Page 21 of Head Over Feels
“Areyou giving her glucosamine or any other joint supplements?”Ileaned down and dangled my hand to see if she’d come up to me.Instantlyshe rubbed her cheek against my fingers, soIfelt safe scratching under her chin.
Ilooked up atMalcolm, who hadn’t answered me.Hisexpression seemed… guilty?
“I, uh, never thought to check if she had arthritis or anything.YouknowGregfrom theBark&Purr?”Imanaged a nod. “Yeah, he’s the one who asked me about it.”Greghad metMariposa?Atthe pet resort or atMalcolm’shouse?Werethey friends?Wasthis some kind of catfishing or con?
WhileIwas mentally running through worse after worse scenarios,Malcolmwas still talking. “Um,Ihaven’t given her anything, but if you tell me what to buyI’llget it tomorrow.”Hestared atMariposa, pursing his lips and scrunching his eyebrows. “Youdon’t think she’s in pain, do you?”
Okay, he sounded like a concerned pet owner.Ineeded to act like he was any other client.Geta grip,Felix.
“Nota lot,Idon’t think.I’llknow more afterIexamine her.”Ievaluated my options then sat down on the floor with my back against the couch.Mariposacame over and pushed her head into my hand whenIreached for her.
“Um, you’re welcome to sit on the couch.She’sallowed on the furniture.”
“Thanks, butIfind most animals are more relaxed if we do it on the ground.”Icleared my throat. “Um, do the massageImean.”Ablush was spreading over my entire face.Crap,Ihoped again he wasn’t a homophobe.No, he knewGreg, andGregwasn’t straight.
Iwas relieved whenMalcolm’seyes twinkled and he gave me a little smirk. “Iimagine so.”Heasked, “Doyou want me in the room or where?”
“Actually, why don’t you sit on the couch here next to me.She’llbe more comfortable if you’re here.”
Hesat down, leaning his cane against the seat cushions.Mariposaignored him, focusing on getting me to stroke her as firmly as possible from her head to the base of her tail.Shestepped up so her front paws were on my thigh.
“Okay,I’mgoing to see how she reacts to being in my lap.”
Malcolmcoughed but didn’t say anything.
Iput my hands aroundMariposa’schest under her forelegs and lifted her toward me.Myhands were hardly visible in her thick cloud of fur.Mariposastraightened her legs asIlowered her, and one of her back feet landed claws-first with her entire weight behind it.Onmy dick.
Isucked in a breath between my teeth.Scrubswere not made for protecting one’s tender bits.I’drun into this issue at the rescue ranch too;Ineeded to start wearing a cup.
“Areyou okay?”Malcolmleaned over to make sureMariposawas steady on my lap.
“Uhhuh.”Myvoice was only a little higher than normal, butIwas sureMalcolmcould tellIwas lying by the wayIwas bent over. “Shejust caught me a little, um, off guard.Withher claws.”
Malcolmsat back and coughed again, thoughIsuspected he was stifling a laugh. “Shit,I’msorry.Doyou want me to get the claw trimmers?Ididn’t even think about cutting her nails before you came.”
Iheld up a hand and finally was able to sit upright again. “It’sokay.I’mfine.”Probablyonly a few tiny puncture wounds, butI’ddeal with those later. “Trimmingher nails would stress her out.Thisvisit is to allow her to get to know me in a relaxed way so she can start to trust me.”Istroked down her back and she arched her butt up, her weight wavering back and forth between her two rear paws.Herclaws dug in again.Igritted my teeth.Goodthing my scrubs were black.
IliftedMariposa—which was a workout in and of itself—and spread my legs in aVso she could be on the floor between them.Ah.Thatwas better.
“Okay, pretty kitty, relax for me.”Icontinued petting her, alternating long strokes down her back with scritches behind her ears and along her jaw. “Yousaid she’s getting stiff at times.”IaddressedMalcolm. “Tellme what that looks like.”EventhoughI’dwitnessed some of her stiffness myself it helped to know what the pet owner observed.
Hedescribed what he’d seen asIkept my stroke-scritch-stroke rhythm going.Malcolm, or possiblyGreg—and wasn’t that a kicker?—had noticed the same issuesIhad.Ichanged the angle of my stroking to encourageMariposato her side.
“Okay, nowI’mgoing to find out if she’ll let me touch her legs.Ithink the issue is in her hips and maybe her shoulders, butIwant to start with the legs to rule those out.I’mtrying to avoid her belly.”
“Yeah, she’ll sucker you into giving her a belly rub and she’ll bite the shit out of you when you least expect it.”
Ismiled. “Soundstypical for a cat.”Icontinued to deliver medium-pressure strokes down her back with one hand and ran my other hand lightly over the outside of her legs.Shetolerated it for a moment and then kicked out with her back leg to hold my hand away. “Thisis a common response in cats when you start to touch their legs.Nothingto worry about.I’mgoing to do a little kneading massage on her back now.”Idemonstrated. “Thisis so she’ll know what to expect, andI’llbe done for this first visit.Idon’t want to push her about her legs or her hips today, or else she won’t trust me whenIend up touching her somewhere painful.Withcats it’s best to ease them into massage therapy, which is whyIscheduled three sessions with you this week.”
“Iget it.She’llhave to wait for her happy ending.”Helaughed asIgroaned.
Amoment laterIliftedMariposaand put her on her feet next to me soIcould get up.Malcolmstood and offered me his hand for another assist.Hispalm was warm.
Nope.Youarenotimagining that hand on your dick.Nope, not happening.Youdo not know how this guy is connected toGregoryShaw.I’dpretty much dropped the revenge plot theory, but it was better safe than sorry.
OnceIwas on my feet,Ibrushed at the cat hair all over my scrubs.Imanaged not to wince, butIfor sure had a few puncture wounds that would need some antibiotic cream as soon asIgot home.Definitelytime to invest in a cup.
Malcolmcleared his throat. “Um, thanks for coming.IguessI’llsee you onWednesdaythen?”
