Saved By The Belle

CHAPTER ONE – THE MEETING

"HERE, KITTY, KITTY! HERE, KITTY, KITTY!"

*Damn Haley's cat!* I thought to myself as I looked into the tree. I heard the faint cry of a frightened kitten, but I couldn't see any of the orange furball. My patience was at its end – until I looked over to the stoop where my towheaded daughter sat.

She was curled up in a sitting fetal position. Her face was wet with her tears, her chin in her hand, and she was slowly rocking back and fourth. My beautiful, six-year-old daughter was completely distraught. I had to do something. And that's when I met Amy.

I had seen Amy in our building before. She has a son a bit older than my Haley, and they go regularly to the park around the corner. I had seen her soft, voluptuous form going down the steps, a ball glove in one hand and her son's hand in the other. I knew just from what I had observed that she was no ordinary plastic-barbie-girl that I was used to dating. She intrigued me, hearing her spout off the stats of baseball teams and watching her throw a football to her son. I wondered what kind of a dolt would walk away from such a woman.

"DADDY!"

Haley screamed as a gust of wind shook the tree. A terrified howl came from high in the branches. Or so I thought.

Amy and her son just happened out of the building at that point.

"Hi," her son walked up to Haley. "What's going on?"

"My kitty is stuck in the tree. I was gonna give her a little walk, but I didn't know..." Haley began sobbing again.

"My name's Trevor. What's yours?"

"H-h-h-haleyyyy ..."

"What's your kitty's name?"

"B-b-b-belle" Haley spoke slowly between big, gulping sobs.

Trevor walked over to me. "Hi. I think Mom and I can get your kitty down."

I looked around and saw the woman I had been watching for so long standing behind me. She had her hands on her hips, obviously lost in thought. Her auburn hair glistened in the sunlight, and at that moment, I wondered why I had always been so shy in speaking to her.

I finally found my voice as I approached her: "Hi. I'm Mike. Can't get Haley's cat out of the tree. I think I'm too big for the branches. Any ideas?"

"Nice to meet you, Mike, even under such stressful circumstances. Trevor has been up and down this tree for ages. If you can find a ladder so I can go up and help take kitty out of his hands, then I bet we can perform a daring rescue."

Haley's face brightened. "Really?! Do you think you can save my Belle kitty??"

"Yes," Amy said as she knelt down to be face-to-face with Haley, "I think Trevor and I can do that."

I sprinted off to the superintendent's office to borrow a ladder. As I came back around the building, ladder in tow, I saw Amy sitting next to Haley having a lively conversation. Trevor, on the other hand, was up under the tree, watching.

"Whatcha see, son?" I asked – not thinking about calling him 'son'. Kind of a natural reaction, really.

He turned and squinted at me then back up to the tree. "See? There's a little orange butt. I think that might be Belle. Whaddaya think, Mr .... Uh ...."

"Call me Mike. It's okay." Trevor turned to his mother and she smiled and nodded.

"Okay, Mike ... I think if you put the ladder right HERE, it might be okay for me to climb .."

Trevor sounded much older than his seven years would normally have allowed. I decided to take his advice and I put the ladder against the tree and braced it on the ground as best I could. Suddenly, I felt Amy beside me. I could smell her: she smelled like soap and warm vanilla cookies.

"I'll take it from here, Mike," she said with an air of confidence.

I saw her motion for Trevor to go first, and then she followed him up the ladder. I decided that I would steady the ladder for the both of them. I actually wanted to watch her magnificent ass for a moment without her knowing I was doing it.

Trevor was like a monkey, talking softly to a frightened kitty while shimmying up the tree like he was born there. Amy was talking softly to him and to kitty, too, coaxing her closer as Trevor climbed higher. I became worried that perhaps Trevor would slip and fall, but so far, the boy seemed very adept at what he was doing.

"Easy, Miss Belle," I heard him murmur to the frightened feline, "It's gonna be alright. I'm here to take you back home to your family."

"Hand her to me carefully, Trev, I don't want you slipping!" Amy kept her voice low and calm, as to not frighten the kitty and cause a major disaster. I saw Trevor grip the tree branch with his legs and disengage Belle from his shirt. Her claws were trying to grasp anything in sight and her cries could be heard for blocks, but Trevor never moved quickly. He gently placed Belle in Amy's hands, and then began his descent from the branch to the ladder.

