BumpnGrind (4 page)

Thoughts of Bliss reminded Felicia of the URL her friend had
written on a sticky and given her. She went to her purse and dug through it
until she found the slip of paper.

The KittyKat Club was apparently some kind of chat group.
Felicia discovered she had to sign into the group to use it. She bit her bottom
lip for a moment, staring at the screen and thinking about whether she was
ready to take that step.

But then, thinking about the date she had planned with
Garrett that very night, she decided she’d better do it. If there were rules
and traps in a cougar relationship, Felicia wanted to know what they were, so
she didn’t make a fool of herself.

Finally, she took a deep breath and set up an account, using
the name FelicitousFeline. She logged in and looked at the series of posts,
with names like Cougarlicious, Cubhunter, and Prettybrownkitty.

A chime sounded and a new post popped up. Several more
chimes followed in quick succession. Felicia didn’t know what to do. She stared
at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, and panicked.

Cougarlicious: Welcome, FelicitousFeline!

Cubhunter: Hiya FF.

Prettybrownkitty: Felicia, is that you?

Felicia’s eyes widened, who the hell was Prettybrownkitty
and how did she know her? Felicia started typing.

FelicitousFeline: Hello, my name is Felicia. I’m new to
the KittyKat Club.

Felicia hit send and then felt stupid. Duh! They obviously
knew she was a new member already. More chimes sounded.

Cougarlicious: I’m glad to meet you, Felicia.

Prettybrownkitty: Girlfriend!

Cubhunter: Is there something we can help you with,
Felicia?

Prettybrownkitty: It’s me, Bliss!

FelicitousFeline: Hey Bliss! I didn’t realize you’d be
here. I guess I should have since you gave me the URL right? Duh!

Prettybrownkitty: I’m a regular. This is a great group.

Cubhunter: Thanks PBK!

Cougarlicious: Do you have a cub, Felicia?

Cubhunter: You two know each other?

Prettybrownkitty: She’s got the yummiest cub.

Felicia’s eyes just kept getting wider. She couldn’t
possibly keep up with the speed of the interactions coming at her. Taking a deep
breath, she decided to take one post at a time. Cubhunter had asked if they
could help her with something. That was a definite yes.

FelicitousFeline: I’m having my first date tonight with
my cub.

Cougarlicious: How fun!

Prettybrownkitty: You go girl!

FelicitousFeline: He’s about twenty years younger than I
am.

Cubhunter: Perfect!

FelicitousFeline: I’m very nervous and wondered if there
was any advice you could give me about dealing with a much younger man. What
will we talk about? Should I downplay the age thing? Or be very straightforward
about it? I’d appreciate any advice you can give me.

Cougarlicious: Just be yourself, Felicia. You’ll figure
it all out.

Cubhunter: Don’t focus on the age difference, it doesn’t
really matter.

Prettybrownkitty: Screw his brains out, honey. Enjoy
yourself!

Felicia choked. Leave it to Bliss.

FelicitousFeline: Bliss! You’re incorrigible.

Cougarlicious: Obviously you two know each other, so I
won’t try to explain Bliss to you Felicia!

FelicitousFeline: LOL, don’t bother, I’ve known her for
years. She just likes to shock me.

Prettybrownkitty: LOL, it isn’t hard to do. But I’m not
kidding, girlfriend. That man wants you bad. If you don’t jump on that
yumminess I’m gonna clock you over the head.

Cougarlicious: LOL, no violence, please!

Cubhunter: Well, maybe a little BDSM! If you’re into
that. Hehehe

Prettybrownkitty: Ooh, spank me honey!

Cubhunter: ROFL!

* * * * *

Garrett was straightening mats in the yoga studio when
Giorgio found him. Around them the studio buzzed with preparations for
nighttime classes. “Hey, Giorgio. What’s up?”

Giorgio looked upset. His round face was red and his lips
white from pressing them together. He touched Garrett’s arm. “Can you come to
my office, please? I need to talk to you about something important.”

