Cat Lady

The 2nd chapter is here.

This chapter runs parallel to the 2nd.

The whole story from the beginning can be found here.

*****

Selene reached the top landing, the quiet corridor stretching out in front of her like a held breath. The hush was almost too much after the rhythm of her crutches on the stairs, the echo of her deliberate show still alive in her mind. She paused, back pressed lightly against the wall as if she were just another professional making her way between meetings, but the smirk tugging at her mouth betrayed her. That look on his face, part deer in headlights, part starving wolf, was better than any compliment she could have coaxed out of him with polite conversation. He hadn’t expected the glimpse, not at all, and that shock made his reaction all the more real.

She tilted her head, listening for the sound of hurried footsteps, the eager chase of a boy who couldn’t stop himself from running after her, but the stairwell stayed silent. Too silent. Her fingers brushed down the lapel of her jacket, adjusting it just to give her hand something to do as she replayed the moment again. The red satin panties had been a bold choice this morning, not just underwear but a talisman, hidden armor she’d originally picked to boost her confidence going in to the big presentation that afternoon, but now she had another reason to be glad she’d chosen them. Alex’s eyes had devoured that flash like it was the only color in his world. He had frozen, yes, but not with disgust, not with dismissal, he had frozen because she’d knocked the wind out of him.

Selene’s shoulders rose and fell in a quiet laugh as she pushed away from the wall. She still had it. More than had it. She had just rattled the unsuspecting man to the point of carving her into his memory, probably for the rest of the day, maybe longer. That sort of impression was better than any introduction. She imagined him back at his desk, trying to shake the image, failing miserably, cheeks hot as he tried to focus on spreadsheets while his mind kept circling back to the sway of her skirt, the glimpse of smooth thigh ending in soft skin, the bold red secret underneath.

Her crutches tapped in that practiced rhythm again as she made her way down the hall toward her office. Each step felt lighter, carried by the private satisfaction of knowing she’d bent his composure so easily. She almost wished he had followed, breathless, trying to explain himself, or perhaps stammering out something reckless and bold. Almost. But the restraint was better, it meant she still had him dangling, his imagination working overtime. That was always more powerful than immediate gratification. She knew he’d replay the scene tonight, alone, probably more than once, and every detail would belong to her design.

When she reached her office, she lingered with her hand on the doorframe, lips curving again. She let herself savor the picture of his face one last time before stepping inside. The stairwell might be behind her, but the game it had begun was far from over.

The sound of her keys jangled against the ceramic bowl with a hollow clink, the familiar start to her nightly ritual. Selene slipped her shoe off, toes flexing with relief against the cool floor as she closed the door behind her. The apartment was dim, cozy, and carried the faint scent of yesterday’s coffee still lingering in the air. She leaned on her crutches and called out into the space, her voice warm, teasing, as though the walls themselves should already know the routine.

“Ziggy? Mango? Mama’s home.”

From the shadows of the living room came the patter of paws, a sudden rush of feline bodies twining close. Mango’s orange tail flagged high, brushing against her leg, while Ziggy, the black one, circled and darted with quick, impatient chirps. Their cries weren’t so much greetings as demands, and Selene laughed under her breath, the sound soft and indulgent.

“All right, all right, I get it. Food first, love second. Story of my life, hm?”

She made her way to the kitchen, crutches clicking, cats trailing dangerously close. Bending to fill their bowls, she kept up her monologue like a one woman show. “So, my big presentation, knocked it out of the park. Nailed every slide, smooth as silk, even got that stiff Collins to nod along.” She set the bowls down with a soft clatter, and the cats dove in immediately, chewing with noisy indifference.

“And then,” she continued, rising again, “there was this new hire. Alex. Cute. Very cute.” She grinned at their bent heads, amused by her own one-sided conversation. “You’d like him. Or maybe you wouldn’t, since you like no one but me. Still. He looked at me today like…” Her voice trailed, a secret smile tugging as she moved toward the bedroom.

The cats didn’t follow. Their loyalty lasted only until their bowls were filled. Selene shook her head fondly as she crutched into her bedroom, slipping out of her suit with practiced motions, careful with the jacket, tugging the skirt free. She leaned toward the mirror, first to remove her contacts, and then to wipe away her makeup, all the while talking to her reflection as though Ziggy and Mango were paying rapt attention.

“He’ll think about it all night, you know. Probably didn’t hear a single word after he saw me on the stairs. Poor boy, his brain short circuited. And me? I still got it.”

When she was finished, her skin bare, her hair brushed loose and soft around her shoulders, she slid into a lavender nightgown, thin, comfortable, feminine without trying, and donned her glasses. She moved back into the kitchen, retrieving the half bottle of red wine from the fridge, uncorking it with a twist and a faint pop, pouring herself a glass before setting a pan on the stove. The cats finally reappeared, weaving around her legs as if they hadn’t been fed at all.

“Greedy,” she muttered, nudging Mango back with a crutch as she stirred something simple together. “I bring home stories, excitement, intrigue, and you only want seconds.”

Dinner was modest but filling, the wine rich and heady. Afterward she carried the bottle with her into the living room, settling onto the couch with a sigh that emptied the day from her chest. The TV flickered with some half interesting series, voices she let wash past her, but her attention stayed glued to her phone.

Her fingers worked quick, purposeful. Alex’s name typed into search bars, brows furrowing with each empty result. No social media, or too private, or too careful. She tried variations, last names she thought she remembered from HR paperwork, cross referencing profiles, scanning faces. Nothing.

She sipped her wine, tongue against her teeth in mild frustration. “You’re not making this easy, Alex,” she murmured. The cats had abandoned her again, sleeping curled together on the chair. Alone with the screen glow, she let herself lean back into the cushions, the taste of red lingering on her lips, the itch of curiosity burrowing deeper now that she couldn’t scratch it. He was out there somewhere, already entangled in her thoughts, and now, damn it, he was hidden.

That only made her want to find him more.

*****

Next chapter.