AGE BEFORE BEAUTY.
Katherine Katswell was a common woman.
At age 48, she was plump with an ample bossom and wide hips, short in height and with a few growing grey hairs on her head, but she thanked that despite her age, she still showed no wrinkles nor any noticeable age marks.
Though she lived alone due to her husband passing away several years ago during their daughters' teenagehood, she lived a rather happy life.
However, since both her daughters were adults (aside from one of them being incarcerated), she was mostly alone, and as such, she used to barge into her workplace to talk to her, in an attempt to connect with her and catch up with her.
But to her misfortune, while her intentions were sincere and she meant no harm to Kitty, every time she ran into her, her daughter found any excuse to either go out on patrol with (and sometimes without) her partner, or to get other agents to escort her out of the premises, all because Kitty said that she felt pressured and embarrassed every time she showed up.
And like one of those days, the young woman had managed to get her boss to go get office supplies, despite having a whole closet full of them that she had seen on her way to her daughter's cubicle.
As such, the mature woman was now sitting in her daughter's chair, just huffing and twirling around in it while she waited for her daughter, or at least for someone to notice she was there and kick her out, that way she'd get some attention.
While Katherine was twirling in the chair, she managed to catch a glimpse of a picture on her daughter's desk, so being the ever curious cat she was, she picked it up and stared at it, smiling a bit as it showed Kitty and her partner Dudley, both smiling and posing like good friends, something that made Katherine smile proudly.
It was no secret that Kitty was very uptight and kind of a loner, something that worried her while her kitten grew up, but seeing her now, being friends with someone that while a tad bit stupid, always meant well for Kitty and even risked his life to keep her safe and happy, it made her feel very proud and happy for her daughter.
And while the woman was immersed in her own thoughts, a bulky yet short figure snuck up behind her and spun her on the chair, making her face a rather friendly face.
"Hello, Kit...! Wait a minute, you're not Kitty..." Dudley Puppy, Kitty's partner, said confused.
"No... I'm Katherine, I'm Kitty's mom." Katherine said.
"Yeah, you look a lot like Kitty, except for the fact that you're short, those stripes in your cheeks and that you're..."
"I'm what, young man? Better be careful with your words." Katherine stated, noticing that Dudley was referring to her weight.
"Just a tad bit plumper than Kitty...?"
"Guess that'll do..."
"Phew..." Dudley sighed in relief. "Wait a minute, what are you doing in Kitty's chair? Where's Kitty?"
"She went out, your boss sent her to get donuts." Katherine said. "And I was trying to see if I could wait for her before someone noticed me. But seems that only you've noticed I was here."
"What do you mean, Mrs. K? It's obvious that you're here."
"Not to your other coworkers. Seems like I'm invisible to them. But much worse than that, my kitten avoids me like the plague..."
"Don't be silly, she doesn't do that."
"I wish I could believe you, young man, but it's true. Every time I come here to catch up with Kitty, she always finds even the most common of jobs to get away from me, or has security remove me from the building." Katherine sighed. "At this point in my life, I know more about the security staff's lives than my own daughter's."
"That's not good, but c'mon, Mrs. K, cheer up, I bet that Kitty's just being a little... reluctant because that's what sons and daughters do sometimes. Even she can't withstand me at all times and needs some time away from me. But that doesn't mean she's just gonna abandon me or push me aside forever."
"Perhaps you're right, dear, but that doesn't change the fact that currently, Kitty doesn't wanna see me."
"I can catch you up on Kitty's life, I'm kind of an expert when it comes to knowing Kitty, I read her entire diary once." Dudley said proudly, before realizing what he had said. "But don't get me wrong, I just wanted to know her better because she's the most amazing partner and I didn't want her to feel like she was an outcast or that I didn't care about her."
At that moment, at Dudley's clarification, Katherine giggled a bit and waved her hand in a nonchalant way.
"Kitty was right, you can be a bit silly, but I can definitely see that you do care about my kitten. I'm glad she has such a good friend like you." - Katherine said with a genuine smile.
"Well, like I said, she's amazing so I try to be the perfect partner and perfect friend for her." Dudley smiled widely.
"You definitely are, young man, and I thank you for that." Katherine said as she stood up from the chair. "I guess I should leave, I don't wanna take more of your time. Being a secret agent, you must be very busy."
"Actually, I was gonna inform Kitty that, I may or may not have been playing around with one of Keswick's inventions and accidentally put all villains out of commission for the next few weeks due to a couple of missiles that blew up their hideouts..."
