I stared at it as hard as it stared at me. Oh I knew what was going on in his mind and I was not going to give in. He had taken this strange liking towards me and I wasn't really comfortable with it.

My eyeballs dried out at once and twitched but I was not going to lose this staring contest. Not me. He cocked his head to the side and when I saw the cute eyes, I began in a firm tone "No. I am not letting you get on me."

My firm tone apparently did nothing as the darned cat ignored my words and walked towards me. Then I blinked. I groaned. I just lost a staring contest with a cat. He climbed into my laps and curled up, obviously expecting me to stroke his fur or pet him behind the ears (whichever made him happy) which I sighed before doing.

I didn't like cats, but it seemed I was beginning to accept a lot of things I didn't like before. Like thick black women. Like my wife. Like her pet cats that can't stay away from me. When did my life become so complicated? So complicated that I couldn't find it it in me to fuck other women or stop thinking about that one and only night? When had it become so bad that to cum nowadays, i had to jerk off constantly to the thoughts of my wife who probably wanted nothing to do with me?

I groaned as I looked up when I heard her laugh upstairs. Her boyfriend or whoever he was had come over and they had disappeared into her room as she pulled him along obviously excited about something.

I wonder what they are talking about.

I listened to the cat as it purred to its content and for a second wished we could trade places. At least I wouldn't be as stressed as I was at the moment. i would just be a lazy cat. Just then, I heard the guy's deep laughter as they came downstairs and pretended to be so intrigued with whatever it was I was doing on my laptop.

I heard her walk into the kitchen and soon she was back and gave him the cake he had requested. I felt like I was going to burst open with the amount of jealousy coursing through my veins. Yes, I was jealous. So what?

I took deep breaths. Deeeeeeeep breaths but it wasn't really working and immediately he left and she came back into the house, I resolved to ask a question. Just one question. I slammed my laptop lid shut and stood up like a man on a mission. I turned to face her, cat in my arms.

"Maya?"

"Huh?" She said absentmindedly as she tried pulling an invisible flint put of her natural afro.

"Go out with me?"

Her head turned so quickly I imagined I heard the sound of her neck joint popping.

"What did you say?" She whispered as she gazed at me with those soulful brown eyes.

"I..I realize I have been the jerkiest jerk of them all but *sighs* I'm really sorry. I know sorry doesn't cut it but I want you to know that I have changed and I want to make this work."

I watched as she stood there gawking at me and wondering if it was all real or her imagination or if I was playing a prank or something but I was really being serious about it. I wanted to make it work. I may not be in love with her but I liked her enough to want to fuck her over and over again.

"Err s..sure." She replied and I nodded before leaving with the darned cat in my arms.

Doth mine eyes and ears deceive me?

Was all I could think in my mock attempt at Shakespearian English at that critical moment. There he stood, all hard and masculine with Buffy(the cat) in his arms as he asked me to go out with him. I nodded in agreement but when he left, my eyes narrowed in suspicion. What could he be up to? Maybe it was a prank, a way to make himself feel dominant and make me feel like the most worthless ant of them all. I sighed and pressed my hands to my face before deciding on what to do for the rest of the day.

I huffed in frustration as I went through the dresses I had in my closet over and over again but all my dresses had the same problem. They showed just a little cleavage. Keith had expressly told me never to show my cleavage around him and the last time my dress showed a little cleavage, I had been embarrassed to tears before his best friend. I sighed and just picked a random pretty blue knee length dress only to sigh in relief when I found out it had a high round neck.

Perfect. Oh Thank You God.

I wore a pair of flat black shoes not caring it would go better with heels. I was totally preparing for the worst, and I can definitely not run... Okay walk really fast (not run) in heels.

I just powdered my face and put on a little red lipstick before walking out of my room.

It's showtime Maya. No matter what, do not shed a tear. Today, you will not be a crybaby. Today, you will be that woman that will walk out with her head high no matter the kind of insult her uncaring husband throws at her.

Pep talk upon pep talk didn't calm my racing heart. I was scared. Keith was not a nice person who has ever done anything nice for me...except let me get my cats... probably because he liked cats too. So I had no reason to believe he actually wanted to take me out. I really prayed to God for the strength to be as strong as I wished.

r

"Okay. I know I have never done anything to make you comfortable around me but do relax. You are safe I promise."

Keith said beside me and I nodded numbly, wondering why he was being nice to me, wondering why he was telling me to relax, wondering why we were going out for dinner in the first place.

Maybe he likes...

I stopped myself before I could complete that thought. A mistaken one night stand that happened about 4 weeks ago wasn't enough for him to like me... was it? And then I remembered how nice he had been over the past few weeks. maybe he was being serious. Maybe he actually wanted it to work. Maybe he was beginning to like me.

God please let it be true. I am not desperate for love but since I am ready to spend the rest of my life with this man, let him at least like me.

That was my prayer as I looked out and into the darkness of the night.