She'd barely slept. After getting off work Cait had spent a couple hours falling apart with Cris over some chinese. Their discussion had led her to visit him after just a few hours fitful sleep. The girl had a plan, see. To pretend she'd seen nothing. To act as if nothing was amiss. She'd even brought over a jacket he'd left at her house last week to use as an excuse for the visit. After putting her bike up against the garage, the brunette hopped up the porch stairs and rapped soundly on the screen door.
Crusty was sitting on the porch and of course looking at Cait as she hopped up the steps. The mews started, and she was all around ankles weaving in and out. But, there was no answer for a bit at the door. No stirring of blinds, no familiar eyes up high, peeking out. If she were listening, she'd hear something? Maybe it was footsteps.
"What are you doing outside, kitty?" While waiting, she knelt to scoop the cat into her arms. Maybe Kyle hadn't gone home at all. Maybe he'd gone home with Zee. Frowning at the mewling cat, she scritched her under the chin. "Did your daddy leave you outside all night because he didn't come home?"
There was a cough from inside. A few more footsteps, and then the locks were slowly turned. The door opened a crack and there hazel eyes not much higher than Cait's staring out at the woman, then dropping to the cat. She wore a grey Chicago shirt that hung down to her thighs. If there was anything else, it was hidden. "Hey." One word. Either greeting or attention getter.
That was not Kyle's voice. Cait stood quickly, looking for a moment like a deer caught in the headlights. "Um.." Then she smiled. "Hi. Is Kyle home?"
Zee blinked a couple times, trying to focus and get the fog out of her head. Kyle had left her to finish off a six pack and pizza, saying that he had to go and clear his head. She hadn't seen him since. "You are..." she was trying to remember a name that she couldn't forget. "He's in the shower." Lying prettily. He hadn't been home in over ten hours now.
"Oh." Stay calm, Caitie. Play it cool. He was never yours to begin with. "I'm Cait. I tend bar at Maelstrom. Good fight, by the way." Ew. "He, oh," she let Crusty jump out of her arms and held out the jacket. "I was just going to come see Kyle since he didn't say goodbye to me last night. And I found this at my place." She held it out, trying not to look at how little the other brunette was wearing.
"Yeah, you're the chick..." She took the jacket and looked at it, wondering why it was left at Cait's place when Kyle said the only thing that had happened between them ever had been two kisses. She was fifty percent of that now and planning on breaking the record. "Thanks, you should fight sometime. It's liberating." Crusty zipped on into the apartment to her food bowls inspecting for treats, then settling for her own food. "Maelstrom is pretty flashy compared to my place. But, it's a good group. Kyle's my lead bouncer." Bouncer was said with innuendo.
The chick...what? Maybe all she'd meant was recognizing her from the restaurant early this morning. "I'm not really into fighting..." A shrug to that, wondering why on earth Zee would suggest that. Cait was clearly a stick. "I've never been over there, but I don't doubt he's great at what he does." How could she make an escape?
"Really great." Wink. She was enjoying herself. "So, you are like his friend or something, right?" She pushed the door open, just to see if Cait would come in. Sure, the shower wasn't running, but it was in the back, so it was hard to tell anyway. "As far as fighting goes, there are girls that are your size just getting into it. So many do it and they walk down the streets fearing nothing, you know?" She looked Cait over. She was pretty. Young, but pretty none the less. She could see what Kyle liked, there was a time that Zee would have too, but that was in college. She was going to have to tease him about being a dirty old man when she finally saw him.
"Yeah, just friends. But I don't want to intrude," said as she took a step back, waving her hand. "Really just wanted to make sure he was ok when I didn't hear from him last night. But now I see why he left in a hurry." By some magic power, Cait actually managed to look congratulatory. "Just tell him I dropped by, 'kay? Or I'll text him later or something."
"You sure?" She looked back down the hall, then back at Cait. "You aren't intruding, it's not like we are doing anything." She grinned, but truth was she was worried about him too. He wasn't himself when he left on that bike last night. He left the club, didn't seem thrilled to see her, or even crack a joke, but it was all things that she wasn't going to share with the younger woman. "Cait, you said?" Of course she did, but why act interested?
"Oh, well, I..." And if she couldn't help it, brown eyes dropped to the lack of pants on the other woman. She took another step back. "Yep..Cait. Ross, but I'm sure he'll know who you're talking about when you tell him I was here."
"Watch your step, Hun. You are getting close to going off the back of the porch there." She pointed. All those steps back added up. She took notice of the eyes moving to her legs. "I didn't bring anything to sleep in." Flicking at the shirt as if an explanation was needed. "Cait Ross." She stuck her hand out finally. "I'm Zara Sleigh, most just call me Zee."
As if on cue, she dropped down onto the first step. "Nice to meet you, Zee. I should really get going." Gestures over her shoulder, dropping down another step. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime..."
"Yeah? I'd like that. We could talk, have lunch or whatever!" Zee waved the offered hand. Mentally marking herself a winner for this meeting.
"Sure!" Cait agreed brightly. She turned to bounce down the rest of the steps, muttering something under her breath. "Have a great day." Well, she'd done it. She'd gotten away without stabbing the *****.
