Hotel O
Kat gets up from her chair and hugs him softly. “Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it.”
“But it better not become a regular thing,” he adds.
She laughs a little. “Of course not.”
“Except the part where you spend time with me, I hope,” I add. Everyone’s looking at me now. “As we’re gonna be living together.”
“Really?” Her mom brightens up.
Kat’s face turns as red as a beet. “Yup.”
“I love that,” her mom says. “You’re finally settling down and making something of your life.”
Kat rolls her eyes. “Really, Mom?”
“Sorry, I’m just always so worried about my little baby.”
Kat looks away, completely mortified. “Please don’t call me that again,” she whispers even though her mom probably can’t hear it. I can. And she can hear me laugh too.
“Stop laughing,” she says, poking me in the shoulder.
“Sorry, can’t help it. This whole thing just makes me laugh.”
“Glad we’re so hilarious,” she says.
“Dinner!” her dad suddenly says, his eyes flickering with enthusiasm as Melvin walks into the room with several plates filled with what looks like roast lamb and curry.
“Smells delicious,” I say as he places it down in front of me.
“Enjoy,” he says, winking, and then places down the plates for everyone else. “Bon appétit!”
“Mel,” Kat says as he’s about to walk off. She grabs an empty chair next to her and drags it back, patting the seat. “Come eat with us.”
Melvin gazes at her, then her parents, probably unsure of what to do.
“C’mon,” Kat says, still patting the chair.
Her generosity still amazes me to this day. She’s so casual about it even though many wouldn’t even think about inviting their own butler to dinner. She does because she loves him. And I love her for it.
Melvin stammers, “Are you sure—”
“Mom and Dad won’t mind, will you?” She side-eyes them both.
“Um … sure, why not,” her dad says awkwardly, clearing his throat as he gazes at Melvin. “You deserve to enjoy your own cooking. It is amazing, after all.”
Melvin smiles and approaches the table, gently sitting down like he’s afraid his mere presence will break the table.
Kat quickly runs to the kitchen and comes back with a plate filled with food. “There you go.” She places it down in front of him, smiling.
She looks up at him like others would look at their parents. Maybe Melvin has been more of a dad to her than her real dad ever was.
“Thank you, Miss,” Melvin says, grabbing his fork and knife.
“Don’t thank me. Thank yourself.” She pats him on the back. “You did all the cooking.”
She winks at him then sits down again. When things get silent, she adds, “Well, dig in, everyone!”
So we all start eating. The moment the food hits my tongue, it’s as if I’m in heaven. Fuck, this is some good shit. It’s so good, it almost makes me groan.
“That good, huh?” Kat says, snorting.
“What?” I mutter as I’m chewing.
She swallows down the food and licks her lips. “You moaned a little.”
“Shit, did I?” Guess who’s fighting the embarrassment now? Me.
However, everyone’s laughing, so I guess I am too. I’m normally never this at ease, but with Kat around, it all comes so naturally.
Suddenly, Kat flings herself around my neck and kisses me on the cheeks.
“What was that for?” I ask, surprised.
She shrugs. “No reason. I just love you.”
It’s the first time she’s said that to me. It makes me want to grab her, pin her down, and kiss her hard. But that wouldn’t be appropriate in front of her parents.
So I smile and say, “I love you too.”
But as we’re continuing our dinner, I take out my phone and quickly send her a chat message through the same old site we always went to. The one where we met.
D: I’m going to make you prove that to me. You know that, right?
It takes her seconds to grab her phone and glance at me from the corner of her eyes before tapping on the screen to send something back. I won’t look. I enjoy surprises.
NaughtyKitten: You’re still on the site?
D: So are you.
NaughtyKitten: Touché. I guess I like the excitement just a little too much. I won’t talk to other men, I swear.
D: I trust you.
NaughtyKitten: Yay