Love and Whiskers

by Olivia Myers

  “Okay,” I say, taking his phone from him so I can tap in my information. At least I’ll have time to figure out what to say, if anything, about the baby.

  He smiles, taking it back, and our fingers brush against each other, bringing a tingle back to my body along with flashes of memory of his skin against mine.

  Evan clears his throat and Tristan takes off down the winding stairs.

  ***

  We sit around a small table in a dark room in the back of the occult section. Phil closed up the store early so we could meet in private. I wonder if I’m out of my mind, agreeing to be in this room with these men who I can’t even hear. But if they seriously understand more about what I am and can teach me to do stuff like what Phil did to that rapist…well, it’ll be worth the risk.

  “I was wondering when you’d get around to coming in,” Evan says, tipping his chair back on its rear legs.

  “Get around to it? I’ve been searching for you for like six weeks.”

  “I told you right where to find us.”

  “Yeah, right after you broke the news that I’m pregnant. So sue me for not paying attention.”

  “Now, kids.” Phil stands and spreads his arms in a diplomatic gesture. I resent being called a child, but I guess at his age we would seem that way. “The important thing is that Cassie’s come to find out more about who we are and why we’re here. So let’s focus on that, shall we?”

  “What you did downstairs,” I say, lowering my voice. “You said you could teach me.”

  “In due time.” He smiles and settles down at the table between us. “First, with your permission, I think I should tell you what the Eye is about.”

  He waits until I nod. Evan continues to sit, tipped backward, arms crossed, intense eyes staring at me.

  “We are an organization made up of psychics for psychics. We track any psychic we encounter and determine whether to bring them in with the offer of a position in the organization, or whether to keep them on watch. When Evan encountered you at the University, he determined that you were in the former category. Unfortunately, he miscalculated and—”

  “You freaked out,” Evan fills in.

  I fight back another blush. “Only because you screwed up. Excuse me, Phil, miscalculated. I would’ve been thrilled to meet another psychic under any other circumstances.”

  Evan looks like he’s about to argue, but Phil shoots him a look. “Anyway, you’re here now and that’s all that matters.”

  “What made you decide I’m the type you should invite in?” I ask.

  “Superhero Watch?” Evan laughed. “You’re bound to get yourself in real trouble doing that on your own. There are rules we follow for a reason.”

  “You mean the Eye is like a superhero organization?” I ask, excitement building. “That is so cool!”

  “Yes, well, I suppose you could call it that,” Phil says. “Either way, it’s been around for many years and we’ve prevented many crimes and possible issues within the Normals Community.”

  “So let me get this straight.” I stand and lean over the table. “You look for others with abilities and you teach us how to use our powers for good and we all kick ass? Figuratively.” I correct myself when I see the shock on Phil’s face. But Evan smiles.

  “So you want in?” Evan asks.

  “Wait a second,” I say, trying to contain my excitement and pay attention to all the warning signs in my head. “What about the ones you said you keep an eye on who don’t make it to the invitation stage?”

  The men exchange a glance.

  “They remain on watch.” Evan stretches like a panther and I admire his sinewy form.

  “What are you watching for?” I press.

  “Signs that they might use their powers, as you call them, for something more sinister.” Phil says it gently, like he’s expecting a strong reaction.

  I’m almost there. “Then what happens?”

  Phil’s eyes snap shut. “They have to be stopped.”

  “You mean killed?” I ask, slamming my hands down on the tabletop. “You can’t do that.”

  “It’s not something you have to be concerned about,” Evan says.

  “Not concerned that a group which has me on watch, and expects me to join up, keeps tabs on people and eliminates them if they decide they’ve gone too far?” I let out a short laugh.

  “What would you have done to that douche downstairs if he’d attacked Vicki?” Evan challenges me, standing to face me across the table.

  “Anything,” I say.

  “Exactly.” He sits back down and pulls out a cigarette that he dangles between his lips. I didn’t peg him for a smoker.

