A while later, Vivian arrived at Enforcer HQ. She quickly made it to her office and sat down in the nice cushy office chair at her desk. The day drug on for her as she worked through boring reports and paperwork. Eventually, the day was over and she clocked out for the day. She walked out to her car in the parking lot. She was surprised to see someone leaning against her car.
It was Chance. He was still in his garage coveralls and red baseball cap, leaning against her car with a toothpick placed off to the side of his mouth. He smiled at her when she came out. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she got her keys out.
"We're both off the clock, so I thought I'd come and ask..."
Vivian huffed and rolled her eyes. "On the clock, off the clock. How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not interested in dating or a relationship, Chance?" He put his hands up in defense.
"That's not what I'm here to ask, Vivian. I'm not looking for one either. It's Friday night, would you like to just go out and have some fun? I'm not asking for a date, just go have fun as friends?" She looked at him, suspicious.
"Why?" She asked as he switched his toothpick to the other side of his mouth. "Well. Jake is going out with his girlfriend tonight. There's nothing to do at the shop right now, so I'd thought I'd go out too, but I didn't want to go alone, so how about it?" He asks as he shoves his hands into his pockets and shrugs.
"Just as friends? You're not expecting anything more?" Vivian asked as he smiled with the toothpick in his mouth. 'Why doesn't he stop that?! Why does damn near everything this Kat does make me want to jump his bones?!'
Chance shook his head. "Nope, just your company is all I'm after." Vivian thought for a moment. 'Maybe I can be his wingwoman and get him to hook up with someone else so he leaves me alone.' She felt a surprising pang in her heart at the thought.
"Hmmm...well...I guess...okay." It took everything in Chance not to smile like he was insane. "Radical! I mean...okay, awesome! Do you have to go home and change?" He asked, trying to contain his excitement. "Yeah, just follow me to my apartment. You can get off my car now." She said, shooing him off a little. He pushed himself off and stepped away as she got into her car and smiled at him slightly.
He waited until he got back to the tow truck, walked to the driver's side where she couldn't see him, and thrust his fist into the air in victory. 'Way to go Furlong! You've got your foot in the door! Now if you play your cards right, you can see where this goes, if it goes anywhere.' Chance thought triumphantly to himself as he got in the tow truck to follow Vivian to her apartment.
A while later, they pull into a nice apartment complex in Megakat City. 'Wow, this is the high rent area!' Chance thought to himself as he found a parking spot. Vivian parked in the covered parking and got out. Chance met her as she was closing the door and locking her car. She noticed he was carrying a small pile of clothes with him.
"What's that?" She asked as she cocked her head a little. Chance shrugged. "Just my change of clothes. I don't wanna go out in my work stuff."
Vivian crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look with an eyebrow raised. "So you were so confident I'd say yes? What if I hadn't?" She asked.
Chance shrugged. "Then I'd just go home and probably watch Scardy Kat all night or read my comic books I haven't gotten to yet."
"Oh, well at least you had back up plans in case this fell through." She says as she motioned for him to follow her. Her door wasn't far from the parking lot. He watched as she unlocked the door and stepped in. He followed close behind. He let out a low whistle. "Nice digs." He said as she laid her keys on the nearby shelf.
"It's home." She said as she turned on a few lights as she walked through the apartment. "Bathroom's down the hallway first door on your left if you want to change." She called to him as she went in to what he assumed was her room. She closed and locked the door. Chance heard the distinct click of the door locking.
'Does she really think I'd bust in on her? What kind of Kat does she think I am?!' He thought to himself, shaking his head as he went into the bathroom to change.
Inside Vivian's room, she was changing out of her work clothes and into normal clothes. She was standing in front of her dresser with the mirror. She reached up to undo her hair, but hissed in a breath as she did so, forgetting about the impact bruise under her fur from the bullet she had taken earlier in the day as Shadow Kat.
'Ugh, I gotta work on my duck and cover skills again.' She thought as she took out all of the pins from her hair and let it fall down. Her fire red locks were about mid-way down her back. Some stray strands framed her face. She shook out her hair a bit and started changing out from her work suite.
She then went to her closet and picked out a pair of white shorts with a white and dark blue peasant style top. The bottom was dyed dark blue with flower stitching and the sleeves had blue dye at the top with the rest of the sleeves being slightly see through material. She put on a cute pair of brown sandals and went to go fix her hair a little. 'Not too dressy, but not screaming 'this is a date' either. I don't want Chance to get the wrong idea.' Vivian thought to herself as she applied some light pink gloss to her lips.
