by Witt, L. A.
“He wants you to pet him,” Levi said.
She eyed Link uncertainly but crouched down and offered her hand. As Link sniffed her fingers, she said, “I’m not really a cat person.”
Levi chuckled. “Well, I know whose lap Zelda will be sleeping in, then.”
Natalya looked up. “What?”
“She gravitates toward anyone who’s not into cats. Just be glad you aren’t allergic.”
“No kidding,” Carter said. “She’s— Ouch! Damn it!” Zelda vaulted off his shoulder, onto the island, and then onto the floor with a heavy thump. She shoved Link out of the way and looked expectantly at Natalya.
“Zelda.” Levi clicked his tongue. He scooped her up onto his shoulder, wincing when he straightened. “He’s allowed to have attention too, you know.”
Link hung back for a moment, but shyly approached Natalya again.
“Well,” she said, petting Link’s long back. “I see who wears the pants in this house.”
“Not Link, that’s for sure.” Carter dusted some chip crumbs off his hands. “Okay, we’ve got chips, sodas, pretzels. You have any preference for drinks, Natalya? We’ve got enough Coke to last through the apocalypse, but we also have—”
“Coke is fine.” She patted Link and rose. “I’m not picky.”
Levi laughed as he put Zelda on the floor. He started to speak, but I wagged a finger at him.
“Don’t even.” I shot him a glare.
He showed his palms. “What? I didn’t say a word!”
“Not yet, you didn’t.” Under my breath, I added, “Brat.”
Carter snorted, shaking his head, and didn’t say anything as he poured Cokes for everyone. Natalya and I exchanged glances, and she laughed softly. Okay, so far so good. No weirdness. No awkwardness. It wasn’t like Natalya hadn’t met the guys before, but they may as well have been ships passing in the night for all they interacted at work. Meeting here, in private, in a small social setting . . . that was where things could get weird.
But we were off to a good start. Natalya was friendly with Levi’s cats, which would earn her points with him. Carter was a sweetheart to everyone, and Natalya was generally polite even if she was professional to the point of standoffish, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. And I supposed I wasn’t—just relieved. This was such a switch from the relentless tension whenever Leigh and I had come over.
“Well.” Levi gestured at the bowls of munchies. “I think we’ve got food covered. If we want something more substantial later, Natalya and I can go into town and grab some pizza. Since, you know, we don’t require adult supervision.”
“We’ve got frozen pizzas too,” Carter said.
“I’m happy with whatever everyone else wants to do.” Natalya shrugged and rested her hands on the island. “I’m just looking forward to relaxing and watching movies all day.”
“I like the way you think,” Levi said, and turned to put the chip bags back in the pantry.
“Hmm, I don’t know about this,” I said. “We’re alone in a cabin in the woods in a rainstorm without our bodyguards. Isn’t this how some horror movies start?”
“Or some pornos,” Levi said.
“Um, no.” I wrinkled my nose. “No thanks.” Glancing at Natalya, I added, “I mean, not if it’s starring all four of us.”
She winked and laughed.
“Hey.” Levi pulled a jar of salsa down, then elbowed the pantry door shut. “I’m just trying to be an optimist. I’d rather be in a porno than a horror movie.”
“As a character?” Natalya asked. “Or an actor?”
He chuckled. “A character. As an actor, horror movies are fun as hell.”
“What about pornos?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
She shrugged. “Well, I suppose that saves me some time on Google.”
It took Levi a second to realize what she’d meant, and when he did, his eyes widened.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m joking.”
Jealousy tried to flare in my chest, but I tamped it down. She was joking. I shook myself and turned to Levi. “So, I’m surprised you guys aren’t using your day off to plan your wedding.”
Carter groaned. “No. I put my foot down. We’re getting a day off from that too.”
“Hey, I didn’t exactly put up much of a fight,” Levi said. “Who knew planning something like that would be so exhausting?”
“Ugh,” Carter said. “At least it’s almost over.”