  “You better not light that up around my baby,” I say, placing a protective hand over my stomach.

  “I wasn’t planning on it and quit changing the subject. You don’t want us to do the hard stuff, but you know you’d do it too if it meant protecting the innocent. That’s why you’re one of us. That’s why you’re here.”

  I hear what he’s saying, but I don’t like it. I don’t want to consider how far I might have gone in order to save someone. Would I kill? Do people deserve to be killed for evil thoughts? What about intentions? I shiver.

  “Why put the stupid thing in your mouth if you don’t mean to light it?” I ask, instead.

  Evan shrugs. “I’m trying to quit and I thought it might take the edge off.” He sits back down, removing the cigarette and flicking it onto the table. “Not comforting enough.”

  “So what do you think, Cassie?” Phil asks, gently. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I’m sure you have many more questions.”

  “I do.” I rub my forehead, exhausted. “Can we pick this up another time though? I’m really tired.”

  “Of course,” Phil says.

  “I’ll walk you home,” Evan says, moving toward the door.

  “Oh. That’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

  “It’s non-negotiable.” Evan grabs a leather jacket from a hook near the door and shoves it on. “I need some air anyhow.”

  Phil winks again and I resign myself to the company. I had searched for him for weeks after all. And so far I’ve avoided asking about the very thing I was desperate to ask. My hand automatically strokes my stomach as I follow Evan out and down the stairs.

  It’s a chilly night and I wrap my arms around myself as we walk down Main. Most of the tiny stores and cafes are closed now, but a few bars dot the way, filled with laughing people. I wish I could have a drink right now. Hell, I’d settle for a game of pool.

  “You wouldn’t want to shoot some pool?” I ask.

  “Game of darts?” Evan asks at the same moment.

  I smile and laugh, for what feels like the first time in forever, and Evan leads me inside one of the bars.

  “Fine couple we are,” Evan says as we grab the table near the rear and I chalk my cue. “I can’t smoke and you can’t drink and here we are at a bar.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s not like either of us is particularly normal,” I say and set up the balls. “When did Phil find you?”

  “Who says Phil found me?” he asks before breaking.

  “I guess I just assumed.”

  “When I was six. My parents were divorced and my mom wouldn’t stop blaming me for my dad leaving.”

  “That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.” I stare blankly as he sets up his next shot. “She sounds like a terrible woman.”

  “Actually she was great. She kept it all inside and treated me well. But that didn’t stop me from hearing it. Phil convinced her to let me join his special school for the gifted. She was relieved as hell, and so was I.” Evan gestures to the table for me to take my turn.

  “Wow.” I set up to sink a solid ball in the side pocket and feel Evan right behind me as I bend over the table. He lays his body over mine, arms covering mine, scruffy cheek against my own.

  “I know how to play,” I say, trying not to grin.

  “I figured. I just wanted to get close to you.”
/>
  I turn my head, shocked, and his lips are on mine, urgent and hungry. He pulls away after some time and backs up. “Your shot.”

  I miss.

  “I did that on purpose. I can’t believe you fell for it,” he says.

  Two can play at that game. I sashay up next to him as he lines up his shot, trying his best to ignore me. I slide up on the side of the table and cross my legs next to his head. Then I lean down letting my cleavage do the distracting.

  “Damn, woman. Between this, and your memories of that guy in the store, I’m dying here.” Evan fans himself.

  I jump off the table with a frown. I almost forgot he’d heard those thoughts.

  “Hey. I did it again, didn’t I?” he says, grabbing my elbow so I don’t walk away. “Put my foot in my mouth. I get it, you know. You want to drown out the thoughts. It can be a real relationship killer.”

  I guess he does get it. It must have really hurt for him to hear his mom’s real thoughts.

  “It’s okay. I’m just a little ashamed of how it all went down. And now… I should probably tell him, huh?” I hold my stomach again.

  “Probably. He seems like a decent guy.” Evan steps up to me and puts his hands over mine. “Are you scared?”

