Three to Dance Page 6

  With no regret, Kate firmly shut that secret chest in her mind. It was time to deal, time to chill, time to shine a spotlight on shadowy corners. She had a new town, a new start, right at her fingertips.

  I want something more, she thought. I want to live, experience life, not be trapped by its confines, just waiting to get old and die. It’s time to have some fun, stop letting old strings pull me back like a puppet. I’m free, I’m young, I’m over twenty-one. Things are wide open for me.

  Not to mention that two men were giving her the eye.

  Settling back under the bed covers, she turned off the lamp beside her bed. Her head had barely hit the pillow before she was soundly asleep, both Larry and Monty purring contentedly beside her head.

  Chapter Six

  The feel of a heavy weight on her chest and a paw squashing her face brought Kate to wakefulness. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into Larry’s bright copper eyes. Ears twitching, tongue sticking halfway out of his mouth, the big cat looked incredibly silly. Then he did what he always did when he was upset. He sneezed, sending snot and other cat goo flying. Pleased with himself, he next turned tail and gave her a good view of his little pink butt-hole.

  “Cat’s butts,” Kate laughed. “I’m always looking at cat butts.” She caught the calico feline up in a bear hug, rolling him over and making loud smacking noises and giving him “kissies”. Larry squalled, highly offended by this undignified treatment. When she let him loose, he scampered across the bed, joining Monty, who was crouched at the foot.

  Glancing at the clock, she groaned. It was well past noon. Why had she let those guys stay until almost three? She covered her face with one of the cat pillows, thinking that she wasn’t ready to get up. She had slept well and just wasn’t ready to get up. She lay, savoring the warm cocoon her body’s heat had created under the blankets. Speaking of heat… the images strung across her mind’s screen as cobwebs drifted up to the forefront of her memory.

  A slow smile crossed her face. Under the covers, her hands drifted over her naked skin, finding the peaks of her hard nipples, tracing them.

  God, that dream was so incredible. So, oh, wonderful. Her right hand drifted lower, finding the soft curls of her mound. Her pussy was wet, slick, a little sore—probably from the pounding she’d given it with her own fingers. Her thighs were sore, as if they had been stretched wide, like one would feel after riding a horse, all the bending and stretching from the move. After the last week, she’d never have to exercise again to keep her figure. She squeezed her legs together. Her body was still trembling from that absolutely incredible sexual dream she’d had. A dream so intense that it had seemed real.

  How she wished.

  She shifted slightly, and then rolled over on her side. What would it be like to wake up next to two men she’d just had sex with, feel their strong bodies next to hers? She imagined how she would waken them, touching their penises, feeling both men grow firm in her hand. She would caress each softly, then slide down under the covers to wake them right.

  But she was alone. Well, for now. She had the feeling she wasn’t going to be sleeping with only the twin Persians much longer.

  She sighed. Amazing what a move to a new place can do for a girl’s life.

  Feeling the familiar pressure in her bladder, she slid her legs over the edge of the bed and got up. She could waste all day sitting in bed, thinking about the great fun she’d had last night, but she had so much to do. Time to get up and get going. She was eager to unpack and get her home into some kind of order. Rain was still pattering on the ceiling, so today would be the perfect stay inside day. Scott had offered to return the truck to the local U-Haul this morning, a generous gesture, considering that she didn’t know where it was.

  Twenty minutes and a quick shower later, Kate made her way to the kitchen, this time dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and one of William’s old flannel shirts, knotted at the waist. She’d pinned up her long hair, letting a few sexy strands hang around her neck and around her face. She always looked best that way, hair slightly messy. No reason to mess with the makeup. Both Scott and Josh would be working today and probably had Friday night plans, she probably wouldn’t be laying eyes on either. That suited her just fine. She needed some space to think. Two attractive men were just too much for one woman to handle.

  Peeking out her window, she looked down into the parking lot. Sure enough, the truck was gone. Her car was parked in its place. The keys would be under the seat, where she’d arranged with Scott to leave them. She had a spare set, so no big deal about locking them inside. Turning, she glanced down at the counter. On a piece of paper, Josh had scribbled his name and number before he left last night. In his check scratch hand was two words: Call me.

  Seeing it, Kate felt the prickly excitement of sexual desire creep through her bones.

  Josh was interested. Definitely interested. Before he’d left, he’d told her he had to work some double shifts because a couple of employees had quit without notice. Until he trained the new hires, he would have no spare time. She fingered the piece of paper, remembering how he’d kissed her last night, how he’d touched her. They’d only been acquaintances for a few hours, but already there was an incredible attraction between them. If Scott had not come back when he had, she had no doubt that she and Josh would have moved on to more interesting things. If he had tried, she certainly would not have stopped him.

  That thought brought another to mind. What about Scott? He’d also put the moves on her, indicating that he’d like to sleep with her, too. How to handle that. It wasn’t like she wasn’t attracted to him, too. Put side by side, both men were equally sexy, equally desirable. If she had to choose, she couldn’t. She wanted them both.

  Too much to think about, she thought, and too much to do this morning. Get your head out of their crotches, Kate, and get your house together. She tucked Josh’s number into her wallet. Keeping it handy just in case she decided to call him up sometime.

