A Kitten Called Cat

Chapter Twenty Six - Slimeball Simone

About a week later, Mr Andretti turned up for his second visit. Master had sent me for another 'ordeal by beautification' and it wasn't quite as bad as the last time. Maybe I was getting used to it... or maybe I didn't need quite as much work.

Master had chosen my simple, black, open-backed dress and I knew I looked stunning as we waited to welcome his guests. Sadly, tonight, we only expected Mr Andretti and his slimeball nephew, Simone - there was no Terri to keep me company!

As we waited, I noticed that we didn't have all the extra bodyguards hanging around - just Elroy. Maybe Master and Mr Andretti were starting to trust each other.

Then they appeared. Mr Andretti was as charming as ever. He greeted Master warmly and then he stroked my cheek as he told me how lovely I looked.

He only had the one bodyguard with him, this time, and the guy tried to do his quiet 'disappearing into the wall' thing as Master and Mr Andretti exchanged a couple of words in Italian before stepping down into the living room.

But, of course, Slimeball was as slimy as ever and, as soon as Master's back was turned, he leaned down so his head was next to mine and I cringed as I smelt the drink on his breath. Then he whispered something in my ear. I didn't know what most of the words meant but it was clear he was talking about nasty stuff... sex stuff... It made me shudder and I shuddered even more as he ran a finger down my bare back.

Suddenly I didn't like that black dress anymore.

At last he followed the other two down into the living room and carried on as if nothing had happened.

But I just knelt there, frozen to the spot, as Elroy appeared and offered our guests drinks.

When Mr Fussy noticed I hadn't moved, he looked up to me and gave a slightly fussy look before saying, "Kitten, could you bring the canapés, please?"

Moving like a machine, I did as I was told.

When I'd offered the snacks around, I moved to kneel next to Master but Slimeball managed to shuffle round so his slimy hands were in range of my back again. I just didn't know what to do. This meeting was important and Master wouldn't want to upset Mr Andretti so I just knelt there and suffered in silence.

But the vile Slimeball just got worse and worse. At one point, Master popped up to his study to collect some documents and when he returned, he found Slimeball teasing one of my nipples through the skimpy material of the dress.

"Please leave my kitten alone," Master told his guest firmly. I mean... his tone was all controlled but there was a dirty great dollop of menace bubbling just below the surface. "She is my property and my responsibility and I will not have her interfered with in any way."

"But it's just some bint."

"Be that as it may, she is my..." he did this pause thing to show he didn't like the word being applied to me... "bint. And with the sums of money involved in this deal, you can afford as many... bints... of your own as you wish."

"You don't want to add her to the deal as a sweetener?"

"She is worth much more to me than this entire deal."

"How about selling her, then?"

"She is not for sale," Master told Slimeball flatly.

Mr Lovely smiled down at me for a moment and touched my shoulder. But, as he did it, I caught a glimpse of wild hatred flashing across Slimeball's face. I guess he wasn't used to being told that he couldn't have something.

And when I saw that look, I wasn't just worried for me but for my lovely Master too.

But, as Mr Bossy stroked my shoulder, I forgot about it and found myself leaning into him in relief and gratitude.