A Kitten Called Cat

Chapter Eighteen - Miss Behaviour

At six o'clock on the Monday evening, I was waiting for Master by the lift. Of course I was wearing nothing but my collar and I was in my 'good kitten' kneeling position.

And I was really looking forward to seeing him again. I'd just spent my first day with Miss Argyll, my deportment teacher... and it had been a difficult day!

And when he saw me, he must have seen what was going on because, without interrupting his phone call, he signalled for me to stand.

I did the 'graceful standing from a kneeling position' thing that I'd spent most of the day practicing - no hands but 'maintaining poise and control'. Master gave a nod of approval. Then he pulled me into a one-armed hug and I completely melted into him.

After a while, he let me go and kind of guided me up the stairs in front of him. I guess he wanted to check up on my 'walking serenely upstairs' thing though, knowing Mr Pervy Pants, he probably wanted to have a look at my bottom at the same time!

He managed to keep his phone conversation going, though.

And when we reached his desk, instead of letting me kneel, as usual, he pulled me onto his lap. That was just lovely. I curled up in a ball as he gently rubbed my bottom with his free hand and I let out a deep sigh as the stress of the day slowly evaporated away.

"No, there are no problems at this end," I heard him say on the phone. "I've just arrived home and my kitten was in need of some attention."

The person at the other end said something and Master laughed.

"No, she's curled up on my lap now and seems quite content."

I smiled and nodded up at him as he carried on with his conversation.

At last he finished his calls and put both arms around me and snuggled me tight for a long time. "How are you getting on with Miss Behaviour?" he asked when, at last, he let me come up for air.

"If Cruella de Vil hits me with that cane thing of hers one more time, she's going to find it stuck up her nose... sideways!" I replied with much more snark than I could normally get away with.

He just gave my bottom a little squeeze by way of telling me off but said, "She's whacking you?"

"Just little stingy ones," I replied. "But it makes me so cross, especially 'cos I really am trying."

"I'm sure you are..." he said with a smile, "really trying!"

But then he turned me round so that I was sitting across his lap and looking him in the face. "Do you promise me you're doing your best, Kitten?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Yes, Master, I am," I replied in the same tone, making sure I was meeting his eye as I spoke.

"And you're not letting your frustration show in your face?"

"I'm trying with that too," I admitted, putting heaps of stress on the word 'trying' to show that I wasn't always completely successful.

He chuckled at that. "Thank you for telling me the truth," he said, leaning across to give me a kiss.

He reached for his phone and called Elroy. "Hi there! Could you phone Miss Behaviour for me and tell her that she's to stop whacking my kitten for anything other than the most flagrant bad attitude or bad behaviour."

Elroy said something to make Mr Lovely laugh.

"What, deal with the scary lady who has an over-fondness for the switch myself?"

There were more words from the other end and more laughs.

"What do you think I pay you for," Master said. "And could you organise the food for us in an hour, please?" Still chuckling, he rang off.