About a Cat

Rob was so used to that, so he gave her a grin. "Nope. I was thirty-three when we got married."

Melissa was stunned. He didn't look thirty-three now! She had assumed he was younger than she was, and she was thirty-five. He spared her having to ask another embarrassing question.

"I'll be fifty next year."

"What?" she was genuinely suspicious. "Are you a vampire or something?"

As soon as she had blurted it out, she covered her mouth with both hands. He just chuckled.

"No, but there may be a painting of me somewhere that looks like complete crap."

She couldn't help but smile at that one. She got the reference immediately, even though her mind took a minute to dig up the name Dorian Gray. She wanted so badly to enjoy this time with Rob, until she saw what time it was.

"Rob, it was amazing meeting you. I have to get going, though. My daughter is staying with my neighbor right now and I promised not to take...well, as long as I already have, really. What do I owe you for saving my daughter's cat?"

Bernard decided to make an appearance then, climbing onto the loveseat between them. Rob scratched his head, earning a resounding purr. He looked a little sad.

"I don't know that you owe me anything," he finally said, looking from the cat into her eyes. "I have enjoyed having him around. I'll miss the big guy, honestly."

Melissa wanted to kiss him at that moment. Well, what she wanted started with kissing...but she had her daughter to think about.

"I'll tell you what," Melissa said as she picked up Bernard and rose to her feet. "You have my number. Take your time and let me know what I can do for you. I really owe you HUGE for this."

For the first time, Rob realized that Melissa was not wearing a wedding ring. It gave him pause. He had never considered dating a single mom. It wasn't that he was against it, or that it violated one of his personal standards, he simply hadn't thought about it. Melissa was certainly attractive enough. He had assumed she was married, and this made him review his actions to make sure he hadn't been inappropriate with her.

He rose to his feet, smiling as he went to put on his shoes. "I'll walk you to your car."

He grabbed a well-loved squeaky mouse toy and a rubber ball with a bell inside it as well. Those two cat toys had been Bernard's during his stay. They would go with him.

As they walked, they made small talk.

"How do you like your pool?" Melissa asked.

"It's nice," Rob responded, "There are actually four pools in the complex, I usually use this one or the one on the other side of that building there."

"Brittany loves to go swimming," Melissa sounded sad as she said it. It was one of those things they just didn't have enough time or opportunity to do.

"You should come over and swim here some time," Rob said it without thinking. After he had, he realized that Melissa might think he wanted to check her out in a bathing suit. Or worse, he might have come across as wanting to see her young daughter. He stopped walking and looked at her. "I'm sorry, was that too forward? We've barely met."

Melissa had to smile at that. Thank goodness, she thought, I am not the only one feeling awkward! She turned to him and said, "No, I think it is really nice of you to invite us. If I tell Brittany that you invited us to swim, she will insist we come right back over here immediately."

Rob shrugged. "That would be fine by me. I didn't have anything else planned this evening. The pool is open another couple hours if you're serious."

They kept walking, and when they reached Melissa's car, Rob looked horrified.

"Oh my lord, did that really just happen?!?"

It took her a moment to realize he meant the condition of her car. She sighed and looked depressed.

"No, that happened a couple weeks ago. We were shopping for groceries, and when I came out, someone had hit our car and taken off. Then I found out my cheap-ass insurance doesn't cover it."

"The police didn't figure out who did it?" he asked.

"No, unfortunately I had parked in a spot where there were no security cameras. I'll get it fixed eventually. Right now, I can't afford it."

Unfortunately, the car wasn't going anywhere. The crumpled right rear end of the car had finally punctured the tire. Rob noticed the flat tire and pointed it out to her.

"Sorry, but that car is not getting you home. Do you have a mechanic?" he asked.

She didn't. All she could do was shake her head. There was no way she could pay for this right now. Her credit cards were already pushed to the point that she could barely make the minimum payments.

"I may be able to help," Rob said, pulling out his phone. He dialed up one of his co-workers.

"Hey, Ignacio," he said, "You mentioned that your brother is a mechanic. I have a friend whose car got nailed in a hit-and-run, and it needs some work. Any chance that he could get to it this weekend? No, the car is not drivable right now. Hold on, let me check." He turned to Melissa, "Will your insurance cover the cost of towing the car now? They usually do that."

