"Well, there goes another one…" I sighed, dawdling down another drab alleyway littered with cardboard boxes and the like. If getting a new job was like a breath of fresh air, then I was definitely at the bottom of the ocean. I'd just blown my chance of getting a job at my third interview in a row, and I was beginning to give up hope that I'd ever get hired. Not that I could blame them. There was something very, distinctly wrong with me… Well, there must have been. It always started off so well, but then every time I opened my damn mouth, my potential future employers all looked at me like I'd just told them my father was Satan. I sighed to myself, wondering if I'd ever land another job, and to my right something extremely bright caught my eye. I turned to it and saw that the midday sun was reflecting off of a pretty beat-up looking mirror that someone had obviously thrown out, its edges chipped and a few shards lying on the ground just in front of it. Seriously…? Someone could get hurt out here. How inconsiderate. I crouched down and started to pick up the shards of the mirror, depositing them into a nearby cardboard box. As I stood back up I caught sight of my own listless expression in the mirror; tired looking teal eyes and a frown that could probably kill a man. The large curls of my dark brown hair reached just past my shoulders, the ends of the curls more of a ginger-auburn colour. It was a little frizzed from the wind. At least my outfit looked good, though. I was wearing a sleeveless, almost knee length silvery-grey dress with subtle silver rhinestones here and there, pink bows down each of my sides and a larger bow as the centrepiece on my chest; its centre started off pink and gradually faded out to white, like a hollyhock. The grey bustled skirt of the dress was cutaway at the back, revealing a pink underskirt. I've always loved fancy and elegant clothes, and I chose that particular dress for my interview because it complemented my olive skin tone. Maybe I was prone to overdressing, but the interviewers didn't seem to mind; some of them even told me they liked my quirky style, or the fact that I made an effort with my appearance. No… It wasn't how I dressed that was the problem, that's for sure. I wouldn't say I'm a terrible conversationalist, but since I was a young girl I'd always had this habit of filling holes in small talk with unrelated pieces of trivia. The interviewer would ask me how my day was or if I found the place okay, and I'd for some reason find it appropriate to inform them that the lettuce is a part of the sunflower family. Sigh… I was honestly starting to feel like a lost cause.
By the time I reached the end of the winding alleyways, my stomach was growling. I hadn't lived in the area long so hunting down a café wouldn't be the easiest job, but I needed some lunch. In the distance I saw it; a three-storey building with large windows, tables and chairs lined up inside with people happily eating all sorts of delicious looking food. As I approached I saw something unusual. Is that… A cat? In the café? I'd never known a dining establishment to allow their patrons to bring their pets inside. But there wasn't just one. There were several cats in the café, as well as cat towers, cat toys and food bowls. A cat café…! Okay, so my eyes may have gone a little wide and I may have been a teeny tiny bit excited. I'd never seen a cat café in person before. It was pretty clear that I'd have to go no further to find my lunch destination. I looked up at the green building's yellow sign; 'A Cat's Paw' was written in a sharp-edged font. How funky. I stepped inside and almost immediately, a dark-tan skinned man with chocolate brown hair beamed a smile at me. Holy hell, he's so tall! The human skyscraper stopped in front of me, his eyes gleaming with welcome. "Good afternoon! Please sit wherever you'd like."
"O-oh, um…"
"Oh, is it your first time here?" He tilted his head to one side with his arms behind his back, still smiling his infectiously warm smile. "Would you like me to explain a bit about how the café works?" How it works? It's just cats in a café, right? Or… Wrong?
"Oh, Y-yeah, I mean, if that's okay." I awkwardly smiled back.
"Great! I'm Landry, by the way. Feel free to ask me anything."
"Sure. Oh, and I'm Scarlett." Is this normal? Introducing myself to my waiter? Cat cafés sure are strange.
Regardless, Landry didn't seem to miss a beat. "Good to meet you, Scarlett! Well, to start, all of our cats are strays rescued by the owner of this café." He glances over to a large white sofa, on top of which a tuxedo cat is washing itself contentedly. It was hard to believe all of these cats were former strays - they looked so clean! So well fed, so happy! The owner of this place must be a real bleeding heart. "A lot of them are up for adoption through our foster program. Anyway, would you like anything to eat? All proceeds go toward helping the cats."
"Oh, yes please." Even if I wasn't so hungry, it'd be hard to say no with Landry's deep brown eyes staring at me expectantly… He could probably sell water to a fish. "Um… What would you recommend?"
"Well our chef's amazing, so anything you order is bound to blow your mind!" Landry let out a hearty chuckle. "I personally recommend the key lime pie, though."
"Well in that case, I'll have one order of key lime pie. Is it okay if I sit over there?" I gestured to the white sofa. Okay, I admit, I just wanted to pet the tuxedo kitty. I've always loved black cats especially, but this one just looked so fluffy and adorable as it laid on the sofa, rolling onto its back.
