Page 2 of Scaredy Cat

Stacey

I sat cross-legged on the plush carpet of my bedroom, surrounded by piles of hastily gathered outfits and discarded costume pieces.

My estate loomed around me, grand and beautiful, with high ceilings and intricate moldings.

All white on white because who can be posh anymore without completely getting rid of any semblance of personality.

I often rolled my eyes at the thought of how much money my parents had spent on this place.

It was just a house, after all, but other than me, their money was the most important thing to them and they liked to spend it.

I still had hopes of getting to the party later so I wanted to be prepared.

A sparkly vampire cape? Too blah. A fairy with wings?

It would be too cold. I rifled through a box of accessories, tossing aside scraps of glitter and sequins.

Halloween was my favorite holiday, and I always dressed up.

Usually an elaborate idea I would work on for months.

But with the hope of being chased and kidnapped at some point tonight, I wanted to be relatively comfortable.

I leaned back against the white velvet bench that was at the foot of my matching four-poster bed, pondering my options. Maybe I could do something simple, something playful. I did want to play, after all.

Grabbing a pair of cat ears from the pile, I laughed at the idea. A classic, but who was I to resist? I plucked a black eyeliner from my vanity and started drawing whiskers on my face, giggling at my reflection.

“Perfect,” I murmured, admiring my impromptu feline transformation in the mirror.

I had thrown on a long-sleeved black sweater over my black bra and opted for no panties, finishing the look with a short black skirt and fishnet stockings.

I grabbed my black pair of Doc Martens and I was complete.

I might not be going all out, but at least I was festive.

And Matt was a bit of a dog, so this was perfect.

With a satisfied look on my face that would mirror the best of any cat I had seen, I headed to the kitchen to grab a snack before I called Matt to see what time we were meeting up.

My black purse sat starkly on the marble countertop, the only thing of color in this room as well.

I reached for it and peered inside. And found… no phone.

No phone.

No phone?

Panic prickled at my skin as I tore through my purse and ran back to rummage through my room on the off chance I had brought it in there with me when I got home.

“Where is it?” I muttered, my heart racing.

I couldn’t be without my phone, not tonight.

Tonight was supposed to be the night things finally worked out for me.

I was desperate to have my first orgasm and after twenty six years, I fucking deserved one.

Just as the dread began to settle in, the house phone rang.

I stared at it, puzzled. The landline? No one ever called it, except my parents but they were on vacation until Thanksgiving and there was no way they'd interrupt their time sightseeing Greece to check on me.

I hesitated before walking over to it, glancing back at my purse, hoping my phone would magically appear.

“Hello?” I picked up the receiver, a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach. I was a woman alone on Halloween in this giant manor after all.

“Stacey?”

I recognized the voice from this morning instantly. “Zach?”

“Yeah, hey! Your phone ended up in my things by accident.”

“Accident?”

“I tried calling some of what I assumed were your friends, but no one picked up. I figured I’d try the number listed as 'Home' on the off chance you still had a landline."

My heart thudded. “So, you have my phone?”

“Yeah, I’d love to give it back. I can wait for you at the café.”

I took a deep breath, relief and a little bit of excitement washing over me at the chance to see this man again. “Okay, I’ll be there.”

“Looking forward to it.”

I hung up, feeling a little better and totally weirded out at the same time.. A stranger had my phone. Well, not a stranger exactly. Zach had it. Zach had my phone and my non-existent panties in a twist and I didn't even know him.

But I had to get it back if I was going to go through with my plans tonight. I didn't have Matt's number memorized since we'd only just started dating a couple weeks ago. Or rather, sleeping together. He didn’t take me on dates outside of his bedroom which was why I was so excited about tonight.

I set the receiver down, unease curling in my stomach.

Zach seemed like an okay guy, but the thought of him rifling through my stuff felt invasive. My phone held more than just contacts; it stored my life—photos, messages, secrets. Nudes.

Fuck. I ran my fingers through my hair and then cursed again as the cat ears topped off my head. I picked them off the ground and put them back in place before taking a breath, trying to shake off the creeping anxiety.

I grabbed my keys and dashed out the door, locking it behind me.

The cool evening air hit my face, and I hurried to my car before making the short drive down the street toward the café.

Street lights flickered on, casting long shadows across the road as I drove in silence.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off and my instincts were usually spot on.

Each stop light I came to immediately turned green and I clapped my hands once, laughing at my luck.

I loved when that happened when I was in a hurry, it was such an awesome coincidence.

The café came into view, its warm glow spilling out onto the sidewalk.

There were several jack-o-lanterns placed in front of the steps now as the sun was going down and I grinned at them as I pushed the door open, the bell jingling overhead.

The familiar aroma of coffee and baked goods wrapped around me and I instantly felt more at ease in my favorite place.

But the comfort faded as I spotted Zach at a corner table, tapping his fingers against the wooden surface.

He looked up, a smirk spreading across his face.

“Over here!” he called, waving me over.

I forced a smile, my nerves tightening again as I approached. “So, you really had my phone, huh?”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I must have thought it was mine at first.” He slid my phone across the table. “I was about to just look at your contact information to find where you lived and bring it back to you.

My stomach flipped but then I remembered, “I don't keep my address stored in there.”

“Probably a safe bet. You never know who can get a hold of personal information and use it against you.

" Zach paused to wink at me and why did that send a rush between my thighs ?

We were talking about my safety–lack thereof in a worst case scenario and I was getting wet?

"Figured I’d call the one that said 'Home' instead.”

“Right.” I picked up the phone, relieved but still unsettled with both him and my impure thoughts. “Thanks, I guess.”

Zach leaned back, a playful spark in his eyes. “You should've heard your voice when I told you I'd found it. You were ready to freak out.”

“Yeah, well…” I trailed off, unsure how to express the feeling of violation. It wasn’t just about the phone. “It’s just weird, you know? Having someone else go through your stuff.”

He nodded, his expression shifting to something more serious. “I get it. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

I sighed, staring down at my phone, the weight of it reminding me that I should look through my messages to see if Matt had texted anything. Nothing. “It’s fine.”

“Want to grab a drink?” He offered, trying to lighten the mood.

“Sure, but I think I need something stronger than coffee,” I muttered as I slipped my phone into the pocket of my skirt. So much for Matt.

“Now you’re talking.”

As he stood and went to open the door for me, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the café’s window.

The cat ears perched atop my head felt ridiculous, and the whiskers I’d drawn seemed less fun now as I stood beside this handsome stranger.

We were both dressed in all black and honestly looked like a striking couple having a date on Halloween.

I scolded myself in my mind as I thought back to Matt.

I had been with a few other guys before Matt but hadn't felt much of a spark with any of them.

I figured it was because they were presented to me like gifts from my family and friends of theirs.

They'd grown up like me - privileged and spoiled.

But where I longed for the next exciting thing to happen, they were utterly boring.

And much worse was that none of them had been able to get me off.

Not once.

I'd played with myself on and off for years and it felt good but I hadn't been able to get past that "peak" everyone talks about.

My mom even paid for a sex therapist when I finished college.

Having homework that required "private time" with yourself was beyond awkward and in fact made any progress I was making completely tank.

I asked Matt out on purpose when I met him at a bar a few weeks ago.

I could tell he wasn't into anything serious and was just looking for some fun.

My thought process was that maybe I had been dating guys that were too uptight.

Maybe I needed one that had less inhibitions and had more grit to him.

Yeah, he had a drug problem but he had a dirty mouth and got me close a couple times in the back seat of his car.

And here I was, dressed as a cat with the most handsome man I'd ever laid eyes on about to get a drink.

What a night this was turning out to be.