“Well,” I said, “you did have the option of going to Vegas, but no, you both insisted on—”
“Yeah, yeah.” Levi waved a hand. “No, we’re doing the real thing. Just, you know, taking a day off from it before we kill each other.”
“Isn’t that the sign of a couple who’s meant to be?” Natalya asked. “If they can plan their wedding without killing each other?”
“I thought the true test was hanging wallpaper together,” Carter said.
Levi shot him a look. “If you think we’re putting up a single scrap of wallpaper in this house—”
“I wasn’t suggesting anything.” Carter put up his hands. “I just thought that was how you tested a couple. If they can hang up wallpaper without bloodshed.”
“Hmm. Maybe wedding planning is enough.”
“Yeah.” I grimaced. “Carter, I’d hire a professional if you—”
“Quiet, you,” Levi muttered.
“She’s got a point,” Carter said.
They exchanged playful glares.
Natalya laughed. “You were right,” she said to me. “They are entertaining.”
“Told you.” I laughed, relieved she was falling into step with our nonstop banter. What a switch from the stick-in-the-mud I’d brought over in the past. “Just watching them is worth having to cancel plans.”
“Glad we can help,” Levi said, chuckling. He opened the salsa and poured it into a smaller bowl. “You guys have some weather-permitting plans today or something?”
“Yeah.” I snatched a chip from the bowl, narrowly escaping before he swatted my hand. “We’ve been trying to get down to Kalaloch to go on one of those rides on the beach.” I paused, stopping myself just before I suggested they tag along. As much as it would be a blast to go riding with those two, I was looking forward to spending that time alone with Natalya. Well, and with Jeremy. And our guide. And whoever else signed up for the same group ride.
Levi shook his head as he rinsed out the salsa jar. “You two are insane.”
“What?” I scoffed. “Why?”
“Horses? Out on a beach? No fences?” He put the jar in the recycling bin. “In-fucking-sane.”
“Why?” Natalya asked. “You’re afraid of horses?”
“I don’t know if ‘afraid’ is the word I’d use, but after the one I had to ride while we were filming Tin Horse? Can’t say I’m a fan of fifteen hundred pounds of crazy between my legs.” Carter and I opened our mouths to speak, but Levi shot us each a glare. “Quiet. Both of you.” The three of us laughed while he rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Horses aren’t that bad.” Natalya snorted. “Come on. I have screws and bolts holding pieces together, and I’m still not afraid to ride.”
“You’re part of the stunt department.” He gestured dismissively. “By definition, you’re both crazy and falling apart.”
I laughed. Natalya shot me a good-natured glare, and I shrugged. “What? He’s got a point.”
“Hey!” She nudged me with her elbow. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”
“Natalya. Honey.” I put my hand on her lower back and held her gaze. “I’m always on your side, but when we’re talking about whether or not you’re crazy . . .” I grimaced.
“Don’t take it personally, Natalya.” Carter patted Levi’s arm. “I never miss a chance to call him crazy either.”
Her lips quirked. “I can’t imagine anyone can argue with that.”
“Hey!” Levi sighed dramatically. “Fuck you both.”
&
nbsp; Carter started to fire back with something, but Levi hooked his finger in Carter’s belt loop and pulled him closer to cut him off with a kiss.
“You’re lucky you’re cute, you know that?”
Carter just grinned.
Levi kissed him again and gestured at the array of munchies and drinks. “Well. Shall we take all this downstairs and figure out what we want to watch first?”
“Sounds good to me,” I said.
Everyone gathered what they could carry, and we headed down to the theater. Since his hands were full, Levi shouldered the door open and leaned against it to let us go in ahead of him. I flicked on the light and Natalya stopped in her tracks.
“Wow.” Her jaw dropped as she stared at Levi’s elaborate home theater. “This is amazing.”
“Thanks.” Levi smiled. While Carter and I laid out the munchies on TV trays, Levi showed Natalya around the theater, from his extensive collection of films to the top-of-the-line projection equipment.
