Usually I'm nervous about starting the chase with a new guy. You never know if there's some little quirk that will drive you batty, if their family is like something out of a Poppy Z. Brite novel, or even if the two of you can stand to be around each other after the new wears off. Sitting there staring into Felix' smirk didn't help either.

"What?" I asked.
"Nothing much, you’re just cute when you're nervous. "
I told him thanks, lit another cigarette, and muttered "And you're cute when you're confused. "
"Point taken, but I'm rarely confused. So what do you think of this guy? He's cute in a goofy sort of way, of course, but what else? What amazingly special characteristic do you see in him that's making you nervous? "

"You're not cute when you're being bitchy, Felix. Now buy me a Goldschlager to say you're sorry. "
"Immediately. " he said as he called Benny over. "The lady needs an apology Goldschlager for me being an ass, and from the sounds of things I need a shot of Tuaca to mellow me. "

Benny gave me an evil wink, "Wow, that's a better apology than I've ever gotten out of him. I'm impressed! "
"Nothing personal, Benny, she just knows where the bodies are buried. "
Benny disappeared to grab the shots, and Felix called to leave Johnny a message. Apparently, they needed a couple of things from the store. I just sat there flicking my lighter and worrying obsessively about what I would say to Jeff. We had known each other for a while; talked in the laundry room from time to time, but I really didn't know much about him.

"Hello, ” Felix threw in "Earth here. Feel like coming back yet? Good. Now you still haven't answered my question. Let me rephrase it to make it a little less bitchy. What's up with this Jeff guy? "

We talked for a little while about all of the different encounters Jeff and I had, which didn't amount to much. Again I was faced with the fact that I really didn't know much about him. He was nice, kept pretty much to himself, walked around perpetually with his old worn-out backpack, and was generally pretty quiet.

"So you basically don't know much at all about him, right? " Felix asked.
"Well, no. But he's cute enough that I might want to. "
"Not a bad thought. So, what's the plan? Invite him over for dinner to thank him for saving your cat? You know, we will be gone about two weeks. "

"You know, Felix, when you say things in that tone of voice you might as well be saying: Do you want to feed him something exotic and then screw his legs off? " I said. “Has any thought ever crossed your mind that didn't have some association with sex? "

"Well, ” he managed through a widening grin, "I do get hungry occasionally. So...is that what you *do* want as a way to say thanks? "

I put on my best sexy kitten voice and purred "Maybe. " and gave him the "come hither" look over the top of my 'Rita glass as I drank.

"Um...did I walk up at a bad time? "
That voice...oh my God, not Felix - Jeff! And right then I discovered how hard it is to breathe a pina colada.