Cupid's Revenge Read Online Free

rare and beautiful beyond words. They were also spoiled beyond words and had to be groomed like six hundred times a day and ate only homemade cat food. A blue blooded princess in residence couldn’t be more work.
    “How did they travel?” I asked.
    “Not very well apparently.” Alex blinked. “Oh, by plane.”
    “They didn’t drive? Poor cats,” I said feelingly. I wanted to explain to Alex how insane that was, but from his expression he apparently already knew this.
    “It’s Dad who’s frazzled. They howled all the way from the airport. He looks absolutely gray. I suggested they have a nap.”
    Oh damn. This was going to be a great reunion.
    “Look, maybe we shouldn’t tell your folks right away about being engaged.” Before Alex could get offended, I added: “Your folks are stressed out right now and frankly I don’t know how happy they are going to be. Let’s give them a fighting chance at saying the right thing when we tell them.” That was kind of blunt. I decided to spread the blame. “And anyway, Mom is bad enough to deal with right now. She called me six times today to try and talk about wedding stuff. I don’t want to be double teamed before dinner. And you know that if they can’t get to me to plan stuff then they’ll go after you instead. I can go to work and turn off my cell, but you’re stuck here where they can find you. Before you know it they’ll have booked a polka band for the reception and have you wearing a purple tux with a pink loafers.”
    Alex looked thoughtful. He didn’t try to tell me that it wouldn’t happen. His mother was the stronger personality.
    “Well… maybe we should wait a little. Let the jet-lag wear off.”
    I didn’t point out that there was no jet-lag from California to Washington.
    “Did you find any prints on the extension cord?” he asked instead of pursuing the question of openness with the parents. Before I could answer, his folks came through the new door that connected the two sides on the duplex. Alex’s parents slipped through and the door shut quickly. Almost at once I could hear scratching and feline wails of anger on the other side of the door.
    “Chloe!” Bob sounded mildly pleased considering he looked like he had a headache. Rosemary’s voice when she echoed him was neutral. We didn’t hug but we all managed to smile.
    “How was the flight?” I asked, pretending not to hear the cats next door. I needed this like I needed domestic terrorists. In fact, the cats kind of were domestic terrorists.
    “Ghastly. The seats were so tight that Bob got bruised knees and they confiscated my lip gloss,” Rosemary answered. Bob had been allowed to utter my name but that was all he was going to get to say. “We had to go into that horrible body scanner. They even searched Xu Ming and Lu Zhi! As if my precious kitties were terrorists!”
    “Poor kitties!” I said sincerely, though I kind of agreed with airport security on this one. “I doubt these TSA people have any animal training. Let me hang up my coat and I will start dinner. I think we could all use a peaceful meal. Alex, would you open the wine?”
    With those words I fled to the bedroom. I couldn’t delay the confrontation for long, but I needed a minute to myself.
    They brought the cats! Without telling me or Alex! Didn’t they understand that cats are territorial? We’d be lucky if Apollo and Aphrodite didn’t leave smelly expressions of displeasure in our shoes. I would have to remind Alex to keep the closet door closed until his parents left.

Chapter 4

    “Now look,” I said to Zooming and Lucy, though Blue, Apollo and Aphrodite were lined up by the sofa and listening too. “We are all civilized creatures in this house. There will be no more acting like godless heathens and sharpening the claws on the drapes and screaming at the cook. They are ugly drapes but Alex chose them and you will respect that. And if you make me angry there will be nothing buy dry kitty kibble for