Kat raced into the room and looked at the five men waiting.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she found an empty chair and collapsed into it. “I only got this brief ten minutes ago and had no clue how to get here, so I’ve been running like a madwoman and it’s so hot and I…” She realised that all eyes are on her and took a deep breath, “and well, I’m here and I’m sorry.”
“That’s fine,” Howie smiled at her. “You were worth waiting for.”
She smiled at him and looked round at the other guys. She knew all their names. There was Nick, the blonde guy with a dirty baseball cap on the wrong way round. Howie, the sweet Latino one. Brian, the guy flicking water at her to cool her down. AJ, the tattooed guy whose hair-colour is red that day. And Kevin, the guy who…the clumsy guy with green eyes. She noticed that he has recognised her too and smiled at him.
“I did make you late then,” he said in his velvety voice.
“Not really, sorry I was kinda ratty with you earlier,” Kat shrugged. “I was just over-heating a little.”
“Ratty?!” said AJ with a grin.
“Hey, my mom was English,” Kat explained with a laugh.
“Was she ratty too?” Nick asked before Kevin smacked his head lightly. “Hey!”
“Be nice Nicky,” Kevin said, smiling at Kat. “And before you jump on me, I know it’s NICK,” he added as Nick glared at him.
“Uh, not even gonna ask,” Kat laughed, pulling out her notebook.
“Advisable,” agreed Howie. “Jeez, I’m sorry – we never did the introductions.” He stood up and shook her hand, “I’m Howie.”
“Good to meet you Howie, I’m Kat.”
“I’m AJ and I LOVE Kats,” purred AJ with a wink as she giggled. “Tell me Kat, do you purr at all?” He kissed her hand and sat down again.
“If you rub me up the right way…”
“Damn girl, that sounds like a challenge,” AJ chuckled. Kat fluttered her eyelashes at him with a grin as Brian cleared his throat.
“Ok, so AJ likes ya…” He shook her hand with a smile. “Good to meet ya Kat, I’m Brian.”
“Bri’s more of a dog lover,” explained AJ. “Little ratty ones…”
“Hey!” Brian objected as Kat laughed.
“Ratty’s a good word actually…” AJ pondered as he avoided Brian’s playful punch.
“I’m Nick,” he nodded awkwardly at Kat as she smiled widely at him. He always got quiet and embarrassed around new people, especially girls. He hated it.
“And we’ve already met,” declared Kevin looking at her from across the room. Kat stared at him. His tone had sounded almost arrogant and that was the big thing she hated in people. Time to burst that bubble she thought.
“Yes we have,” she smiled sweetly at him. “How are ya doin’ Justin?” There was a spluttering sound as AJ spat his Sprite back up into his can and Kevin cleared his throat seriously.
“Uh, it’s KEVIN actually.”
“It is?” Kat asked innocently as everyone nodded. “Ah well, I knew it ended with an IN,” she told AJ.
“You were close,” he agreed with a grin before Kevin glared at him. “Hey, she was.”
He sat back in his chair and studied her face. So her name was Kat. What kind of name was that for a woman? She looked nothing like a Kat.
“Is your name short for somethin’ Kat?” he blurted out. She looked up, surprised and then answered his question.
“Yes, for Katharine.”
He nodded and she went back to her questions. Katharine, that was a more sensible name for sure. But it didn’t suit her as well as Kat did. He took back what he had thought minutes earlier. She may not look like a cat but she sure had the spirit of one. The way her eyes had challenged him as she called him Justin. And the way she had walked into the room, so languidly and so relaxed. She had almost slinked into her chair. And he would like to be the man to make her purr the way she had told AJ she could. But he had Madeleine. Why was he thinking these thoughts about a woman he had barely met? Just animal magnetism he thought and chuckled quietly. The Kat inside him.
“They stopped makin’ peanut butter.”
He had often been told his green eyes were catlike, and the way he liked to take things at his own pace… Huh? Peanut butter? “Huh? Peanut butter?” he said, blinking at the room.
“Ah, he joins us again,” said AJ.
“He likes peanut butter huh?” asked Kat amusedly.
“Yup, he sure does.” AJ taps Kevin’s knee, “Kat here was askin’ you a question and you were in S & M world… Peanut butter was the only thing to bring ya back bro!” he added dramatically as everyone else laughed and Kevin blushed.
“Sorry Kat, what was the question?”