Matchmaker Cat (A Romantic Comedy Short Story) by Elizabeth Kyne (best classic romance novels txt) 📕

morningstubble, and my disapproval melted. ‘I’ll look after Lindy for you,if you have to go to Germany,’ I said.

‘Really?’

‘Ofcourse.’

‘She’ll needfeeding every day and, if the landlord wants to come over, all thecat stuff will have to be hidden.’

‘Perhaps shecan stay here,’ I said.

‘Here?’

‘Of course,here. Then she’ll have company and I won’t have to go dashingacross town every day.’

‘Thank you.’ Hesmiled and his whole face became sunshine, like the picture of himthat attracted me in the first place. He put his arm around me anddrew me close for a kiss.

‘Meow!’squealed Chester under Riss’s weight.

Riss’s mouthmuffled my laughter as he prolonged the kiss. I pushed him away fora second and shooed Chester off the bed. The cat leapt onto thecarpet with as much dignity as he could manage and walked off,displaying the air of a creature who hadn’t wanted to stay on mypillow in the first place.

‘Now,’ I said,‘where were we?’ I returned Riss’s kiss, exploring the warmth ofhis mouth. Then I shuffled closer to explore the warmth of hisbody.

*

Exactly a weeklater, I opened my front door to see Riss standing on my doorstep,laden with umpteen bags and a cardboard box.

‘Good heavens!’I said. ‘It is just the one cat who’s staying isn’t it?’

‘What?’ hesaid, breathless.

‘You’ve gotenough luggage for the whole family Von Trapp.’

‘I’ve gotLindy’s basket and her favourite bowl, and I couldn’t ask you tobuy extra cat litter.’

I saw, then,his arms starting to give way under all the stuff he was carrying.‘You better come in before you drop it all.’ I stepped out of hisway and he turned sideways to enable both himself and his stuff toget through the door. I put my hands on the cardboard box. ‘Let metake that.’

‘Thankyou.’

He let gogratefully and the whole weight was suddenly in my arms. It tookthe wind out of me and I had to lean back against the wall to getmy balance. ‘What have you got in here?’

‘Cat food.’

‘Your cat’sstaying here for a month, we’re not digging in ’till doomsday.’

I staggered offtowards the kitchen while, behind me, Riss squeezed in between thewall and my bicycle.

‘Do you everactually go out cycling?’ he called from behind.

‘No, it’s therefor decoration.’

‘Maybe youshould think about hanging a picture instead?’

I dropped thebox on a worktop just inside the kitchen door and caught my breath.Riss staggered in moments later and dumped the bags.

‘Now,’ he said,panting like an unfit man after a marathon. ‘I think you’ve goteverything. There should be plenty of dry food as well as tinned,Lindy’s bedding, her toys, bowls and her litter tray…’

‘Isn’t theresomething you’ve forgotten?’ I said.

‘Hmm?’ heseemed puzzled, like nothing could have possibly got past hismeticulous planning.

‘The cat?’ Isuggested.

‘Lindy!’ saidRiss. ‘She’s still in the taxi.’

I couldn’t movefor laughing, as Riss jumped over all his bags, dashed back downthe hall and out of the front door. After a moment, still gigglingto myself, I followed and stood at the doorstep while I watched himpay the cabbie and retrieve the cat box from the back seat.

Lindy waswailing like she was the victim of despicable animal cruelty. Ascreaming meow-meow-meow, with hardly a breath betweencries, loud enough to be heard at the other end of the street.

He brought herinside and the sound of Lindy’s wails echoed down the hall. Icouldn’t blame her, I suppose, it was a very small prison to belocked up in. The carrier was plastic and not much longer or widerthan a standard cat, with a grill at the front through which theprisoner could see outside. I had a similar one for taking Chesterto the vet; he hated it as well.

‘Let’s releaseher in the kitchen,’ I said.

‘Good idea,’said Riss, over the continued wailing.

We walked downthe hall and Riss placed the plastic prison down just inside thekitchen door. He opened Lindy’s cage. The noise immediatelystopped. I expected Lindy to leap out to freedom, but nothinghappened.

Strange for ananimal that had seemed so desperate to escape.

I exchangedlooks with Riss. We waited.

Then Lindy - asmallish silver tabby - sauntered out of the box like the Queendescending from her carriage. It was as if her desperate cries forfreedom had never existed.

She took theunfamiliar surroundings of the kitchen in her stride. She exploredthe narrow tiled floor and soon found Chester’s food corner. Shesniffed into his bowl and, within seconds, was chomping on a pieceof meat left over from his last meal.

I turned toRiss. He looked relieved. Hot, still out of puff and a bit red inthe face, but definitely relieved. ‘I think she’s going to settlein fine,’ I said.

‘Yes,’ hesaid.

*

We retired tothe sofa with a coffee.

‘You know whatwe should get you?’ he said after taking his first mouthful.

‘No. What?’

‘A decentcoffee maker.’

I nudged him inthe ribs. ‘Are you saying you don’t like my coffee?’

‘I’m justsaying instant granules are a bit last century.’

‘Well, I’m surethey do ‘proper’ coffee in Germany.’

‘Yeah,’ hesaid; despondent.

‘Don’t be likethat,’ I said. ‘It’s only for a month.’

‘It’s just…I’ve got used to coming round here.’

His wordswarmed my insides and I felt myself wilt under his spell. I put mymug down on the floor where I hoped I wouldn’t kick it over andshuffled up the sofa towards him. I put my arms around his body andnuzzled my face into his soft, slightly flabby belly. It was themost gorgeous pillow and had the added advantage of being full ofhis subtle, but inviting smell. ‘I’m going to miss you too,’ Isaid.

He stroked myhair with delicate fingers, like he was stroking a cat. It wasblissful; I wanted to purr. Instead, I let out a contented‘mmmmm’.

‘I wish Ididn’t have to go,’ he said.

‘Me too.’ Igave his belly a squeeze. He stroked my hair some more.

‘Roll on nextmonth.’

‘I wasthinking,’ I said, ‘maybe when you come back, if Lindy seems happyhere, perhaps you could stay more often.’

‘Is that offerdependent on what my cat thinks?’ said Riss, with a hint ofsarcasm.

‘Well, it’sbecause of a cat that the two of us got together.’

He laughed. Thesound - echoing in his stomach - was loud in my ear. ‘You don’treally believe that.’

‘Chester has tohave been the one who picked you out from the internet - otherwiseI’d have to admit using a dating website.’

‘Crazy girl,’he said.

I