Meanwhile, Chance walked around her living room, having quickly changed into some jeans, a black T-shirt with a red short sleeve button down thrown over that and left open. He had black and white Chuck Taylor style shoes on his feet that replaced the black work boots. He also took off his red cap. He looked around her apartment, a little bored while waiting for her.
He came across a table with a few pictures sitting out. She had one with her dressed in her United Kats Army dress uniform. She had such a fierce look about her in that one. He moved on to another one, but this time it was in a desert location with a group of other kats in uniform. She was the shortest one in the picture, holding a sniper rifle.
Whoever took the picture caught her mid-laugh and everyone else was laughing or doing some silly pose. Chance smiled. 'She's really very pretty when she smiles or laughs.' He thought to himself as he came across another photo and picked it up. This one she was in with another she-kat. They resembled each other a lot, except this one had chocolate brown hair. 'So that answers my question, neither she or whoever this is could be Shadow Kat.'
"That's my little sister, Lilian." He heard from behind him as he turned to look at Vivian with the framed picture in his hand. "Oh. She looks a lot like you." He said as she gently took it from his hand and put it back. "She's two years younger than me. Pain in the tail most of the time, but she means well." Chance takes Vivian in. 'Wow, she looks amazing.' He thought as his heart sped up a little.
"You look nice." Chance said as she smiled uncontrollably and felt her cheeks heat up slightly. "I thought about wearing a burlap sack, but I didn't have one readily available." She said as he laughed slightly. "You'd still end up looking nice, I think." He said as she smirked a bit. "In a burlap sack? Come on Chance, that's not something you say to a friend! More like your girlfriend." She said. "So what? I can't compliment you as a friend?" Vivian pursed her lips for a moment. "I guess. You don't clean up half bad yourself." She said as he smiled.
"So, where are we going?" She asked as Chance grabbed his folded up coveralls, boots, and hat he had left on the couch. "This little place called "The Scratching Post". We can play pool and get some food. Is that okay?" Chance asked as she shrugged. "Okay. You driving or am I?" Vivian's question stopped him in his tracks. "I mean...I don't mind...uh...most she-kats wouldn't want to ride in a tow truck. It's pretty dirty though..." She laughed and grabbed her keys. "I guess I'll be driving then."
A while later after Chance had put his clothes in the tow truck and they left, they arrive at "The Scratching Post" and got out of her car. "Wow, over 30 confirmed kills as a sniper? That's crazy! I once got over two million points in Space Kats." Chance said as he closed the passenger door. Vivian closed hers as well. 'I've gotten way more takedowns and monster kills as T-bone though, but I can't tell her that.' He thought to himself as they walked into the place.
She laughed. "You know that's hardly a comparison, right?" She said as he smiled. "Yeah, I just didn't have anything else on the cool factor as high as yours." He said as he pulled out his wallet and paid for the entry fee. "Uhm...I thought this wasn't a date?" Vivian asked as Chance handed her a wrist band. "It's not." He said. "Then why didn't you let me pay my own way?" She asked and Chance shrugged.
"Sorry, force of habit. Mom drilled it in to my head that I should always pay for the she-cat, girlfriend or not. If you're that upset about it, you can pay me back or pick up the food tab?"
'His Mom taught him to be a gentle Kat and he's actually following through with it?!' Vivian felt her heart skip a beat. 'Viv...no...' she reprimanded herself. "Fine. Food tab it is." She said, smiling.
He started searching for an open pool eventually found one. Vivian took a seat at the table and went over their menu while Chance got the balls out and started racking them. She snuck some looks at him while he was busy making a rack. There was one time however, he felt her staring at him and looked up only for her to cover her face really quickly with the menu. Chance smiled to himself. 'As much as she denies not wanting anything more than a friendship with me, I have caught her checking me out quite a bit.'
'Maybe he didn't catch me...' She thought as she lowered the menu only to see him standing at the other side of the pool table, a knowing smirk on his face. 'Shit...' She thought, now slightly embarrassed. Chance walked over to her and held his hand out for the menu. "Know what you want yet?" He asked, knowing she wasn't paying real close attention to the menu.
"Uh...n...no..." she answered, blushing deeply. Chance decided to capitalize on that without fully calling her out on checking him out the entire time. "What? Why not? You've been looking at that menu for quite some time. Something else catch your eye?" He said, lifting an eyebrow at her.
