Catherine's Dream: Catherine in Love, Book One

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Return of the Stranger

The girls lightened up the mood, started smiling and laughing, and the guys came flocking around them. Two very attractive women, sitting together at the bar, no dates, no companions, is a magnet for unattached men. First was John, not unattractive, but not a heart throb either. He offered to buy them a drink and they accepted. As others came to talk with them, their bar tab disappeared. Mack had a huge smile on his bartender face as he watched them interact with potential suitors. Gradually, a group formed around them consisting of both guys and girls. A party ensued.

Before long, a platter of buffalo wings appeared, courtesy of Alan. Cat and Maddie found they were very hungry. More food followed. The girls felt better after having eaten and slowed their consumption of the martinis. They were having a wonderful time and getting a lot of attention. Manny’s had a reputation for being a very friendly place. The evening wore on and it started getting late. The crowd was thinning out.

As the girls were about to call it a night, they heard a voice behind them. “Hello again, Maddie and Cat. You look like you’re having fun.”

They turned toward the voice to see who it was, and standing there between them, was no other than the handsome stranger, with his sandy hair, white shirt, black leather vest, and black jeans. And, of course, his radiant smile. The girls were speechless. Maddie swooned and held on to the bar to steady herself. Cat almost fainted. What a surprise for them both! They recovered quickly, though.

Maddie uttered a sigh and said, “Hi.” Since she didn’t know his name, that was all she could say. His smile was still beaming. He went on.

“I owe you two an apology,” he said. “I was very rude to you earlier, not even introducing myself, and I wanted to meet you both again when I was not totally preoccupied. My name is Sam, Sam Worth, and I am much more together now.”

Maddie offered her hand and he took it in a firm handshake. “Very nice to meet you Sam. You obviously remembered our names. How are you doing?” Cat turned back to the bar and her drink. Maddie could handle this, she thought.

Sam wouldn’t let her get away with that. “Hello, Cat,” he addressed her.

She muttered a reserved “Hello” over her shoulder and gave him a little smile, then turned back to the bar. She didn’t want to deal with him given the events of the afternoon and evening. Maddie felt the opposite. She glowed in his presence.

“Won’t you join us?” she asked. The stool next to her was unoccupied. He accepted her invitation and sat down. “What brings you to Manny’s, Sam?” she asked. Not a very original question, thought Cat. That was Maddie’s unimaginative way to begin a conversation. Cat had heard it before and did her best to look uninterested. She took another sip of her drink.

Sam answered Maddie’s question. “I have been here a few times, but never really had the chance to check it out. People say it is a fun place, and I can see that it certainly is. How about you guys?” Cat thought he was being evasive.

Maddie did not refer to the real reason they were there, rather she said, “We two girlfriends like to go out together from time to time, and we like Manny’s. Mack is our favorite bartender, and he takes excellent care of us.” Mack was listening to them and smiled when she said that. “Are you a single tonight, Sam?” The martinis were lowering her inhibitions and raising her curiosity.

“I am now,” he replied. “I was with someone earlier, but not anymore.” Cat seemed to see a parallel in their situations. She took her cue and re-engaged in the conversation.

“I am glad you came back, Sam,” she said with a bewitching smile. “Would you like to have something to drink?”

“Yes, I would,” he answered. “Only one, though. It is getting late.” Cat summoned Mack. “What’ll it be?” she asked him. Sam refocused his attention on Cat, much to Maddie’s chagrin. He moved back behind them, between the two.

“Makers on the rocks with a splash, please.”

Cat thought to herself, “He knows his whiskey and he is polite, too.” She was becoming intrigued by this handsome man. “He likes Maddie, though, and there is no way I am getting involved again this soon.”

Maddie felt Cat’s interest in him and got his attention again by putting her hand on his shoulder and turning him back towards her. She looked deeply into his bright green eyes and gave him a smile that would have melted an iceberg. He smiled back at her. She moved her hand from his shoulder to his cheek and leaned up and kissed him there. “That was for those gorgeous eyes,” she explained.

“Why, thank you Maddie. It’s great to be kissed by a beautiful woman, even if it was somewhat unexpected,” he complimented her, not phased in the least. He was not bashful around the ladies at all. “Now it’s my turn,” he said as he bent down and kissed her full on the lips. It was a sweet kiss, not s****l at all, and Maddie enjoyed it immensely. She loved attention. Mack took it all in with a smile and a shake of his head. Cat could feel Sam’s allure as he captured Maddie’s heart and mind. She was going all out for him, Cat knew. She resumed her indifference to both the man and the scene.

“That was nice,” Maddie told him. “We must explore things further sometime.”

“I would like that,” Sam said. “Maybe another time?” He finished his drink and put the glass on the bar. “For now, I must go. It has been great meeting you both and I am sure I will see you again.”

“I hope so,” Maddie said as she slipped her card into his hand. “Call me and we can get to know each other better.”

“Thanks, Maddie. I will. Goodbye, Cat,” he turned toward her as he spoke.

“Goodnight, Sam,” she responded and extended her hand to him. “I enjoyed meeting you.”

He took her outstretched hand, but instead of shaking it, he raised it to his lips and kissed it lightly while giving her a big smile and peering deeply into her eyes. She melted inside and turned away from him so he wouldn’t see. He also gave Maddie a smile as he walked to the door and left the bar.

Maddie asked Cat, “Can you believe him? What a guy!”

Cat smiled and didn’t say a word. They finished their drinks.

“It is time to get you home, girlfriend,” Maddie saw. “It was quite a night.”

“It was quite a night!” Cat agreed. “Walk me home, Maddie,” Cat said as she stifled a yawn. “Why don’t you stay with me? I don’t really want to be alone.”

“Ok,” agreed Maddie. “The way Sam got my juices flowing, I could use a good night kiss and someone to cuddle, even if it is my best girlfriend instead of him.”

“I would like that, too, lover. We will certainly sleep well after all of this,” agreed Cat. They said goodnight to Mack with a big “Thanks, Mack,” and took the short walk to Cat’s place.

When they got there, they felt worn out and all they could do was wash their faces. They embraced, shared a long, soft kiss, and went to sleep in each other’s arms. Their sleep was deep and when they woke, they shared a goodbye hug and another kiss before parting. They both had smiles on their faces.