Nic Tatano - The Empire State Cat’s Christmas Gift

“You’re not going to believe this, but we were in the same class at law school.”

“You gotta be kidding.”

“Nope.”

“Let me get this straight…you’re hot for this woman and you spent three years in law school with her? Why didn’t you go after her then?”

“She wasn’t exactly the same person.” He clicked on the laptop and brought up the graduation photo, then pointed at the woman.

“ That’s the lawyer we saw in the courtroom? Damn, I want some of what she’s drinking. Talk about getting better looking with age.”

He patted Ariel’s hand. “Just like you.”

“Awww, you’re such a sweetie. I really do have you trained and ready for a wife.” Ariel leaned forward and pointed at the photo. “And apparently she’s not the only one who gets more attractive. Is that really you?”

“Yep.”

“Doesn’t even look like the same person. But could you not afford a razor? That is one sorry looking beard. You look like you’re trying out for Occupy Wall Street.”

“Yeah, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I got rid of it right after graduation. My adviser said it wasn’t good for job interviews.”

“Anyway, back to your infatuation with the young lady who has the great eyes. May I remind you about the last time you dated a lawyer.”

“I would rather you didn’t. I’ve tried very hard to forget her.”

“You’re not the only one. Dinner with you two was like a trip to the Supreme Court. All you did was argue, and half the time it was over what to order from the menu.”

“That doesn’t mean all lawyers are like her. Thank God.”

“Well, tread carefully. So, what was Miss Spectacular Eyes like back then?”

“She wasn’t friends with anyone. I tried being nice to her once in the law library. Brought her a cup of coffee. She picked up her books and walked away. Totally focused on school. Zero personality. Remember the woman I told you about who beat me for valedictorian?”

“ That’s the woman who kept you in second place?”

“Yep. And it wasn’t even close. Then she gets the number one score on the bar exam for the entire state of New York. Smartest person I’ve ever met.”

“Which, when you add it to the features she already has, makes you want her even more.”

“Hey, I like brilliant women. That’s why you and I get along so well.”

“You’re just full of compliments today. Of course if she still has zero personality the point is moot.”

“Very true. But she didn’t show that kind of spunk in law school when we had mock court. She was more like an android. Since then she’s developed an attitude.”

“Honey, we all do as we get older.”

“Oh, one more thing.” He pointed at the monitor. “Check out the address of her firm.”

Ariel’s jaw slightly dropped. “She’s down the hall?”

“Yep. And I’ve never run into her. I’d remember a woman like that.”

“Well, we’ve only been in this building for a year. So, you gonna walk down to her office and say hello?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Why not? You’ve got a great excuse. You saw her in court, and we could use another lawyer for the firm to take things off our plate. Go pay her a visit, tell her she impressed the hell out of you and see if she might be interested in joining us. Even better, ask her to lunch but call it a job interview.”

“Yeah, like that situation couldn’t blow up in my face. Dating someone I work with.”

“You have a point. Hey, wait a minute.”

“What?”

“Since you two went to the same school, I’ve got an idea how you can meet her.”

*

Tish tore into her plate of ziti and meatballs while Socks and Bumper were busy batting a ball of aluminum foil around the living room. “Madison, I cannot tell you how great it feels not to eat in a restaurant or be in a hotel room after work.” She looked at her plate. “Oh my God, this is fantastic. Did you make this?”

Rory rolled her eyes. “Get real. You know her specialty of the house is burnt toast.”

“Nick cooks for her every night,” said A.J. “She’s one step away from being a kept woman.”

Tish took a bite of a meatball and washed it down with some wine. “Damn, Madison, you’re gonna be three hundred pounds by your first anniversary.”

“Trust me, they work it off,” cracked A.J.

Madison slapped her on the shoulder. “A.J.!”

“Hell, Madison,” said Rory. “We all know you can’t keep your hands off him.”

Madison blushed. “Fine. We have an…active lifestyle.”

Tish laughed. “Yeah, you hit your target heart rate without leaving the bedroom. Thank God he’s not around to hear this. Where is your darling fiancé anyway?”

“Poker game with the guys from his precinct.”

“Ah.” Tish dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “Speaking of men, I, uh, ran into our white knight from the restaurant.”

Conversation stopped. Madison leaned forward. “Really. Do tell.”

“Well, I went for a run before going to work and on my way back to the hotel I stopped at a soda cart to get a drink. He was there talking on his cell phone. Anyway, I go to pay for the soda and realized I’d forgotten to bring some cash. He notices, stops talking, pulls out a dollar and pays for it.”

Rory locked eyes with her. “And…then what happened?”

“I thanked him, he went back to his phone call and walked away.”

A.J. frantically waved her hands. “Whoa, hang on. You just let him walk away?”

“Well, for one, I was soaked with sweat and looked like crap wearing some old clothes I keep in the trunk of my car and he’s in a thousand dollar suit. Then I hear him on the phone say, ‘ I’ll see you Saturday night, love you too. ’” Her face dropped. “So you were probably right about that babe he was with in the restaurant. He’s obviously taken and the woman he was with was stunning.”

Madison shrugged. “He could have been talking to his mother.”

Tish shook her head. “Oh, come on. What single guy goes out with his mother on a Saturday night?”

“Could be a sister,” said Rory. “Or a close platonic female friend. Or maybe he was going to a party.”

“Stop it,” said Tish. “Guys like that always have someone.” She leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand. “But I tell ya, that guy had the most spectacular olive green eyes I’ve ever seen. If you thought he was cute from across the restaurant, you should have seen him up close. This great thick hair and he filled out a suit like a model. A real boy next door look, on the line between cute and handsome. The kind of guy you want to take home to meet your parents. And you know your mother will fall in love with him.”

Madison stopped eating, pointed her fork at Tish and talked through a mouthful of pasta. “You. Are. Smitten.”