Catherine's Dream: Catherine in Love, Book One

Chapter Three-1

Chapter Three

At the Car Show

The next week passed quickly for Cat, even though she was constantly horny. She liked having s*x on a regular basis, and in her new situation that was not happening. Driving her fast, blue car helped, except that when she drove it, she was constantly wet between her legs. It was even worse because she wasn’t getting any s*x at all. She wasn’t the kind of girl who slept around so her choices were virtually non-existent. Most men didn’t excite her sexually anyway.

At least she could stay busy working to stave off the boredom. The photo shoots went well, and she got some great shots of some great cars. She spent evenings building her portfolio of the week on her computer and printed out several of her best shots. Her new hi-def printer created beautiful images and she admired her successes while removing any failures that happened. There were very few of the latter. She was very proficient with her cameras, and had studied automobiles extensively so that she could create quality images of her favorite subjects.

By late afternoon, she had finished for the day. It was Friday and Maddie had gone out of town for the weekend so Cat settled in for the evening. She picked up some sushi and a hunk of tuna at the local market, and made a salad after opening bottle of pinot grigio. Even though she had no companion, she made it all look very nice. She liked spoiling herself when the occasion arose and planned to take it easy that evening. A soak in the hot tub would be good for her as well. She wanted to relax for the huge car show starting the next day. Of course, she would be there hoping for some great shots. Car enthusiasts were interesting to her and could be a lot of fun. She really enjoyed talking cars with them, and was as big an enthusiast as anyone.

The next morning, she left early in her Hellcat with her cameras and other equipment. She had a variety of lenses, filters, camera mounts, and tripods to maximize the quality of her images. She was ready for about anything including the cars, their owners, and the settings where the cars would park. Once she had everything organized, she checked again to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. The Challenger had plenty of room, especially with the rear seat folded down. She had to be careful not to damage anything with her driving on the way so she kept it within legal limits. That was not easy for her to do.

The show was in Fort Worth and she arrived as the first drivers were parking their vehicles. She had reserved a place for Blue Streak and backed into her assigned space. The adjoining vehicles had not arrived yet. The spaces were wide so she didn’t have to worry about door dings or having enough clearance to get good photos. She made sure she was in the middle of her space and killed the big engine. With her digital camera in hand, she started her adventure for the day. Her primary interest was classic muscle cars with great paint jobs. Her equipment was top quality and could resolve and capture any color. She also knew how to make metal flake really pop. Interiors were her specialty and she could do wonders with decked out engine compartments. The chrome and polish really caught her eye.

People shots were also important to her, especially the children. She had some precious shots from earlier shows and would keep her eyes open for the little cuties. In all, her work was intense, but she always made some time to chat with the owners. It was going to be a busy day, and she loved her work.

She walked around for about an hour taking some preliminary pictures while waiting for the light to be right for an outdoor shoot. When she walked back to her car, she noticed a gorgeous 1960 Corvette parked beside her. Of course, it was a convertible and had an immaculate red paint job with white inserts on the sides. The body work was perfect and the chrome gleamed brightly. She loved the car and planned how to photograph it for maximum effect. Her best camera was right for the Corvette as were a tripod for stability and several lenses to capture every part of the car. She set up at once and didn’t even notice that the owner had seen her and was watching her closely. The car had a great deal of space around it, giving her excellent access. When she was ready, she started shooting it, knowing the images of this classic would be great. As she was changing her location around the ‘Vette, the owner spoke to her. She knew she had heard that voice before and turned towards it. It was quite a surprise when she saw him.

“Hello again, Cat. Imagine finding you here.” It was Sam, the handsome stranger from Manny’s. Cat found herself at a loss for words.

“Well, hello Sam,” she responded when she could as she turned toward him. “Is this your Corvette?”

“Yes, it is,” he answered.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said.

“Vintage Corvettes are a hobby of mine. I have several, but this is my favorite,” he explained. Neither of them had gotten over the surprise of their coincidental meeting.

Cat went to her car for another lens and filter, still trying to be cool and calm.

“Is this your Hellcat?” Sam asked.

“Yes, it is. I love fast, powerful cars,” she replied, thinking he knew why.

“You are a photographer, I see.” It was obvious. He chuckled at his assumption, his green eyes and his big smile laughing at himself.

Cat put him at ease with her own smile and they both relaxed somewhat. “It’s good to see you again, Sam.”

“It is good to see you again, too, Catherine.” He moved closer to give her a hug and she let him. She even hugged him back. There was something irresistible about him that she couldn’t put her finger on, but there was something. They both felt it. Cat knew she could never concentrate on her shoot now.

“I have a couple of chairs in Blue Streak. Let me get them and we can sit together and talk for a while,” she said.

“Blue Streak?” he asked. “An appropriate name for that car. How long have you had it?

“Not long,” she told him. “The new car smell hasn’t even worn off yet.”

