by Unknown
The sight wasn’t a bad one—it could have been much worse. The floor was completely flooded, all right, but there was Katie wearing boy shorts and a tank-tee, half sprawled across the rumbling washer, reaching behind it for something. Her feet were wet and the water dripped down her legs as she grunted and wiggled on top of the machine. He stood in the doorway for a moment, admiring the view, until she slid off the washer into a puddle with a frustrated sigh, blowing a piece of dark hair out of her eyes.
“Hey,” he said, startling her. He sloshed my way through the flood, over to the tub, reaching in to find the culprit. “Whose load of wash is this?”
“I don’t know. Probably Cujo’s.” She sighed. “But Sassy’s stuck behind the washer.”
“Hmm, nice!” He held up the pair of pink panties he’d pulled from the tub drain, wringing them out and holding them up. “At least Cujo’s owner has good taste in lingerie!”
“Sebastian!” She rolled her eyes, grabbing and tossing them behind her onto the wet floor. Just help me get the cat!”
He sighed. The tub problem had been solved. The water was going nicely down the drain again. Aside from the wet carpet in their apartment, which he would have been happy to deal with after another two hours of sleep, his worries were over.
“Please?” She leaned over the washer again, and he got a glimpse of her ass, shorts riding up. “Just help!”
“Okay, okay.” He stepped up behind her, peering over the washer. He could see the luminescent eyes of a white cat glowing up at me, ears pressed flat against its head. Sassy saw him and hissed. “Does that one have claws?”
“Yes!”She sounded all horrified.
Katie was one of those—altering an animal was horrible, blah blah blah. He didn’t know if it was cruel—He just knew he would have preferred picking up a soft-pawed cat to a fully loaded one. Katie had some of each kind, the soft-pawed ones usually rescues from the pound whose owners had made the decision to declaw them.
“You know I can’t keep them all straight…” He edged around the other side of the washer to see if he could move it. He thought he could, without breaking any connections or pulling any hoses. Enough, anyway.
Katie peered anxiously over the washer. He noticed the way her pink tank-tee pulled over her breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra and her nipples were hard. Probably from having wet feet and standing on the cold basement floor, but still—it was a nice view. Made him want to bend her over the washer right there, but he knew better than to try. Katie wouldn’t have any of that. He leaned over to turn the washer off and his hand brushed her shoulder. She slipped back off the machine, slanting her eyes, watching him.
He grabbed the washer with both hands, rocking it forward a little at a time. The cat hissed and suddenly bolted. Luckily, Katie had shut the door at the top of the stairs and it was trapped there. She ran after it, and he heard her cooing as she carried the cat back down, cradling it in her arms.
“Thank you.” Her smile lit up her whole face in such a way that it even made him forget about her ass and he remembered again why he’d agreed to move in together in the first place, in spite of the fact that sex with Katie was minimal at best. “My hero.”
“Do I get a hero’s blowjob then?” He pushed the machine back, turning it on.
“Sebastian!” Katie blushed, nuzzling the cat’s fur.
“Just a suggestion.” He opened the door to their apartment, herding in the four or five cats crowding the doorway, looking to escape. I could smell the mildew already. “I’m going back to bed. Don’t you have class?”
“In an hour.” The cat in her arms was purring now, its eyes half-closed.
“Still time for that blowjob…” His dick was hard watching her walk around in her tank and little shorts as he climbed back under the covers. The cats were everywhere, as usual. Hd had to shove them out of the way to make room in bed. At last count, there were fifteen. It was a lot of damned cats.
“Sebastian…?” Katie stood half-facing him, still rubbing her cheek against the cat’s ear.
“Hmm?” His damned dick was so hard it almost hurt.. A guy should get a little reward for a rescue like that, he reasoned. But Sebastian knew he’d do anything for her, no matter what. She had him wrapped, although he wasn’t sure she knew it.
“Are you ever going to like cats?”
He groaned. “You know I’m not good with them.”