Amy snuggled Belle to her neck. Suddenly I wished it was me that had the privilege of that snuggle! Amy guided Trevor's foot to the ladder and together they climbed down to the ground.

"MY KITTY!!!" Haley bounced in delight.

"Haley, let your daddy take the ladder back while I hold Belle, that way we know she won't get away. When he comes back, we'll take kitty back inside, okay?"

Haley nodded, just being grateful that her fuzzy friend was once again safe and sound. Amy, Haley, and Trevor sat on the steps, petting Belle, until I once again rounded the corner after having put away the ladder.

"I think we ought to take Belle inside, don't you, Haley?"

"Sure, Daddy. Can Miss Amy and Trevor come, too?"

"I guess so. If they want to."

We all got up and went inside. My apartment is large: I needed the space in order to have a studio portion to house my burgeoning architectural career. I decided, after Haley's mother left us, that I needed to be as close to home as possible, so I left my lucrative job at one of the top architect firms to start my own business. I found this apartment - not much more than warehouse space, really - and fell in love with its potential. I have half of the upstairs loft, Amy the other half. The bottom floor houses a restaurant and a bookstore. I constantly smell Italian food and old books, but the space has allowed me to have enough room for Haley as well as my studio.

The space is very open, save our bedrooms, which are to the far end, separated by a huge bathroom. The kitchen is against one wall, the space separated from the rest of the room by a bar, which houses the sink and a dishwasher on one side, bar stools on the other side. I have cordoned off a space for living, and a space for studio. Haley knows the difference. She's only six, but has learned that studio is not a place for her toy.

My décor is relatively sparse. I prefer modern lines, lots of wood, leather, and chrome. I have a huge television and just about every electronic device known (okay, so I'm a bit of a techno-junkie). My drafting table, computer, and such sit at the other end of the room. One side of the building is all windows, so there is a lot of light during the day. I have a large leather sectional that helps to delineate where the living area stops.

I opened the door and allowed Haley and our guests to enter first. Amy stood and stared.

"VERY nice, Mike! I like what you've done with the place!"

Haley put Belle down, and the kitty immediately ran to her food and water dish. Haley took Amy by the hand (she has never taken any woman by the hand before) and led her around, telling her what area was what, then taking her excitedly to her room to show off her collection of stuffed animals and decidedly "girly" stuff. That left me and Trevor alone.

"Wow ... you have an autographed Babe Ruth baseball?"

"Yep. My dad left it to me."

"COOL!" He looked around further and found my walls covered with sports stuff. Lots of things were left to me by my dad, who was the biggest sports fan ever. I, on the other hand, like sports, but I don't let it consume me.

Trevor flopped down on the wine-colored sectional and eyed all the electronics.

"You must have 100 remotes for all this, Mike!"

"Almost!" I laughed. He was a very funny kid. "I think I have five or six. I'm always looking for them!"

I could see his wheels turning. In a moment, he said, "Y'know ... it would be easier if you had a way to keep them all together. Like on a board or something. Maybe with Velcro or elastic ..."

I looked at this seven year old. Dear god, he was smart, too! So smart! "That's a grand idea, Trev. I think I'll see if I can't figure something out with that!"

About that time, the girls emerged from "Girl Land". Amy was grinning as Haley chatted on.

"Well, Trev," Amy said to her son, "I guess we need to let these nice people get to their day. We have a date to play football, remember?"

Trevor got up, and realized he didn't have the ball. "Mom, I forgot the ball at home. Can I have the keys to go get it?"

"Sure, I'll wait for you outside."

Trevor bounded off across the hall, while Amy turned to make her exit.

Suddenly, my throat went dry and words left me. I cleared my throat, a bit louder than I had intended, because Amy turned to look at me with upraised eyebrows.

"Um ... Amy? Thanks so much for what you and Trevor did today for us. And for Belle. I really appreciate your help."

"No problem! I'm sure you would've done the same ..." She turned and reached for the door handle.

"Uh ... wait," my voice stopped her and I saw her hand drop. She turned back to me, her green eyes searching my face. "I was wondering, if maybe, I dunno, you'd like to grab dinner sometime – without the kids – and maybe get to know each other a bit?"

"Sure! I'd love that! Just let me know when and where."

And just like that, she flashed out of the door. She was not what I usually went for, but somehow, I was completely intrigued by her. I wanted to know her better. I was determined I was going to get that chance.