  Digging into one of the boxes labeled “kitchen” she unpacked the coffeemaker, set it on the counter and plugged it in. Filling the carafe with water, she flipped it on so the water could begin to percolate. She didn’t drink regular coffee, instead preferring the decadence of instant cappuccino. She’d love to have a real machine, but just hadn’t gotten around to messing with one. Maybe for her birthday she’d splurge. Still instant wasn’t too terribly bad. She certainly drank up enough of it. There was nothing better than a hot mocha latte. That was, unless it was a whipped mocha latte with whipped cream. It was her weakness in life and she simply could not get enough. She’d had to give up going to the local shop and having them freshly made when her monthly cappuccino bill began to exceed a hundred a month. She might not have anything but cat food in the house, but, by God, she certainly had enough coffee to drink.

  Water hot, she put together her special blend. Two teaspoons of Mocha, a teaspoon of English toffee and a teaspoon of cinnamon, along with a generous dollop of coffee mate. Thick and rich, it was just the way to start the day, no matter the hour.

  Monty and Larry were underfoot, begging to be fed. It was amazing how the two cats managed to empty their feeder overnight. The big cats had big appetites to match their neutered girth and could do serious damage to a bag of cat-food. Plus their canned milk. Both cats adored condensed sweet milk and were accustomed to getting at least two bowls a day, more if they could beg it. Sucker that she was, Kate spoiled them rotten and let them have anything they wanted. Including that huge kitty kingdom presently taking up a goodly portion of the living room. Set before the bay windows, it allowed the twins to watch the world go by in safety. Certainly they had enough levels to play on, a ménage of hidey holes, tunnels and posts to climb. That sucker had set her back a good two hundred and fifty dollars. It had been well worth the money, though. Monty and Larry loved to claw and it was their prime target.

  Giving the twins their milk, she finished her cup of coffee. Never a breakfast eater, she set
directly to work. Pots, pans, dishes, utensils, all went into their places. Since she’d become a single woman, there wasn’t really much of these things to put away. She never cooked for herself, preferring take out or microwave food. Cheese noodles were a favorite, as were bagels, cream cheese, and skim milk. Most of the time her fridge was embarrassingly empty. She hardly ever bought a good supply of groceries. Food usually spoiled before she got around to eating it. She was aware that she would have to get out sometime later today and get a few groceries, as well as restock the coffee and canned milk supply. It probably wouldn’t hurt to get a few more bags of cat food. When she started her job, she doubted she’d have time to shop.

  With the kitchen in fair order, she bypassed the living room and headed to the bedroom. An unmade bed annoyed her. She set to putting the bedroom in order, hanging clothes—which she’d simply left on the hangers and covered with plastic garbage bags. Other things, like undies and socks were stuffed into the dresser with little thought given to arrangement. She usually bought white everything in the same style, so it didn’t matter if socks were matched or not. She simply did not have time to mess with little chores. Again, it had been a matter of paring down and simplifying.

  It took about an hour to arrange things the way she wanted between bathroom and bedroom. Like kitchen items, things had been pared down to necessities only. One, she had put every spare penny into her savings account and two, a single person simply did not require a lot. A monk used to Spartan living would have been used to her style of decorating. Nothing. Walls had no pictures, tables displayed few knick-knacks. She supposed that came from her childhood. Every time the family got settled, daddy would inevitably get fired and they would have to pack and move yet again so he could find employment somewhere else. It was easier to move when you didn’t call a place home. Only people who had homes hung pictures on the walls.

  Checking the clock, she saw it was just nearing four-thirty. Amazing how much gets done when you set your mind to work.

  Ok, she thought. Living room next. Time to unpack the important stuff. Then I’ll wander out and get some snacks.

  There, Larry and Monty were lounging on their kingdom, excitedly watching the birds land in the trees outside. For them, catching a bird was a dream that would never be realized. But that didn’t stop the cats from dreaming. As housecats, they had never had the pleasure of going outside and stalking prey. Their lives were meant to be lived entirely indoors. To compensate for the lack of excitement, Kate tried to indulge their every whim. Toys, good food, you name it, they had it. She’d nearly had a heart attack when Monty had worked a screen off an open window and gotten outside. He was lost for an hour and she’d been in a panic, running up and down the streets of the neighborhood in her pajamas, calling frantically for Monty. Just when she’d given up hope of finding him, for no one in their right mind was going to pass up a free Persian running by, Monty had come sauntering up to the door—acting like he was meant to be out all the time. It was his sole trip outside and she had to guard the door, for sometimes the cat would get it in his head to make a mad dash outside.

  Giving her twins a fond smile, Kate set to work unpacking her entertainment center, which consisted of a small boom box, a 13 inch color TV and a used VCR. Ok, so she wasn’t much into having the biggest and best. What she had worked just fine. It might not be the newest, but it did the job. One advantage of working the advertising and classified department at the local newspaper was that you knew about all the sales before the general public. Though policy would not allow a paper’s employee to make a call on the item before the paper was out on the streets, having a head up and calling at 6 a.m. often secured the item in question.