And I had to admit, I was impressed. Not by the theater. Not by Natalya’s enthusiasm for the technical aspects. No, I was impressed as hell that, despite not being a cat person, she never once stepped on either of the two cats who were doing their level best to trip either her or Levi. She looked down whenever she was about to move and seemed to both carefully and effortlessly step around them without ever knocking one aside or squishing a paw.
Now, she wasn’t an antianimal person. She had a dog, after all, and I had no doubt she adored him. But I was used to my ex, who never seemed to come over here without tripping over Zelda at least once. It didn’t help that Zelda couldn’t stand her, but still.
I turned away to finish helping Carter arrange food, and behind me I heard Natalya laugh and mutter, “You’re going to get your toes squashed, little one.”
“That’s pretty typical,” Levi said. “I keep thinking I should get them steel-toed boots if they’re going to be underfoot like this.”
“No, no. Just have to watch where I’m going, since I guess they won’t.”
I turned again, and to my surprise, Natalya had Link in her arms. Levi was holding Zelda, and the two of them continued the tour of the theater.
“You guys want to watch a movie?” Carter asked. “Or take apart the projector and see how it works?”
“Oh, all right.” Levi sighed dramatically. “Always ruining my fun.”
Natalya shrugged as she set Link on the back of one of the leather love seats. “Married life?”
Carter laughed. “Exactly.”
“Great,” Levi muttered. “Encourage him . . .”
“She will,” I said. “Don’t you worry.”
We took our seats on the two plush love seats. As Levi pulled up his list of movies on the screen, Natalya absently brushed some cat fur off her T-shirt but didn’t seem overly bothered by it.
And brushing it off was pointless anyway. We hadn’t even picked out a movie before Zelda jumped up and flopped down across Natalya’s lap and mine. She was mostly on Natalya, but her tail and one leg stretched over me as if to say, Fine, I suppose I’ll hang out with you too, lowly mortal.
Shifting around to accommodate the cat, I leaned against Natalya, and she wrapped her arm around my shoulders.
And this was . . . perfect. As we munched on chips, sipped our Cokes, and agreed on an obscure Icelandic film that only Levi had seen, I was so comfortable.
Not just physically, either. I couldn’t remember the last time Leigh and I had been able to hang out with Levi and Carter or any of our friends—mutual or otherwise—and just relax. It had nothing to do with the presence or absence of Alfonse of Jeremy, either. No, even before Carter and I had been stalked enough to warrant personal security, socializing had been a challenge. A complicated maze of emotional stumbling blocks. More often than not, when Leigh and I went somewhere with friends, everyone would spend the whole night walking on eggshells, carefully avoiding making a benign comment that might somehow ignite an argument between her and me.
Eventually, the invitations had dwindled except from our closest friends, but even Levi and Carter had their limits. During that last year, I really only saw them at work or when a fight with Leigh had driven me out of my house and over to theirs.
Sex was great, but this was what I’d missed more than anything in my last relationship. Being comfortable together, physically and otherwise. Being comfortable together with other people. No nerves. No eggshells under my feet. No waiting for something to drop out of the sky and ruin everything. Just Natalya’s arm around me, her heartbeat thudding softly alongside mine, with a movie on the screen and a couple of good friends next to us.
With Natalya, I could not only be around other people I loved—I could breathe.
Zelda squirmed a bit, then turned onto her back, stretching out her enormous paws and exposing her fluffy belly.
I glanced at Levi. “Zelda’s the one who doesn’t mind her tummy scratched, right?”
“Hmm, can’t remember.” He smirked. “Scratch it and see what happens.”
“Asshole.”
Carter snickered.
Natalya eyed Levi, then me. “So she . . . doesn’t like it?”
“I’m not taking the chance,” I said. “I think she’s the one who almost took my hand off last time.”
Natalya pressed back against the seat, staring down at the giant cat stretched across her lap. “Um . . .”