"They...they just have so much to choose from. I don't know..." Chance laughed and gently took the menu from her, looking it over for a few minutes. "Alright, I know what I want." He said as he handed it back to her. "Hurry up Viv, I'm hungry." He said as she started seriously looking over the menu while he walked away to go pick his pool stick from the mounted wall of choices.
"Miss? Are you guys ready to order?" A pretty blonde she-Kat broke Vivian away from her thoughts just as Chance walked back over with his chosen pool stick. "Yeah. Chance, you can go first." Vivian said, waiting for him to tell the waitress his order. "Tuna sub and fries. One Kats ale too, please." He said as the waitress took down his order and turned to Vivian. "Okay, and for you?" She asked as Vivian responded. "Salmon strips and fries. Glass of water." Sge quickly wrote her order down. "Any sauce?" She asked. "Ranch, please." Vivian responded. The waitress smiled, thanked them, and walked away.
"Salmon? Someone has expensive taste." Chance said to her as she got up from the chair at the table and shrugged. "When I know what I want, I know what I want." She said as she went to go get her pool stick off the wall now. 'Hopefully one day one of those things will be me.' Chance thought to himself.
A little bit later, Vivian returns with her chosen pool cue and stands next to Chance. "I racked them up, so you're breaking." He said as she took her position at the opposite end of the table. She positioned her pool cue and got down low. She took aim and rammed the cue ball into the triangle of balls. They scattered all over the table and one fell in.
"Holy kats! You got one! Guess you're solids and I'm stripes?" Chance said as she smiled. It wasn't long before Chance realized he was outmatched. 'Must be those sniper skills from the military.' He thought as she beat him for the 2nd time. She smiled at him after beating him a second time. "You could've let me in on the secret that you're a pool shark." Chance said as Vivian laughed. "I'm not a pool shark, just really good at making my mark." Chance chuckled a little. "Obviously". At that moment, the waitress came over with their orders and sat them down on the table. They sat down at the table and ate together.
"So, how long have you been in Megakat City?" Chance asked as they were eating. Vivian looked at him after swallowing another bite. "About 3 months. I used to live here when I was a kid. Even graduated from Megakat City Highschool."
Chance looked a little shocked. "Huh...I graduated from there too. I played football for them and took them to state a couple of times. Could've gone to college on a scholarship, but I turned it down to enlist in the Enforcers. Maybe we've run into each other there and didn't know it. How old are you, by the way?" He asked as he sipped his beer.
"23." She said as Chance responded. "Oh, I'm 26 so that would've meant..."
"I was a Freshman while you were a Senior. I wasn't into older Kats back then, so no wonder we didn't meet. I also didn't associate with jocks either." Vivian stated as she took a bite of one of her Salmon strips. Before Chance could answer, a thin but fit gray tom walked up to them with a cocky smile on his face. "Excuse me, but are you guys together?" He asked as Vivian answered. "No, just friends hanging out." He then pulls out a small piece of paper and hands it to her. "Well, if you wanna go out with a real Kat sometime, just give me a call. I think you're cute." He said as he gave her a wink and walked away.
Chance looked a little rigid after their exchange, a frown plastered on his face. Vivian noticed. "What?" She asked as he looked at her. "Really? That dude?" He asked as Vivian smiled. "Oh, are you jealous, Chance?" Chance shook his head and went to take another sip of his beer. "Not at all." She could tell he had an annoyed look on his face.
Vivian looked around the room and spotted a lone she-Kat. "I'll fix this. I got a number, so you can go get a number. How about that brunette over there? She seems like she's alone. I don't see an engagement or wedding ring either." She said as Chance did a double take at Vivian. "Really? You want me to go pick up another she-Kat while I'm out with you?" He asked as she nodded.
"Why would I care? We're just out as friends, remember? Friends do stuff like this for other friends from time to time. Go for it!" She said as she turned him around and gently pushed him towards her. "Good luck!" She called as he walked away, shaking his head.
'I can't believe she's sending me to go talk to another she-Kat. Well, let's go get shot down real quick so I can get back to Vivian.' He thought as he approached her. She looked up from playing on her cell phone. Chance scratched the back of his head. "Excuse me, this is going to sound weird, but the girl I'm with sent me over here to talk to you." Chance states as she looks past him to Vivian and smiles.