Melissa pulled out her own phone and dialed her insurance company. It took a few minutes, but the insurance company agreed to cover the cost of the tow for Ignacio's brother's company. In another fifteen minutes, Ignacio and his brother, Paulo, showed up with a tow truck. When Paulo saw the damage to the car, he paled for a moment.

"I think I know exactly who hit your car," he said with a grim look.

It wasn't one of his customers, but it turned out that he had seen the car that had hit hers. The woman who had been driving that car was on a variety of prescription drugs, and should not have been driving at all. It was not the first time she had done such a thing. With that information, the police were able to definitively make the match, and the woman's insurance company agreed to pay to have Melissa's car repaired. All of this took a few hours, which was still surprisingly fast. It would take another three weeks for the car to be repaired.

By this time, Ignacio and Paulo had left with her car, and she had made over a dozen phone calls. Two of those calls were to Melissa's neighbor, Cathy, explaining the situation. Cathy took it in stride, promising to watch Brittany as long as was necessary. They had returned to Rob's apartment after the car was gone, and Bernard and Sunshine basked in the attention of the two distracted humans.

At first, it seemed impossibly fortuitous, in a town that large, that Paulo would have seen the hit-and-run perpetrator. However, there were only a handful of auto body repair shops, and they tended to be connected on such things. The only down side for Melissa was that she would be without a car until Monday, when the insurance company would supply her with a rental car. It was already getting dark.

"Hey, I'm happy to serve as your chauffer, if you don't mind riding in my pickup," Rob offered.

"No way," Melissa quipped, "I am not riding in the back."

"Good point," Rob replied, happy to see her happy for a change.

She carried a somewhat perturbed-looking Bernard as she followed Rob to his truck. He held the passenger door open for her, waiting for her to be seated before carefully closing it. Once she was in, he walked around the truck to the driver's side and unlocked the door. He got in and then looked at her, smiling ruefully and shaking his head.

"Well, that was stupid of me," he said, "I don't have any idea where we are going. Would you like to drive?"

Melissa considered that for a long moment. First, it wasn't a huge truck, so that wasn't off-putting. A quick glance told her it had automatic transmission, so she could drive it comfortably. However, she had a tough time wrapping her mind around this offer to let her drive. Her ex, and the two guys she had dated since her divorce, would never have allowed her to drive them anywhere, ever. Nor would they even have admitted they didn't know where they were going.

This guy just seemed too good to be true. Still, he was offering her the keys. She needed to answer him.

"Sure," she finally said, "How should we do this?"

It was an older truck, with a flat bench seat, so Rob simply scooted over toward her. She unbuckled the seatbelt and slid her bottom into his lap, and then on until she was behind the wheel. That brief stop in Rob's lap let her know that there was a very nice surprise waiting for her inside his shorts. Rob looked a little embarrassed as he handed her the keys. She smiled at him and then started the truck. Bernard climbed into Rob's lap, purring appreciatively as the human did an acceptable job of scratching the cat's ears.

Melissa was a little surprised again when she started the truck. No music came blaring out at her, which was always the case when her ex started his car.

She was able to easily maneuver them out of the parking lot and onto the road. Seven blocks away, she pulled onto a side street, drove another two blocks, and then pulled in to her driveway. Bernard seemed to recognize the place, as well as the young blonde girl playing in the yard with some of the other kids from the neighborhood. He hopped over onto Melissa's lap and put both fluffy paws onto the window as he meowed at his young human.

Brittany was clearly delighted as she ran over. She scooped Bernard up in a fierce hug as soon as the driver's side door was open. "Oh! You found him! Thank you, mama!"

Behind her, Melissa heard Rob say quietly, "Yes, you did. Good job, Melissa."

She couldn't help but tear up as she looked at him. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Did you buy a truck?" Brittany asked as her mother stepped down out of the vehicle.

"No," Melissa responded, "This is Rob's truck. He was kind enough to let me drive. Our car is finally getting fixed." She turned to indicate Rob as he came around the truck to join them. "Brittany, this is Rob. Rob, this is my daughter, Brittany."