  “So scared,” I breathe, tears stinging my eyes. “I just know something’s wrong.”

  “He’s fine,” Evan says, stepping so close that our hands are pressed between us. “He’s a happy little guy. Gonna be smart too.”

  I sniffle. “Then why can’t I hear him? You can! Phil could, too. I want to hear my own baby.”

  Evan tips my chin up until I’m looking into his eyes. “It’s normal. Psychics can’t hear their own kids.”

  “Oh.” Something clicks into place and a huge weight is lifted off my chest. Suddenly my tears turn to laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” Evan asks, glancing around for the source of my madness. “You can really give a guy a complex, you know.”

  “It’s just that all this time I’ve been preoccupied with the assumption that something was wrong with my baby instead of focusing on the fact that I’m having one.” I stop laughing and grip Evan’s arms. “I’m having a baby.”

  “Yes. Yes, you are.”

  “No. You don’t understand. I’m having a baby. I have to tell Tristan. What was I thinking?”

  “You were thinking that you didn’t want to be tied for the rest of your life to some prick?” Evan guesses.

  “I thought you said he was a nice guy.” I glance up at Evan with a smirk.

  “Nice. But not right for you.”

  “Oh? And I suppose you know who would be?” I challenge, stalking toward him.

  “You need someone who can handle your crazy and the fact that you’re psychic. Ten bucks says he runs for the hills when he finds out.”

  I feel the grin on my face slip off. “Who says I’m going to tell him?” I roll the cue ball against the green felt.

  “You’re going to have to eventually. Either that or he’ll figure it out. He’s not stupid, just naïve. Plus the kid?” He nods at my belly. “He’s psychic. And Tristan is his dad whether you like it or not. You have to at least give him the opportunity to be a father.”

  I swallow back the lump in my throat. Evan’s right. Damn him.

  “I think I should get home,” I say, rolling the stick onto the side of the table. “You can stay if you want.”

  “Nah. Like I said, I’ll walk you home.” Evan slaps some cash on the bar. He puts an arm around me as we continue on down the street, each lost in our own sordid and quiet thoughts. I have to admit, it’s nice having someone there who I don’t have to listen to constantly.

  It’s only when we turn down my street that something occurs to me.

  “Evan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “How do you know where I live?” I stop on the walkway and spin to face him.

  “Like Phil said, once we know you’re one of us, we keep tabs on you. Don’t get all freaked out. It’s just me. I’m your tail.”

  “You’re my tail? I am not a cat. That is creepy on so many levels. Thanks for walking me home, but I think you should go away now. If I’m interested in joining your little club, I’ll let you know.” I back away, emotions all over the place and I don’t know if it’s from the pregnancy or because Evan is so damn confusing.

  Evan throws his hands up in the air like he’s exasperated and stalks toward me. “You are not leaving like that. Would you please just listen?”

  I hurry up the steps to the front of the apartment building. He catches up just as I’m twisting the key in the lock. I fumble as he puts a hand over mine, his breath warming my ear.

  “Seriously!” I say, turning on him. “You don’t find it the slightest bit… icky? To spy on people? Decide their fate?”

  Evan glances back around like he’s afraid we’re being watched, then sighs heavily, placing one hand over each of my shoulders and leaning in. “Yes. Yes, I do. And I think the Eye needs to be stopped. If you tell anyone this, not only will you lose your entire memory, but I’ll deny it.”

  “What?”

  “I am part of another group, Cassie. I’m a spy. We believe in letting people do what they do and dealing with the consequences. You never know when someone will change his mind.”

  I let this digest. My head hurts. “And you’d erase my memory?”

  “Not me. But the group would have no choice. I’m the closest they’ve ever gotten to the inside. Phil is the Eye. The Eye is Phil.”

  I sigh and lean back against the glass door. This is crazy. I didn’t know the Eye existed until just hours ago. Now there’s another group of psychics? “What are you? The Ears?” I joke.

  Evan smiles, relaxing slightly. “No. We just go by The Rebels. But that’s not bad.”

