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Georgie was just about ready to give up her struggle with the string of fairy lights. The tree was too tall for her to get them wound all the way to the top and for now she was still stubbornly ignoring the step stool in her kitchen. She blew out her breath in a huff, partly in exasperation and partly to get the hair out of her eyes. Even with it tied back some of it always managed to escape. Normally she thought it looked kind of cute but right now it wasn’t doing her any favors. Especially since Melanie was completely ignoring her in favor of petting her cat.
“When I invited you over I assumed you would help me. At least, you know, a little.”
“That’s on you,” Melanie laughed. “Besides I can’t help you, I’m trapped.” She gave the Admiral an indulgent scratch behind the ear then shrugged helplessly in Georgie’s direction. “Stuck under an immovable object, nothing I can do.”
“Ass.”
“Him or me?”
“Yes.”
Melanie let out a sudden bark of laughter that startled the Admiral from his perch. She managed to snag him before he bolted from her lap but only barely and got a bit of some back claw action across her legs in the process. He wasn’t thrilled with the manhandling but relaxed when she scratched that spot under his jaw he liked so much. Before long he was purring loudly enough Georgie could hear it across the room.
Georgie raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “Trapped, huh?”
"Completely and utterly.” Melanie deadpanned as she held the Admiral to her chest.
“Well in that case I suppose I can’t be blamed for trying to drown my sorrows in mulled wine as I lament the tragic loss of my girlfriend. Gone too soon,” she intoned dramatically, throwing her head back and clutching at her chest. “Lost to me. Lost to all of us. Tapped forever- fur ever, under the weight of a traitorous cat.”
Georgie reached out in the direction of the sofa, grasping at what she could not have, then closed her fist before raising it into the air in anguish. “Et tu, Admiral? The ides of March cannot compare to the… the, um, ides and a half of December.”
“Oh my god .” Melanie was practically shaking with laughter. The Admiral was not impressed, managing to squirm himself free and out of reach. “I haven’t seen a performance that over the top since that tape you showed me of Jon doing Shakespeare back in uni.”
She held her dramatic pose for a beat longer before finally letting the persona drop with a bit of a smirk. “I’d forgotten I’d shown you that.”
“I’d say it would make for excellent blackmail material but I don’t think he has anything worth blackmailing for.”
“Hmm, true.”
A flash of light reflected off a bauble caught Melanie’s eye. As soon as he’d left her arms, the Admiral had gone straight to the tree and was having the time of his life. Or perhaps he was locked in combat with his new yuletide enemy. “Well that didn’t take long. See, I was providing a valuable service. Keeping the Admiral from destroying all your hard work.”
“I think a shut door can take care of that well enough.”
“But not with the level of personal care I bring to the job.”
Georgie rolled her eyes and went to retrieve the cat before he smashed any of her ornaments to bits. Honestly, what was she thinking, glass ornaments and a cat in the same flat? The Admiral protested loudly when she pulled him away from his new favorite toy. She walked right past Melanie’s outstretched arms to deposit his furry butt into her bedroom. Right on cue, he started crying the moment the door was shut.
“Oh you’re fine, you big baby.”
Melanie gave Georgie a look dripping with faux disapproval. “Clearly, you’re a monster.”
“Clearly. No one ever loves him, or pets him, or feeds him. I’m the worst cat mum ever.” A muffled meow punctuated Georgie’s declaration. “My fault for daring to put ornaments on the lower third of the tree, I suppose.”
“You mean the only part you can reach?” Melanie teased.
“Hey!” Georgie plopped down on the sofa next to Melanie and gave her a gentle shove. “I’ll have you know I can reach at least halfway up that tree.”
Melanie looked pointedly to the partially decorated tree in front of them. “Two thirds even.”
“That’s better,” Georgie huffed before giving Melanie a quick peck on the cheek. “Now that I’ve rescued you from the evil furbeast keeping you trapped on my sofa, think you can help me with these lights?”
Melanie leaned her head on Georgie’s shoulder and looked up at her with big, hopeful eyes. “I’d rather help you with that mulled wine you mentioned earlier.”
“Lights first, then the wine.”