"Oh my goodness, I hope nobody got hurt."
At Katherine's comment, Dudley couldn't help but smile and wave his hand in a nonchalant way.
"Just a couple villains, but trust me, they get blown on a weekly basis like Kitty and me, so they'll be fine." Dudley said. "Wait! I have an idea! I can use this free time to tell you about Kitty's life!"
"What?"
"C'mon, I know a good place to have a talk, Kitty showed it to me last week." Dudley said as he grabbed Katherine's hand.
"I don't know if I should, it's a little awkward. I mean, you could literally be my son." Katherine said as she wiggled her hand free off Dudley's grasp.
"But you're a cat and I'm a dog..."
"What I mean is that I'm old, sweetie. It wouldn't be right."
"Why not?" Asked the mutt with a bewildered look.
"It's..."
"C'mon, it'll be fun! Like I said, I know everything about Kitty and I can tell you anything you want to know. Plus, that café has the best mochaccinos you could ever ask for!" Dudley said animatedly. "That way we can change that gloom look in your face for a smile!"
Katherine couldn't help but feel that Dudley's good mood was very contagious, however, she still felt weird because this young man was basically asking her out to talk about her daughter.
And while she looked at the friendly dog in front of her, the woman thought about her options and decided that, despite any weird feelings about it, Dudley's offer was much better than just sitting around in her empty old house.
"Ok, young man, but no funny business, ok? I'm still almost twice your age and I don't want anyone making a wrong impression." Katherine said.
"You got it, Mrs. K, though I don't know what kind of impression anyone can get from a guy and a girl sitting alone in a café."
"You definitely are too innocent for this world, dear." Katherine sighed with a wholehearted smile.
With that said, Dudley extended his hand to Katherine, which made the older woman smile and feel a little blush forming in her cheeks, then she grabbed his hand and the mutt practically dragged her after him to the TUFF Mobile.
The dog opened the passenger door for her, then he jumped into the driver's seat and sped off to the cafeteria Dudley had mentioned.
About 20 minutes later, the cat and the dog were sitting on the terrace of the cafeteria, enjoying the calmness and a couple of coffee mugs, and in Dudley's case, a rather generous slice of strawberry cheesecake.
"... and that's why I ended up reading Kitty's diary." Dudley said as he took a forkful of his cheesecake slice. "Kitty got mad for that but I wanted to really get to know her, you know? She's amazing and the best friend I've had in my life."
"Your methods certainly can be careless, but I see that you truly mean no harm, Dudley." Katherine said as she took a sip of coffee. "And yes, you're certainly right when you say Kitty is amazing."
"Though, according to her diary, she thinks you don't think so."
At that statement, Katherine's ears perked up and she deigned a doubtful glance at her daughter's friend.
"How so?" Katherine asked.
"Well, she says you always nitpick what she does, especially the thing about her not being able to get a boyfriend. And she says that you compare her too much with her sister, even though she's a criminal." Dudley listed.
Dudley's words shocked Katherine and left her speechless, then she set her mug down and looked at the happy mutt in front of her, who was still eating his cheesecake slice.
"Does Kitty truly think that badly of me?" Katherine asked sadly.
"I think it's more complicated than that." Dudley said in a rather uncommon wise tone. "I think Kitty thinks you mean harm to her and that you think she's not that good for you."
"I just want the best for her..."
"Perhaps you're right, Mrs. K, but Kitty feels attacked when you only see where she fails. I know I feel like that with my mom."
Katherine sighed again and looked at her mug, seeing her reflection in the dark liquid in it.
"Do you think I'm too harsh on her?" Katherine asked while still looking at her reflection.
"A bit, definitely not on my mom's level, but I think you can change that." Dudley said. "You just have to make sure that you also compliment her."
"You sure are a box full of surprises, Dudley. You know that?"
"Well, I just wanna make sure Kitty is happy, and I don't like seeing others sad, especially when it's a good person like you, Mrs. K."
With that said, the mutt grabbed a forkful of his cheesecake and offered it to the older woman, which made her blush a bit.
"Dudley..." Katherine said.
"C'mon, Mrs. K, it's very good and will make you smile again." Dudley said innocently.
Still taken aback by Dudley's actions, Katherine opened her mouth half willingly and half unconsciously, taking the forkful that Dudley was offering her, moaning in delight subconsciously as the sweet treat practically melted in her mouth, making the mutt smile widely.
