Free Cat Snips - a Short Story Collection by Cat Johnson by Cat Johnson Page B

at her. “What’s up, Meg. You’re
acting strangely tonight.”
    “ Nothing’s up.”
Her voice sounded a little pitchy in her own ears. He continued to wait and
watch and she caved. “It’s…I just…”
She sighed and started over. “You know the rules we set up when
we started this thing between us.”
    Jeff nodded. “Yes.”
    “ Like that rule about the
two of us not being exclusive, for example?” she continued in
what she hoped sounded like a casual voice.
    He raised a brow. “Yes, I’m
familiar with that particular rule.”
    Yeah, she bet he was. She
remembered the nurse. “Well, I was wondering if maybe we should
reevaluate all the rules, like maybe every six months or so, just to
make sure we’re still happy with them.”
    He nodded very slowly. “It’s
been about six months since we started this thing ,
hasn’t it?”
    “ Has it?” She feigned
ignorance, squinting at the ceiling and pretending to count. “Yeah,
I guess it has been. You’re right.”
    Jeff continued to scrutinize her
a bit too closely. “Okay. We’ll reevaluate. So tell me,
what are your feelings about the exclusivity rule, for instance?”
    Heart pounding, she did her best
to shrug casually.
    “ Well, I really hadn’t
thought about it much, but since you asked… I guess if we’re
both enjoying being with one another, we should consider becoming
exclusive. But on the other hand if, for example, you were
getting bored with us being together, or you’re interested in
someone else, then maybe that rule about being free to sleep with
other people should stand.” Meg couldn’t bring herself to
ask if he was interested in someone else so instead she asked, “So,
are you bored with us?”
    She held her breath and waited
what seemed like an eternity for him to speak.
    “ Are you bored with us?”
Jeff asked, his voice tinged with something she couldn’t
identify.
    “ I asked you first.”
    After an agonizingly long moment,
Jeff shook his head. “No. I’m not bored.”
    “ I’m not either.
Especially after last week, I mean, that was great.” She
realized she was babbling.
    Jeff still watched her. “I
agree. So what exactly are you suggesting, Meg?”
    This was it. Do or die. She took
a deep breath and launched head first into what could end up coming
back to haunt her if he didn’t feel the same way. “That
maybe we should consider becoming exclusive.”
    She thought she saw his mouth
twitch, but it was too quick to be sure.
    “ But that would make us
boyfriend and girlfriend, not just fuck buddies anymore, wouldn’t
it?”
    Didn’t he want to be
girlfriend and boyfriend? Maybe the nurse was already his girlfriend.
She was stupid to even bring this up. “Well, no, not
necessarily…unless you wanted to be, of course. And if you
did, then that would be fine with me. Or not. Whatever.” Damn.
Way to play it cool, Meg .
    Jeff chewed on his lip before
saying, “Meg. I need to know. Is this all about your being
jealous of the nurse?”
    Meg stifled a groan. She hated he
knew her so well.
    “ Jealous? Me? No. I’m
not jealous.”
    “ Meg…”
    Meg let out a huge sigh. “Yes.
Okay. I’m jealous as hell. When I called you last Saturday and
you said you had plans already…” She let the sentence
trail off, unable, no more unwilling, to tell him how devastated she
felt. “And
if it was only jealousy, I could probably handle it, but I’m
afraid it’s more.”
    Jeff was suddenly out of his seat
and standing beside her, pulling her up out of her chair so she could
look him eye to eye. “How much more?”
    She forced herself to look into
his eyes. “I think I like you.”
    His laugh sounded a tad bit
bitter. “I should hope so. We’ve been friends since
eighth grade.”
    “ I mean I like-like you.”
She blushed.
    Jeff let out a short laugh. “Now
I feel like we’re back in eighth grade.”
    Meg smacked him in the arm for
that comment.
    Capturing both of her hands in
his, Jeff asked, “Do you want to know