Unknown - driven

Dinner was actually relaxed and the foursome had a good time. Dylan got to embarrass Cat with stories of games and practices that her folks hadn?t seen and her parents got to tell embarrassing Cat stories. For Cat?s part she just sat, sipping her tea and wishing for a quick death.

Her parents had both excused themselves before coffee and Dylan leaned over to speak with Cat. “How you holding up?”

“I?m okay. I?m sorry about Mom.”

“Well, honey you did warn me. But I do understand what you were telling me.”

“She?ll be okay, but it?s better if we just let her figure it out for herself, then she?ll just deal with it.”

“I gotcha.” Dylan leaned over a bit closer. “How long are they in town for?”

Cat whimpered and twisted her napkin in her hands. “Three days.” She turned playfully murderous eyes on her lover. “And don?t you start something we can?t finish.”

“Me? Would I do that to you?”

“You know you would. You evil thing.”

Dylan laughed and picked up her glass as her parent?s returned from their respective trips to the restroom.

“Did we miss something funny?” Her mother asked as she retook her seat.

“Yes, I was just torturing Cat.”

“Well”, her father took his seat and took Cat?s hand. “I?m glad to know someone is taking the job seriously since I?m not here to do it.”

Dylan laughed as Cat could only hang her head and shake it slowly, knowing that it was the truth and there was no way to fight it.

Returning back to Cat?s place, Dylan was invited up for coffee and but declined. She did ask to speak to Cat for a few minutes and the player?s parents headed up to the apartment leaving the two in the car.

“Thanks for tonight.” Cat said as she took Dylan?s hand. “It was sweet of you.”

“Well, I?m hoping I can get them to like me without knowing why.” Dylan chuckled, lifting her hand to caress Cat?s cheek. “I?m going to miss you.”

“Let?s just thank God that they?re only going to be here for three days. We can survive three days.”

“Now I remember,” Dylan snapped her fingers playfully. “My shower has a cold setting.”

“Yes it does. And thankfully, so does mine.”

Dylan smiled, leaning over to kiss Cat goodnight.

When she entered her apartment her mother was in her long nightgown sitting on the couch. She was noticeably alone.

“Where?s Dad?”

“Why were you kissing Dylan Lambert?”

“What?”

“I saw you kiss her. Why?”

Cat looked to the heavens for divine intervention and when she realized it wasn?t coming she took a few steps toward her mother. “I kissed Dylan goodnight. Is there a problem with that?”

“Are you seeing her?”

“Does it make a difference?”

“Why didn?t you tell us?”

Cat sighed hard and sat down in the chair across from the couch. “I didn?t tell you because it?s none of your business.”

“So you are seeing her?”

“Yes,” Cat finally decided that giving up would be the best course of action. “Yes, I?m seeing her.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“That is none of your business.”

“Catherine, don?t you speak to me like that.”

“Mother I love you dearly, but I will not be interrogated in my own house. Yes, Dylan and I are seeing each other, but how long we?ve been seeing each other is none of your business.”

“Do you love her?”

Cat sat there and considered it. Do I love her? “I have very deep feelings for Dylan. We are taking this relationship slow to give us both more time.”

“Why are you keeping it quiet?”

“For a number of reasons, but mainly this one. We have no desire for our private lives to be up for discussion.”

“You would think you?d tell your mother and father.”

“Why? So you could tell me it was just a phase and that I needed to find a nice young man? God, Mom when are you going to realize that I don?t want a young man? I?m a lesbian. I like women.”

“I just can?t understand that.”

“Fine Mom, you don?t have to understand it and you certainly don?t have to approve, but damn it that?s just the way it is so you may as well just pretend to deal with it.”

“I can?t believe you?re talking to me like this Catherine.”

“And I can?t believe you?re still trying to tell me how to live my life. I?m a grown woman, Mom. I make my own living and I make my own choices.”

“She?s done this to you.”

“Who has done what?”

“Dylan Lambert, she?s made you disrespectful.”

“Bullshit!” Cat flew off the chair and began pacing. “Dylan has nothing to do with the fact that I?m tired of you pretending this is some phase or something I?m going to grow out of. I?ve been a lesbian since I was fourteen, Mom! It?s not going to change.” She stopped pacing and faced her mother. “I?m sorry, but that?s just the way it is and I?m not going to try to do something that will make me unhappy just to please you.”

“I can see that.” Her mother stood up and nodded to her daughter. “Do you want your father and I to go?”

“No! Where did that come from? I love having you guys here, I just don?t need this particular issue to come up and ruin our visit.”

“Maybe I should speak to Miss Lambert.”

“Don?t you dare! Don?t you dare drag Dylan into this! She has nothing to do with this other than she?s the one I?m currently dating. Don?t make me choose between you mom, because right now I?m afraid you would lose.”

“Catherine listen to what you?re saying. You would chose that woman over your family?”

“No, I would choose her over you. Look at what you?re doing, Mother!”

“Ilene,” Cat?s father stood at the railing of the bedroom. “That?s enough, leave Cat alone and come to bed.”

The older woman looked to her husband and then to her daughter, without another word she turned and went upstairs leaving Cat mad and shaking.

A few minutes later Cat took the phone into the kitchen and dialed. She waited until Dylan picked up the phone and then she said the first thing that came to mind. “I love you.”

Dylan drummed her fingers on the steering wheel; her mind was elsewhere, which was obvious by the sound of the horn behind her. “Yeah, yeah, yeah?give me a break.” She hit the gas and went through the light, taking a second to clear her thoughts.

She had managed to get Cat calmed down from last night?s unexpected confrontation without responding to the younger woman?s declaration. Cat hadn?t even seemed to notice, but the whole thing had left Dylan re-examining her relationship with the star player.

Just when she didn?t think things could get worse, she got a call from Horace?s executive secretary. The old man was demanding that Dylan come to his house. It was certainly the last thing on the planet the coach wanted to do, but Horace wrote the checks, and if he wanted to see her she really couldn?t tell him to go to hell.

“Though you bet your ass I?d like to,” she growled into the rearview mirror.

Turning off the main road, she slowed the car so she could enjoy the drive out to the estate. The road she was on was public, but it was barely traveled, making more like a private drive. She could just slow down and enjoy the scenery for a few minutes; it would give her time to try and figure out what Horace wanted and maybe give her some answers about dealing with Cat.

Ten minutes later she pulled up to the gates that kept Horace?s house secluded and away from the fans that might want to kick the old goat?s ass. Dylan was no closer to knowing what he wanted, but she had come to a conclusion about Cat. Take it one day at a time.

Not that she was frightened, exactly, or unaware of the steadily deepening feelings between herself and one Catherine Hodges. She didn?t know if she could call it love yet. Then again, being who and what she was, she never had much practice with that particular emotion.