  Deciding that a little music would be nice, she popped a CD into the player. Beethoven’s ninth symphony began to play. She especially liked the fourth movement, the chorale piece. Though she liked rock and roll and metal, too, there was something about the music’s original bad boy that attracted her to the composer’s work.

  Just as she was thinking that now would be the time to take a break and venture out for something to drink, the doorbell interrupted, followed by a moment later of vigorous knocking.

  “Kate!” Scott bellowed. “Lemme in.”

  Smiling to herself, Kate wiped a stray lock of hair out of her face. Making the rounds of some of the boxes, she unlocked the door and opened it. Scott stood there, all smiles, a six pack of coke in one hand and Chinese takeout in the other.

  “Food,” he said, lifting the sack. “I didn’t think you’d have time to get out and shop yet, so I took the liberty.”

  “Liberty appreciated,” she said, motioning him inside. A quick peek outside showed no sign of Josh. Oh well, maybe he was just being nice.

  “Great.” Scott set the food on the counter. “You hungry?”

  “I’ll start with a coke,” she said.

  His face took on a sheepish appearance. “Aw, shit, they’re hot.”

  “And I have no ice.”

  “Want me to go get some?”

  “Just stick them in the freezer for an hour,” she said. “I need to unpack the computer and get my desk set up.”

  He shrugged. “Sounds good. Let me help you.”

  “Great. They’re heavy.”

  Leading the way, Kate began to tackle the box containing her desktop. Scott bent over and lifted the heavy machine from its Styrofoam prison.

  “Where do you want it?” he asked.

  “Duh, desk,” she said, following with the heavy fourteen inch monitor. Through the years she’d never bothered to upgrade it, as it had great color and how much screen did a person need to stare at anyway. The desktop was top of the line, though hardly a new machine after three years. She’d ordered it custom made, and paid on it for over a year. The monitor was a discontinued refurbished model, and she’d never had a day’s problem with either. Keyboard and mouse were quickly added. That done, she unzipped the case that carried her laptop. This was newer, and she was still paying it off, fifty dollars a month. It would take three more years to pay it off, but she’d had no choice but to take the higher interest rate. As one who’d been forced into bankruptcy she’d had to persuade her mother to purchase the machine and let her pay for it in her name. It was the only way she could get the things she needed for her work. As a graphic artist, it was a tool of her trade, not a luxury.

  Scott whistled. “Pretty nice setup.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “I’d like a newer desktop, but that’s not possible right now.”

  He laughed. “I don’t even know how to use one of these things. Turning one on is a mystery to me.”

  “You should learn,” she said. “If you want, I can teach you. I used to make spare money tutoring and doing web design. I hope to start that up again here, if there’s a market.”

  “That would be cool.”

  With the computer set up, Kate moved to the next pile of boxes, those that held her most cherished possessions. The cat plates, over one hundred of them, were still securely packed in their cartons. She’d collected them through many years, but had never taken them out. Not because she feared Larry and Monty might break one, but because there was really no place to display them in the manner they should be. In the back of her mind she harbored the dream of having a whole wall of shelves devoted to their display. So far it had not happened. It hadn’t happened through ten years. The plates were still new, opened only for her to see the design before being relegated to the growing stack in the closet. A great amount of space was devoted to their keep.

  “Wow-eee,” Scott said. He picked up a plate out of the box and cracked open its container. “How many do you have?”

  “A lot. Over a hundred.”

  “Where do you want them?”

  “The utility room, please.”

  His eyebrow rose. “Not unpacking them?”

  She shook her head. “Not until I have my shelves. That’s my ambition in life. To have a place with a wall of shelves to
put my plates on.”

  Scott began to examine the walls. “Where do you want them?”

  “What?” she asked, not picking up his drift.

  “Your shelves, silly,” he said. “I could build them.”

  Kate felt flustered. “Really?” She wasn’t sure what to say. It was such a sweet offer. She fussed with making sure none of her plates were shattered by gently checking each one before putting it back in the box. So far, no sounds of tinkling glass were meeting her ears.

  “Sure. I am a carpenter, you know. It’s what I do.”

  She scratched her chin. “You know, that’s not a bad idea. How much could you do it for?”

  “Pretty cheap. You buy the wood and the beer, and I’ll do the rest.”

  “That would be so cool, having my plates displayed,” she gushed. “I’ve waited for years to be able to put them out. My last place just didn’t have any extra space at all.”

  He eyed the living room. “No problem with that here. You’ve got plenty of room in here. Bedroom, too.”

  He smiled and Kate’s heart did a one eighty turn in her chest. Her knees suddenly grew weak and she wondered if she could remain standing. God, but Scott was so damn yummy that she could eat him up with a spoon. Needing to distract her mind, she picked up a box and carried it into the utility room. Scott followed and soon all her plates were securely stored.

  Remembering the cokes, Scott pulled two cold cans out of the freezer. “Thirsty?”

  “God, yes!” She cracked her can and gulped down a mouthful of soda.

  “Hungry now?”

  She glanced at the clock. Was it already going on six? “Starved,” she said. She grabbed a couple of forks out of the drawer. “I hope you don’t mind informal. We can eat in the living room.”