His gaze moved back to her ass, where the water from her feet had made little wet spots on her shorts when she was hanging over the edge of the washing machine. I was about to make one of my usual jokes about liking cats—‘braised with light cream sauce’—and then he remembered the way she had looked sprawled across the washer.
“Come here.” He reached his arm out for her and she sat on the edge of the bed, letting him slid his hand up under her shirt in back. “I may not love cats but I love you.”
She smiled, just a little, letting the cat jump from her arms onto the bed. He winced—the damned thing just barely missed his crotch. But Katie was letting him rub her back, and he dared to slide his hand around to cup her breast, so nice and firm, her nipples still hard from standing in her bare feet on the wet basement floor.
“Mmm.” She sighed, closing her eyes, and for a moment my cock was sure we were going to get lucky. Then she opened them again, hopping up from the bed.
“How about I make you a nice ‘thank-you’ dinner tonight after I get home from work?”
“No blowjob?” He reached for his crotch, imagining her mouth there. She didn’t do it often, but when she did, oh fuck… his cock stood up at full attention just at the thought.
“Mayyybe tonight…” Katie smiled over her shoulder, on the way to the bathroom for a shower before class.
“Tease!” He raised his eyebrows but he was grinning. “Hey, don’t forget, the show’s tonight.”
“Oh right. Well then we’ll have to do dinner tomorrow.”
She threaded her way through a congregation of mewling cats. He couldn’t help watching her hips sway before she closed the bathroom door, feeling his cock swell to bursting in anticipation.
Chapter Two
This is her last chance, Sebastian thought as he paced backstage, jaw working, teeth grinding. They were doing Cléopâtre and although she kept saying how much she wanted to hear him perform in it, Katie had missed it twice.
“Ready for the big finale?” Anne’s speaking voice was far softer then her singing one. He’d never heard a woman who could project like she could. Her speaking voice fooled people. .
“Sure.” He stopped in mid-pace. “You?”
She smiled up at him, already in full costume, eyes heavily darkened for the role. For a while, Sebastian thought they might hook up, but it didn’t work out. Performers had big egos and they got in the way. Anne was too much of a diva. Besides, when he’d met Katie, all other women disappeared. He knew he was in love with her when that happened. With every other girl he’d gone out with, even the semi-serious ones, his gaze always tended to wander. But not with Katie. He only had eyes for her.
“I just saw Theo.” She glanced over her shoulder, as if he might hear her. “He asked you to come up to his office with Katie when she shows up.”
“If she shows up.”
“She’ll come this time. It’s her last chance.”
“I hope so. Did he say what he wanted?”
“He said he had an announcement to make tonight.”
“Oh my God. He’s retiring isn’t he? Sly old fox.”
She just smiled. “Go see him.”
Sebastian headed back toward his office, knocking on the door.
“Come in!” Theo growled.
“Hey, ol’ man.” Sebastian stood in the doorway, crossing his arms and surveying the stacks of boxes in Theo’s office. “I heard you wanted to see me.”
“Sebastian!” Theo poked his head up from behind his desk. “You talked to Anne?”
“She didn’t tell me a thing.” Seba
stian grinned.
“Good!” It came out ‘Goot.’ Theo’s English was ‘goot’ but his accent was still very German, and he often slipped back into the language when he was angry. The whole cast had been berated in German more times than he could count—he was probably the only one, though, who had been called a “verfluchter hurensohn” and knew it actually meant some approximation of “stupid son of a bitch!”
“You can’t retire,” Sebastian protested, pointing at the boxes. “Who will I get to call me an asshole at least three times a week?”
“I’m sure your little Katrina can fill in those blanks.” Theo’s eyes twinkled as he sat in his desk chair leaning back. He never called Katie by the diminutive form of her name, insisting on the longer Kat-uh-reena. “Is she here yet? I have something for your cat lover.”
“Not yet.” Sebastian sat in the opposite chair with a sigh. “Are you really retiring?”
“No, but I am leaving.” Theo looked at the stack of boxes, the empty shelves. “The things we do for love, eh?”