"See? Told ya it was good." Dudley smiled.
Katherine blushed even more and took a sip of her coffee, more to hide her face rather than anything.
Then, the older woman cleared her throat and glanced at Dudley, who was now chugging down his iced coffee and sighing in contentment.
"That really hits the spot." Dudley smiled.
"So, Dudley, why don't you tell me a bit more about the missions you and Kitty do everyday?" Katherine asked, trying to forget the odd scene with the cheesecake.
Dudley paused, his still fork mid-air with the last piece of his cheesecake.
"Oh, sure thing." Dudley replied with a smile as he dropped the fork on the plate. "For example, last week, Kitty and I went into space due to Snaptrap making a plan that involved increasing global warming with an asteroid... And even I know that's just stupid."
"Well, that is indeed something nonsensical."
"I know, right? I mean, it's been about twice that Snaptrap's silly plans almost destroy the Earth."
"And how did you stop it?"
"Well, we tried following the plan of this movie in which a team has to dig a hole in the asteroid and then blow it up with a bomb in the hole. But I forgot the bomb and I had replaced the drill with my collection of chew toys, so I had to do what dogs do best and I had to dig the hole myself." Dudley said proudly.
"Oh, but sweetie, wouldn't that cause tears on your spacesuit?" Katherine asked.
"Yeah, unfortunately, nobody told me that, and I nearly died due to the lack of oxygen."
"Oh my goodness..."
"Luckily, Kitty managed to drag me back to the shuttle in time and she somehow improvised an explosive, using one of the radioactive thingies in the reactor of the shuttle, then I managed to get us out of the range of the explosion and boom! The asteroid was no more and the shockwave of its destruction pushed our ship enough to get us back to Earth."
"Wow, you and Kitty really know your job and how to get out of even the most complicated situation, huh?"
"Obviously, we're the Purr-fect Partners! Though after our space adventure, we had to spend a day in the Atlantic ocean as Keswick dropped one of his chemicals on the control console for the mission and took too long to fix it because it just so happens that he was making a sort of substance to destroy space mission control consoles..."
"That's... oddly specific..."
"That's what we call a Tuesday back at T.U.F.F." Dudley chuckled before frowning. "But seriously, Keswick almost killed me and Kitty due to his obsession for making the most oddly specific of scientific projects..."
"Well, he's a very odd guy, from what I can remember, no one knows what his species is, right?"
"Eeyup, but thankfully, he's on our side, so we can be safe. There was this one time when we thought he had turned evil and was helping D.O.O.M." Dudley sighed. "He kicked our butts without breaking a sweat, but seems he's incorruptible, as he captured Snaptrap and his friends in the blink of an eye."
"You and Kitty have a very interesting life, albeit a little odd due to your enemies and allies."
"We all are a bit odd, like Kitty, for example. Her diary says that she used to date a thief named Sly." Dudley chuckled.
"Ah, yes, I remember him. Quite the interesting guy, very charming. But he and Kitty were just not meant to be."
"They're still in contact, you know? Through a friend of hers from Interpol."
"Well, I'm very happy for Kitty, you and that raccoon are the only friends she has."
"Not really, there's also Keswick, and the Chief, and that Interpol vixen whose name I can't remember because it was in Spanish..." Dudley said as he counted with his fingers.
"That's great to know. But it's still sad that I have to know all this from you and not from her." Katherine sighed heavily.
At that moment, Katherine looked again at her reflection in her cup of coffee, mentally berating herself for not being a good mother to Kitty and having to need somebody to point that out to her.
On the other hand, Dudley grimaced and felt a pang of guilt as he saw Katherine's expression, but he quickly got an idea to try and cheer her up, so he grabbed Katherine's hand, snapping her out of her stupor and blush again as the dog began dragging her out of the coffee shop.
"I have another idea." Dudley said before realizing something. "Wow, that's two in a row! I'm on fire today!"
"Wait, Dudley! We haven't paid!" Katherine said.
At that instant, Dudley stopped dead in his tracks, then he let go of Katherine's hand and dashed for the cash register, gave a couple bills to the cashier and told him to keep the change, then he dashed back to Katherine.
After that, much to the older woman's surprise, Dudley picked her up bridal style to carry her to the T.U.F.F. Mobile, producing a cherry red blush on the cat's cheeks and an increase in her heart rate.
