but the idea of Angelo
here both disturbed her and excited her, even though he definitely wouldn’t feel comfortable
on any of her furniture.
She sipped her wine, scratching Rufus behind his ears and smiling absently when he
growled with happiness, shifting his body so she could reach his tummy.
An hour later, she stretched and looked around. She hadn’t gotten very far in her
book, but it still bothered her that Jasper hadn’t come to even sniff at his food.
Even if he wasn’t hungry, Jasper still sat beside his dish and stared at her, mentally
demanding that she change his food since it had been sitting there for more than he
deemed appropriate. Jade never did, but that didn’t stop him from demanding. In
his little cat mind, Jasper knew that he would eventually succeed in telepathically
demanding better kibbles.
She continued to scratch Rufus, rubbing his ears and his belly while he slowly crept
onto her lap. She was so caught up in trying not to think about Angelo and figure
out where Jasper had gone, she didn’t even notice that Rufus had pushed her book to
the floor as the canine was now draped over her lap and chair, blissfully enjoying
her attentions.
She absently wondered what Angelo might have eaten for dinner. Had he ordered something
to be delivered? Or had he gone to a restaurant? He probably had several associates
he could call if he needed dinner companionship. That term brought another woman
to mind and Jade quickly rejected that idea. She didn’t believe that Angelo would
take her to the ice cream shop, proposition her one more time, then call up a female
to have dinner with him. No, of all the things that she didn’t like about the man,
the way he made her feel being at the top of the list, his fidelity wasn’t something
she would question.
She couldn’t even use his business methods against him anymore. Not after he explained
how he’d acquired two different medical companies in order to acquire two patents,
making both medicines safer and more effective. Darn the man for taking away her
initial irritation with him!
It didn’t matter, she told herself. He’d already asserted that he would be a horrible
husband and she wanted to get married, have children. She knew she wasn’t the type
of person who could be some man’s mistress. It simply wasn’t in her makeup.
And Jasper continued to remain absent! So where was the little fluff ball? Why wasn’t
he here? He should be toddling around with his black and gold hair sticking out all
over his body, his huge tail twitching with curiosity or irritation that he can’t
catch the fly that was buzzing through her little family room. The poor cat constantly
hunted about outside, desperately thinking he could catch flying or scurrying creatures
but never actually succeeding.
Why wasn’t he here?
She sighed and gripped her wine glass with suddenly shaking fingers. Jasper wasn’t
here because…he was over at Angelo’s house. The darn cat was prowling around, looking
for something that only he could see that was hiding over at Angelo’s place.
She remembered that first night, finding her giant cat sitting on Angelo’s lap in
front of the fireplace. “Not there,” she begged the ceiling. “Please don’t let Jasper
be next door!” The man had been in her mind too much tonight. No matter how much
she tried to ignore him, his presence kept popping right back in.
She walked out onto her deck, whistling in an effort to call Jasper home. But there
was only silence in response. Not even a rustle indicating that the giant, furry
cat was in the bushes fruitlessly trying to catch one of the lightning bugs that were
fluttering about.
“I’m not going over there,” she told herself, pacing back and forth on her small deck.
“I’m not going to do it.” She took a long swig of wine
here both disturbed her and excited her, even though he definitely wouldn’t feel comfortable
on any of her furniture.
She sipped her wine, scratching Rufus behind his ears and smiling absently when he
growled with happiness, shifting his body so she could reach his tummy.
An hour later, she stretched and looked around. She hadn’t gotten very far in her
book, but it still bothered her that Jasper hadn’t come to even sniff at his food.
Even if he wasn’t hungry, Jasper still sat beside his dish and stared at her, mentally
demanding that she change his food since it had been sitting there for more than he
deemed appropriate. Jade never did, but that didn’t stop him from demanding. In
his little cat mind, Jasper knew that he would eventually succeed in telepathically
demanding better kibbles.
She continued to scratch Rufus, rubbing his ears and his belly while he slowly crept
onto her lap. She was so caught up in trying not to think about Angelo and figure
out where Jasper had gone, she didn’t even notice that Rufus had pushed her book to
the floor as the canine was now draped over her lap and chair, blissfully enjoying
her attentions.
She absently wondered what Angelo might have eaten for dinner. Had he ordered something
to be delivered? Or had he gone to a restaurant? He probably had several associates
he could call if he needed dinner companionship. That term brought another woman
to mind and Jade quickly rejected that idea. She didn’t believe that Angelo would
take her to the ice cream shop, proposition her one more time, then call up a female
to have dinner with him. No, of all the things that she didn’t like about the man,
the way he made her feel being at the top of the list, his fidelity wasn’t something
she would question.
She couldn’t even use his business methods against him anymore. Not after he explained
how he’d acquired two different medical companies in order to acquire two patents,
making both medicines safer and more effective. Darn the man for taking away her
initial irritation with him!
It didn’t matter, she told herself. He’d already asserted that he would be a horrible
husband and she wanted to get married, have children. She knew she wasn’t the type
of person who could be some man’s mistress. It simply wasn’t in her makeup.
And Jasper continued to remain absent! So where was the little fluff ball? Why wasn’t
he here? He should be toddling around with his black and gold hair sticking out all
over his body, his huge tail twitching with curiosity or irritation that he can’t
catch the fly that was buzzing through her little family room. The poor cat constantly
hunted about outside, desperately thinking he could catch flying or scurrying creatures
but never actually succeeding.
Why wasn’t he here?
She sighed and gripped her wine glass with suddenly shaking fingers. Jasper wasn’t
here because…he was over at Angelo’s house. The darn cat was prowling around, looking
for something that only he could see that was hiding over at Angelo’s place.
She remembered that first night, finding her giant cat sitting on Angelo’s lap in
front of the fireplace. “Not there,” she begged the ceiling. “Please don’t let Jasper
be next door!” The man had been in her mind too much tonight. No matter how much
she tried to ignore him, his presence kept popping right back in.
She walked out onto her deck, whistling in an effort to call Jasper home. But there
was only silence in response. Not even a rustle indicating that the giant, furry
cat was in the bushes fruitlessly trying to catch one of the lightning bugs that were
fluttering about.
“I’m not going over there,” she told herself, pacing back and forth on her small deck.
“I’m not going to do it.” She took a long swig of wine
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