CHAPTER3
After tossing and turning for hours, Belinda had finally gotten some sleep. She groaned as she caught sight of the time on the digital clock. Dragging herself out of bed, she made a tall glass of iced coffee with a lot of sweetener and creamer.
“Oh, that’s good,” she said aloud to herself. “Maybe if I add some fresh air, I’ll feel human.”
Belinda pulled her robe snugly across her chest before letting herself out onto the small balcony of her room. She leaned against the railing and looked over the green space. “It’s always so pretty here,” she observed.
“Meow!” A soft sound caught her attention.
“Hi, pretty kitty.”
The chatty cat rubbed on the inside of the railing as it answered.
“You are a good girl. Are you supposed to be out here?” Belinda wondered. The sliding glass door was ajar.
“Meow!” the cat assured her.
Enchanted by the fuzzy creature, she took another drink of her liquid caffeine and moved to the side of her balcony to study it. “You are very pretty,” she complimented the creature.
“Thanks. I picked him out myself,” Pedro assured her from the doorway.
Reaching one hand up to clench her robe closed, Belinda scanned his gorgeous frame, dressed only in a towel slung low around his hips. She forced her gaze up to meet his amused one. “Good morning. Sorry. She talked to me first.”
“Tinkerbell is a great conversationalist,” Pedro shared. “He’s settled in the apartment already and decided he loved this balcony best.”
“He makes quick choices.” Belinda focused on the still chatting, petite white cat. “Wait, he? Tinkerbell?”
“Good thing I didn’t decide to be a vet, huh? By the time an expert told me the girl kitty I thought I had was a boy, he already responded to Tinkerbell. He doesn’t seem to mind it too much, though. Tink always knows when he has a good thing going. I say I picked him out, but Tink really chose me to rescue him. I was on my way to take a donation of toys and unopened treats and food to the local shelter after my previous cat passed away at the glorious age of nineteen. Turns out the same soupy treats that tempted an almost toothless cat to eat came in handy to convince the starving kitten by the highway to trust me.”
“Tinkerbell sounds like a lucky kitty.”
“He attached himself to me and started chattering like we were old friends. Of course, I couldn’t leave him there,” he admitted.
“How old is he?”
“He’s seven this year. Lots of years ahead of him to enjoy the balcony or wherever we settle down.”
Confident of their attention now, Tinkerbell fell silent and lifted a paw to his mouth to groom his luxurious whiskers.
“I’ll let you and Tinkerbell enjoy the beautiful view,” Belinda said quickly when Pedro stepped fully out of the doorway. Does the man have no flaws? She turned to scurry off the balcony.
“Don’t run away because of us.”
“Oh, no,” she denied. “I have a lot of work to do this morning. I should get to my desk.”
“All work and no play makes Belinda a dull girl,” Pedro intoned wisely.
“But it makes Edgewater Industries a successful one,” she countered, pausing to take a drink and watch his reaction to her words.
To her surprise, he didn’t contradict her. He moved closer to lean against the railing that separated their balconies. Pedro nodded at the glass in her hand. “That’s not good for you.”
“I figured you were a health nut,” popped out of her mouth before she could stifle herself.
“Because I work out?” Pedro asked, running his hand over his chest. “I’ve already revealed my secret weakness of pizza, but you haven’t seen my weakness for my mother’s tamales. Being healthy is important, but so is enjoying the good things in life.”
“I’m glad to know you aren’t a food tyrant. Just a drink one,” she said with a laugh. “Ooh!” Belinda jumped when something warm and fuzzy rubbed against her leg.
“Tinkerbell! What are you doing over here?” Belinda questioned. She set down her glass before leaning down to ruffle the cat’s fur as the small creature batted at her pink, fuzzy house shoes. At her touch, the cat flopped to roll on his back and purred loudly, inviting Belinda to pet his belly. After a few seconds of petting, Belinda picked the delicate cat up and cuddled him against her chest. “He’s such a lover and so soft.”