I cut him off. “I was just showing Mr. Winterborne the bunny costume I like to jump into when we’re doing cosplay.”
Cat blinked a few times, and her jaw hung open. She cleared her throat.
“I figure we have nothing to hide,” I shrug. “Might as well let him into the dark, sexy corners of our relationship. Do you have a wife, Mr. W?” I shrugged. “Or a husband?”
“I have a wife, yes. What does that have to do with anything?”
Cat looked mortified.
“Aw, I’m just pulling your chain,” I said, slapping him on the back. “Who wants corned beef and cabbage?”
I put a shirt on, we ate, and Cat and I were on a roll with Mr. Winterborne.
We were like two jazz musicians riffing off each other as we filled in the details of each other’s lives.
Cat’s a Scorpio, yeah, of course, that’s why she’s so fiery.
Dustin’s a Gemini, he’s got this whole dark side to him. No, I mean in like a sexy, funny way. Well, you already know about the rabbit costume. What more damage can we do?
And then, just as I thought we were scot free and about to usher him out the door, he asked the big question.
“Alright. So no jokes this time. I’m looking at you, Dustin.”
“Of course. I can be serious.”
He took a sip of his ginger tea and let out a big breath. “You two kept in touch all that time. And then you had a shotgun wedding.”
“Yep. We fell in love fast,” I winked.
“Right. What did it? And don’t say her big brain. What made you fall in love so fast?”
I froze. Luckily, Cat went first.
“For me, you know, Dustin has this outside persona—which is kind of as an asshole, I guess. But we were chatting during the Cancer Sucks Conference, and I was like, you know, this guy really does care. About the kids. And he’d make a great father someday, when he’s ready.” She put her hands on mine. “And he’ll dress up in a rabbit suit for me. That was important, too.”
Mr. Winterborne gave her a dirty look. “Are you quite serious? I said no jokes.”
“Well, itisimportant for me to be able to open up sexually with my love.”
“And you?” he turned to me, almost accusatorily.
“Well, that’s a complex question,” I said.
“Being in love is complex.”
“Right.Thatis complex. And talking has never been something I’m good at.”
“So try.”
“Well, Mr. W, to understand Cat, you’ve got to know her life story. Her father died when she was eight. And she decided at that moment to become a cancer doctor. She followed her dreams. So did I. We’re a couple of side-by-side dreamers. She’s beautiful, whip-smart, and most important, she’s full of generosity and caring. I saw her coming to the aid of an old man who had fallen down in the casino.
Cat turned red when I mentioned that.
“See? She didn’t know I saw her. Because she was doing it out of the goodness of her heart. That’s the kind of woman I want. Someone who does good things when no one is looking. Because if that’s their default—kindness—that’s a beautiful thing. I know this makes me sound soft. But that’s the advice my grandfather gave me when I was growing up. And that, sir, is why I’m in love with Kit Cat here.”
“Kit Cat?”
“Give me a break,” I winked. “I had to put in one little joke.”