"Of course! Get comfortable and I'll be right out with your pie."
"Thanks!" I watched Landry walk away toward a silver door underneath the stairs which I assumed led to the kitchen. In the meantime, I sat down on the white sofa next to the cat, who stared up at me curiously with its marble-esque green eyes. I reached my left hand out and patted it on the head, and its pupils grew wide as it started to purr. "Aww, you're such a cute kitty," I said in a low humming voice, gently scratching the cat behind the ears.
"That's Junta."
"Wha-" My back stiffened up instantly. Someone just heard me talking to a cat. I turned around to see a familiar, intoxicating smile. In Landry's hand was a hefty slice of key lime pie with freshly whipped cream on top.
"A real sweetheart, isn't he? The boss found Junta last year. He used to be really skittish, but he's getting a lot better."
"I see." I smiled down at Junta, stroking him under his chin. "Did you know that people who win the lottery are statistically more likely to own a tuxedo cat?" Oh crap, there I go again. Landry didn't seem to mind, though. In fact, he seemed pretty intrigued.
"Oh wow, really? Maybe I'll have to give some thought to adopting Junta here!" he smiled playfully. I didn't know if he was feigning interest or genuinely cared about what I had to say, but I was really enjoying my time at A Cat's Paw. I'd never seen such friendly staff before. As I chewed on a mouthful of the deliciously zingy key lime pie I thought, even, that it wouldn't be so bad to work somewhere like this. Junta reached out one of his sock like white paws onto my leg. Yeah… I could really see a future working with cats all day. Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask… "Hey, um… Landry?"
"Yes?" He smiled attentively.
"I don't suppose there are any job vacancies here at the moment?"
"Hmm… I'm not sure, honestly," Landry rubbed the back of his head, still smiling, if a little less genuinely. "There are seven of us working here including the owner already."
"Oh, I see…" I tried not to seem too disappointed. It was pretty stupid of me to suddenly decide it was my destiny to work in a cat café without even bothering to ask first.
"W-well, I can still check for you…" Landry stuttered, apparently sensing my disappointment. "The boss is upstairs. I'll go ask him. In the meantime…" he signaled over to a moderately sized crowd that had gathered at one side of the café. Wow, I didn't notice it getting so busy in here… Must be a more popular spot than I thought. "There's some entertainment going on over there. This might take a little while so feel free to go check it out."
"Oh… Sure." Entertainment in a cat café? What, is someone juggling cats? Ridiculous thoughts aside, I walked over to join the crowd. Poking my head through a gap between people, I saw something so questionable that I wasn't sure if a customer had just done it themselves.
"That cat has a donut on its head…?" I murmured to myself. The blonde teenage girl in front of me turned around to face me. "Well, duh? It's the one and only Jelly Donut!"
"...Who's 'Jelly Donut'?" Just then, I heard a squishing sound. I looked at the calico that everyone was crowded around and it was… Glaring at me? The donut had fallen off of its head and it looked genuinely offended that I'd never heard of it. But that's ridiculous, right? Cats can't understand people… Right?
"Who's Jelly Donut?! Only an internet sensation! Don't you think she looks soooo cute when she balances that donut on her little head?!"
"Er… yeah. Super cute." I laughed along awkwardly before slipping out of the crowd. What a weird little place this is. Just then, I caught sight of Landry's stripy green shirt on the balcony above. He beckoned me, so I made my way up the stairs, weaving and bobbing to avoid all of the cats darting around.
"Hi again, Scarlett! The owner wants to speak with you. He says we might have something available."
"Oh… Great!" Now all I had to do was not mess this one up. Landry signaled toward the far corner of the second floor café counter, where I could just make out a black haired man was sitting. As I headed over, I nearly tripped over yet another cat, but this one was… Different? Sleek and elegant with a lazy look in its magenta eyes, the silver tabby tilted its head to one side playfully before running off up the stairs to the third floor. I watched in wonder as it trotted away. I couldn't imagine such a pretty cat ever having been a stray. Anyway, I headed over to the table where the big boss was waiting and took a seat. "Ah, salutations. Scarlett, indubitably?" His voice was musky and deep like smoke yet calmly smooth. He was pale with chiseled features, his cheekbones as defined as marble pillars. His eyes - one an orb of winter and the other a fiery star - would have been his most striking feature, if not for his clothes. Clad in all black with bird skulls attached by a silver chain to his collar, he was the quintessence of classic goth. I could definitely appreciate his aesthetic, but it's not what I expected the owner of a cat café to be like. The owner of a punk fashion store or a tome shop maybe, but a cat café? Maybe I was just a little too presumptuous.
"Yes, that's right. I'm Scarlett, and… I…" It's no good. That fiery amber eye of his had me so in its grasp that I couldn't look away. It was so distracting that I lost my train of thought.
"You call it hope - that fire of fire! It is but agony of desire," he raised his chin and turned his head sideways dramatically, "If I can hope - oh God! I can - its fount is holier - I would not call thee fool, old man, but such is not a gift of thine."