As the couple reached the vehicle and Dudley helped her into the passenger seat, Katherine still felt her heart racing, more due to excitement rather than anger or embarrassment, but the cat finally managed to push the words that felt stuck in her throat.
"Why did you do that?!" The still blushing cat asked.
"I have an idea!" Dudley said. "Better buckle up! We're about to fly! Literally!" Dudley said as he fastened his seatbelt and ignited the T.U.F.F. Mobile's engine.
Feeling her body working now in automatic, the cat buckled up her seatbelt and braced to her seat as her gaze never left Dudley's figure, with Katherine having a fluttery feeling in her gut as she saw the determined frown in the dog's face.
She didn't know why this young man she hadn't really met that well, was going so far just to see her smile and help her mend her relationship with Kitty.
It had been a long time since someone put that much effort into making her feel better, even Katty hadn't done so much. No, the only one who had done so, had been her long lost husband.
Katherine didn't even feel when the T.U.F.F. Mobile changed to airborne mode and had taken off, as she was still processing the fluttery feeling in her gut.
Could she be feeling something more than a friendship for the young man? No, that couldn't be it, that would be ridiculous, preposterous even. She was old enough to be his mother.
She quickly pushed those thoughts aside and deduced that the flutter in her stomach was just the fact that she hadn't felt this appreciated in years, she shouldn't confuse the dog's good will, empathy and compassion as something else.
Besides, it's not like Dudley would ever even think of seeing her as nothing more than his best friend's mom, right?
Back at reality, the cat recovered sensibility over her body and shook her head to accommodate her ideas, trying to get rid of the thoughts that were plaguing her mind and felt the wind grazing her fur as the T.U.F.F. Mobile soared the city of Petropolis, reaching a pastry shop right on the other side of it.
Once the vehicle landed, Dudley unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the T.U.F.F. Mobile, with Katherine trying to follow him.
"Wait here for a bit, please. I'll be back in a flash." Dudley said.
Katherine looked at the dog in confusion, but still followed his instructions and just unbuckled her own seatbelt, remaining into the vehicle as Dudley dashed into the store.
As soon as Katherine looked inside the shop, her heart skipped a beat and she froze in place, as inside said shop, she saw her daughter Kitty, holding a recently bought box of donuts on her hands.
"So she really does come for donuts every time she says she is doing so." Katherine let out.
As Kitty thanked the mouse girl at the cash register for the box, Dudley tapped her on the shoulder, which made her turn and smile in surprise as soon as she laid her eyes on her partner.
Meanwhile, outside the shop, Katherine watched Dudley and Kitty's interaction attentively, deducing what was the dog's idea and having a new mixture of feelings in her gut and chest.
For the one part, she was anxious and hoped for the best outcome, which would be that Dudley would manage to convince her daughter to talk to her.
But the other was a bit more realistic, knowing that Dudley stood very little chance of success.
And as the interaction went through, her hopes were quickly obliterated as the duo started raising their voices at each other, culminating in Kitty yelling at Dudley to keep his nose out of her private life, loud enough for Katherine to hear it perfectly, and making her point clear by slamming the donut box right into the dog's big nose.
Then, to make matters worse, the younger cat seemed to ask the mouse girl at the cash register if there was another way out of the shop, since the mouse quickly signaled the door behind her and Kitty jumped the counter to go into it.
Katherine couldn't help but groan in disappointment as Kitty disappeared behind the mouse, and feel very guilty as she saw Dudley exiting the pastry shop with the mashed donut box in his hands, some cream and marmalade over his clothes and face, and an equally disappointed forced smile on his face.
"That didn't go that well, but hey, at least we have some free donuts..." Dudley said sheepishly. "I mean, they're a bit squashed but they're still edible..."
"I'm so sorry, Dudley." Katherine said. "I... You shouldn't have done that. I'm not worth getting Kitty mad at you."
"What? Of course you're worth it! I mean, I make Kitty angry on my own and we always make up. Trust me, this was just a minor argument. When she's really mad, she's just very silent, and that's when I know I have to run and apologize a few hours later."
"No, Dudley, you shouldn't do this for me. You've already done so much, I mean, not even Katty goes this far when she sees I'm sad."
"Because she's a criminal, she only sees the outside. But I want to get to the root of this problem and solve it, like I do with Kitty... Though most of the time, those problems are either me or caused by me."
After hearing those words, Katherine looked at Dudley and smiled half-heartedly, her heart swelling with a mixture of happiness and something else, something warm and fuzzy that she couldn't quite place, or rather, didn't want to acknowledge.
