I took out the cake and placed it on the table. Leyanna licked her lips and her eyes shone excitedly.  “Oh my god! It’s so pretty, and pink!!! I don’t even wanna slice it up!” The cute redhead was hovering around it and looking at it from different angles. If this were back home any girl would be taking a million photos but thankfully here smartphones didn’t exist.

The beauty of a simpler world and time. We can actually enjoy things here without recording them.

Eventually, when Leyanna was finished admiring it, she gave me the green light and we cut into the cake. As I pulled out a slice and plated it for Leyanna she whistled in appreciation and I had to admit, I was also impressed. It was decadent. The inside looked porous and rich. The interior of the cake was red velvet and each section was separated by thick white frosting.

“Bon Appetit!” I said with a smile, my fork and knife poised.

“What?” Leyanna asked, looking up at me in confusion.

“Oh, something we say where I’m from. Actually… we took it from somewhere else. Forget it. The point is, let’s eat!” I said.

“Yes, please!” Leyanna exclaimed.

We both tucked in. The first bite was amazing. Sweet, but not cloying, and aromatic without being overbearing. Leyanna and I locked eyes, our mouths full and just shook our heads in disbelief at how delicious it was. We didn’t speak. We took second bites and thirds. The only sounds in the cabin were us moaning in enjoyment and the clank and scrape of forks and knives on the plates until we had completely finished.

“That was absolutely delicious!” I sighed. “But now I’m super full.” I patted my swollen belly.

“Oh gosh me too, I need to lie down,” Leyanna groaned. “I call dibs on the bed.” She raced over and plopped down on it.

I chuckled and walked over. She had kicked off her shoes and lay on her back her eyes closed and her hands behind her head. “This is all mine now Georgie, you are going to have to take the floor,” she teased and opened her eyes long enough to wink at me then closed them again, faking a yawn and tugging at the covers.

“Oh no you don’t!” I said with a chuckle, rolling her onto her side and lying down beside her. “Listen, this is my luxurious single bed, for a single person.”

Leyanna sat up, and from the corner of my eye, I saw a mischievous grin on her face. “Oh? Are you sure about that, George? You want me to leave you alone?” she asked. As she did so she moved quickly, shifting her body and rolling on top of me, straddling me, her fiery hair falling down around us like a red curtain.

“I’m… starting to question it now… maybe we can share the bed…” I stammered, a little at a loss for words. My heart was beating fast. There was no misreading of the signals here. I wanted this. She wanted this. But should I do this? What about Ella? What about… home?

“Maybe we should take it-” I began to say.

“Ugh, shut up and kiss me farmboy,” she said, rolling her eyes and leaning down to capture my lips in hers.

My words died on my lips and a fire was lit inside of me. I grabbed her hips and held her close, her lips were soft and supple. I felt the heat radiating from her body. I felt her hunger, her excitement, in her hands that snaked beneath my coveralls as her fingernails raked my…

BANG!

We both turned to see the door open and a figure silhouetted in the darkness. It was impossible to see who or what it was. There was only one defining feature. Two bright yellow eyes that glowed in the dark. Leyanna screamed and jumped off me, hiding behind my prone form.

As I squinted I saw two more clothes. Pointed ears and a swishing tail. “Frannie?” I called out.

But if it was indeed the catgirl, she gave no indication that she heard me. Instead, the bright yellow eyes blinked closed and the shadowy form turned, sprinting off into the black of night, the door slamming shut behind her. Leyanna clung to me as I sat up and listened to the footfalls thudding away into the brush.

“Uh George, what the hell was that?” Leyanna asked, still clearly in shock. I got up off the bed and took a deep breath. “I think I know, but let me go make sure everything is okay. Stay here, okay?”

Leyanna nodded and pulled the blankets up over her, clearly worried. It was a little endearing to see this side of her. She usually was so tough. I gave her what I hoped was a confident smile and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s fine, I’m going to take care of this.

I turned around and exited the cabin and walked outside. As the door closed behind me I felt a chill cross over me. What if it wasn’t Frannie? What if it was someone or something with darker purposes? I shook the thoughts from my head. There was no need to jump to worse conclusions.

I walked around the perimeter of the house and checked for any signs of clues. I saw none of the typical traces a burglar might make in a crime scene. I had read enough reports of criminal cases to know that if someone was breaking and entering, they were usually a lot rougher and left damage on the surrounding area.

I walked over to my field. My crops were not disturbed and nothing had been vandalized.

Frannie. It must have been. Why had she fled when she opened the door? Was she afraid? Or even… jealous?

Max whined and then yawned. I looked over at him, in his favorite position on the porch. I shook my head at him. “You know buddy, you are adorable but you are just about the worst guard dog imaginable,” I chided.

Max did not respond. Merely thumped his tail lazily and went back to sleep. I did one last patrol of the perimeter and, once again, found nothing out of sorts. I was satisfied that it was likely Frannie, and if it was someone else, they were long gone. I went back inside the cabin and for the first time, I locked the door behind me. I hoped that Frannie would be okay out there, but I couldn’t have her or any old stranger barging in on me in the middle of the night again.

Especially not when I had a houseguest.

Speaking of which, I turned my attention to Leyanna who was staring at me expectantly.  She sat up on the bed, the blankets pooled around her, her long hair disheveled and her arms folded under her chest. “George? Care to explain what just happened?”

I sat down beside her on the edge of the bed, staring forward, and sighed. “I guess there is only one way to do that. Let me start at the beginning. It’s about time I told someone my story. The whole story. It’s the only way this will make sense.”

So I began. I told her about my old job, about my grandfather and I even told her about the wizard, the quest, and finally the catgirl. She listened patiently, taking it all in. When I was finished there was a long silence between us. I broke it: “So, do you think I’m crazy?” I asked.

She thought for a while, then she reached over and ruffled my hair. “No, you are not crazy. But the story is crazy. You have to know there is a lot of superstition in Halfmoon Hills, magic is something most folks don't take to. They are suspicious of it. And any kind of magical creatures… like catgirls. But I believe you, George. I sense you have a pure heart, even if you have a strange past.”

I looked over at her smiling. “How do you know that?”

She smirked. “It's an old horse training trick, I can sense things you know. The way a mare’s heart beats or their eyes move. And it's more than that… the aura. I can see it. Sense it,” she blushed a little and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, perhaps a little embarrassed at how open she was being.

“I appreciate that,” I said. “But are you saying that I’m a horse?”

“Remains to be seen,” she said with a sly smile. “Now, if you truly want to prove you are a gentleman. You’ll let me sleep over. It’s late, and whether or not that catgirl is a friend or foe, I don't fancy facing a strange creature on the road this time of night.”

I nodded. “As you wish, m’lady.”