Rob extended his hand as he said solemnly, "So nice to meet you, Brittany."

Melissa's next-door neighbor, Cathy, smiled at them as she walked across the lawn. She pulled up short with a shocked expression when Brittany asked, "Are you my new daddy?"

Melissa looked horrified as she whipped her head to this poor guy she had barely met. He smiled and took it in stride. "Well, Brittany, I just met your mother today. It's way too early to call that one, don't you think?"

There was a twinkle in his eye as he said it. He understood immediately what Melissa and Cathy had not. Brittany was testing him. He reached down and stroked Bernard's fluffy head and Brittany narrowed her eyes. She looked up at him and nodded. Rob nodded back. They had an understanding. He had passed that test, but he still had a long way to go if he planned to earn his way into this little girl's heart.

The kids started heading to their houses around the neighborhood as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Cathy and Melissa talked quietly. Brittany announced that she was taking Bernard inside, and that she would give Rob a tour of their house.

"Where did you find this guy?" Cathy asked as the door closed behind Rob's back.

"Well, to be fair, Bernard found this guy. Rob rescued our cat from the pound three weeks ago. He just moved here from Colorado." Melissa turned and looked around before adding, "He apparently got divorce—less than two months ago, I think he said. His daughter is still in Colorado with his ex. Honestly, when I met him, I don't think I could have put my foot in my mouth more than I did."

Cathy chuckled at that, but not in a mean way. She understood how an attractive single dad could make someone like Melissa put a foot in her mouth. Cathy really liked Melissa, and was rooting for her to succeed. Life had dealt her so many bad hands of late. Sadly, Cathy didn't even know any eligible guys to set her up with. Most of the guys she knew who were still single were single for a reason. Sometimes, it was more like seven or eight reasons.

"Oh, by the way, Brittany had dinner with my kids earlier."

"Thanks so much for keeping an eye on her," Melissa said. The mention of dinner did make her aware that she was really hungry. They talked for another twenty minutes or so before the encroaching mosquitoes forced them to retreat. Melissa hugged Cathy tightly, and then went into her house.

Cathy had a genuinely good feeling for her friend and neighbor. This guy might really be the catalyst that made things right for Melissa for a change.

Melissa was surprised once again when she walked into her house and smelled food cooking in the kitchen. Rob looked almost apologetic as he grinned at her from the stove. Brittany stood next to him, instructing him imperiously as he sautéed chicken breast tenders.

"Make sure you don't cook them too much," Brittany noted critically, "Mom doesn't like them burnt."

"I'll be careful," Rob replied. "Is the toast ready to be buttered?"

Brittany nodded and got busy spreading margarine onto the toast.

Melissa smiled at the homey scene, walking into the kitchen and wrapping her arms around the cook without even thinking about what she was doing. It seemed the most natural thing in the world; Rob felt like a comfortable part of her life and home.

"Smells delicious," she said. Rob smiled and turned to her, and she kissed him on the lips. All three of them froze.

Melissa colored immediately. She would have apologized, but Rob's eyes smiled at her as he returned her kiss and then pulled away to continue cooking her dinner. He turned to Brittany and pointed out a small decorative disk hanging on the wall. It said, "Kiss the Cook."

"You didn't warn me about that, Brittany," he said with a raised eyebrow. Brittany giggled at his mock-severe expression, and the discomfort of the moment passed.

Melissa savored the dinner, being careful to mind her manners and not wolf it down. The chicken with green beans and scalloped potatoes was not a pretentious meal, but it was tasty and filled her up. Rob smiled at her as she ate, eating a smaller portion of the same meal. He would have happily sat and watched her eat, but that would have been awkward and a little creepy. He had basically taken the leftover bits of her meal and put it onto a second plate so he would have something to eat while he kept her company.

Brittany excused herself, brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed while the adults tried not to make themselves look like lovesick fools. Bernard had reclaimed his rightful place atop the back of the living room couch. He was soon fast asleep. Brittany returned in her pajamas with freshly-brushed teeth. She kissed her mother good night, and shook Rob's hand. Her eyes looked huge on her small face as she said, "It was nice to meet you, Rob. We should really do this again some time."

Rob smiled back at her, completely at a loss for words.