CHAPTER TWO – THE DATE

It took me a week or so to gather up the courage to ask Amy out. It's not that I was intimidated by her ... okay. It IS that I'm intimidated by her. I always have been. She's the girl that guys love having around because she is so fun, enjoys 'guy' stuff, but still has that feminine charm.

I knocked at her door on Wednesday. I had noticed that she and Trevor always had pizza on Wednesday (okay, so I've been watching her a bit more closely than I have previous led you to believe), and I figured they would be home. Sure enough, the door swung wide and I was confronted with Trevor – money in hand – looking eagerly for the pizza that would satisfy his 7 year old hunger pangs.

"Oh, hi, Mike. I thought it would be our pizza ..."

"Trevor honey, is something wro...hi, Mike! What a pleasant surprise! Please come in!"

Trevor stepped out of my way and I stepped in. Amy side of the warehouse loft looked softer, more feminine. Billowy white curtains hung floor to ceiling over the large windows. The kitchen, while set up like mine, had old diner signs and such. Her furniture was chintz, stripes and florals, with one old, worn, leather recliner to one side. She had obviously scoured antique shops for interesting prints for the wall, an old mantel clock (she got the side with the fireplace) sat in the middle of the mantel and was now chiming out the hour.

I noticed that while she didn't have nearly the same taste in techno-gadgetry that I did, she had an impressive collection of CD's – ranging from classical to rap. She had an equally impressive collection of movies.

"I think that next time Haley wants to rent a video, I'm just going to come over here!" I chuckled. That was supposed to be under my breath, but as I looked into Amy's face, I saw her blush.

"Yes, Trev and I like to watch movies over and over. Sometimes there's just nothing on, so we pop popcorn and watch these. It was a wise investment."

Then she smiled. My god, that smile. I felt my body react, and I knew I had better get out why I had come by before I would have to take my leave with an embarrassing bulge in my pants.

I cleared my throat. Eventually, Amy would learn that was my signal that I have to tell her something important, but right then, it merely startled her.

"Sorry," I croaked, "I ... um ... I really did come to ask ... if you were doing anything on Friday night?"

Amy's brow furrowed up as if in concentration. She turned and went to the colorful calendar on the wall and looked.

"No, not on Friday. Trevor has a baseball game tomorrow and on Saturday ..."

"Good, then. Shall we have dinner? I have a terrific sitter – Trevor can stay over at my place since its just right across the hall – if that's alright with you ..."

I looked from Amy to Trevor and back to Amy. I guess I was hoping for acceptance from them both. Trevor smiled.

"I can bring some of my movies that Haley may like ..."

"That would be very nice, Trev. I think she would like that. And you can make better friends with Belle, too. This time on solid ground."

So it was set. I opened the door to a startled pizza man just readying to knock on the door. Trevor was on my heels, money again in hand, and as I watched him complete the transaction, he waved bye as he closed the door. The next two days were going to be very long, indeed.

The next time I knocked at Amy's door, I was met by her. We had agreed to "nothing fancy", since that didn't seem to be either of our styles. The sports bar down the street had cold beer and good food, so we made our way down, walking in the warm summer air.

"So, how long have you and Haley been just you and Haley?" Amy asked, not really looking at me.

"About four years now. Her mom decided she didn't wanna be a mom. I couldn't believe it, but I woke up one morning to the proverbial Dear John letter on the pillow next to me, and a baby in the bassinette beside the bed. I was terrified."

"I'm sure you were. How did you manage?"

"My mom. She's my rock, really. So she came down and gave me a crash course on baby care. The rest, well, Haley's kind of taught me as we went along."

Amy smiled and nodded.

"So what about you, Missy? How long have you and Trev been ..."

"Alone? Always. His 'sperm donor', as I prefer to call him, bailed on me the second he found out I was pregnant. I thought he was Mr. Wonderful."

We walked for a moment, not saying much of anything else. Then Amy continued the story.

"Actually, he left in a hail of fists and fury. Said I was a fat, lazy bitch who would never amount to anything anyway. Said I just got knocked up to trap him since he had a little money. Trouble was, his money was going up his nose, and I knew it. I was glad he left. I'm not sure I would've had the strength to throw him out."

She took a big sigh, as if letting a bit of that story out was a release of some sort.

"So, no word from him since?"

"Not a peep. You?"

"Nah, I heard she's living somewhere back in the Midwest with a new guy. Hope she's happy, but she left behind the best part of her."

