Free Cattitude by Edie Ramer

serious
accident this morning. And he didn’t know her. She might be
engaged. She might be insane. She might be confused. Anything to
explain her odd acceptance of her situation.
    Nothing confusing or odd about the reactions
of his body. It was responding to an attractive woman in his bed,
but he wasn’t letting it control his mind. He stepped back. “I’ll
order you what I’m having.”
    She nodded.
    “It would be a lot better if you could talk.”
He turned to leave.
    “I talk.” She spoke slowly, her voice
husky.
    He snapped around. “Could you talk before
this?”
    She shook her head and bit her lip. “I don’t
know.”
    “You don’t know? Is it shock? Trauma?” He
waited. She’d tell him the problem, he’d take care of it, send her
on her way, and his life would go back to normal.
    ***
    Belle’s brain ached from talking. Meowing was
so much easier. Humans made everything difficult, even
communication. So few words, so many meanings.
    “You want to tell me about yourself?” Max
asked.
    She put a hand on the bruise on her forehead,
just like Annette in today’s TV show. “Amnesia.” She’d practiced
saying it while watching the show, the mmm sound easier than
the nnn . “I have amnesia.”
    “Amnesia?” He looked at her with disbelief.
“The only people I’ve heard of with amnesia are actors in bad TV
shows. If you’re afraid of someone, tell me. I’ll protect you.” His
gaze shifted to her ring. “No matter what. You have my
promise.”
    She nodded. Of course he’d protect her. She’d
never thought anything different.
    “Do you want to tell me?” He moved closer,
bending, the same concentration in his blue eyes as when he was
reading one of his travel books.
    “Pretty eyes,” she said.
    He snapped back. “You don’t need to flirt
with me. I already told you I’ll protect you.”
    “You have pretty eyes,” she repeated. He also
had a pretty face and body, but she decided not to say that.
    What had she done wrong? Max told her all the
time how pretty she was. “Pretty Belle.” “Beautiful Belle.”
“Pretty kitty.” She always liked it. Didn’t humans like to be
called nice things?
    “Well, thanks.” He shoved his hands in his
pockets and backed up. “I’ll order the pizza. You like garlic
bread?”
    She shook her head. She liked meat. Lots of
meat.
    “We’ll probably eat in about a half hour.”
One corner of his mouth flicked up. “Don’t go anywhere.”
    She shook her head. Where would she go? This
was her home.
    As soon as he left, she stretched, holding
the position for a long moment. Then she rubbed her cheek against
the pillow. It was soft and smelled of Max. Now her smells mingled
with his, her cat body and her human body.
    A knock rattled the door. A mewl came out of
her mouth, the unfamiliar words forgotten for a second. The door
opened before she remembered how to purse her lips and where to
stick her tongue to tell whoever it was to come in. Unless it was
Caroline. Her she would tell not to come in.
    “You’re decent? Too bad.” Ted strolled
inside, clothes draped over his arm. “Max said you’re eating with
us tonight. I thought you’d like a change of clothes.” He tossed
his armload of garments on the foot of the bed. “They’re my
sister’s exercise clothes. They should stretch or shrink to fit
you. Tory won’t mind if you wear them.”
    Belle nodded. Tory liked her. Tory had wanted
to take her to New York, but of course Belle couldn’t go. This was
her home. Why would she want to live anywhere else?
    “I’ll leave now.” Ted glanced at his watch.
“You have enough time to take a quick bath or a shower and
change.”
    Watching him leave, Belle felt sick inside
her stomach.
    Bath? Shower?
    No, no and no!
    She wasn’t going to do it. She refused to do
it.
    But if she didn’t, they’d smell her. Cats
groomed themselves all the time, but they didn’t wash away their
scents. Any animal knew scents were good. Water was for drinking.
Inside