When Brittany's bedroom door closed behind her, he said softly, "She is amazing."

He looked into Melissa's beaming face. She looked so sexy, now that she was comfortably on her home turf. Gone was the poor waif he had hugged earlier as she cried in his apartment. Here was a gorgeous woman with a dangerous gleam in her eye. It put the fear of God into Rob, which made him think of something else.

"Do you guys need a ride to church in the morning?" Rob asked.

"We haven't really done that recently," she responded, looking a little uncomfortable at the topic.

Rob nodded, taking the last bite of potato from his plate. He chewed it and swallowed before he continued.

"Okay, I just figured I would ask. I need to get back to my place and feed my other..." he pulled a face at the thought, looking over at Bernard. "I need to go back to my apartment and feed my cat," he corrected himself. "If you needed a ride somewhere early in the morning, I would set an alarm. Normally, I sleep in on Sundays."

"Oh," Melissa replied. Her voice was soft, trying to hide her disappointment. She tried to tell herself it was too soon for both of them, but she wanted so badly to invite Rob into her bed at that moment. She wanted to wake up in a hug like he had given her earlier.

Rob stood and began collecting the dishes from dinner. He was aware of the look Melissa was giving him. It was all he could do to keep busy so that he didn't have that same look in his eye. He did give her a smile as he took her dirty dishes.

"I'll take care of these, Melissa," he said to her softly. "Why don't you go get a shower and get comfortable while I clean up out here? I still want to hang out and talk for a while, if that's okay with you."

His eyes finally betrayed him as Melissa looked up at his face. She finally saw her own hunger reflected in his eyes. It gave her a shiver and almost made her growl when she saw it. He turned away quickly, taking the dishes out to the kitchen and running some water over them before coming back to get the rest of the silverware. Melissa was standing, waiting for him.

"Okay," she said in a near whisper, "I'll go do that."

But then she was wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning up to kiss him hungrily. Rob enfolded her in another marvelous hug and his mouth was just as hungry. Their tongues were intertwining passionately and their bodies were mashed together. Rob marveled at the feel of her breasts against his chest, and could feel heat radiating from her crotch. Melissa felt his erection throbbing against her lower belly. It had been so long for both of them since they had felt this aroused by another human being.

Bernard came over and began purring and rubbing against their legs. That touch and sound was enough to distract them both and help them regain control. They both sucked in a breath as they broke the kiss and smiled down at the purring feline. They looked into each others' eyes again as they reluctantly disengaged from the passionate embrace.

"Thank you," Rob whispered to her as he gently squeezed her hands, "That was amazing."

Melissa was thinking, "You've been amazing all day!" but she managed to smile and squeeze his hands back before she turned and walked to her bathroom. She hoped he was watching her ass as she walked away.

He was.

"That is one fine looking woman," Rob thought as she walked away from him. He bent to scratch Bernard's fuzzy head, unable to pull his eyes from her swaying backside until she disappeared around the doorway. Finally freed from that spell, he looked down at the cat and smiled as he continued scratching and petting the purring animal. He stood when he heard the shower start, clearing the last of the dishes and silverware from the table and making his way back into the kitchen to wash them.

Rob prided himself on keeping his own kitchen clean and well-organized. He was pleased to see that Melissa and Brittany kept their kitchen in good order. There were some clean dishes in the dishwasher that he was able to quickly put away before he loaded the rinsed dishes into the machine. He waited until the shower stopped before he started it up, busying himself in the meantime wiping down the counters and dining room table.

Melissa emerged dressed in a rather conservative nightgown; the sort of thing one wears when one has a seven-year-old. Rob thought she looked radiantly sexy with her hair damp like that. He was sitting on the couch competently stroking Bernard's furry back and looking up at her. The hungry look in his eyes was enough to make Melissa feel powerful and sexy. It was intoxicating to feel that way after all she had been through that month.

She actually blushed a bit when she heard him moan, "Wow!" involuntarily at her approach.

Bernard was less impressed. He barely gave her a glance as she joined them on the couch. Melissa found it comforting to have him back, but he didn't stroke her ego the way Rob did. It was gratifying to have that balance of hot male attention and feline comfort in her living room.