  “And your whole argument about what I’d do to the rapist?” I ask.

  “You would have stopped him in that moment or close to it. You weren’t going after him to stop him from some crime he might commit in a month or a year. You were worried specifically about a girl he was stalking. That’s reasonable.”

  “You’re stalking me.”

  “You like it.”

  Before I can retort to his rude argument, his lips are on mine and his arms gather me in close. I melt into the kiss, throwing my arms back around him and tangling one leg around his just to pull him closer. His hands tangle in my hair and mine slide under his jacket. He thrusts me back against the door, pressing into me. His lips suck on my neck, beneath my ear. His mouth is warm and I close my eyes, reveling in it.

  Evan’s hands slip up over my breasts and I feel his erection growing hard against my body. I steer one of my hands down his hard stomach and inside his pants. He groans in response and my mouth finds his again.

  I’m about to ask him inside, when my cell goes off. I pull back to answer, but Evan continues undeterred, his fingers tugging my shirt loose from my pants and working beneath the thin material and then my bra. His skin is cold and I try not to gasp as I answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Cassandra. It’s Tristan. We met at the bookstore today again? I hope I’m not calling too late.”

  “Tristan,” I say out loud, trying to get Evan to pause, but it seems that the name only makes him hornier because he slides a hand of his own down my pants. “Oh.”

  “Should I call tomorrow?” Tristan asks and he sounds so heartbroken.

  “No. That’s okay. I can talk for a minute.” I try to push Evan’s hand away with my free one, but he’s between my legs now and it feels so good I end up moving my hips and clutching his wrist to keep it there.

  “Did you want to maybe get some coffee?” Tristan asks.

  “Sure. Tomorrow. Ten. At the Union.” Oh, God.

  “You’re breathing kind of heavy. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I was just working out,” I lie. “See you tomorrow?” It’s taking all my concentration not to yelp or moan and the second Tristan says go
odbye I drop my phone back into my pocket and bite my lip.

  “Hot date?” Evan asks, back at my mouth again. He pulls at my bottom lip with his teeth and I can barely think straight, let alone answer his sarcastic remark.

  “Inside?” I manage.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” he says and tugs at my waistband.

  “I mean inside the apartment!’ I screech, stopping him and glancing around to make sure we’re still alone.

  “What about your roommate?” he asks, stopping everything, but holding my waist

  Shit. He’s right. “I’ll kick her out?” I offer.

  Evan smiles, his blond hair more messy than ever. “How about I leave you like this to think about during your hot date with Tristan tomorrow?”

  He kisses me softly and backs away, leaving me wanting and cold.

  “You’re not nice,” I say. But I see the lump in his pants and based on my earlier explorations, I know it’s a fairly decent sized lump. “But I guess you’ll have to think about me too.”

  “Or you can come back to my place,” he says, his own voice dark with want.

  So tempting. I put a hand over my tummy and squeeze my eyes closed, praying I was making the right choice. “Let’s have dinner tomorrow. I need to take care of this first.”

  “I get it,” he says. “I’ll text you. Remember, not a word to anyone.”

  “I wouldn’t dare.”

  ***

  I should have made our date for eleven because by the time I drag my ass out of bed, it’s almost ten. I shower, brush my teeth and throw on some light makeup. I end up with a floor full of jeans because everything is suddenly too tight, so I settle on a cute little sundress covered in zigzagging stripes so my stomach won’t be obvious, just my cleavage.

  By the time I get there I’m worried he’ll be gone, but there’s Tristan, sipping a latte and staring out the window. I know I shouldn’t do it, but I concentrate on his mind and try to listen in.

  She stood me up. No. Give her another ten minutes. Maybe she’s scared like me. Maybe she isn’t even sure if she’s going to come.

  “Hey, Tristan! I’m sorry I was late. I had a rough night. Sleep-wise. I had a rough night’s sleep.” Ugh. I sit down across from him and try to breathe. “Thanks for waiting.”