"E...Excuse me?" In my bewilderment I broke the silence that followed. The situation was totally lost on me.
"Tamerlane. You were looking at my eye. Kids. Never read Poe in school?"
"W-well, a little… But…"
"Iridis heterochromia. It's more-"
"Common in cats than humans?" I couldn't help myself from cutting in. For the first time since I sat down, the owner actually looked surprised. Sorry, old man, but trivia is my territory, for better or worse. That being said, my annoying habit had probably just cost me this job, too. Or so I thought. A devilish smile spread across the owner's pale lips. "Quite. Most recherché a lexicon you must possess." Um, what? "Come, let's talk. Care for some coffee?"
"Oh, I'm not really…" I was never a big coffee drinker, but that fiery eye didn't look like it was going to take no for an answer. "...Yes, please."
"Hayes?" the boss called toward the café counter, and barely a second later the sound of metal crashing onto the floor that you'd expect to hear if you pushed over a waiter rang throughout the second floor. "Two cappuccinos, if you will?" Moments later, the coffee machine springs to life, a small cloud of steam just visible from over the counter. Then, a slender blonde man quickly made his way over to our table, his face wracked with anxiety. After setting the two cups down on the table, his shaky hand pushed his glasses back up toward his ocean blue eyes, which were decidedly fixed onto the floor. The boss gave him a patient nod, and he scuttled away back behind the counter and out of sight. I looked down into the cup that 'Hayes' had set before me to see an adorable sleepy kitty shape in the foam. Oh my gosh, how adorable! I felt a smile creep up my cheeks.
"Endowed, is he not?" the gothic boss mused, curling his right hand, clad with all sorts of strangely shaped metal rings, around his coffee cup. "I don't know what I'd do without Hayes' coffee."
"I see." I took a sip of the coffee. No, I was never a big coffee drinker but wow was Hayes' brew godlike. "Did you know that coffee trees are self pollinating?" Ugh, stop it, Scarlett.
"Truly?" But, once again, the owner actually seemed strangely absorbed into what I was saying. Well, looking at him, I'd guessed by then that having a quirk was probably a prerequisite to working at A Cat's Paw… Maybe I'd found my calling after all. "I admire your foible charm. Perhaps the café would avail from your ubiety."
"Oh… Thank you!" I breathed a sigh of relief. "I-"
"All in good time, Scarlett. Whilst you've piqued my interest enough to deter me from presenting you with the usual line of questioning, I must provide you with a contract." Seemingly from out of nowhere he supplied me with several sheets of paper, stapled together, before standing up and beginning to walk toward the stairs leading to the third floor. "You start tomorrow. 10 o'clock. Pass those papers to Landry upon your departure."
"Oh… Sure! Thank you!" I called after him, but he was already gone. How eccentric. He didn't even tell me what work I'd be doing. Oh well. I skimmed through the papers. Name… Age… Address… Health and safety procedure… Safe zones? Wait, what? I read through the final page of the contract. It talked about… Curses? Transforming? Into a cat? This is a joke, right? The guy was clearly a bit of a weirdo. This was probably to try and feel out the normies with no sense of humour, I thought. But still… It was a little odd. I signed it anyway since I really needed this job, but continued to stare in bewilderment at the page.
"You okay there? You look confused." I looked up to see a woman about my age, her magenta eyes looking at me kindly. Her wavy grey-white hair contrasted nicely with her tanned skin. Wait, grey hair? Magenta eyes? My mind flicked back to the silver tabby I saw only fifteen minutes ago. Turning into cats…? I shook my head. There was no way I was about to believe that. "Here, let me see!" The girl slid the papers out of my hands before I had a chance to speak, and her brow furrowed when she read it. "Jeez, why is this page still here? This hasn't been relevant since last year… You're all finished signing, right, um…?"
"Scarlett." I smiled. "And yes, I just finished."
"Great! I'm Avery. I can run this back through to Graves for you. And in the meantime, I should probably tell him to update his damn contract…" she rolled her eyes before setting off toward the third floor with a wave. His name is GRAVES?! Surely he changed his birth name, right? That guy really must've taken the goth aesthetic seriously… Kinda gotta respect that. I headed back down the stairs, where Landry had just finished serving a table. He turned to me when he noticed me coming down the stairs. "So, how'd it go?"
"I start tomorrow!" I smiled, a little more excitedly than intended.
"Oh! Congratulations!" he beamed his infectious smile. "I'll make sure everyone else is ready to welcome you tomorrow."
"Okay, great!" I stretched and yawned. Job hunting was exhausting, to say the least. "I'd better get on home. I'll see you at work!" After being waved off by Landry, I made my way down the nearest alleyway with a skip in my step. I finally had a job! I happily made my way home, eager to prepare for the next day.
Little did I know that a rusted feline shadow was creeping toward the café.