with silent laughter. “Yeah. Well, you can thank your sister for that one. She thought it was a great way to remind me that men are stupid or something like that.”
I can’t help it. I laugh, loudly, when I think about my sister helping to name a cat after a man named Earl that did some shitty things to women and ended up being murdered by those same chicks. “Is that so?” I ask, the smile present in my tone. “Well, if it’s all right with you, darlin’, I’m goin’ to have to ask that you leave black-eyed peas off the menu indefinitely.”
Those eyes of hers are bright and happy. Her lips pull in for just a second before she loses her ability to keep a straight face. I watch, spellbound, as she throws her head back and laughs. Her wavy hair, no longer bound by the braids she had in last night, moves with her as she continues to giggle.
God, she looks beautiful.
“What time do you need to be in at the bakery?” I ask, having to clear the lump of emotion from my throat before I speak. It’s way too early to be telling this girl I love her, even if I want to, but fuck if it almost doesn’t just come out. I guess, considering I’ve felt that way for her my whole life, it shouldn’t be too soon, but now isn’t the time.
“Jana’s got it covered today. I called her twenty minutes ago and asked if she would mind opening by herself and closin’ down after lunch. I . . . uh, I thought maybe . . . well, I thought maybe I should stay home today.”
“Hey,” I say softly when she looks away. She looks back at me, clearly feeling some sort of embarrassment. “What’s going through your mind?”
She shrugs. “It feels silly now. I didn’t even ask if you had plans today.”
“So ask me, darlin’. I know I haven’t got the best leg to stand on here, but I want you to be able to tell me what you want without worryin’ I’m going to shoot it—you—down.”