"Oh? Is she single? I'm in to pretty she-kats." She said as Chance had to restrain himself from busting out laughing. 'Kats alive! Viv sent me over to talk to a lesbian she-Kat! Her little plan to get rid of me just blew up in her face and she doesn't even know!' He had to inwardly laugh. "No, no. She sent me over here for me." Chance tells her. She crosses her arms over her chest.
"Let me guess, you like this she-Kat?" Chance leans on her table. "Yeah, but she's not looking for a relationship right now, and neither am I." She continues to stare at him. "So you just wanna be screw buddies?" She asked him as he shook his head. "No...well I'd like to...I don't know." Chance said as she laughs. "Let me tell you something...what was your name?" He reaches out and she puts her hand in his and shakes it. "Chance." He said. "Montana." She supplies him with her name. "Well Chance, I'll tell you something, a she-Kat that was truly trying to get rid of you would've left already. She's watching you like a hawk right now. Don't turn around, by the way. You better get your act together and tell this she-Kat how you feel before someone else snatches her up." She said as he considers what she told him for a moment.
"How I do I know when the right moment is? She's pretty stand-offish about it. I'm surprised she came out with me tonight." She smiles at Chance. "Trust me, if part of her didn't actually like you, she wouldn't be sitting there right now. I won't give you my number, but I will give you this to help you out." She leaned over the table and gave Chance a quick kiss on the cheek.
Vivian went visibly rigid when she saw the she-Kat give him a kiss on the cheek. 'Well this is what you wanted Viv, and you got it. Why do I feel awful about it?' She thought as she felt a pang in her heart.
"Go get her, tiger." Montana said as Chance gave her an appreciative nod and smile, turning away from her as he walked back to Vivian. She waited until he got closer. "I saw that kiss. So I take it everything went well?" She asked as he smirked. "Let's just say she's more interested in you than me." Chance said as he burst out laughing as her mouth dropped open. "Wha...what do you mean?!"
"You sent me over to talk to a she-Kat who's INTO she-Kats." Vivian looks horrified and embarrassed. "You're...you're joking...right?!" This sends Chance into another fit of laughter as Vivian looks over at the brunette she-Kat, who blows her a kiss and gives her a wink.
"You aren't getting rid of me that easy, Viv." Chance said as he took a sip out what remained of his beer. Vivian rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "I was just trying to get you a number like I did."
Chance frowned. "Are you actually going to call him?" Vivian gave him a look over her shoulder as she got up out of her chair. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. What does it matter to you?" Chance shrugged. "I care about what happens to my friends."
"Sure." She said. Chance tries to change the subject. "Hey, you wanna go over to their arcade area? I heard they have the new version of Space Kats!" He asks excitedly. Vivian smiles. "Sure!"
A while later and a few beers in for Chance, they both played several rounds of Space Kats, which of course being a pilot, he dominated over Vivian. "Wow...The Enforcers don't know what a great pilot they're missing out on!" Vivian exclaimed as Chance smiled. "Yeah, but it's okay. I do things on my own terms now, not stupid Feral's..." Vivian gave him a look with an eyebrow raise. "But you're a mechanic working in their military salvage yard. How's that on your terms?" She asked and Chance thought for a second. 'Crud, beer's making me too chatty and she's so easy to talk to.'
"Well...me and Jake run it by ourselves for the most part. Feral doesn't order us around anymore. That's what I meant."
She just went ahead and accepted his answer. "Oh, that makes sense I guess." She said.
The bar had a band that night and they were starting to play lively dance music. Chance grabbed Vivian's hand and started pulling her to the dance floor. "Come on! Let's go!" He said, pulling her along. She laughed a little. "You can dance?" She asked. "Not very good, but I try! I'm better at flying." Chance said and Vivian once again caught his reference to being a pilot. "You mean you USED to be better at flying?" He shook his head. "Nah, I'm still a pilot, just not for the Enforcers." Vivian shook her head. 'Poor tom's drunk out of his mind. Guess he'll be sleeping on my couch tonight.'
Truth be told, he was actually a decent dancer and pulled Vivian on to the dance floor with him. She couldn't help but have fun with him. He was actually a lot of fun to be with. 'Whoever he ends up with will be a lucky she-Kat.' She thought to herself as a slow song came on. He looked down at her, smiled, and tried to take her into his arms, but she pushed him away slightly and walked quickly off the dance floor, leaving Chance by himself.
