Opposites Attract (10 page)

“
Do
you need help with that cat?” Troy grabbed him mid-leap as the
cat was about to make a break for freedom. He cuddled the again happy
cat in the crook of his elbow.

“
You
sure have a knack with it…um I mean him. Actually I don’t
have much experience with cats.”

“
No?”
Amy didn’t miss Troy’s sarcasm as he edged past her. He
walked through the apartment to the bedroom where he placed the cat
gently on the bed, then shut the door securely. “There, that’ll
keep him out of trouble for awhile.”

“
But
what if he has to, you know, do his business?” she asked.

Troy
tried not to laugh “He can do his business in the litter box.
It’s in the bathroom attached to the master bedroom.”

He
finally took the time to really study this girl now that the cat was
out of the way.

She
was adorable, all blushing five feet two inches and perhaps a hundred
and twenty pounds or so of her. He was good at guessing height and
weight. Hadn’t he carried enough people, both on the job and in
training, to know by now how heavy they were? And this girl was curvy
in all the right places, just how he liked them.

Damn
shame he’d long since stopped checking out the females that
came to visit this particular apartment, pretty much since he had
asked Maria if she wanted to go out for a drink the week after she’d
moved in and she’d informed him that he definitely wasn’t
her type—the problem being that he had a penis.

That
was fine with him though. After careful consideration, he decided
that dating a woman who lived right across the hall would be a little
too close for comfort. He liked to keep his dating world and his home
life separate. Things were easier that way, especially when they
ended, which they always eventually did.

But
still, God wasn’t playing fair in his opinion, making women who
had no interest in men look so damn tempting. This one had long wavy
brown hair that set off her warm brown eyes perfectly. And a perfect
button nose that looked made for nibbling on. There were a few other
parts of her he wouldn’t mind nibbling on either, given the
chance. Even under the blue mannish style suit she wore, he could
tell she had all the assets that usually got him going—everything
except the need for a penis attached to her lover, that is.

Damn
shame, he thought again and worked his way back across Maria’s
apartment.

“
You
all set for now?”

The
cute thing who would never want him nodded. “Yes. Thank you
again.”

“
No
problem. See ya around.”

“
Okay.”
She smiled sweetly and again Troy resisted the urge to shake his head
at the irony of it all.

He
took his leave of the tempting tidbit he’d never get to taste
and went back to his empty apartment to watch the college basketball
playoffs on TV.

Chapter 2

Amy
sat on Maria’s sofa surrounded by the contents of her briefcase
and sighed. Another Friday night spent wading through submissions,
reading about whirlwind romances and happily ever afters for everyone
but herself.

A
scratching and muffled meow brought her out of her morose.

“
Oh,
my gosh.” She jumped up and opened the bedroom door. “I’m
so sorry, kitty cat. I forgot all about you.”

The
look the cat gave her was not at all forgiving as he pranced by and
went directly to his food dish in the kitchen.

“
Fine.
Be that way. I said I was sorry.” Amy walked back to the work
that currently represented the sum total of her life. Maybe it was
better that she had no man, no house and no children, since she
apparently couldn’t even handle taking care of a cat.

She
yawned and glanced at her watch. Eleven p.m. About now, Maria was
probably dancing her heart out with her life partner Elena at the
club on board the cruise ship, waiting for the nightly midnight
buffet to open. She knew Henri would be at his favorite gay bar with
his boyfriend Kenneth. And Troy, the hunky fireman neighbor—hmm,
what would he be doing at this very moment?

That
question opened up an entire realm of possibilities that made her for
the first time in a long time happy she was single so she was
available for him.

Jeez,
what was wrong with her today? She hadn’t looked more than
twice at a man in months. Well, maybe a second glace last week at
that cutie working on his laptop at the coffee shop. And she always
had a smile for the guy who changed the oil in her car. But she
wasn’t picturing either of them naked the way she was Troy.
Must be a full moon or something, making her hormones run on high.

Maria’s
phone rang loudly and she jumped. She grabbed the portable off the
kitchen wall and recognized Henri’s cell phone number on the
caller ID readout. Probably calling to rub it in that he was out
having a great time while she was there cat sitting of all things.

“
Go
ahead, tell me I’m a loser for house sitting on a Friday night
instead of being out.”

She
expected him to agree. Instead, a huge sob came through the line and
Henri ran on with a hysterical explanation that she could barely
understand.

“
Hold
on, Henri. I can’t hear half of what you’re saying. Where
are you?”

“
I’m
at the club,” he began. Well, that explained the loud voices
and pounding bass in the background. “Kenneth and I had a big
fight. That bitch took off and left me stranded here with no car and
no money to get home.” Henri’s voice now reached a pitch
so high only dogs should be able to hear it. He let out a big sob.
“Can you come and get me? It’s the club on Ninth.”

“
Of
course. Hang tight, I’ll be right there.” It looked like
she would be getting out on a Friday night after all. Whoopee.

At
least she’d never gotten around to changing out of her work
clothes or taking off her makeup. She grabbed her coat and purse and
then remembered to take Maria’s keys off the kitchen counter
where she’d left them. Locking herself out of the
apartment—wouldn’t that have been fun.

As
she opened the door and stepped out into the hall she glanced at the
hunky fireman’s door. Being locked out would be a good excuse
to get into his apartment though. Something to consider…

Said
apartment door suddenly opened and startled her so much she actually
jumped.

