CHAPTER TWO
"What the hell is wrong with this stupid thing," Cat muttered as she turned the curling iron off and back on. "Zoey!" she called out.
"Yeah," Zoey said, leaning against the door of her mother's bathroom.
"What's the trick to this curling iron? I've turned it off and back on and it's not warming up."
"Plugging it in would probably help."
Cat looked at the outlet, only to see that she had indeed forgotten to plug it in. Sighing, she plugged it in and pushed her hair out of her face.
"Oh look at that, it's like magic," Zoey said as she walked to the counter and hopped up on it.
"Shut up," Cat muttered. "I'm nervous. I'm forgetful when I'm nervous."
"Why are you so nervous?"
"Because Robbie is really nice and I used to have a thing for him as a kid and I don't wanna be awkward and ruin it."
"But you are awkward."
"Get out."
"No, I wanna watch," Zoey said as Cat applied lipstick to her lips. "Do you like him?"
"Robbie? Yeah. He's nice and understanding, he's polite, he's a good person in general. He makes me feel like I have butterflies flittering around in my belly."
"Wait 'til you kiss him."
"I already have."
Zoey perked up in excitement. "Oooh, you got yourself a boooyfrieeend."
"Kissing doesn't mean we're in a relationship."
"You're gonna tell me you kissed someone but you're not gonna tell me the story?"
"Do you wanna know?"
"Yeah!"
"Well, we were in the backyard. On the hammock."
"Oh, how romantic. Were you having a picnic?"
"No. We were talking about you."
"Me?"
"You. And we kissed... and fell off the hammock because the stupid thing has stupid physics."
"What happened after you fell?"
"We kissed again. For a while."
"Did you make out?"
"We did a little more than make out until the sprinklers came on."
"A little more like what?" Zoey asked with a confused look on her face.
"That's something we'll talk about when you're a little older," Cat said, starting to curl her hair.
"You can't give me juicy details and then not tell me what you did."
"Yes I can."
"Did you have sex?"
"No, but even if we did, it's none of your business."
"Well I think it's only fair that I know just in case I happen to hear it."
"If you hear it then you know what's happening and you know to mind your business."
"What if I need to ask you something?"
"You shouldn't need to ask me anything because we wouldn't be having sex during a time you'd need to ask me anything because you shouldn't be awake at that time to begin with."
"Sex doesn't only happen at night, though."
"It's a little different for parents. After bedtime is kind of the only time parents have to have sex unless the kids are out of the house during the day. Is your homework done?"
"Yeah. Am I going with you to the Grammys?"
"No ma'am, you're not. There will be drinking at the afterparty and the only minors attending the ceremony are those that are nominated. They don't get to stay, they have to go home afterwards."
"But I'm your daughter, you're the most popular one going to it."
"Just because I have more attention on me at the moment and I have better numbers than everyone else for now, doesn't exclude me from the rules. I still have to follow the rules of the ceremony. You can go to the MTV Awards and the KCA's, but you can't go to the Grammys or the Oscars or the Emmys. When you're older you can, but not while you're a minor. That's not just their rules, it's my rules."
"But what's the difference?"
"MTV and KCAs have child-appropriate after parties. The KCAs are coming up soon, you like those."
"Will Jojo Siwa be there?"
"Probably."
"She irritates me."
"Then don't hang out with her, snob."
"She's just so loud, why does she have to talk so loud? She doesn't even talk, she yells."
"That's why I stay away from her. You're not going to the Grammys."
"But I can't stay home by myself."
"You'll be with Aunt April."
"What if her friends stop by?"
"Then you call me and I'll pick you up. Aunt April knows the rules, though. She knows you're not allowed around them."
"Didn't stop her last time," Zoey muttered.
"She's sober now, honey. Nothing is going to happen. Besides, Aunt April's moving in with us soon, you love her."
"I'd rather stay with Tia Trina."
"I'll ask her. If not, you'll have to stay with April."
"Fine," Zoey said, playing with the end of her hair. She watched her mother curl her hair, mesmerized by her beauty. She looked just like her mother, just with black hair and blue eyes, but something about Cat just made her giddy. She genuinely loved her mother, even if she could be a little embarrassing sometimes. "You're really pretty, Mommy."
Cat smiled and kissed Zoey's forehead. "Thanks, kiddo," she said, finishing her hair and turning off the curling iron. "Alright... last chance to make last minute changes, how do I look?" she asked, stepping back and twirling in a circle. She was wearing a white sundress that stopped mid-thigh with purple flowers scattered around it, white closed-toed pumps and an amethyst pendant necklace. Her makeup was natural and subtle with a dusty rose / mauve toned lipstick and she'd straightened her hair to make soft curls instead of her natural tight curls.
"Beautiful and fresh."
"Fresh. Is that a new term the kids use these days?"
"You just made yourself sound so old," Zoey said, getting off of the counter and hugging her mother, wrapping her arms around the woman's waist as she buried her head into her chest. "I love you, Mommy."
Cat wrapped her arms around her daughter's neck, resting her cheek on her head. "I love you too, baby."
"Are you happy with Robbie?"
"Mhm. I'm really happy. I feel like a kid again," she said as the doorbell rang. "That must be Robbie."
"When do I get to meet him?"
"You want to?"
"Yeah, he has to pass the Zoey check."
"Well, let me see if he's up to it real quick. In the meantime, until Tia Tori gets here to sit with you, I want you to get those damn dishes washed that you brought out of your bedroom in the middle of the night thinking I'd do them instead of making you do it yourself, you little fucker," Cat said, playfully swatting at Zoey's butt as they walked out of the bathroom.
