Catopolis

She wanted to say yes, but it was too soon for her to start dating again. Wasn’t it? Her feline-biological clock started to tick loudly in her ears. She summoned her willpower to say no.

“Don’t say anything, please.” Stefan winked at her, his lustrous eyes full of mischief. “We are neighbors now. How do you say it in this country, see you later?”

Cassie admired his persistence, but she couldn’t let herself be drawn into one of those rebound-dating things that never worked out. She should just prance off and not reply, but that would be rude. Especially to a foreigner who had just arrived in the city. “Yes. See you later.”

Stefan’s eyes followed her as she left the garden. She could feel them. As she went down the stairs, Cassie started to miss Big-Paws even more.

Maybe it could work out between us? Maybe he just got scared? Maybe if I go to him now, he’ll want me back?

The door to his penthouse suite was open. Cassie gingerly approached the door and peeked inside. Harsh carpet cleaning chemicals replaced the usual smell of leather ottomans and those strangely intriguing cigars Big-Paws’ human liked to smoke. The place was empty save for a housekeeper’s cart and the nice woman who always shut off her vacuum when cats passed her in the hallway. It was true that Cassie had planted the original idea to shut off the ear-splitting machine, but even after that, the woman continued to be thoughtful.

Cassie realized she was doing a good job of avoiding the truth as she surveyed the penthouse. Mr. Big-Paws was gone. He wasn’t going to ask for her back. It really was over. Cassie felt as though she were sinking into the carpet and had to get out of there. Now. She had to go back home and take a nap that would last for days. Maybe weeks. Perhaps it would be better if she gave up on the idea of kittens all together and just got spayed like a lot of the other cats.

She sulked toward the staircase, her tail feeling dead and lifeless. Stefan appeared, his eyes filled with concern. “What is wrong? May I be helpful to you?”

“No. Thank you.” She didn’t want to tell him. After all, they had just met.

“Later, perhaps, we will have di

Cassie made it back to her place and hid under the bed. She fell asleep after wondering where Big-Paws had gone. She missed him, especially the times when he would wrap his tail around her legs and they would fall asleep together. She awoke in the darkness and crawled out from under the bed. Her stomach was empty, and her food bowl was too. Damn. Her human must not have come home-again. The silver laptop with the fruit symbol on it was on the desk, so she couldn’t be out on business. She must have spent the night with one of those fashion photographers that she was so fond of mating with.

Stefan did say to drop by for di

“Welcome to my new home.” Stefan’s eyes beamed as he greeted her. “Come in. Come in.”

“Thank you.” Cassie entered the lavish apartment, noticing how low and perfect for hopping onto the furniture was. As they passed the soft couch, she smelled gunpowder and money beneath the cushions. Perhaps Stefan’s human had heard how rough the city sometimes was and decided to keep a gun close by.

“Are you hungry?” Stefan asked.

With impeccably embarrassing timing, her stomach growled. “Maybe a little.”

“Follow me.”

In the marble-floored kitchen, Stefan showed her a silver bowl with small black fish eggs. “Mmmm, caviar.”

“Beluga, of course,” Stefan said, “I find it more palatable than Malossol. Don’t you agree?”

“It smells delicious.” Cassie took a bite and was hooked. “Would you like some, Stefan?”

“I’ve already dined, thank you.”

She finished the bowl rather quickly as he explained that his human was at some nightclub and would probably be there all night with business partners.

“Care for something to drink?” Stefan indicated a saucer of water.

When her tongue touched it, Cassie noticed something different. It was extremely pure and had a clean taste so lively and different from the plastic-flavored bottled water she was used to. “This is excellent.”

“It’s from a pristine spring in my Motherland, shipped in glass bottles to preserve the taste. Common brands are so bland.”

Stefan came over for a taste beside her, and their tongues almost met by the edge of the bowl. Cassie pulled away, licking her upper lip.

“The view from my balcony is quite nice,” Stefan said. “Would you like to see it?”

Cassie followed him and was stu

“I’m pleased very much that you are here.” Stefan, glanced at Cassie, his eyes luminous in the night.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Stefan lay down on a soft rug, while gazing through the railing. He invited her to join him with a flick of his tail.

With her full tummy and the pleasing music, Cassie could not help herself. She lay down beside Stefan and breathed in air that smelled of the rich earth and sweet leaves in the park. She could definitely get used to this.

The next day, around noon, Cassie excused herself, and Stefan showed her out.

“It was most pleasing to see you, Cassie. I hope to see you again soon.”

“I’d like that too.” Cassie blinked at him, then sauntered away, giving him a good look at her hind end. After all, it was her best feature.

When she returned home, an anchovy that had been recently packed in extra virgin olive oil lay on the welcome mat. Her tail stiffened. It had to be from Big-Paws. He was the only one who knew of her strange weakness for oil-packed anchovies rather than the mundane salt-packed variety.

She sniffed around for the musky scent of Mr. Big-Paws, but a fresh layer of the reeking flowery perfume from the lawyer lady down the hall masked the area well enough that she couldn’t pick him out.

Cassie picked up the fish, tasting the bold and rich flavor enhanced by the toasted hazelnuts and caviar that it had been packed with. She made her way out the hall window, along the ledge, and onto her balcony. She wished she had her own custom cat door as she avoided the pigeon droppings on the stone parapet. She went into her apartment with its view of the street, and hid the fish under the bed, wondering if it really had come from Big-Paws.

The next three days were a flurry of activity in between long luxurious naps at Stefan’s apartment. The Russian was excellent company, always putting her first and making her laugh. She loved showing him around the building and spending time with him. Late one night they strolled through the rooftop garden. He stopped her by the pond.

“See anything different?” Stefan’s whiskers twitched.

Cassie glanced into the water. Orange and white shapes swam back and forth. “Fish? You had koi put in here?”

“It was my pleasure,” Stefan said, “especially since you so are happy now.”

“They’re beautiful.” Cassie was enthralled, and couldn’t take her eyes away.

“Not as beautiful as you.” Stefan brushed against her cheek. Their whiskers met, sending jolts of sensation through all the way down Cassie’s tail. Stefan said, “I have traveled very far in this world, but I have never met a feline as wonderful as you.”

Their noses met, and his scent overwhelmed her. She was suddenly smelling his rump as he pressed his nose toward her own tail.