A Purr-fect Guy

Kat joined the table where Brian, AJ and Nick sat for dinner a couple of hours later. She was just in time to hear Brian finish his sentence.
“…where the sun don’t shine!”
“Whoa! Go Kat!” cheered AJ as she looked a bit shame-faced.
“She had that comin’ Kat,” said Nick happily.
“Am I sacked?” Kat asked Brian quietly and he wrapped an arm around her.
“No way! You said what I wish I had the guts to say.”
“But Kevin…”
“Forget Kevin. Ya got the four of us behind ya,” said Brian. “I bet Kev thinks some of that stuff too as well actually.”
“I bet he doesn’t,” muttered Kat. “She IS his girlfriend ya know.”
“Soon find out,” said AJ as Kevin walked over to the table. Kat avoided looking at him.
“Kat, could I have a word?” Kevin asked and she nodded. “Over here.” She followed him to a quiet corner and they sat down. “I wanted to apologise for Madeleine’s behaviour towards you lately.”
“Oh,” she looked at him. “I’m sorry too. It was unprofessional of me to say those things to her.”
“Yes it was. But I understand why ya did.”
“You do?” she stared at him. “If ya understand why are ya with her?”
He looked surprised at the question. “Because she makes me happy.”
“She doesn’t!” Kat blurted out. “She’s always putting you down. Like that song ya wrote…”
Kevin flinched at the memory. He had started to play a new song called Only You on the piano in the hotel bar a few nights ago. He had barely gotten through the first verse before Madeleine had walked over and requested that he stop drowning out the bar’s stereo with his “poor attempt at singing”. Kat touched Kevin’s arm gently, bringing him back into the present.
“I thought it was beautiful.” “It wasn’t. Madeleine was right.”
“She wasn’t!” Kat said angrily. “She’s jealous of everything that you are. You can’t love her?!”
“Maybe I don’t,” Kevin looked at Kat. “But what makes love so great anyway?”
“I don’t know,” she looked away from him. “I’ve never found it, but I don’t think love puts you down the way she does.”
“The only thing love does is hurt you,” he stood up and she looked at him.
“If it hurts you, it’s not love.”
“You’re very naļve Kat.”
“Don’t EVER call me that Kevin,” she stood up. “Naļve implies I’m some kinda romantic living for fairytales.”
“Aren’t you?”
“No. I WAS. But then my Prince Charming started fucking my best friend. Kinda ruins the whole happily ever after thing,”
Kat walked out of the room, tears forming in her eyes. She pressed the elevator button and stepped inside just as Kevin caught her up. He followed her into the elevator.
“I’m sorry Kat.”
“Not your fault,” she shrugged.
“But surely YOU can understand why I don’t want to be with someone I love?”
“No, I can’t. Sure it’s made me a hell of a lot more wary but I’m not gonna settle for anything less than love.” She gave him a shaky smile. “Dumb huh?”
“No… You’re pretty brave.”
“I wish,” she opened her room door as the phone rang. He stood in the doorway as she grabbed it. She didn’t speak much, just listened and then hung up quickly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, taking in her paled face and teary eyes.
“Nothin’…”
“Kat…” he walked over to her, a concerned look on his face and she just started to cry. “What’s happened Kat?” he murmured, slipping his arms around her.
“It’s my mom…”
“Your mom? I thought she was dead…” Kat shook her head and he pulled her down onto the couch with him. “C’mon, tell me about it… It’s ok.”
Over the next twenty minutes Kevin learned about Kat’s past with a drug addict and prostitute for a mom. He also learned what had made Kat so upset. The phone call had been from a policeman in LA informing Kat that her mom had been arrested for prostitution. She couldn’t afford bail and had given the police her daughter’s name. Because Kat’s mom was a repeat offender and had skipped bail in the past, bail was set at $10,000. Money Kat didn’t have. Kevin held onto to Kat until her tears had all dried up.
“It’ll be ok Kat.”
“How? I don’t have that money.”
“But I do,” he looked at her. “I’ll call them back and give them my credit details.”
“I won’t let you do that Kevin.”
“Kat, I WANT to.” He stood up and walked over to the phone. “Do you want me to get you a flight out there?”
“No,” Kat said vehemently. “I don’t want to see her. She’s my mom but…”
“It’s ok. I’ll call a friend I have in LA. He works with addicts – maybe he can help her.” Kevin called his friend and gave him the brief details before hanging up and returning to Kat’s side. “He’s gonna go post bail and take care of her. He thinks he can get her a place in a treatment centre.”
“Wow. Thank you so much Kevin. I’ll pay you back somehow.”
“It’s nothing,” he smiled softly. “I’m just glad I’m in a position to help Kat.”
“Thank you.”
She looked deep into his green eyes and he reached out to put his hand under her chin. She knew she should look away, do anything to break the contact but she couldn’t. She was frozen in his eyes. He slowly leant towards her and kissed her lips. She closed her eyes, breaking the gaze and giving herself up to another kind of spell. Her lips parted as his hot tongue flicked the corners of her mouth before dipping inside to meet hers. He slowly moved back from her and she opened her eyes to look into his green ones. He touched her face softly.
“Please don’t hurt me Kat,” he whispered so quietly she almost didn’t believe he’d said it.

“I saw Madeleine leavin’ earlier,” said Brian as he joined Kevin in the catering room at the arena. “She looked pretty mad.”
“That’s probably cause I told her that her comfortable little ride was over,” Kevin looked at his startled cousin. “I ended it.”
“Why?” Brian asked. “I mean, I’m not exactly sad or anythin’ but I thought she was what ya wanted?”
“No, I’ve kinda had my eyes opened.”
“By any particular person?” grinned Brian.
“By Kat.”
“Kat?!” Brian stared at Kevin. “But ya HATE Kat!”
“I do not hate Kat! I never did. I was just scared of her.”
“How can anybody be scared of KAT?!”
“Of what she does to me,” Kevin clarified.
“Ah…” Brian said. “Maria really hurt ya didn’t she?”
“Yeah.”
“But Kat’s not Maria.”
“I know. She’s Kat,” Kevin said just as Kat walked into the room. She looked tired and pale. She grabbed a coffee and started to leave. “Hey Kat.”
“Hi,” she smiled at them both. “The soundcheck seems to be goin’ well.”
“Yeah, I’d better go see if they’re ready for my solo.” Brian left the room, squeezing Kat’s shoulder as he went.
“How are you?” Kevin stood up and moved over to her awkwardly as she shrugged.
“Ok, I guess.”
“Madeleine’s gone.”
“Oh. Another modelling assignment?”
“No, I asked her to leave. I ended it Kat.”
“Oh.”
“Is that all you’re gonna say?”
“What else can I say?” she asked. “I’m glad you got out of that relationship Kevin. You deserve much better.”
“But do I deserve you Kat?” he reached out and gently touched her face.
“You deserve better.”
“Well, until I find better then…” She giggled and slapped his arm. “Ow! Come here you.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Which is how Howie and AJ found them ten minutes later.
“Kevin Scott Richardson!” AJ bellowed. “Unhand that poor girl at once!” They jumped apart guiltily and then Kevin pulled Kat back into his arms.
“Wow, when’d this happen?” asked Howie with a grin.
“Last night,” Kevin answered. “And NO, it wasn’t like that AJ,” he said before AJ could voice his thoughts.
“Hey…” AJ spread his hands innocently and laughed. “Wasn’t gonna say a word.”

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