I scratched Zelda’s ears, and she went limp. After a moment, Natalya tentatively petted Zelda’s side, steering clear of the exposed belly, and was rewarded with purring loud enough to be heard over the movie.
The cats’ aggressive cuddliness had annoyed Leigh to no end, but Natalya—despite being, by her own admission, not a cat person—didn’t seem to mind. She even absently petted Zelda. I’d always wondered how anyone could resist that, especially with these two cats. Being Maine Coons, they were exceptionally plush. And really, how could anyone not scratch a kitty’s chin when the result was that adorable scrunched up face and purring that rivaled machine gun fire?
Well, Leigh sure resisted. And Leigh isn’t here.
Natalya’s here. Thank God.
It’s a shame something like this can’t last for— Nope. Not gonna think about that. Not today.
I snuggled closer and focused on the movie and its subtitles and the beautiful woman next to me. That little voice in the back of my mind was still there, but I ignored it. Tried to. Almost succeeded.
When the credits started rolling, everyone sat up and stretched.
“Looks like we’re out of chips and salsa.” Levi stood, twisting a crick out of his back—audibly—before picking up the empty bowls. “More drinks?”
“Yes, please.” I stood too. “I’ll give you a hand. Natalya, what about you?”
“Another drink, yes, please.” She pointed at the cat sprawled across her legs. “I suppose I’m not going anywhere, though.”
“Have your legs fallen asleep yet?” Carter gestured at Link, who was similarly positioned in his lap.
“Not yet. Does that usually happen?”
“Give it time. Trust me.”
“Well, while they keep you two here . . .” Levi collected the empty glasses. “Why don’t you choose the next film?”
“Will do.” Carter picked up the remote.
As he and Natalya started looking through the collection, Levi and I went up to the kitchen.
We set everything on the island, and Levi broke the silence. “So, you two seem pretty . . . cozy.”
I smiled but, as I replayed his comment in my mind, caught an undertone I couldn’t quite identify. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“Well, I would think so. But you’re the one who was trying to nix this thing before it even started, so . . .” He held my gaze, his expression unusually serious. Then he glanced over his shoulder, toward the hallway that led to the theater, as if to make sure we were alone before he faced me again. “Is everything going okay?”
“Yeah. It’s going great.”
He watched me for a moment, squinting a little like he was reading me. “It’s going great?”
I cocked my head. “Why?”
“You tell me.”
It took all the restraint I had not to fidget under his scrutiny. “You asked.”
“Mm-hmm. Because I know you.” He pressed his palms on the counter and looked me right in the eye. “And I know all the reservations you had before—those aren’t things that’ll just vanish. So knowing you, I can’t tell if you’re lying about it being great, or . . .”
I dropped my gaze and shifted my weight, and then realized I’d just tipped my hand and given myself away. “Am I really that much of a pessimist?”
“What’s going on?” he asked softly. “This is about everything we talked about before, isn’t it?”
“Just . . .” I thumbed the edge of one of the glasses I’d set on the counter. “We’ve been spending tons of time and a lot of nights together, but I still can’t get over everything I told you about.”
“About her being bi?” He raised his eyebrows. “Or a coworker?”
I had to pause and think about that—her being a coworker hadn’t even crossed my mind recently. I could barely remember it being an issue at all. “The first one. That she’s bi.”
“Has she given you any reason to doubt her?” He pulled some chips from the cabinet and met my gaze as he opened the bag. “Anything to reinforce that worry?”
“No. Not really.”
“But you’re still as worried about it as you were before.”
I nodded.
“Not surprising.”
“What does that mean?”
He poured the chips into the bowl. “It means I know you, and I know that if you have some kind of little hang-up about something, you’re not going to just let it go when any other sane, rational person would let it go.”
The comment irritated me, but not nearly as much as my lack of a rebuttal.
“I don’t see what you’re so worried about.” He paused, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. “I mean, was sex with me really so amazing that you can’t imagine a woman not wanting—”
