Peering through the security peephole on her front door, Sarah MacKenzie grinned softly to herself as she recognized the face waiting on the other side. This is going to be fun, she thought, reaching for the doorknob.

“What took you so long?” a snide male voice asked as soon as she opened the door.

“Hello to you too, Clayton,” she answered wryly.

Leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek, Clayton Webb was momentarily taken aback when Mac avoided his advance and turned towards the kitchen instead, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the living room.

“How about dinner?” he called as she disappeared around the corner. “If you change into something more appropriate, I have reservations for 7:30 at the Elysium.”

“Did you say something?” Mac emerged from the kitchen, looking at him curiously.

“We have reservations,” he repeated crossly, ignoring the itch that had begun in his nose. “Go get dressed.”

“Funny, I don’t remember us having a date tonight,” she commented. Patently ignoring him, she reached for a set of placemats from a drawer in the armoire.

“I was in the neighborhood and thought—” Suddenly, the itching escalated into a full blown sneeze.

!!!ACHOO!!!

“Gesundheit!” Mac said absently, laying the mats on the table. “If you’re not feeling well, maybe you should go home and go to bed.”

“Sarah, I feel fine—” !!!ACHOO!!!

“Gesundheit! Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” He frowned, pulling a handkerchief out of his breast pocket and wiping his now running nose. Just as he began folding the white cloth, his attention was drawn to motion down near the base of Mac’s couch.

“When did you get a cat?!”

“This morning.” Chuckling inwardly, Mac stepped over to where the large feline was rubbing up against the furniture and hoisted the cat into her arms. She turned to Webb. “Sophie, meet Clay. Clay, meet Sophie.”

“Good god, Sarah, what were you thinking? I’m allergic to cats!” Absolutely horrified, Webb began to back away as Mac took a step forward.

“You are? You never told me,” Mac shrugged, stifling a giggle as Webb once again whipped out the handkerchief, this time holding it protectively over his nose and mouth.

“Well I am,” he insisted. “You’ll just have to get rid of it!”

Gripping the cat tighter, Mac buried her face momentarily in her soft fur. “I found her outside the building this morning, and I’m not going to put her back out there to fend for herself in the elements just because she gives you the sniffles.”

“It’s a little more serious than ‘the sniffles’,” Webb informed her as he sneezed yet again. “I’m terribly allergic – just ask Mother.”

“I’ve never met your mother,” she reminded him.

“Look, either the cat goes or I go.” Staring at her defiantly, Webb gave her an ultimatum. “It’s your choice, Sarah.”

She paused to think about it for a moment.

“See you around, Clay.”

“You’re choosing the CAT over ME?!” he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

“Yep.”

“Look, Sarah,” he tried one last time, “you can have a few days to find another home for that… thing. Just give me a call when it’s gone and then we’ll talk.”

“I’m not getting rid of her, Clay. Sophie stays.”

“I don’t believe this,” he muttered, turning for the door. Obviously she wasn’t willing to listen to reason.

“Have fun at dinner!” she called after him as the door slammed in his wake.

Listening for a moment at the sound of his shoes clomping roughly down the stairs, Mac burst out into laughter. It just couldn’t be that easy, could it? Giving the cat one last squeeze, she set her gently down onto the chair and returned to setting the dining room table, humming to herself.

~~~~~~~~~~

A short while later, another knock sounded on her door. Once again peering through the peephole, Mac yanked open the door to reveal the second visitor of the evening.

“Hey. Ooh, whatcha got there?” she greeted Harm with a grin as she took one of the paper bags he held in his arms.

“Carryout Chinese, as requested.”

“Did you get the Kung Pao Beef I asked for?”

“Relax, Mac, it’s in there.” Chuckling at her enthusiasm, he passed her the other bag. As she carried the parcels over to the table, Harm spotted the cat, who sat washing herself on the chair cushion.

“Hey, Sophie,” he greeted, picking the animal up and scratching her belly. “What are you doing up here?”

“She stopped by to help me out with a little problem I was having,” Mac told him as she finished setting the table. “It’s all taken care of now, though.”

Harm glanced over at her. “Rodents?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“You want me to take her back down to Mrs. Furber?”

Mac smiled at him. “If you wouldn’t mind – I found Sophie hanging out in front of the building this morning, and she’s probably getting hungry.”

“No problem.” Harm said, carrying the cat towards the door. “Save me some dinner, though.”

“Don’t worry, Flyboy. It’ll still be here when you get back.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Earth to Mac!”

Startled out of her daydream, Mac focused in on the handsome face in front of her. Harm was standing across from her desk, waving one arm in an exaggerated arc, trying to get her attention.

“Sorry, Harm. What was that?”

“Everything okay? You seem a little spacey this morning.”

She nodded, a little embarrassed at having been caught off in some other world. “I’m fine. You were saying…?” Harm chuckled.

“I came by to see if you’d be interested in a working dinner tonight, say at your place around 1930? I could bring carryout,” he offered with an enticing smile.

“Chinese?” she purred.

“I’ll stop at the little place around the corner from your apartment.” Grinning, he turned to leave.

“Harm?” she called after him. “You’re not allergic to cats, are you?”

He paused just outside her doorway. “Not that I’m aware of. Why do you ask?”

She smiled to herself. “Oh, no reason in particular. See you tonight!”

The End

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