“Are you going to finish your photo session?” he inquired.

“I already have some great shots, especially your car, so I think I am about done. Besides, it is getting cloudy and the light is going away. It might be better later. Let’s walk around and look at the cars. I’ll take my digital with me.”

“Ok, Cat. That sounds good. May I call you Cat?” He was being polite again she thought.

“Yes, Cat is fine. In fact, most people call me that.” She didn’t mention the Hell Cat moniker she also had earned. She put the camera strap around her neck to free her hands and they walked through the show. They hadn’t made it very far when he took her hand in his. When she didn’t object, he flashed that big smile her way again. It was as if they had known each other for a long time. Cat felt comfortable with him. She sensed his strength and confidence as they walked slowly from car to car admiring them and chatting about them. She could tell he knew a lot about cars and she liked that. He knew something about every vehicle they came to. They spoke to no one else and were enjoying each other’s company immensely. She took no more photos.

They talked, laughed, and held hands. After a couple of hours, they returned to their cars. The Vette attracted many admirers. Cat opened the hood on the Challenger before they left on their walk and several people were gawking at it, so new and clean with its supercharger completing the muscle car image. They hardly noticed the people around them.

“Would you let me buy you lunch?” Sam asked her. They were in the middle of several restaurants surrounding the show grounds.

“That would be great,” Cat answered. She was getting hungry after their tour of the show.

“Fantastic,” grinned Sam. “This place looks interesting.” It was a small bistro and promised excellent food.

“Let’s go,” Cat accepted his invitation. A large crowd packed the bistro. They asked for a booth and the waiter showed them to one that was discreet and in the back. Cat slid in first. Sam was going to sit opposite her on the other side, but she surprised him by inviting him to sit next to her. He did. This time, she took his hand. He rewarded her with his biggest and brightest smile yet. Neither of them really understood what was happening. All they knew was that they enjoyed being together.

The waitress brought menus, all the time giving Sam the once over. They ordered water with lemon and looked at the same menu. They only needed one.

“Maybe a filet?” Sam asked.

“Oh, yes. And a small salad,” Cat said.

“Done,” agreed Sam.

They joked and laughed and smiled at each other all through their lunch. Cat found that she liked Sam very much. As she and Maddie noticed at Manny’s, he seemed to be quite a guy. She couldn’t resist taking several photos of him in the bistro. She also took a selfie of the two of them together. For the first time in a long time, she was having fun.

After lunch, she took his hand in hers again, gave it a little squeeze, and smiled at him. He did the same to her. He had such big, strong hands that they engulfed hers. They both got serious for a moment.

“Shall we return to the show?” Cat suggested.

“In a while,” Sam replied. “I enjoy being here with you in this little corner of the world.” With that, he moved toward her as if he wanted to kiss her. She drew away from him, but didn’t take her hand away from his.

“No, Sam. I am not ready for that,” she explained. “I am very attracted to you, but I cannot let myself get involved right now.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked with a great deal of sincerity. “I am a great listener.”

“Soon,” she answered, “but I don’t want to remind myself of it yet. You see, there was a reason Maddie and I went to Manny’s last weekend. I only drink martinis on certain occasions.”

“It hasn’t been long, then,” he concluded. “If I can help in any way, all you need do is ask.”

“Thanks. I will remember.” After some small talk, she said, “Let’s go back now.” They left the bistro and went back to the car show, this time with their arms around each other, walking close together, still smiling.

Cat was not playing games with him. She was being careful after her recent disaster. Before she got involved again, she resolved to know more about the guy. She got her chance when they took out the chairs and sat together on the lawn, a short distance behind their vehicles. She knew Sam was not going to bring up her experience so she considered how she could do it without being obvious. “Tell me about your cars, Sam,” a great opening. “I loved the Vette.” Get him talking she thought and he may share with her what she wants to know. Car guys love to talk about their cars and themselves. “Did you say you have others?”

“Yes, I do,” he beamed. “In fact, I have five Corvettes, a big-block 1955 Chevy two-door, a 1934 Ford business coupe, and a new extended cab RAM pickup with four-wheel drive which is my daily driver. I keep the others garaged at my place.” Cat could tell he was proud of his collection.

“Wow!” she exclaimed. “That’s quite an assortment. I would love to see them some time.”

“We can arrange that,” he said. “I love to show them off. They are my babies.”

“I only have one baby,” Cat replied, “and he is sitting right there. I have a garage at my place and that is his home.”

“That’s one helluva car,” he commented. “Few girls can handle something like that.”

Cat smiled.

“Tell me about yourself, Cat,” he asked. “What makes you tick?”

She reflected on his question for a moment before she responded. How much should she tell him? She must be cautious and decided to let him in very slowly.

“There is not much to tell. I love my job, live in a townhouse in Dallas, and love to be around people,” she told him. “My parents died several years ago, and I have no other family, but some great friends.”