“
Hey.”
He appeared as surprised to see her as she was to see him.

“
Hi.
What are you doing out at this time of night?” Hopefully he
wasn’t off to some midnight rendezvous with his girlfriend.

He
jingled a bunch of quarters in his hand. “Laundry. Time to swap
it from the washer to the dryer. The machines are in a room at the
end of the hall, if you need them.”

Well
wasn’t he helpful and domestic too. “Thanks, I think I
will take advantage while I’m here.”

“
Where
are you off to?” He took in her office attire with a quick
downward glance. All right, so she wasn’t exactly dressed for
clubbing. Was everyone a critic?

“
A
friend is kind of stuck and needs a ride. Which really stinks because
I was actually able to find a parking spot, even if it is like five
blocks away, but now I’m going to lose it.”

He
frowned. “You shouldn’t be out walking to your car at
this time of night alone. Hold on a sec.” Hunky Troy
disappeared and was back with his jacket and keys in hand. “I’ll
walk you to your car.”

Wow,
did guys like this really still exist? Perhaps chivalry wasn’t
dead after all. She was about to tell him he didn’t have to
come with her when her practical side kicked in. First of all, she
was a little nervous walking alone since this wasn’t her own
neighborhood. Second, who in their right mind would give up a chance
for a moonlit stroll with this man? “That’s very nice of
you. Thank you.”

“
My
pleasure. So where do you have to pick up your friend?”

“
It’s
a club on Ninth. Near Broad.”

He
frowned deeper. “Ninth? That’s not a great neighborhood
and parking there stinks too. Maybe I should come with you. That way
I can wait in the car if we can’t park.”

Amy
had been to the club twice before with Henri and his various
boyfriends, but never alone. She would feel better having company and
she didn’t mind having an excuse to spend more time with him.
“You wouldn’t mind? I’m really disturbing your
night off.”

“
Not
at all. My body clock’s all messed up anyway. I’d
probably be up watching TV all night.”

That
worked for her. She smiled. “All right then. Thanks.”

But
what seemed like a good idea at the time took on entirely different
connotations when they were not only able to park right in front of
the club but Troy insisted on coming inside with her.

“
Let
me try calling his cell first. He can come out to meet us.” Amy
held her breath, hoping Henri would answer, which he didn’t.
She disconnected the call when the voicemail message came on and
glanced at Troy. “Voicemail. He probably can’t hear the
phone. It’s really loud in there.”

“
That’s
okay. We’ll go in.” He reached for the door handle.

Her
hero Troy had no idea what he was in for. If the pink flashing neon
Love Potion #9 on 9
^th
sign didn’t tip
Troy off as to what kind of establishment they were entering, the
leather clad male couple kissing just outside the doorway sure did.

To
his credit, she barely saw the flash of surprise that crossed Troy’s
face before he hid it and steered her inside.

“
Where’s
your friend?” He sounded deceptively casual, acting as if he
wasn’t fazed at all by the site of the bouncer dressed in drag
just inside the door.

“
That’s
a good question.” It was so dark inside she could barely make
out the bar along one wall. But once she got her bearings, she
decided the best course of action would be to question the bartender.
What was his name again? Jon Jon? She knew because Henri had a crush
on him for years now and talked about him incessantly. Things like
Jon Jon looked so cute the other night
or
I think Jon Jon
was flirting with me.

Amy
took Troy’s hand, half so she wouldn’t lose him in the
crowd, half because he was getting many interested looks from the men
there and she felt the need to protect him since it was her fault he
was here at all. Then there was that third half, the one she didn’t
want to admit to, the fact that any reason to touch this man was a
good enough excuse for her.

Heart
beating a little faster at even this small physical contact, she led
them through the crowd. She finally got close enough to the bar to
hail the bartender, who was wearing ass-less leather pants and no
shirt. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Troy’s
face to see his reaction.

“
Jon
Jon!” She stood on tiptoe to call to him.

He
walked over, barely glanced at her and blatantly stared at Troy.
“What can I get for you two?” His bleached-tooth smile
was blinding.

“
Actually,
I’m here to pick up my friend Henri and I was hoping you’d
know where he is.” She had to lean in and yell to be heard over
the music pounding from the DJ booth.

“
Henri?
What’s he wearing?”

Damn,
this wasn’t looking good. “I don’t know.”

“
What’s
he drink?”

“
Cosmopolitans,
I think.” Typical bartender, even in this surreal bar. They
knew drinks better than people.

“
Sister,
you just described the preference of half the queens in this place.”

That
figured. “He’s dating a guy named Kenneth. Maybe you know
him. Tall, blond runway model. They had a big fight tonight—”

Jon
Jon held up a hand. “Say no more. He’s in the men’s
room. Locked himself in a stall. It’s causing quite a back up.
Everyone’s been using the ladies’ room. Good thing you’re
here to get him out.”

“
The
men’s room. Do you think I can go in there?” Amy glanced
at Troy as they weaved in and out of the various necking and dancing
couples to get to the door that Jon Jon had indicated.

Troy
gave her a look of disbelief. “In this place? I don’t
think gender really matters as far as the facilities go. But if you
want, I’ll go in alone and get him for you.”