“Ah!” Sebastian gave a knowing nod. “Sal wants to go back to Italy?”
“Europe isn’t what it was.” Theo sighed, leaning back in his chair and taking off his round glasses to rub his eyes with his thumbs. Without his glasses he looked old, tired. The grey in his beard was growing more noticeable with every passing season
“Nothing is.” Sebastian agreed, remembering his very first performance that year in Le Boheme. Theo had come onto the stage wearing a purple paisley vest over a black turtleneck, addressing them as lowly studenti. After his lecture, they’d all felt about two feet tall, making Theo’s five-foot-four seem giant in their eyes.
“Truth is…” Theo put his glasses back on. “They’re bringing in someone else. An upstart—some kid—they want to modernize, the dean says.”
“Great!” Sebastian couldn’t believe it. “We’ll be doing Carmen using cell phones and wearing leather chaps. They think modernizing means cultural rape.”
“Preaching to the choir.” Theo shook his head, running a hand through what was left of his salt and pepper hair. His widow’s peak had receded another inch or two this year.
“They’re going to regret that decision.” Sebastian couldn’t imagine doing a production with Theo behind it. “You can’t stay until I finish my Masters?”
“I wish!” Theo’s reply sounded was more ‘vish’ than ‘wish.’ “But maybe you and your Katrina can come to Italy?”
Sebastian stared at him, disbelieving. Singing at Teatro alla Scala? He could only dream of it. Of course, he knew Katie would never go for it. She was afraid to fly. She didn’t even like getting into cars. She enjoyed living on campus where everything, even work, was within walking distance. He knew the scars she had from her motorcycle accident with her ex, Malcolm, ran deeper than the physical ones on her body.
“Is that a real offer?” Sebastian could barely get the words out.
“I think so.” Theo gave him a slow nod. “Degree or no, it does not matter to me. What the director says goes. And I am the director.”
Sebastian imagined trying to get Katie on a plane to Italy. One of the cats had escaped a few months ago and had obviously tussled with a skunk because he came back reeking. They tried to give him a bath in the sink—you’d have thought they were trying to drown him—all the hissing and clawing and screeching. That’s what it would be like, trying to get Katie on a plane.
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course.” Theo smiled. “Ask Katrina if she approves, yes?”
He nodded. Theo had no idea.
“Speak of the devil!” Theo stood, smiling, and Sebastian glanced back to see Katie hesitating in the open doorway, her hand lifted to knock. “And a lovelier devil I know not.”
“They told me I could find Sebastian here.” Katie still hesitated in the doorway, now holding her clutch in both hands, close to her body. Her eyes darted from Sebastian to Theo to the stack of boxes and rows of empty shelves.
She had dressed for the theater. Gone were the jeans and sweater—not that Sebastian objected to that attire—and in their place was a garment fit for a goddess. He’d never seen the dress she was wearing, a form-fitted black evening gown, floor length, slit so far up one thigh—the unscarred one—it was indecent. Her long, slender legs only looked more lengthy in heels, and her body was all sleek curves. There were no hard angles to her—even her hair, put up for the occasion, fell in soft curls.
“And here she is!’ Theo exclaimed, going around his desk and striding toward Katie. “Come in, lovey.”
Theo put an arm around her, shutting the door and guiding her toward Sebastian,. Theo had always gravitated toward Katie, since the first time Sebastian had brought her to a rehearsal. If he hadn’t known the man was gay, he would have thought Theo was coming onto her, but Sebastian knew better. He just appreciated true beauty when he saw it. And how could he fault him for that?
“You’re a knock-out, baby,” Sebastian said, holding out his hand to Katie as she approached. She took it gratefully, sitting in the chair beside him as Theo went back around the desk to take his own seat.
“Knock-out? What is this?” Theo scoffed. “Brutish men who fight with their fists? Insufficient metaphor!”
Katie blushed and it only made her even more stunning. The color heightened her beauty like morning dew on a rose. It was no wonder Sebastian had never had eyes for another woman.