“I hope you don’t find this question to be too personal, but is there a guy in your life?”

“No,” she told him, “and that is very personal,” she said joking with him. She didn’t mind telling him and hoped he would tell her about his love life in return. “How about you, anyone in your life?”

“There was, until about a week ago, but it didn’t work out.”

“I know that story,” she revealed.

“We all do,” was all he said.

A light bulb went on in Cat’s mind. “Then that’s who you were looking for at Manny’s that night and that is why you left?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“But you came back.” she said. “We thought you were gone. Why did you come back?”

“Because of you,” he answered her.

“Me? I thought you liked Maddie,” she told him.

“Nope. It was you all the time,” he let her know. “When I did, you virtually ignored me. It was quite a blow to my ego,” he joked.

“It seems our encounters are full of coincidences,” Cat commented.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Running into each other here at the car show, not even suspecting that we were both car nuts. Both of us having a breakup the evening we met at Manny’s. It’s surreal,” she replied. She ducked her head for a moment thinking things through. She made her decision, and looked back up at him.

“You see, the reason I was there with Maddie was that I too had had an immense breakup earlier that day. There is nothing like your BFF and a few martinis to get the recovery process going!” she explained. “Another coincidence.” She took a sip out of her water bottle and offered him some. He had a drink of the water and gave it back to her. Neither had any concerns about drinking out of the same container.

“That’s what you didn’t want to talk about, and why you have tried to keep me at arm’s length. Knowing makes me feel better. I was getting frustrated that you resisted me so effectively. That doesn’t usually happen,” Sam was sharing his feelings with her. It felt natural to him for some reason. Even though they hardly knew each other, he was beginning to trust her. She had let him in.

“Thanks for understanding,” she said through a smile. Then in an impulsive move, she leaned over to him and kissed him on the cheek. “I like you, Sam.” He flushed and became very fidgety in his chair. He put his hand over hers and cleared his throat. They both knew they were getting through to each other. Cat took her hand back and put it in her lap. She ducked her head again, embarrassed, and continued with the thought she might as well tell him why her earlier relationship ended.

“We were good together in some ways, but I didn’t love him, only one particular part of his anatomy. He decided to dump me, and go back to his wife and kids. I had no idea he had a wife and kids. I felt frustrated and as angry as I had ever been, both at him and his lying, and at myself for being so blind. I am better now and life goes on.”

Sam listened carefully to her story. Without a word, he leaned over and gave her a reassuring hug. He waited a minute before speaking.

“I am sorry he hurt you like that. Some people can be so selfish,” he added. “You deserve better.”

“I have to ask this, Sam. You now know why now, are you married?” she needed to know before things went any further with him.

“Cat, I am approaching thirty, and have been a confirmed bachelor all my life,” he revealed. “I am not now nor have I ever been married. I got close once, recently, in fact,” he gave her a sly smile when he said that, “but that ended. The reason is not important. We wanted different things out of our relationship and neither of us would give in.”

Cat knew he was telling the truth. She knew. Her reservations about this man disappeared. “I was hoping we might be able to get to know each other better,” she told him. “I won’t get into something again like what I so recently left.”

“I understand, Cat,” he reassured her. “Getting to know each other better is something I would like very much as well. Thanks for taking a chance on me.”

The car show was ending for the day. Entrants were starting their cars and moving out. Sam and Cat had spent the entire afternoon talking. Neither wanted to go their separate ways. However, it was time. Sam helped Cat repack her things in the Challenger and he put the top up on the Corvette. When they were ready to leave, Sam asked her what she wanted to hear.

“Catherine, would you let me see you again?” he hoped she would answer in the affirmative.

“Yes, I would like that very much,” she said.

“How about tomorrow? You can come to my place and check out my collection,” he suggested. “And you can meet Beau, my faithful companion.”

“Beau?” she asked.

“Yes. He is my golden retriever and will love you! I know he will.”

“I don’t know, Sam. That would be a big step for me right now. I’ll tell you what. Here’s my number,” she retrieved her card from her camera bag and gave it to him. “Let me think about it for a while and call me tonight,” she suggested. “I will give you my answer then. Plus, we can talk more.”

“Ok,” Sam responded as he checked out the business card. “Is this your cell phone number?”

“Yes,” she said. “I use it for both business and personal calls.”

“Sounds good,” he said. “I look forward to talking to you again.”

She smiled at him.

“I am not going to try to kiss you now, but will you let me give you a hug?” he wanted to put her at ease.

Instead, she hugged him, tightly. She pressed her body into his and ducked her head under his chin. They stayed together for several moments.

“Thanks for a wonderful day, Sam, for being honest with me and for your sensitivity. I am glad we met here,” she said when they moved apart.

“I’ll talk with you later, Cat,” he promised.

She got into the Hellcat and fired it up. He smiled and waved as she drove away. He was also glad they had met and he knew they would meet again.