Zoey giggled and scurried downstairs while Cat walked to the door and opened it, smiling when she saw Robbie.
"Hi. Come in," Cat said, stepping to the side and closing the door when he walked in. "Okay, so before we go anywhere, I have a question for you."
"Am I already in trouble?" Robbie asked.
"No. But um... how would you feel about meeting Zoey tonight?"
"I'd be fine with it. Couldn't find a sitter?"
"No, I have a sitter coming over. But Zo wanted to meet you, so I told her I'd ask if you'd be up to it."
"I'd be happy to meet her."
"Okay. Zo! Come here," Cat said.
"If this is about the broken vase, I'm pinning that on Jamie and Kayla," Zoey said as she walked into the foyer.
"They haven't even been over here lately, nice try though. This is Robbie. Robbie, this is Zoey - my trouble maker."
"It's nice to meet you, Zoey," Robbie said. "She's kind of like a mini version of you, isn't she? I know that face."
"Is it cause I'm the number one trending topic on Instagram and TikTok? Cause, not to brag, but I'm the number one trending topic on both of them," Zoey said, smiling as she leaned against her mother.
"No, fool," Cat said. "It's because I looked just like you when Robbie and I went to school together. Conceited."
Robbie laughed. "I call it self-confidence. That's a pretty big milestone for a 10 year old."
"I'm 13, I'm just short," Zoey said. "Did you get the firework sparks when you kissed my mom and fell off the hammock?"
"Get out," Cat said, gently nudging Zoey away from her.
Cat laughed, covering her mouth as a few other movie goers shushed her. "Oh, chill out, it's a comedy," she said.
"I don't understand why people get upset when people laugh at a funny movie," Robbie said quietly.
"Me either. Next time, we rent out the theater and we won't have to worry about it."
"I can't rent out an entire theater."
"I can. I do stuff like that all the time for free as long as I post an advertisement for the establishment."
"What if you don't advertise?"
"Then I just pay for it."
"That must be expensive."
"Yeah, but I have the money, so why not?"
Robbie shrugged. She had a point. She can afford to do it so why wouldn't she? He just wasn't used to being around people with that kind of money.
"You wanna go to the very top?" Cat asked. "We'll have a better view and people won't hear us."
"Sure."
They grabbed their drinks and made their way to the top of the stairs, sitting in the corner of the row away from everyone else. Once they got comfortable, Cat laid her head on Robbie's shoulder and his hand rested on her thigh.
"Mr. Shapiro, I didn't know you advanced so fast," Cat joked.
"Sorry," he said, moving his hand away, only for it to be put back on her thigh.
"I'm okay with it. I was kidding."
"You sure?"
"Mhm. It's comforting."
Over time, Robbie's hand got higher up her thigh, which made Cat's arousal kick in and she instantly felt wet as she bit her lip when Robbie's fingers just barely brushed against her panties - whether he meant for it to happen or not, she wasn't sure, but she didn't care either because it felt good. She spread her legs a little, and that's when she knew he meant to do it, because he immediately slid his hand into her panties.
Cat bit her lip, gripping the arm rests on her seat and let out a whimper as Robbie's fingers slowly circled around her hard clit. Just seconds later, she let out a gasp when she felt his middle and ring finger slip into her pussy, which made her breathe out slowly, so she wouldn't moan. As his fingers pumped in and out of her, his palm just barely grazed her clit. She held his arm for leverage and grinded into the palm of his hand for more friction, letting out muffle moans and whimpers. It didn't take long to get her over the edge. Moments later, she gasped and held her breath as her walls clenched and clit throbbed as a small gush of fluid escaped her.
"Oh god, stop, I'll get soaked," Cat said quickly.
Robbie chuckled and pulled his hand out of her panties, looking at her with a raised brow and a mischievous grin. "So... you're a squirter."
"You did not," Tori said in shock.
"We did," Cat said, running her hands over her face.
"In a movie theater? With other people around?"
"We were at the very top, no one was around us."
"No one got suspicious or heard you?"
"No, we didn't make it obvious."
"But how..."
"He used his hand, Tori, it's not rocket science."
"Well excuse me, I've never hooked up in a movie theater before."
"You've never hooked up anywhere before, virgin."
"I'm not!"
"Yes you are. What you've told me you've done doesn't count as intercourse."
"Well why not?"
"Because it's not sex."
"Tori!" Trina shouted as she rushed into her sister's house. "Oh, hi Cat."
"Hey."
"I have news. I have news news."
"What news?" Tori asked.
Trina looked through her purse for a few seconds before pulling out an ultrasound scan. "I'm pregnant!"
"Oh my god!" Cat said as she and Tori hugged Trina. "That's amazing!"
"I thought the doctor was wrong at first, but then she showed me this little guy on the screen and I cried for ten minutes before I left."
"This is great, I'm gonna be a Tia," Tori said. "Do Mom and Dad know?"
"No I came straight here."
"You must be so excited," Cat said, taking the picture from Trina and smiling as she looked at it. "I can't wait to have another baby, I want another one so bad."
"Then why don't you?" Tori asked.
"With who, Tori?"
"You literally have a boyfriend."
"Yeah, but we haven't even gotten close to talking about having kids together. Or moving further along in our relationship, for that matter."
"You hooked up in a movie theater."
"You did what?" Trina asked, intrigued.
"Robbie and I went to the movies a few nights ago."
"They had sex in the theater," Tori said.
"We did not! He just... made me feel good, so I returned the favor."
"And by 'made me feel good' you mean what?" Trina asked.
"He fingered me."
"And you...?"
"Gave him a hand."