Page 56 of The Virgin Romance Novelist Chronicles
From the look in Sir Licks-a-Lot’s eyes, I was. I was deathly terrified of what the crazed feline might do.
“Psssst,” I started saying while swinging my bag back and forth and walking forward. I repeatedly told myself to show no weakness. He could smell the weakness. “Psssssst! Shoo, get out of here, you demon.”
“Meow, rarara,” Sir Licks-a-Lot responded while crouching down in a hunting position.
“No,” I shrieked and, like a lunatic, took off running toward them, trying to use the element of surprise. The posse scampered away but Sir Licks-a-Lot held his ground and leapt in the air, right at my crotch with his claws out. With the best reflexes I had, I moved my bag in front of me just in time to block Sir Licks-a-Lot.
“Ha, nice try, you bastard,” I said while walking toward my office.
It wasn’t until he clawed my hand did I realize he’d attached himself to my bag like a piece of Velcro and held on for his damn life.
“Ack, get,” I yelled, shaking my bag, but he held on strong. I didn’t have time to fight with the beast, so I tossed the clothing bag to the side—with him attached—grabbed my purse from my desk, and sprinted toward the lobby where I frantically pressed the elevator button. I turned toward my office and saw Sir Licks-a-Lot peek his head out of my doorway and spot me. Like a predator, he started walking toward me with only thoughts of spreading mounds and mounds of cat hair on my pants.
“Come on, come on,” I spoke to the elevator as he drew closer.
The magicalbingof the elevator door sounded off and the doors opened. Quickly, I got in and started pressing the lobby button over and over. The doors began to shut and that’s when I called out to Sir Licks-a-Lot. “Ha, ha, you little shit, nice try. You and your pussycat posse can go to hell.”
Just as the last words flew out of my mouth, the elevator doors closed, and I rested against the wall.
“Interesting work environment,” a deep voice sounded from the other side of the elevator, scaring the ever-living piss right out of me.
My body flew against the side, and my hand held on to my chest, right where my heart was beating rapidly.
“Oh my goodness, I didn’t see you there,” I said to a dark-haired, handsome man wearing a smart suit who was eyeing me suspiciously.
“Sorry, I suppose. Should I warn you next time you enter an elevator?”
“No, sorry. I was distracted.”
“By that terrifying cat? I can see why. I’m guessing you work atFriendly Felines.”
“I do, unfortunately,” I admitted and shrugged my shoulders. “It pays the bills, but sometimes, like tonight, I wonder if I would be better off being a waitress. I wouldn’t have to deal with the demon-possessed cats.”
“Yes, but you wouldn’t be able to meet strange men like me in the elevator.” He smiled a very bright white smile.
“Is that a pick-up line?” I asked, slightly confused.
“Was it that bad?” He winced.
“No, I think I might be dense.” I laughed.
He held out his hand and said, “Phillip.”
“Rosie,” I replied, shaking his strong and very large hand.
“What a beautiful name, Rosie. How come I’ve never met you in the elevator before?”
“I normally don’t work this late, but I had a deadline and procrastinated too much today. So here I am, leaving the office late.”
“Makes sense. Why were you running away from that cat? You looked slightly crazy yelling at it through the crack of the elevator doors.”
Laughing, I replied, “I didn’t want to get cat hair all over my black pants. I forgot my lint roller.”
Normally, I would rather drop dead than talk to a guy in an elevator, because I’d been extremely shy my entire life when it came to the opposite sex. But with my new goal in life, I was feeling more confident, hence, I could carry on a conversation without sweating a pool for the cats in the office to swim in.
Nodding in understanding, he eyed my pants and then my entire outfit. His perusal sent a wave of heat through my body. He wasn’t very subtle and my reaction wasn’t either.
“Wouldn’t want to ruin those pants.”
