"You're starting to sound a lot like my mother, Jen"
"Hey, I'm just being honest with you. You're twenty-seven and I don't think I've seen you date anyone since that creepy saxophone guy you took to prom. What was his name again?"
"Jeff, and he played the bassoon. I have no idea how you mix the two up."
"Yeah, whatever. Point is, it's not good to be on your own for so long, and it's not like you're getting any younger. If you don't find someone soon, I'm gonna have to call up some maids, get some quotes on how much it's gonna cost to sweep the cobwebs outta your cooch. Hey, I know a guy who details cars, maybe he'll-"
"I've gotta go. I have work tomorrow."
"But tomorrow's Sunday! Who the hell works on Sunday?"
Sarah drank down the last of her Old Fashioned, exchanging a nod with the bartender as she ignored her friend's question. She tended to work up quite a tab, but the bar's proprietor never seemed to mind. He knew she was good for it. With an over-the-shoulder wave to her oldest friend, she slipped out the door before the still-confused girl could protest.
The night was uncharacteristically cold for June, but the cool air did little to calm Sarah's nerves. Jen just couldn't mind her own business. There is more to life than love and sex, and she had a Maserati GranTurismo to prove it. So what if she hadn't had a boyfriend for the better part of a decade? She had a job she loved, more money than she knew what to do with, and she was happy. Most of the time, anyway.
Heels clacked unsteadily against the pavement as she fled, though her intoxicated stagger was not nearly quick enough to escape from her thoughts. Her face was blank, a practiced facade to hide the emotions roiling within. Why did this bother her so much? With her figure and money, she could have any man she wanted. Then why was it so hard for her?
Sarah's mind drifted back to high school, to her brief and ultimately underwhelming relationship with Jeff. He wasn't her first pick, nor she his. It was no secret that he had a thing for Jen, but her flippant attitude managed to keep him at arm's length for the better part of their junior year. In the end, she knew he only asked her out so that he wouldn't graduate a virgin. They both clung weakly to a relationship neither wanted while they pined for another; Jeff for Jen and Sarah for-
She clapped her hands over her rosy cheeks, snapping herself back to reality before that train of thought went too far. She really needed to stop drinking. Fortunately, her feet had brought her to the lobby of her apartment complex without her having noticed. She swiped her access card on the elevator control panel, the machine activating automatically. Numbered lights lit then dimmed as the elevator ascended, eventually coming to a stop as the light labeled "P" blinked into life. A few staggering steps and some fumbling with keys later, she nearly fell through her own door.
Her apartment was sparse and uncomfortable, the home of one who did her best to never be home. She draped her blazer haphazardly over a chair as she kicked off her shoes, enthusiasm to undress waning quickly. It's not like she had to press and iron her clothes herself. She barely managed to unbutton her shirt by the time she made it to her bed, falling in face-first with a dull thud, not bothering to finish the job as she wriggled her way under the covers. She remembered nothing after that.
Morning came, as it is wont to do, and with it the characteristic sluggishness and headache of a night spent drinking. Sarah groaned as she rolled out of bed, hunger barely edging out laziness as her primary motivator. She stopped as she came across a full-body mirror, appalled but not at all surprised at her haggard appearance. Her unbuttoned shirt barely dented about her slim but shapely breasts and revealed a glimpse of her taught and toned stomach. What she lacked in bust, she made up for with wide, well-defined hips, a firm ass, and beautiful thighs barely visible below the hem of her pencil skirt. A pair of nylons still covered her pale calves.
What upset her most was the obvious bags under her pale blue eyes, the toll she paid for her long hours and pent-up stress. It might actually be best if she took the day off. Work could probably wait until tomorrow. She sighed discontentedly and made a token effort to re-arrange her smooth, shoulder-length black hair before giving up and continuing to the kitchen.
"G'mornin', sexy. Sleep well?"
Sarah stopped in her tracks. She couldn't remember bringing anyone home with her last night, but the voice was familiar. And female. She turned slowly, her body stalling to give her mind enough time to formulate a response. Unfortunately, she could not possibly have anticipated what she was about to see. Her mouth flapped wordlessly as though searching for traction, her voiceless confusion drawing a lighthearted chuckle from the half-naked stranger sprawled on her couch.
Stranger was, perhaps, not the right word. From her pale, toned legs to her delicate and angular face, she was a perfect copy of Sarah. Even her scattered childhood scars were mirrored on the strange woman. What truly confused her, however, was the pair of tufted ears protruding from the girl's scalp and the lithe tail twitching lazily beside her.
"See, I could make a "cat got your tongue joke" here, but I won't."
Sarah said nothing, stumbling slightly towards the kitchen.
"It's a pun. I kinda look like a cat. Didn't you see the ears and tail?"
Another step, surer this time, and Sarah was off to the races. Her nylon-clad feet scrambled for traction on the waxed wood floor, nearly dragging her to the ground as her pace exceeded her grip. She tore around the corner, gripping the counter for support while trying to find a way to escape. A quick, terrified glance over her shoulder searched for the intruder but found nothing. She stopped, looking around frantically. Where the hell did she go?