Having considered the feline to be part of the family, Elliot reached out to pat its soft, furry head and asked, “You’re not angling for a kiss too, are you?”
The kitten meowed once more as if to answer in the affirmative.
Amusement seized Elliot as he continued scratching the cat behind its ears to placate it. There was a serenity in the way the family of three and their cat hung out with each other under the evening sky. For a while, it was as if the world was at peace.
Meanwhile, Lorelai was on her way home when she called her mother and told her what happened with Anastasia. Upon hearing the details, Kendra said on the other line, “You did the right thing, Lorelai. That way, Anastasia won’t be suspicious of you or see you as a threat.”
Lorelai had deliberately dropped by Anastasia’s house during the late afternoon and left before dinner time just so the latter wouldn’t think she was trying to butt into her family affairs. The clever planning would help Lorelai make a good impression on Anastasia, who would then put her guard down.
Presently, there was an ambitious glimmer in Lorelai’s eyes as she said, “By the way. Mom, I’ve already sent in my resume to Presgrave Group.”
“That’s a little too soon, Lorelai. My father said not to rush the plan, remember? After all, Elliot is still in his honeymoon phase with Anastasia. You ought to wait until she’s got a second kid on the way before you make a move.”
“Mom, don’t worry, I’m only doing this to gauge Elliot’s feelings for me, that’s all,” Lorelai explained. It was like playing chess, and every move she made along the way was intentional with a purpose behind it.
“Very well, but make sure that you pace yourself and don’t muck up our plans!”
“I know, Mom. I’ll be careful,” Lorelai promised calmly.
It was 10.00 pm when Anastasia got out of the shower that night to get ready for bed, only to see the kitten clambering onto the couch, its claws digging into the fabric as it launched itself onto the padded cushion. It let out a soft mewl as though to insist it could make it on its own.
Anastasia sat down to the side and asked in amusement, “Shouldn’t you be with your darling little master instead of hanging out in our room?”
The kitten managed to get onto the couch, and as a reward, it staked out a corner and curled up in it, then dozed off.
Just then, the bedroom door opened and Elliot walked in dressed in his lounge suit. He had only just wrapped up an online conference with international affiliates, and there was an imperial, decisive, and deadly air about him that made him all the more attractive.
Anastasia loved it when he wore suits, and she couldn’t help the primal urges that seized her during moments like these. It was an almost feral instinct that made her want to leap over and help him shed the stoic-looking suit.
However, she had seen the hidden side of him, the side that lay on the other end of the spectrum from his aloof state.
As though reading her mind, Elliot kissed the top of her head and murmured as he undid the buttons of his suit, “Give me twenty minutes.”
She smiled and asked innocently, “And what will you do after twenty minutes?”
Bemused, he raised a brow and gave her a knowing look. “What do you think?”
“I’m afraid the idea will have to be put till a week later,” she confessed, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. off
He understood immediately. Flashing her a roguish grin, he teased, “Well, in that case, perhaps I should save up my energy till then.”
She pouted and gave him a somewhat distressed look, to which he responded with a laugh as he headed into the shower. When he was done, he came out of the bathroom and saw her curled up in bed. He slid under the covers while she was still reading and pulled her into his arms so that she could lean against him.
“Honey, I don’t want to be a housewife anymore,” Anastasia grumbled softly
Elliot stroked her hair tenderly and said, “You can do whatever you want.”
