Melanie finished unwrapping her present after Russ left, and discovered it was a little how-to book for cat owners. Keeping an eye on Mr. Coffee, she began reading the book and soon noticed that his curiosity was getting the best of him. He had crept into the room, but was keeping to the wall, and keeping his big blue eyes on her.
Slowly she lowered her hand and dropped two treats to the floor beside her chair, then continued reading. By the time she had finished the book, Mr. Coffee had crept over, grabbed a treat and returned to the safety of the other side of the room.
Melanie put the book down, rose from her chair and walked over to Russ's bookshelf. As she scanned the titles, she discovered that, along with his interest in architecture, he also had a wide collection of fiction, mostly mysteries.
She hadn't heard from Russ by noon, so she raided the fridge, which she discovered was well stocked, and made herself a sandwich. Mr. Coffee had again followed her and was peering around the door frame at her, so she placed another treat on the floor beside her chair and ate her sandwich, pretending disinterest in him.
A few steps at a time, Mr. Coffee made his way over towards her chair, then finally took the last couple of steps. But this time he sat beside her chair while he ate, then proceeded to wash his face. She spoke quietly to him between bites of her sandwich and he stayed where he was, looking up at her.
Lunch over with, she carefully pushed her chair away from the table and was about to stand, when Mr. Coffee lay belly up on the floor. She knew from spending time with her friend's cat that this was a request for a belly rub, so she obliged. He began to purr and squirm with delight, so she picked him up and cuddled him, until he indicated that he wanted down.
There was still no call from Russ, so Melanie went back to his bookshelf and chose a Grisham novel she had yet to read. Once she was settled into what she now considered to be her chair, she was startled when Mr. Coffee jumped onto her lap, patted her down and then curled up in a ball and settled in for a nap. Melanie had never been happier. I could really get used to this! She became immersed in the novel and read steadily until the cat stirred, jumped down and went to the door, looking back at her until she got the message. She opened the door and went outside with him. He would walk a short distance, then stop and look back at her as if he was waiting, so she began to follow him. She soon discovered that he loved to play hide-and-seek, jumping out at her from behind bushes, batting her on the leg, running past her and hiding again.