She went to go sit at a table by herself. Chance caught up with her. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked as she shook her head. "No...I just...didn't want to dance anymore." She replied. "Was it that you didn't want to dance anymore, or you just don't want to dance with me?" He asked. She could make out the drunk glaze in his eyes. "You're drunk Chance. Maybe we should leave." She said, starting to get up. "Leave? But we're having such a good time!" He said as she grabbed his forearm and started pulling him out of the bar.
"Come on, you've had more than plenty of drinks and fun for one night." Chance pouted like a kitten. "Awe! But the night was starting to get really fun!" He said as she dragged him out to her car. "You don't need more dancing and booze, you need sleep." She said, leading him to the passenger door and opening it for him. He slid in to the passenger seat and she closed the door. She went around to her side and got in. She started the car and started driving back to her place. "I'm gonna drive the tow truck home after we get back." Chance said, slurring his words as he talked.
"The hell you are, Chance. You're going straight to the couch when we get to my place." Vivian said as she drove.
"Oh...you're gonna be there too, right?" He asked as she smiled a little at his drunken questioning. "Yes, it's my place." Chance considered for a moment. "Oh...we can't both sleep on the couch. I'm a big Kat, if you haven't noticed." He said as she laughed a little. "No, you're sleeping alone on the couch and I'm sleeping in my room." Chance frowned. "You're gonna make me sleep alone?"
Vivian shook her head. "Well yeah. We're just friends, Chance."
He looked down at the floorboard. "That makes sense I guess."
'Kats alive, why is he so cute when he's drunk?!' Vivian thought as she finally pulls into her parking lot. "Give me your keys." She said as she holds her hand out. He looks at her and smirks. "Nah! I'm good. I'm gonna drive!"
"Chance, this isn't a game. Give me your keys." She said sternly to him. He opens the car door and smiles. "You're gonna have to catch me first!" He said as he went to leave her car, but his drunk self forgot about the safety belt and close lines himself back into the seat. "Crud..." He said as he attempts to undo the belt. Vivian gets out and goes to meet him at the passenger side, but the second she gets there, Chance is out of his seat and running around the parking lot with his keys in his hand.
"Get back here, right now Chance! This isn't funny!" Vivian yells at him and proceeds to chase him.
"It's pretty funny to me!" He said as he kept running mostly in circles and laughing. Eventually he runs to the door of his tow truck. "I'm getting in, Viv!" He said as she catches him. He holds his keys above her as she tries to jump for them.
"No, you're not, give me those keys now!" Vivian says. "My apartment complex doesn't take this kind of behavior lightly! They're gonna kick me out because of you, Chance!" Chance frowns at this and lowers the keys to where she can take them. "Fine." He said as she snatched them from him. 'Felt like I was chasing around an overgrown kitten.' She thought as she started her way back to her apartment. They make their way to her door and she sticks the key in, opening the door.
Chance follows her, but trips and pushes her against the door, making it fly open with him landing on top of her against the open door. Vivian's face gets side smashed into the door, along with the rest of her. "The hell, Chance?!" She asked angrily at first as she turned around and noticed they were very close now. He was close enough that she could smell the beer on his breath. He was also close enough to kiss if she wanted to. She blushed at this realization. "S-sorry..." Chance stuttered, starting to realize their closeness too. Chance considered for a moment.
Two sides of him were arguing to kiss her and the other warning him not to. His drunk side won out, making him start to lean in to kiss her. Vivian blushed a bright red, her heart pounding in her chest, realizing what Chance was about to do. She turned her face away quickly and ducked underneath his arm, both of which were caging her between him and the door. "Uh...we should...close the door." She said as Chance realized she got out of his grasp. "Yeah, we should." He closed it and she went quickly to put all the locks on and walked away. She went over to the ottoman sitting in front of the couch and pulled out a blanket and pillow, putting it on the couch for him. "You can make your own bed." She said as she went to make a break for her room.
"I had fun tonight. Did you?" Chance asked as Vivian smiled at him. "Yeah, I had fun. Good night Chance." She said as she quickly turned and walked quickly to her room, closing the door and locking it. "Goodnight, Kitten." Chance said with a slight frown. Inside, she slid down the door and sighed to herself. 'If things were different, if I knew how my mission was going to play out, I would have let him kiss me. He would be so easy to fall in love with, if given the chance.' She thought sadly to herself. 'But I can't let him break my heart, and I refuse to break his. This is why I have to keep my distance, but I want so badly to be near him now.' She let her head hit the door slightly, closing her eyes, wishing everything could be different.