“Sure.” Garrett took one last look at the mats and followed
Giorgio into a small, cluttered office at the back of the studio. He pulled a
stack of glossy brochures off the only chair and sat down, settling the
brochures on the corner of Giorgio’s messy desk.

Rather than sitting down behind his desk, Giorgio went to
the rickety, wooden bookshelves on the back wall and pushed some exercise
physiology books to one side, pulling a dusty bottle out from behind them.

He poured them each two fingers of the expensive brandy he
kept for special occasions, handing one to Garrett.

“Are we celebrating something?”

Giorgio made a rude sound. “Hardly.” He dropped into his
chair and lifted his glass to Garrett. “To fools and thieves.”

Garrett sipped the brandy and settled back in his chair.
“Okay, buddy. Tell me what’s wrong. You look like somebody made you hold plank
for twenty minutes.”

Giorgio settled his forearms on his desk and looked at
Garrett. “I can’t believe I’m gonna say this to you.” He took another sip of his
brandy and set it down hard. “I have to let you go.”

Garrett gulped his brandy down in surprise, nearly choking.
He coughed and sat up straight. “You what?”

“Some fat-cat lawyer called Penelope and threatened to file
a very public lawsuit against the studio if she didn’t fire you.”

Garrett surged to his feet. “What! That’s crazy. Who was
this lawyer working for?”

Giorgio drained his glass and poured them both more.
“Himself apparently.” He handed Garrett his glass and sat back. “He says you
attacked him in a parking lot over some woman.”

Garrett’s face grew pale and he dropped back into the chair,
stunned. Felicia’s lawyer date. Holy crap!

“Tell me it’s bullshit, Garrett.”

Garrett lifted his gaze and fixed it on Giorgio’s frowning
face. He opened his mouth to respond but didn’t know what to say. He didn’t
want to lie to his friend. His lips slammed shut and he looked away.

“Oh crap, Garrett. What have you done?”

* * * * *

Felicia’s face was red and her palms were sweaty by the time
she finished reading through the current and recent messages on the KittyKat
Club chat group. She’d interacted with several of the ladies and learned that
it was a friendly and supportive group. She already felt better about her date
with Garrett.

She finally shut the group down and went to check her email.

She had five new emails since she’d checked earlier.

The first one was from Bliss, a picture of a hot, young stud
wearing only a small, strategically placed bouquet of roses. Felicia giggled
and told her friend the young model, who was no older than twenty-four, was too
old for her.

She hit send, grinning.

Felicia was still smiling when she opened the next email.
The word WHORE hit her first. It was blown up to about a size thirty-six font
and in red. Felicia felt the blood draining from her face. She hit delete with
a shaking finger and sat back, feeling as if she would throw up. Who was
sending her such hateful mail?

And more importantly. Why?

She realized exactly who it was. She had the phone in her
hand and was dialing Dave Foust before she had time to think about it.

He answered right away as if he’d been waiting by the phone.
“Hello?”

Felicia hesitated. What if it hadn’t been him who’d sent the
note? She’d be opening up a whole can of worms.

“Hello?”

Felicia made a decision. “Dave, it’s Felicia.”

“Good afternoon, Felicia. Is everything all right? You sound
strange.”

“No, Dave. Everything isn’t all right. How dare you send me
this email? Your behavior is atrocious!”

There was a silence that made Felicia frown. What if she was
way off base?

When he finally spoke, Dave’s response made her face heat
with anger. “Felicia, sweetheart, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Has
someone threatened you? Do you need a lawyer?”

Felicia’s whole body was shaking by this point. She felt like
she might pass out from the combination of fear and uncertainty washing through
her. “
You
threatened me, Dave.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Felicia. I’ve loved you for ten years.
I haven’t made any secret of that, have I? Why would I threaten you? What’s
going on, sweetheart?”

Felicia let her hostility slide away. If he was guilty he
was an extremely good actor. “Someone sent me the most hateful email.” There
was a small scraping sound on the other end of the line. She could visualize
him pulling a legal pad and pen closer to take notes. “What was the email
about?”

This had been her greatest fear. With a deep breath, Felicia
grabbed the tab on the can of worms and gave it a pull. “All it had in it was
the word ‘whore’, in red and all caps.”