"You care for her a lot, and for me too, even though we just met for real." Katherine said.
"Mrs. K, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know when someone is special. Kitty is, and so are you, that's why I try my best to make you both happy, even if you and I just truly met." Dudley said.
The words hung in the air, and Katherine felt a strange flutter in her stomach. She brushed it off as mere affection for the young man who had become such a good friend to her daughter and who had such a great heart that did everything he could think of to cheer her up.
But deep down, she knew it was more than that. She admired his simplicity, his honesty, his unwavering loyalty, his contagious good mood and his unorthodox yet caring thoughtfulness.
"Dudley, I..." Katherine started, then hesitated. "I appreciate what you're trying to do for Kitty. And for me. I truly do, young man."
Dudley's ears perked up, then he smiled wholeheartedly once more and nodded in contentment.
"Hey, it's what friends do, right?"
"Right." Katherine agreed, but the word felt too small to encompass the gratitude she felt.
She looked away, her gaze settling on the bustling street as Dudley jumped back into the T.U.F.F. Mobile and put the donut box in the backseats.
"It's just... I'm not used to this. Feeling... appreciated." Katherine let out all of a sudden.
Dudley followed her gaze, then turned back to her with a gentle smile.
"Well, get used to it, Mrs. K. You're awesome, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks so. We just have to show Kitty that."
Katherine felt her cheeks warm at the compliment. It was silly, she thought, to feel this way, flustered and girlish, especially at her age and with someone so much younger. But Dudley's presence was comforting, and for the first time in a long while, she didn't feel so alone.
"Thank you, Dudley. That means a lot to me." Katherine said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dudley reached across the car, his hand covering her own and bringing a new blush to her cheeks.
"Anytime, Mrs. K. Anytime." Dudley smiled.
The couple sat there for a moment, the world around them fading into a blur, at least for Katherine. She knew that the feelings stirring within her were complicated, tangled up in the loss of her husband, the distance from her daughter, and the unexpected companionship of a dog who was too young and too caring. But in that moment, none of it mattered.
She was happy, and that was enough.
"So... Where do you wanna go now?" Dudley asked all of a sudden as he ignited the engine again.
"Oh, Dudley, now, you've done too much already. I bet a young man like you has better things to do than hang out with an elder like me." Katherine said.
"Not really, with D.O.O.M. out of commission and the Chief wanting an excuse for vacations, I'm all out of duties."
"I just... I'm feeling like I'm robbing you of your time."
"Robbing my time? That's nonsense, I'm here because I want to."
"Ok, but I think it's time I did something for you now. To pay you back for the little trip."
"You're the boss, Mrs. K."
"Oh, please, darling... You can call me Katherine."
"Like I said, you're the boss, Katherine."
In that moment, Katherine blushed, this time because she spoke without thinking, but she couldn't help but have that giddy feeling as she heard the dog drop the formalities and just called her by her name.
"Well, Katherine, where to now?" Dudley asked as he drove.
"My house, I think offering you a shower and cleaning your shirt could be the least I should do for such a caring young man like you." Katherine said. "Especially after that little incident with Kitty."
"I told you, it's fine, but ok. Your wish is my command." Dudley said before realizing that he didn't know where Katherine lived. "Um, could you please tell me the way?"
Katherine couldn't help but feel a wholehearted smile forming on her lips. Truly the dog's silliness was both adorable and cute to her eyes.
"Of course, young man." Katherine said. "Go up this street and make a left turn in three blocks."
"Got it!"
With that said, the T.U.F.F. Mobile sped off at a much more decent speed than before, letting Katherine sigh in relief as she had had more than enough fast rides for at least the rest of the year.
Once they reached her home, Dudley once more jumped out of the vehicle and ran up to open the door for Katherine and hold out a hand to help her out, making her feel giddy at the T.U.F.F. agent's chivalry.
"Oh, you're very courteous, Dudley." Katherine said as she grabbed Dudley's hand.
"Mom and Kitty taught me I should be nice to people who are nice to me." Dudley said as Katherine got out of the car.
"That is correct. Now, come, I bet you want to get that sticky mess off your fur as soon as possible."
"Yes, please."
"Come on, then."
Dudley grabbed the donut box and closed the vehicle's door, then he followed Katherine into her home.
Few minutes later, Katherine had prepared a shower for her guest and had taken his shirt to hand-wash it and dry it on her dryer.
