A Daddy for Alexi by Joe Satoria

13. ALEXI

I wanted to know the surprise. I was his assistant. I should have known, at least, even if the surprise was for me. It wasn’t on any of his calendars or emails. They were quite boring to look through, and to be honest, I thought they would have been more interesting to see. But no secrets to be found there—except for his birthday at the end of July.

“Are you excited?” he asked, catching me tucked into the desk, looking at his computer. “Trying to find clues?”

He already knew me well. It was either a good thing, or a recipe for disaster. “Give me more of a hint.”

“I’ve been giving you hints all day,” he said, his voice turning low as he leaned across.

I grabbed his tie, dangling over the monitor. “What if I pulled it?” I asked.

“I’d probably fall, break my computer. There would be a loud bang, and—” he sighed, “that would hurt daddy. You don’t want to hurt me, do you?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t want to hurt you. I’d never hurt you.” I let go of his tie. “Would you hurt me?”

He smiled, kissing my forehead. “Never.”

It was almost the end of the day, and my heart continued to race as thoughts drove themselves wild in my mind, they were going around and around, wondering what it was that he could have been promising, or telling me he was about to do. I was excited for it, but the type of excitement that came with anxiety, or a strong coffee.

“Let’s go now, actually,” he said. “I’m more or less finished for the day. Everything is being prepared. Taking a day off tomorrow because we’ll be working the weekend.”

“A day off tomorrow?” I repeated.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Didn’t I mention it?”

It made sense. His calendar for tomorrow was clear, of course, that meant a day off. I hadn’t forgotten about the food festival, it’s all he’d been talking about for a week now.

“Well,” he said, “you’ll have the day off tomorrow too, so you can stay the night.”

That was always a nice idea. I did like spending the night with him, but I didn’t want to be too much for him, and I didn’t want for him to think of wanting his own space. I knew I needed my space, and that’s why I thought he was the same.

Turns out people weren’t usually like me.

“So, where are we going?” I asked. “You have to drive?”

He shook his head. “Nope, it’s a short walk in the city. Another clue, maybe I’ve told you, but I have a friend from university, he’s in charge of marketing, and this is something to do with that.”

“Huh?” I froze in the chair, my hands clutching at the padded leather arms.

“Oh, well, you’ll find out soon enough.” He pulled me from beneath the desk, from the back of the chair, wheeling me. “So, to show you that I listen, and I want to know you better, this is a surprise.”

Suddenly everything I had ever told him was coming to the front of my mind, and I didn’t know what it could have been that he was talking about. I’d rarely spoke the first couple times we met, but since then, I felt like I’d come out of my shell. I was happy inside my shell, and now he was picking me out like one of those French snails with the garlic butter.

On the short walk, which felt like an hour since my anxiety wouldn’t allow my racing brain a single break for the entire walk. And, of course, trying to listen to Warren too. It was a juggling act, and I had never been fond of the circus, so it was all too much.

We stood outside a painted neon pink wall. The sign above the door. ‘Pink Paws’ in yellow bubble lettering.

I stood in shock and awe, looking at the white painted cat pawprint climbing the glass. And inside, the same yellow and pink colour scheme travelled. There were tables, there were a few people, and of course, there were cats.

“Oh.” I let out in a gasp. “Cats!”

“It’s a cat café,” he said, “soft open, not available to the public yet, so we’re getting a view before everyone else.”

“Cats!” I squealed, jumping at him. He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me. I listened to the gentle inhale from his nose, seeming to suck me in. “I love cats.”

“And kittens,” he said against my ear. “It’s basically open to us and a couple other people. Let’s go in.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I grew up with a cat. I’d told him as much, only briefly. And I’d shown him pictures too. I clutched at the embroidery on my sweater. It was a cat. He was right; the clues were there; he’d been trying to tell me all day.

Inside, there was a heavenly smell. I couldn’t place it, but I inhaled it, deep inside my chest as it hit my face.

Along the side of the wall there was a small pen and inside, I could see kittens. They weren’t the tiny newborn kittens, but they were playing, all different colours, each with a different personality.

Warren was already occupied greeting a man near the back of the room.

A woman in a pink t-shirt with the logo approached me. “You want to go inside?” she asked.

“Yes—oh my god, yes.” I couldn’t chew her hand off fast enough at the opportunity.

“We’re a new place, all the cats and kittens here are ones that haven’t been adopted out yet,” she said, “we also offer people to come in and donate, as well as purchasing coffees and other treats, of which supports the cats.”

“They’re all so small,” I let out, not quite listening to her. I noted others sitting around tables on the other side. Larger cats walked around on the tables, the counters, and basically anything a cat could climb.

“If you just sit there,” she pointed to the ledge with the back to the window, “they will come to you. The cats do get free rein of the place, but the kittens stay in here, for their own safety.”

There were around ten or twelve kittens, each of them so adorable and cute. Except with the one with the brown line down its back. That kitten had an attitude, clawing at another. A smaller silver and white kitten.

“Hello,” I said quietly once the woman left. I reached out, scooping the silver-white kitten into my hands. “Oh, aren’t you a cutie.” I stroked a hand down its back, looking at the other kitten. It glared at me. “I think that one is a bully.”

“Didn’t take long,” Warren chuckled. I hadn’t realised he was so close. “So, do you think it’s a good surprise?”

“It’s what my happy place feels like,” I whispered. “I wish the colours were a bit nicer, but it’s a nice place.”

“They really took the pop from pop art,” he said. He dipped to his knees, holding on the edge of the pen. “So, I was actually thinking, and I just spoke to my friend over there.” He nodded to him.

“Oh, maybe I could work here.” Is let out a gasp. “You know, I think I would like it, and then—”

“No, no, I mean, sure,” he said, “but, I was actually talking to him because he set aside some things for me, and I wanted to know if you’d like to adopt one of these kittens.”

“What?” I yelped, startling the poor kitten in my hands.

Warren’s warming hand on the side of my cheek. “I mean, these kittens are looking to be adopted, and you love kittens and cats. And a kitten would be easier to bond with.”

“You mean it?”

“Absolutely. But—”

I looked away. I hated the other shoe dropping. I couldn’t even look at the cute kitten curled up in my hands.

Warren’s hand at my chin, stroking it in his direction. “Look at me.”

“Yeah?”

“But it will have to stay at mine,” he said, “so, you’ll have to come and visit.”

“Is this your way to get me to spend the night?” I asked, trying not to laugh. It was working.

He smirked. “You told me you can’t have pets in your room, anyway.”

That was true, and I had mentioned it to him. “So, pick any kitten, I already have my friend drawing up the papers, and a nice donation to the place.”

The one in my hands, that’s the one I wanted. I nodded to it. “This one.”