I Unintentionally Became Her Kitten

Chapter 105: A Glimpse

I stretched behind the Starmaid’s counter. There was a lull. No one was walking up, I was simply standing at the register. Alex was here today, too, but was keeping their distance for the sake of not stirring up trouble with Charlotte around. I had discovered Charlotte and I had a very similar schedule. I couldn’t be sure that wasn’t intentional. Maybe all new hires were surveillanced by her for some time before being trusted without someone breathing down their neck. With a sigh I finally gave in, and stepped back from the counter. I approached Alex, started to organize the bags of coffee beans next to their syrup bottle cleaning operation. It was just busy work. Five minutes after we started having customers again both of these tasks would be undone, but at least we looked busy making things look neat.

“Do coffee shops always get this dead?” I asked.

“Not frequently,” they told me. “Occasionally. But if it continues on too long, Charlotte will probably pick someone to go home early.”

I nodded, pulled the final bag of espresso roast forward and then crouched to wrangle a fresh one up to get put behind it. I felt my shirt pull with the motion and Alex stopped their movement next to me. I felt my face heat up and hoped to god I didn’t have a massive plumber’s crack. I stood quickly, dropped the coffee beans on the edge of the counter, yanked my waist band back up, and stopped, realizing why Alex had frozen.

I didn’t know what to say, just pulled my shirt down more securely over the holster. There was still silence between us as I put the coffee beans behind the others.

Finally, mercifully, Alex said, “I didn’t see anything,” and walked a few paces away.

My skin felt clammy, my heart beat faster and harder. I hadn’t thought about it. I’d gotten used to the pressure against my back and forgotten that this gun was almost definitely illegal; probably not even registered and I definitely didn’t have a permit to conceal carry. And on top of that, I doubted Starmaids would look kindly on an employee carrying a firearm even if it was legal.

So if Alex said something, anything at all…

I shook my head. My stomach was sick already. I needed to find a distraction before I spiraled. They said they wouldn’t say anything. All I could do was trust them. Or I could tell Alisha but what could she even do? Threaten Alex to stay quiet? That would only fuel them to go to the police or something even more.

No. I’d keep this to myself for now. If Alex looked like they were cracking, I’d tell Alisha, and let her decide. I just didn’t want Alex hurt or me or Alisha or both of us in prison.

With a tremor, I went back to the register, helped a customer with their order, stumbling over my own words. Charlotte was still watching me with a sharpness I didn’t like. Did she see as well? No. She would’ve said something already.

I let out a breath, went to make the drink but found Alex already taking the ticket and sticking it to a hot cup. They gave me an uneasy but reassuring smile and went about making the drink.

My mind was still spinning with all the potential problems with this. And there were a lot of them. 

I was back on register, pretending to wipe the counter down a few times when I felt the air shift and perked up.

Alisha was walking in, she met my gaze, even gave me a smile and came up to the register. Her body guard stayed behind, posting himself wordlessly by the door.

“Hi Kitten,” she said softly, leaning on the counter. Her eyes were soft.

“Hi,” I answered her. “How has your day been?”

“It’s going well, for once.” She started to reach over to touch my face but thought better of it and put her hand on the counter-surface. “Is my Kitten doing okay?”

I nodded, a fresh tinge of anxiety leaking into me.

Her soft expression was quickly replaced by the indifferent mask. “Who hurt you?” she asked.

“N-no. It’s not like that.” I glanced up as Charlotte was approaching. 

“Is there a problem?” Charlotte asked icily.

Alisha didn't flinch.

“I was asking when she could take a break so we could chat over some coffee,” Alisha explained.

Charlotte glanced at her watch theatrically. “She doesn't have a break for another hour,” she explained.

Alisha nodded and gave her a professional smile. “I'll wait.” Then she turned to me. “May I order an almond milk latte?” she asked.

“Of course,” I answered, a little shaken but holding myself together and typed it into the register. When the ticket printed, Charlotte snatched it and went about making the drink as Alisha took a few steps back and simply watched.

I didn't fully understand the battle they'd just had but I could feel Charlotte's frustration as she set the finished drink down, made eye contact with Alisha and called out “almond milk latte,” in a loud voice.

Alisha gave her that plastered smile and picked it up, gave me a promising look and then went to sit down at a table with her phone.

A moment later I heard Charlotte call out, “Can I help you sir?” to the security Alisha had brought with her. He waved Charlotte off, keeping his post by the door and then Alisha gave him a quick and quite subtle hand gesture and he gave her a respectful nod before stepping outside to linger outside the cafe instead.

Charlotte sighed heavily, mumbling “rich pricks,” under her breath and went back to looking at messages on her phone. I stood at the register. Alex was moving around behind us, cleaning, making drinks as they came in, and for an hour I could look forward to seeing Alisha and watched her nurse that latte.

When Charlotte released me with an annoyed “fine, go,” I practically scampered over to her table.

“Hi Kitten,” she said and pulled me close without hesitation. I flushed hotly, aware of the publicity, but she didn't go further than resting her hands on my waist.

“You didn't have to wait an hour,” I told her.

Alisha smirked a little. “You didn't either but here we are.”

“How's the coffee?” I asked and pulled free just to sit across from her.

“She burned it somehow,” Alisha said. “Which I don't know how. You have an automated machine for it, don't you?”

I nodded but didn’t end up continuing the train of thought.

“What's bothering you, Kitten?” she asked. “Did someone show their face here again?”

“N-no. I would've told you immediately.” I still hesitated to explain as she gazed thoughtfully at me. “I mean. This thing that Tye gave me to keep on me when I'm with you… it's not… in the books is it?”

She tilted her head briefly, picking apart the pieces of that sentence. “No,” she decided finally. “It's definitely not.”

“So if someone happened to see I had it?” I continued.

I saw her face go still in that dangerous way. “Who?” she asked.

The instinct to hide it nearly took over but I took a measured breath. My voice dropped lower. “Alex. They said they ‘didn’t see anything' but I just don't know…”

“Hm,” Alisha agreed. “I'm not terribly worried about them. If it had been your manager there, there'd be some action taken.”

“I just don't want Alex getting hurt. Or anyone, but especially not Alex.”

Alisha nodded. “I understand Kitten. You know I won’t act unless necessary. Especially with civilians. They don’t deserve it.”

“And it brings bad attention to you guys,” I agreed.

She let a tiny smile break through her mask and tried to relax again. “If anything does happen, know Tye’s just a call away and I’m likely to be close behind him. Matteo and Lili might be in the monitoring center some days too so they’re not far either.”

“I know,” I agreed.

She started to pick up her things and briefly reorganized her purse a little before giving me a final longing look. “I’ll let you get back to work. I imagine Charlotte would make an excuse to micromanage a single minute you were late.”

“She would,” I agreed.

We kissed briefly and mostly chastely before she left, her security following close behind her the moment her foot crossed the threshold.

I watched her go, wanting to follow her. It was rare she was in a good mood, and I had to stay at Starmaids instead of enjoying it with her.

I sighed heavily.