And once the shirt was spinning into the machine and the cat was waiting for it to stop its cycle, she hummed softly and happily as she kept thinking on the rather adventurous day she had lived thanks to her daughter's friend.
"He really is a charming guy, albeit a little unorthodox." Katherine said as she sighed happily. "Kitty is really lucky. I mean, if I were her age, or if Dudley were mine... No, what are you thinking, Katherine? That young man is just being nice to you because he feels sorry for you. You could be his mother, for heaven's sake! Besides, you said it yourself, there's no way he could even look at you that way."
"In which way do you mean?" A voice asked behind Katherine.
The old cat let out a meow of surprise as she turned around, then she blushed deeply and covered her eyes as she saw Dudley wearing only a towel around his waist, and his fur still a bit wet, which made it shimmer and enhance the young dog's well-toned and bulky physique.
"D-Dudley! W-what are you doing here?!" Katherine said with her hands still covering her eyes.
"Well, I wanted to see if you were done with my shirt, and Kitty has told me yelling is not nice." Dudley said nonchalantly.
"It'll be in a few minutes, you just go back to the bathroom and I'll give it to you! J-just don't come out half-naked like that!"
"Why?"
"Just go!" Katherine said as she tried to push him out of the washing room, still with her eyes shut.
In that moment, the older woman made contact with Dudley's body, feeling his rather soft fur, the warmth of his body and the firmness of what she was pretty sure were his pectorals.
Subconsciously, the cat squished Dudley's pecs and bit her lower lip, relishing in how good they felt into her hands, then she forced her body to push the younger man out of her washing room and, when she knew he was out, she slammed the door shut, hearing a groan of pain coming from Dudley.
"Ok, sorry, Mrs. K." Dudley groaned as Katherine heard him walking away.
While the befuddled dog walked back to the bathroom, Katherine felt her heart racing once more, trying to get the image of Dudley's well-toned body and the memory of how good his pecs felt off her mind.
And while she was doing so, the alarm of the dryer went off and scared Katherine enough to make her meow again and jump back a little bit.
As Katherine breathed in deeply, trying to get her heartbeat back to normal, the cat still felt shaken due to the whirlwind of emotions that the dog had been causing in her ever since he found her at her daughter's cubicle.
'Did you feel those pecs? My god, they're like soft, warm pieces of marble. With the perfect combination of squishy and firm. Wonder if he's also firm down there and how much...' Said a part of Katherine's mind in a lustful tone.
'What the fuck am I thinking?! No! I can't think of him that way! What's Kitty gonna say? What's everyone gonna say?!' Another piece of Katherine's mind said, this time in an alarmed tone.
'Who cares?! If Kitty isn't making him her husband, we're making him her stepfather.'
"Fuck, I've been too lonely for too goddamn long..." Katherine said, mentally berating herself.
'That's easy to settle, just go out there and do what you've been craving to do since he shared his cheesecake with you.' The lustful voice said in her mind.
"I'm not some horny teenager..."
'You sure ain't no teenager, but you're delusional if you think you're not horny.'
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Katherine said.
"Mrs. K, are you really ok?" Asked a worried Dudley as he knocked on the door.
"Yes! Just...! Go back to the bathroom!" Katherine snapped.
"You sure you're ok? You sound awfully jumpy and out of breath."
'Oh, she's out of breath alright, because of you.' The lustful voice said in Katherine's mind.
"Don't you start!" Katherine snapped to herself.
"Start what?" Dudley asked confused.
"Just go, young man! I'll be there in a moment!"
Outside the washing room, Dudley just arched an eyebrow and sighed, then he walked back to the bathroom.
And back into the washing room, Katherine slapped herself and shook her head.
"Alright, you're losing your mind now, calm down and just clear your thoughts." Katherine said. "You are an elderly woman and he's your daughter's friend. There's no way anything could happen between you and him, Katherine..."
With that said, the elder woman waited for a quippy response from her own mind, but after a few seconds, nothing happened.
"Thank God..." Katherine sighed in relief. "It was just my imagination..."
Still with the lingering feeling of awkwardness and arousal (as much as she denied it), Katherine fixed her clothes and got Dudley's shirt off the dryer, smiling and opening the door to go meet Dudley, having a giddy feeling at the thought of seeing him naked again.
'Yep, what you feel for that hunk is TOTALLY platonic, nothing more than just an innocent friendship there...' Her own mind chuckled sarcastically.