“Hungry?” I pat her head, pull out a bag of dry kibble, and shake some into her bowl.
The resultant purring soothes my discontent. At least I pleased one female tonight. Lowering the stairs, I walk halfway down, and try for two.
“Rose? You decent?”
“Go away.” Her bathroom door muffles her voice and when she blows her nose, I worry she may be crying.
Pressing my luck, I trot to the door and speak into the empty space between the wood. “We need to talk.”
“Not happening.” While she flushes and I stand there like a fool, Catrina takes a flying leap onto my shoulders, lands on all fours, and stares without blinking, her hackles raised.
“Meuph.” With all the invisible demons chased away, she sashays to the upstairs apartment with her tail in the air.
At the ruckus, a makeup-less Rose exits the bathroom in a pink terry robe.
“It’s late. What do you want?” Her runny nose and red eyes make me want to open my arms and console her.
“I told Suds I would-”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re my bodyguard yada, yada, yada. Now, if you don’t mind, I need some sleep.” When she takes a step forward, I remove a lock of hair from her mouth and tuck it behind her ear.
“Rose…” I forgot what I was going to say because as she stares at my lips her tongue slips over the plump lower one.
I inch in and cup her cheek, craving another taste. She’s tortured me all night. I’m no saint. If this beautiful woman wants me, I sure as hell am going to kiss her. I never promised anyone I wouldn’t.
“Yo! Romeo. Am I interrupting?” Joey’s head prairie-dogs over the railing.
Dammit all! Cock-blocked, a groan emits from my chest. Her cousin has the worst timing.
“Jeesh, Joey. Knock much?” Rose bends over, finds a high-heeled shoe, and rockets it toward his smirking face.
Ducking, he holds a cardboard box over his head. “Truce! This came for you.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” She bolts to the stairs, snatches the package out of his hands, and places it on the table.
Once she’s sliced the center seam with a steak knife, she unrolls the bubble-wrap, and wiggles a plush Muppet-like creature in my face. “Whoa. It’s a Smart Sissy. See? I told youz guys there was nothing to worry about. I can’t wait to see what she can do.”
Before I can stop her, she finds the remote and clicks. When nothing happens, she slides open the back and frowns. “Shit… no batteries.”
“Just as well. Did you notice the eyes have built-in cameras?”Why the hell would any parent want this in their home?
“Of course, it does!” Rose’s eyes brighten as she reads the instructions. “It uses cloud technology. It can see shapes and can deduce its surroundings. It has voice recognition and can speak. It even understands baby babble and can help children learn multiple languages. Oh my God, it’s the most incredible toy on the market and I scored one.”
I roll my eyes at the nightmare. “Umm, some random company can virtually find out any and everything about you. That’s a good thing, how?”
She hugs the stupid thing to her chest. “You make her sound like Chucky.”
“In the wrong hands, it could be worse. I’m sending it to Patten to have a look-see.” I try to grab the doll, but she tightens her grip.
“No way. It’s mine. You’re paranoid.”
“Keep it down, you two, my kid is asleep.” Shaking his head, Joey’s head disappears. “I’m outta here.”
When he’s gone, Rose puts the toy behind her back. “You’re not going to do weird science experiments on her.”
“This plaything came from the dark web. You don’t want it anywhere near little Mikey until we’re sure it’s safe. Be sensible.” Reaching around her, I capture her arms, unwrap her fingers, and take ownership of the damn stuffed doll.
“Fine. I’ll let you study it, so long as you don’t ruin it and have it back by Christmas.” Her pout, while annoying, is also cute.
