It's a feminine perogative

 

It’s a feminine perogative

Dave walked in noisily and pulled the curtains back, flooding the bedroom with bright white light.  Abigail looked up from her comfortable prone position, eyes squinting against the sudden rush of light.  She yawned and stretched.

“Well, princess, were you planning on getting up today?  I know you were up late, but some of us have to go to work to keep you in the style to which you are accustomed”,   Dave said. 

He turned from the window and smiled affectionately at the lean form already out of bed and practicing a Downward Facing Dog in front of him.

Abigail finished her Yoga posture and graced Dave with a piercing wide-eyed stare from her captivating green eyes as she directed a torrent of commentary at him.  She was royally piqued at his abrupt invasion of her beauty sleep and let him know it.

“Well, you don’t have to snap my head off, darling.  Even royalty eat.  I wouldn’t want you to starve, after all”, replied Dave.  He grabbed his briefcase from the closet before leaving the bedroom.

Abigail snorted.  She did need to get up, if only to relieve herself.  She twisted her body into another position and straightened – it helped her to relax.  She trotted off to the bathroom.  Abigail fastidiously cleaned up and stretched some more.  Returning, she gazed fondly at the soft, puffy, silk encased pillow, considering a return to bed and nirvana.  She noticed several silky black hairs lying across the fabric.  Dave hated finding hair in bed.  For the life of her, she couldn’t imagine what all the fuss was about.  At least weekly, he pampered her by brushing her soft, shiny hair, he adored it so.

Hearing the sounds of breakfast, she quickly made her way to the kitchen.  Stopping in the doorway, she eyed Dave warily.  Occasionally he went on an organic health kick.  He better not have prepared one of his special recipes.  God help her, they’d wind up with matching bowls of unrecognizable and unappetizing beige colored grains and funky crunchy bits.  She was a creature of habit and preferred things a certain way, especially when it came to her food. 

“Are we feeling fussy this morning?” asked Dave, noting Abigail’s prissy look as he prepared the dishes.  He put her full plate in its usual setting.

Deciding to ignore him, she approached but turned pointedly towards her food concentrating on the meal in front of her.  Abigail wondered why he would say such a thing.  She ate everything he put before her didn’t she?  She was anything but persnickety and he knew it.  Dave could be such a jerk.

“Cold shoulder, huh?  Okay, then.”  Dave turned and headed out the kitchen door to grab the newspaper, tossed by the end of the walkway, almost in the street.  They had a most professional deliverer whose goal was to hide the paper to the casual observer. 

Abigail was making disgruntled noises, but he didn’t notice.  Looking up, she noted the open door.  Crossing the threshold, she spotted their neighbor, Kristina, at the covered parking space separating their townhome units.  Abigail perked up.  She loved spending time with Kristina.  She always had something nice to say to her.  Kristina was kind and attentive.

The neighbor hopped into her car and turned on the engine.  She spotted Abigail as she adjusted her side mirror and opened the driver’s window.

 “Hi Abigail!” she yelled and waved.  Her red hair gleamed in the early morning sun, mesmerizing Abigail.  She seemed about the happiest person in the world.

Abigail opened her mouth and was starting towards the car when Dave turned around upon hearing Kristina’s voice.  He glanced at Abigail with a surprised look.  She paused mid stride.  Then he fixed his gaze on Kristina, still sitting, idling in the drive next door.  Abigail wondered if he’d say anything to their neighbor.  She wished they saw more of her, but Dave didn’t find it easy to open up with people, not like Abigail did. 

“Good morning”, Dave called out. 

He looked back towards Abigail, but she was already headed back into the house.  She planted herself just inside the doorway, out of sight, listening, hoping he’d be a little more neighborly.

“Thank God it’s Friday, huh?  I guess Abby went in, she looks great – love the ribbon in her hair!”  said Kristina.

“She had her special spa treatment yesterday.  It’s pricey, but it makes her feel like a diva – at least that’s how she acts”, Dave said and laughed.

“She’s entitled,” replied Kristina, “it’s a female’s prerogative.  Have anything special going tonight?”

“Uh, well - no, not really.”

“I planned to rent a video, open some wine – might be the box kind - nothing fancy, and barbeque burgers.  I’d welcome company.  Just casual, food, a little wine – an old movie.”

“Uh, well, uh…,” Dave stammered.

“Meow, meow, eeeeh, meow,” Abigail voiced, flying out of the doorway rushing towards Dave, frustrated with his indecisiveness. 

What was wrong with him?  Say yes, damn it.  If he didn’t start making progress with Kristina, he could lose her.  Abigail knew Kristina was good for both of them.

“Oh, sorry, Abigail, you’re invited too!” said Kristina.  “I think your cat wants her own invitation.”

Abigail purred loudly and rubbed against Dave’s legs.  She looked up, fixing him with an adoring kitty look.  Dave looked at Abby, wondering what was up with her.  It wasn’t like her to act so graciously, well, like a normal cat.

“Well, I guess our decision is made”, he said, and was rewarded with a face rub on his knee, as his cat patiently established her ownership of her human.  “I’d love too and so would Abby.  I’ll bring dessert, and of course, my quiet, shy cat.”

Abigail rearranged her features to project a withering look at her owner.  Ha, ha, ha, he could be so funny – she could recognize a joke when she heard one.  He was the shy, quiet one, not her.  She turned her attention to Kristina, stepping a couple of paces out from Dave to turn her feline back to him.  She graced Kristina with an adoring feline head tilt and blink.  Boy, oh boy, she looked forward to Kristina cooing at her and scratching her under the chin tonight.  Kristina appreciated her.  Abby went into full on cat statue mode frozen in her feline thoughts watching the redhead.

Abigail knew Dave would be jealous, though he wouldn’t show it, when she opted to lay in Kristina’s lap, rather than his.  But after all, it was a feline’s prerogative.