“Goddess!” Theo thundered, wagging a finger at Sebastian. “She is nothing less than a goddess walking around on earth.”
“Thank you.” Katie shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with the older man’s attention. Sebastian thought Theo’s enthusiasm embarrassed her. It was probably the reason she’d missed so many of his shows, although she denied it.
Katie nervously re-crossed her legs, revealing them all the way up her thigh, a sight both men appreciated.
“I am glad you are here.” Theo said, although ‘glad’ became ‘glat’ on his tongue. He took his keys out of his trouser pocket, unlocking the middle door of his desk. “I have something for Katrina.”
Haf somethink for Kat-uh-reena…
“For me?”
Sebastian didn’t think she could glow any more rosy. She even lifted her hands to her cheeks to cool them, her beaded black clutch dropping to her lap.
“A going away gift for our cat lover.”
“Going away?” Katie’s eyes met Sebastian’s as Theo came around the desk.
“See?” Theo held up the object in his hands, the silver chain tented on his fingers, the charm dangling down between his thumb and forefinger.
“Oh it’s beautiful,” she breathed, reaching out to touch it.
Sebastian leaned over to look closer, seeing the silver was shaped into something that was half cat, half human, like a goddess statue, the arms circled overhead to make a ring for the chain to slip through. The figure had breasts and hips like a woman and a jade green jewel just below the navel. The cat’s eyes, too, were deep, green, glittering jewels.
Before she could protest, Theo had it fastened around her neck. She was wearing only a pair of rhinestone earrings. The cat pendant complimented them nicely. Sebastian could tell Theo thought so as he stepped back to admire it.
“Good!” He gave a satisfactory nod. Goot! “Very Good!”
“I can’t accept this!” Katie exclaimed, fingering the cat charm at the end of its silver chain. She turned to Sebastian, wide-eyed. “What does he mean, going away gift? Who’s going away?”
“I am.” Theo nodded, crossing his arms and leaning against the desk, his gaze on Katie’s necklace .”And so are you, if Sebastian comes along.”
“Hey, wait, listen—” Sebastian protested, sensing the change in Katie’s mood before he even looked at her.
“Ah, it’s none of my business!” Theo threw up his hands. “Talk about it on your own time. I have been saving that for you, Katrina. I would have given it to you regardless, Italy or no
Italy.”
“Italy?” Katie breathed, blinking slowly, the charm clutching in her fist now.
Sebastian watched, expecting an outburst. Katie didn’t get angry often, but when she did, she was formidable, like a force of nature. He expected the mention of them going to Italy, even for a short time, would likely cause an outburst. He was surprised by her reaction—or non-reaction, really. She just sat there clutching the charm in her fist, a strange, dazed look in her eyes.
“That little piece is Egyptian. Pre-dates Italy by thousands of years. They worshipped Bast during the second dynasty.”
Theo was in teaching mode—Sebastian knew it well. He liked to tell all of them the history of the opera, not only of the writers and the songs, but of the times each opera spoke to. Theo had spent a great deal of time on the history of the show they were doing now. He seemed to have quite an affinity for Egyptian mythology.
Katie hadn’t been privy to Theo in teaching mode before and she just stared at him, wide-eyed.
“That’s almost three thousand years before the birth of Christ,” he informed her.
“This is…” She unclenched her hand, looking at the pendant. “I can’t accept this. I can’t possibly…”
“You already have.” Theo smiled, crossing his arms over his broad, barrel chest. “She is your familiar, I believe. They worshipped cats in Egypt. Bast had a long run as a favored goddess. She protected lower Egypt while her twin sister, Sekhmet, ruled upper Egypt. Together, they were… how do the kids say today? Unstoppable?”
Katie gave a little laugh, still studying the pendant.
“It must be worth a fortune?” Sebastian asked, his eyes meeting Theo’s. “I mean, doesn’t it belong in a museum?”
“It belongs right there.” Theo nodded at Katie. “Sal and I found her in a little curio shop when we were on our honeymoon in Egypt. The dolt who sold it to us had no idea. I got it for a song.”