"You too." Zee grinned, watching Cait bounce away. She wondered how pretty she'd be with a black eye and a tooth missing from that too perfect smile. She leaned in the doorway to Kyle's apartment like she owned the place, watching and gloating over her own personal victory.
Crusty was sitting on the porch and of course looking at Cait as she hopped up the steps. The mews started, and she was all around ankles weaving in and out. But, there was no answer for a bit at the door. No stirring of blinds, no familiar eyes up high, peeking out. If she were listening, she'd hear something? Maybe it was footsteps.
"What are you doing outside, kitty?" While waiting, she knelt to scoop the cat into her arms. Maybe Kyle hadn't gone home at all. Maybe he'd gone home with Zee. Frowning at the mewling cat, she scritched her under the chin. "Did your daddy leave you outside all night because he didn't come home?"
There was a cough from inside. A few more footsteps, and then the locks were slowly turned. The door opened a crack and there hazel eyes not much higher than Cait's staring out at the woman, then dropping to the cat. She wore a grey Chicago shirt that hung down to her thighs. If there was anything else, it was hidden. "Hey." One word. Either greeting or attention getter.
That was not Kyle's voice. Cait stood quickly, looking for a moment like a deer caught in the headlights. "Um.." Then she smiled. "Hi. Is Kyle home?"
Zee blinked a couple times, trying to focus and get the fog out of her head. Kyle had left her to finish off a six pack and pizza, saying that he had to go and clear his head. She hadn't seen him since. "You are..." she was trying to remember a name that she couldn't forget. "He's in the shower." Lying prettily. He hadn't been home in over ten hours now.
"Oh." Stay calm, Caitie. Play it cool. He was never yours to begin with. "I'm Cait. I tend bar at Maelstrom. Good fight, by the way." Ew. "He, oh," she let Crusty jump out of her arms and held out the jacket. "I was just going to come see Kyle since he didn't say goodbye to me last night. And I found this at my place." She held it out, trying not to look at how little the other brunette was wearing.
"Yeah, you're the chick..." She took the jacket and looked at it, wondering why it was left at Cait's place when Kyle said the only thing that had happened between them ever had been two kisses. She was fifty percent of that now and planning on breaking the record. "Thanks, you should fight sometime. It's liberating." Crusty zipped on into the apartment to her food bowls inspecting for treats, then settling for her own food. "Maelstrom is pretty flashy compared to my place. But, it's a good group. Kyle's my lead bouncer." Bouncer was said with innuendo.
The chick...what? Maybe all she'd meant was recognizing her from the restaurant early this morning. "I'm not really into fighting..." A shrug to that, wondering why on earth Zee would suggest that. Cait was clearly a stick. "I've never been over there, but I don't doubt he's great at what he does." How could she make an escape?
"Really great." Wink. She was enjoying herself. "So, you are like his friend or something, right?" She pushed the door open, just to see if Cait would come in. Sure, the shower wasn't running, but it was in the back, so it was hard to tell anyway. "As far as fighting goes, there are girls that are your size just getting into it. So many do it and they walk down the streets fearing nothing, you know?" She looked Cait over. She was pretty. Young, but pretty none the less. She could see what Kyle liked, there was a time that Zee would have too, but that was in college. She was going to have to tease him about being a dirty old man when she finally saw him.
"Yeah, just friends. But I don't want to intrude," said as she took a step back, waving her hand. "Really just wanted to make sure he was ok when I didn't hear from him last night. But now I see why he left in a hurry." By some magic power, Cait actually managed to look congratulatory. "Just tell him I dropped by, 'kay? Or I'll text him later or something."
"You sure?" She looked back down the hall, then back at Cait. "You aren't intruding, it's not like we are doing anything." She grinned, but truth was she was worried about him too. He wasn't himself when he left on that bike last night. He left the club, didn't seem thrilled to see her, or even crack a joke, but it was all things that she wasn't going to share with the younger woman. "Cait, you said?" Of course she did, but why act interested?
"Oh, well, I..." And if she couldn't help it, brown eyes dropped to the lack of pants on the other woman. She took another step back. "Yep..Cait. Ross, but I'm sure he'll know who you're talking about when you tell him I was here."
"Watch your step, Hun. You are getting close to going off the back of the porch there." She pointed. All those steps back added up. She took notice of the eyes moving to her legs. "I didn't bring anything to sleep in." Flicking at the shirt as if an explanation was needed. "Cait Ross." She stuck her hand out finally. "I'm Zara Sleigh, most just call me Zee."
As if on cue, she dropped down onto the first step. "Nice to meet you, Zee. I should really get going." Gestures over her shoulder, dropping down another step. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime..."
"Yeah? I'd like that. We could talk, have lunch or whatever!" Zee waved the offered hand. Mentally marking herself a winner for this meeting.
"Sure!" Cait agreed brightly. She turned to bounce down the rest of the steps, muttering something under her breath. "Have a great day." Well, she'd done it. She'd gotten away without stabbing the *****.
"You too." Zee grinned, watching Cait bounce away. She wondered how pretty she'd be with a black eye and a tooth missing from that too perfect smile. She leaned in the doorway to Kyle's apartment like she owned the place, watching and gloating over her own personal victory.