Page 91 of Interference

“I know, buddy.” Anthony petted over the cat’s neck and back. “It sucks. But it has to be done.”

For a couple of minutes, they just sat like that, Anthony talking softly to Moose while Moose settled down. To my surprise, Moose actually started purring, if not as loudly as Bear had.

Anthony gave Moose another minute or so to just chill and purr. Then he picked him up and resituated him in his lap so he could finish clipping his nails. Moose still complained, and he squirmed a little, but aside from a halfhearted nip, there was no more violence.

“There.” Anthony set him on the towel and started petting him. “See? You’re all done. That wasn’t so bad.”

Moose arched into Anthony’s hand. Then he reached for the treat can and tapped it with his paw.

“I know, I know. I haven’t forgotten.” Anthony picked up the can and opened it. Now Moose was purring as loudly as Bear had earlier, and he delicately took each treat from between Anthony’s fingers.

As did Bear, who had come down from his perch now that there were treats in play.

“You already got some,” Anthony told him even has he fed him a couple. “Little scam artist.”

I laughed. “Says the guy who probably falls for it every time.”

He flipped me off.

Then he looked at Lily, who was staring longingly at him from where she leaned against my leg. “Uh… Can she…?”

“Sure.” I patted her neck, which made her tail thump. “She can have one or two.”

Anthony smiled. He tossed a treat to Lily, who snapped it out of the air and made both Anthony and Moose jump.

Bear didn’t notice. He was fascinated with a crease in the towel and was trying to figure out how to murder it.

Anthony gently nudged him off the towel. “Sorry, buddy. I need to put all this away until the next bloodletting.”

Bear seemed confused by his eviction from the towel, though he seemed confused by almost everything, so who knows? As Anthony started rolling up the towel, the big black cat found something else to occupy his attention: the box beside Anthony.

The box which was almost entirely full of fur and a few claw clippings.

“Uh, Anthony?” I nodded toward Bear. “You might want—”

Too late.

Bear dive-bombed the box, landing in a crunch of cardboard and a puff of floof.

Anthony groaned. “Seriously, dude?”

Bear looked very pleased with himself.

And somewhat confused.

Because… Bear.

Eventually, Anthony managed to collect everything and get the cat hair wrangled back into the box. Then he disappeared for a few minutes, returning a moment later in—

Oh, fuck me.

It was already hard to keep from staring at him no matter what. When he strolled back into the kitchen in a black tank top and gray sweats? Fuuuck.

As he rinsed out and refilled the cats’ water bowls at the island, he met my gaze. “You want a glass of wine or something?”

“Oh. Uh. I mean, if you’re having one, I won’t say no.” I chuckled, gesturing at the cats. “Something to take the edge off after traumatizing your boys?”

“Pfft. They’re not traumatized.” He nodded in the same direction. “They’ve already forgotten.”

---