Amy smiled and I felt her soft hand slide into mine. We walked that way to the bar, and as we ate dinner, our ability for conversation never wavered. Several beers later, we began our journey back to our building.

"Mike, I'm a bit tipsy!" Amy was weaving a bit, but then again, so was I.

"Yeah, me, too."

Suddenly, as if the realization hit her just then, she stopped in her tracks. I stopped, too, and turned to look at her face. It was aglow.

"This is the best date I've ever had, Mike. Thanks."

I smiled and said nothing, just took her hand back in mine. By the time we reached the steps to our building, the effects of the beer had almost worn off. So, I took a chance and took her soft face in my hands and placed my lips to hers, giving her a gentle, chaste kiss.

"mmmmmm ..." she said as I pulled away. I watched her lick her lips, and suddenly felt myself get hard in my pants.

We walked upstairs to the hallway between our apartments. I opened the door to mine, and stepped inside, noticing sleeping kids on the floor beside a television dancing with images of cartoons. The babysitter looked up and smiled, motioned for us to be quiet. I whispered to Amy to get her keys ready, and then I leaned over and took Trevor into my arms, carrying him carefully across to their apartment and into his bedroom. It was filled with "boy" things: baseball gloves, posters of his favorite sports heroes and posters of airplanes. As I began to lay him in bed, he opened his sleepy eyes, and said, "Thanks, Dad ..." My heart stopped. I covered him up, and for some unknown reason, kissed him on the forehead. That's when I looked up to see Amy in the doorway, her eyes wide.

She closed the door and whispered, "He's never done that before!"

I shrugged, "He was probably dreaming. It's okay."

Amy walked me across her apartment to the open front door. As I went to leave, I felt her hand on my arm.

"Thanks again, Mike. It really was an amazing evening. I feel like I've known you for years!"

I couldn't help it. Before I even had time to think, I had her gathered into my arms. Her body filled my arms in ways that previous women hadn't, all soft and warm. I put my face in her neck and breathed that vanilla and soap smell that had first intrigued me when she rescued Belle. I felt her relax into my embrace and tilt her head slightly, encouraging my mouth to explore her neck and ear. Then up to her mouth, where she parted her lips and allowed my tongue entry. I felt her moan deep in her throat, and felt her nipples harden against my chest. She must've felt my own rising passion, because she suddenly pushed away.

"We can't. I mean, not here, not now. Maybe someday but ..."

"It's okay, Amy. Really. I need to get back to Haley, and I know Trevor is here. Hopefully we will be seeing a lot of each other. There is time."

I stepped through the threshold and pulled the door closed before either of us changed our minds and did something we might regret. I shook my head. How unlike me! But this time, I wanted to do this right.

CHAPTER THREE – BUILDING A FAMLY

The next weekend, I had decided to see if Amy and Trevor wanted to join Haley and me for a picnic at the park. She enthusiastically agreed, and even said she would do some cooking. I wasn't sure when she would have time with her busy careers as an office administrator and the side job of interior decorating, but she swore she would make the time. I promised to provide drinks and blankets and maybe a Frisbee.

On Saturday, Trevor was anxiously awaiting us on the steps of the building, a football tucked under one arm, his mitt and baseball on the other hand. I had a cooler full of different drinks as well as some fresh fruit icing down. Haley was fretting that Belle would be lonely without us, but Trevor assured her that Belle would probably be glad to have the house to herself for a change.

"My mom's glad when I go to gramma's ... she says it gives her time to sleep. I bet that Belle will be the same way!"

I laughed at that. Trevor never ceases to amaze me!

About that time, Amy came into view, lugging a picnic basket that she was obviously struggling with.

"Here, pretty lady, let me take that ... good GOD! What is IN this thing?!"

She giggled. "Just a few things for us to snack on. I think you will be pleased"

We decided rather than walk, to take my Jeep to the park. I hoisted the cooler and the basket into the back, and Trevor got Haley and himself buckled into the back seat. Away we went – looking more like a family than just good friends. The weather was perfect: the sun shown although the temperature was not too warm. There had been enough rain to green everything up nicely after the wintertime dormancy, so the park was ... well ... parklike. Even the puffy clouds floating across the sky seemed perfect.

We found a wonderful spot under a large oak tree. The ground was level, so I brought out several blankets that we placed on the ground. I had found some special stakes at the hardware store to stake the blankets down. It was still early, so the kids were not yet hungry.