Smitten Kitten

chapter ten

    "YEAH YOU LIKE THAT? Does this turn you on?" I spit, nose pinched and eyes narrowed. "You're getting off on this weird power trip?"

Cleo has no response other than her usual silent contempt. I continue scraping off dried cat crap that's stuck to the bottom of her litter box. Her wide green eyes are tuned to my every movement as she hovers in the doorway.

How is this my Friday night?

Lately, I like to trick myself into believing that Cleo's softened on her strict five-metre-radius, but right now I chalk the proximity up to her sadistic inner workings, and needing a front-row seat to me cleaning up her shit like some lesser being.

I stick my tongue out at her for personal satisfaction alone. Like always, Cleo has no response.

"Well, I want you to know that I totally made out with your dad, so I'm basically your step-mom now. How does that feel? I can ground you."

I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but it makes me feel a little better, at least, even though I'm scrubbing away at cat crap. And can't help my mind from drifting to the man in question, Noel's dark eyes still burning in the back of my mind.

Ever since I'd miraculously gotten hired at Viva La Breakfast, it seemed like we were always two seconds too early or two seconds too late and constantly missing each other. Not that I could complain, because suddenly I had two non-counterfeit twenty-dollar bills to rub together, no longer felt like a total disappointment to those 2 parents that are hopefully not looking too closely at me, and the imminent threat of eventual homelessness was a little less dire. But I couldn't help the tinge of disappointment that pulled inside of me when I'd pad back home after a tiring shift, only to find it empty inside.

I try to remind myself that his presence in my life is temporary at best, tied explicitly to Nat and Mark's wedding and nothing further. We're so coincidental it hurts.

And in that train of thought, making out with him again is probably one of the worst ideas I've ever had, and I thought bangs were a good idea for an entire year of my life.

I perk up, though, when I hear the doorknob jiggle, and can't help the silent expectation of a man in a suit on the other side. Instinctively, I tuck my dark hair behind my ear and push the litter box away from me.

Instead of Noel, though, bursting through the door is Natalya, blonde hair falling in soft curls down her back and her small figure wrapped up in a long, navy blue gown.

She does not look happy.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

I blink. "Cleaning cat shit?"

She's a flurry of movements, quickly crossing the room to pick me up off the floor and dragging me onto unsteady feet, muttering all the way about how she'd called like sixty times, goddamnit. Cleo's run off into the other room, abandoning me to be manhandled and verbally abused. I pull away with a frown.

"What are you freaking out about?" I ask, brows knit. "Also, not trying to butter you up here or anything, but you look really hot."

Nat rolls her eyes. "I look hot because Mark's cousin's birthday is today, and you promised me you would go like a month ago to convince all of Mark's family that you're totally amazing. Amazing enough that I didn't have to pick Mark's sister as my maid of honour. Which, as I've told you multiple times, Mark's mom has basically crucified me for with her shitty passive aggressive comments. Also, you're supposed to befriend the best man, like I've told you."