Meer Kass

Dag shook his head. “Shouldn’t. It’s just repetitive conditioning. It should wear off with time. How long, that’s anybody’s guess.” He turned a disk over in his fingers, then sighed and put the stack in his jacket pocket. He looked down at the table, feeling oddly ashamed.

“You, uh, might want to let her down easy. Let her decide to break things off.”

Con nodded. “Yeah. Her choice. All the way.”

They looked into their drinks, avoiding each others’ gaze. Dag downed his drink, then finally spoke.

“Look, Con, I’m sorry. I should’ve –“

“Yeah.” Con shook his head. “It not like I thought it would be. I mean – she’s not –“ He broke off, glancing guiltily at the door, and ducked his head.

“She’s here. I told her to meet me after work.”

Dag nodded, sympathetic. He raised his glass and touched it to Con’s.

“Fuck this. It was a stupid idea. I’ll melt the disks tonight.” He drank, then smiled with forced bravado. “So. Do I get to meet this walking goddess before she throws your ass out?”

Con nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. “Yeah, I’ll introduce you. She’s in the door, stopping traffic.” He glanced up wistfully at Kass’s lithe form.

Dag grinned and looked up. He blanched, then pulled Con back down as the tall gray-furred figure glanced searchingly past them.

“She’s a Salariki?” he hissed. “You never told me she was a Salariki!”

Con blushed. “Um. Sorry. I didn’t want you to think I was, uh, weird.”

Dag stared at him silently. Con blushed deeper.

“Look, I know it’s kind of strange, but she’s really great.”

Dag kept staring.

“Fuck you,” snapped Con, glaring back at him. “So I’m hot for a chick with fur. Like you’d turn it down.”

Dag smiled oddly as he took the disks out of his jacket pocket and slid them over the bar to Con. He shook his head.

“I’m not judging. If I thought I had a chance in hell, I’d be all over her. But didn’t you think about what we were doing? The semi-perceptible frequencies work because they’re just high enough to be heard and just low enough not to register in the conscious mind.”

Con scowled, still needled. “Yeah? So what? Spell it out. I’m a friggin’ desk monkey, not an audiologist.”

Dag’s smile lingered, a faint, surprised, self-amused smile. He tapped the disks gently as he spoke. “Didn’t it occur to you that different species hear differently?”

Con blinked. Dag nodded. “I see that it didn’t.”

Con groaned. “Oh, fuck, I am an idiot. Oh, what the – man, they hear like ten times better than humans, don’t they. I am so fucked.”

“You’re still breathing. There’s a chance she somehow missed it.” Dag shrugged, glancing over his shoulder toward the door “But – only one way to find out. Ask her.”

Con stared at him, starting to frame a denial – then bit off his words as a warm, strong hand closed on his shoulder. He looked up guiltily to find Kass smiling down.

“Good evening, Con.” Her purring tone as she lingered over his name and her sly green eyes, half-closed with pleasure, belied her formal greeting. He gulped and looked up, then with a start reached hurriedly but belatedly for the disks that lay on the bar. Kass stopped his hand with a rough-padded velvet paw.

“Mmmm, drummers. My favorites.” She turned the disks over curiously. “But Con, you will not give these away, will you?” She looked at him, puzzled – then slowly smiled, eyeing Dag with amusement and nodding as if suddenly seeing a joke.

“Ahhh. You too have ambitions. Con has told you of his success.” She smiled, eyes dancing mischievously. “I cannot promise that you will meet with equal fortune, but his approach was certainly … novel. I never met a human with such courage and cleverness, nor did I think to.” She stroked Con’s hair, smiling proudly.

“To marry the subservience of a human underling with the boldness of a Salariki male by speaking in one way with his person, and another under his music – one way when giving the gift, and another in the gift itself – I did not think that humans had such subtlety, or such boldness.” She grinned at Con, winking. “I will not be disturbed that you lend our disks to your friend. Perhaps another of my race will learn the inventiveness of humans. But you must have them returned. I would not wish to lose the records of your courtship; they are an art in themselves.”

Con sat, quietly stunned, as Dag grinned and pushed the disks toward him.

“Thank you, Meer Kass,” he replied. “But I have already learned all that I need from them.”

Kass smiled, scooping the disks into her belt pouch. “Then shall we leave, Con? I would linger with your friend, but there is much to do at home.” Her sultry gaze left little doubt of her intent as she leaned forward to nuzzle his ear playfully. As he fumbled to his feet, her whiskers brushed against him as she whispered softly -

“Kass loves Con.”