“What?”

“I know. It’s crazy.”

“Not as crazy as you might think, Felicia. How well do you
know that young man who accosted me in the parking lot yesterday?”

Felicia bristled. “He’s a full-grown man, Dave!”

“Well, I guess that answers my question. Felicia,
sweetheart, do you know what you’re doing? He’s half your age. People are going
to talk.”

“We’re both consenting adults, Dave.”

The ensuing silence was filled with disapproval.

“If you’re going to buck the norms, Felicia, you’ll have to
take the consequences, however harsh or unfair they are.”

Now that just pissed her off. “You said it yourself, Dave,
you’ve been in love with me for ten years. You’re what, fifty-five?”

“That’s different of course.”

She was shaking again, but this time it was from a healthy
anger. “It is? Different how exactly?”

“It’s perfectly acceptable for a man to be with a younger
woman, Felicia. You know that. I know it doesn’t seem fair…”

“No, Dave, it doesn’t seem fair because it’s not!”

“But that’s the way it is, sweetheart. Fair or not.”

“Well, then we’ll just have to create new norms, won’t we?”
Felicia hung up the phone. She was so angry she could barely breathe. It was so
unfair.

Men had been linking up with younger women since the
beginning of time, in some cases even ridiculously young women. Society had
never looked askance at it. But let a slightly older woman—a woman still in the
prime of her life—even look at a sexy younger man and all hell broke loose.

It was unfair.

No! It was more than unfair. It was unacceptable!

It had to change and she was just the woman to change it.

Felicia had always liked causes. This felt like a cause that
needed to be championed.

She headed for the shower.

Now if she could just safeguard her heart in the process.

Chapter Four

“Is there something wrong with your dinner?”

Garrett looked up, surprised. He’d been playing with his
food. Shrugging, he put his fork down. “Sorry, I’m not very hungry. I’ve had a
rough day.”

He took her hand, drawing it to his lips. “How about I make
us dessert at my place…later?”

“Only if you promise there will be chocolate involved.”

Garrett laughed. “I think I can whip up something involving
chocolate.”

Felicia stood up, grabbing her purse off her chair. “Then
let’s go. I’ve got a hankerin’ for chocolate…and other things.”

Garrett followed her out the door. She seemed different
somehow. She’d been very chatty and upbeat all evening, and rather than
skulking around looking guilty she was holding her head high and looking people
right in the eye.

He liked the new Felicia. She seemed so much more relaxed
and happy.

Garrett handed Felicia into the passenger side of his car
and walked around to the driver’s side. He gave the valet a five-dollar bill
and thanked him.

The valet grinned. “No worries, sir. I’d drive this beauty
for free.” The young man looked at Felicia and winked.

Garrett hoped the guy was talking about his new Jeep rather
than Felicia. Or he might have to teach him some manners.

He was shocked when Felicia threw back her head and gave the
young man a throaty laugh. Something had definitely changed since the last time
he’d seen her. He needed to find out what it was.

* * * * *

Felicia watched Garrett closely as he drove. He hadn’t been
quite himself all evening. He’d been quiet and sort of withdrawn.

It was really starting to worry her.

She bit her bottom lip and looked away, staring at the
lights of the city as they flashed by. Maybe he’d changed his mind about her.
Maybe he’d just realized how much older she was.

Tears stung her eyes and she blinked rapidly to get rid of
them.

But then Garrett reached over and grabbed her hand, kissing
the back of it before smiling at her. “I’m really looking forward to dessert.”
He waggled his eyebrows at her like a lech from an old black-and-white movie.

Giggling, Felicia reminded him, “You promised me chocolate.”

He nodded and sucked one of her fingers into his mouth. “I
always keep my promises.”

Felicia’s eyes fluttered closed as he pulled the finger into
his hot mouth, his tongue bathing the sensitive tip in a sensuous slide. Her
head fell back as a wave of pure lust enveloped her. “That’s good,” she managed
after clearing her throat twice. “See that you do.”

Her voice grated away as her throat closed up, and another
finger found its way between his sexy lips.