I Unintentionally Became Her Kitten

Chapter 131: The Unexpected Alex

The office was in a lull. My body was still glowing a bit too much for me to stay still much longer and my head was starting to hurt a little.

“Do you want some coffee?” I asked Alisha. She gave me an affirmative sound that I took to mean yes.

“I'll go down and get some,” I told her and stood. “Almond milk latte, no sugar?” I asked.

“That would be wonderful, Kitten,” she agreed.

I left her office and went to the elevator. Lili wordlessly stood to accompany me. Alisha’s minions had stopped staring at me after a couple days and I’d stopped feeling as self-conscious about my existence. For criminals, they were extremely normal people. The office was typically filled with the sound of typing, hushed phone calls to clients and contractors and the steady grind of people managing a complicated conglomerate. 

Even if I handled the main room easier, it was still always a relief to get into the elevator and have the doors close. My breath exhaled slowly in the moment between office and the cavernous and empty lobby. I wondered how recently Alisha had acquired this building and if she would ever do anything with the wasted space. Lobbies like this were usually for busy buildings, where people were coming and going in large droves. Here, it felt a bit surreal. Allocated space for nothingness I was glad to leave.

There was a cafe about three buildings down. We’d passed it every day and I was wondering if it was any good. The vibe was a bit classy but in that way that felt a little conceited. Like a cafe that thought it was better than Starmaids even though the menu was almost identical and the prices even higher.

I entered, feeling my eyes adjust to the dimmer light and blinked a few times as I approached the register. 

Then I froze. I was staring at the cashier.

The cashier was staring at me.

The cashier was Alex.

Crap. I hadn’t expected to run into them ever again, especially not anytime soon. My heart fluttered a little. I liked Alex, I really did. But they knew about the business and how I was adjacently involved in it and if I interacted now would that mean they would think I was trying to involve them in it too?

No. They were working a cafe job. I took a steadying breath. They were just trying to make a paycheck and probably had no idea about the proximity to Alisha’s headquarters.

This was good actually. I could check in and see how they were doing.

I approached, trying to hide the panic I had just gone through, gently ran a few fingers along my purse to ground myself with the soft leather.

“Hi,” I greeted.

“Hi,” Alex answered. They were tired, dark circles under their eyes and a pallor to their skin that was definitely from exhaustion.

Another jab of guilt lanced through me. They weren’t doing so good and that was probably my fault.

“Could I get a lemonade and an almond milk latte, no sugar?” I asked.

“What sizes?” Alex asked. They kept their eyes glued to the register screen.

“Large for both,” I answered.

They typed it in, I paid with the credit card on the pin pad. The receipt printed and I glanced around, finding the cafe mostly empty. They were between morning and lunch times so Alex wasn’t too busy. Someone else had taken the drink tickets so now it was just us, with nothing immediately urgent.

It took a few seconds for me to build up the courage though.

“How have you been?” I asked. My voice was low.

“It’s been okay,” they said.

The gap that followed was awkward.

“Charlotte?” I asked.

“She fired me,” Alex explained.

“Sorry.” That was definitely my fault.

The steam wand screeched momentarily behind the counter, distracting me as one of Alex’s new coworkers was steaming almond milk. 

“Uh,” I said. “Is it good working here at least?”

“Marginally.” Alex took and released a breath before continuing on. “It’s all the same in the end. We’re just corporate assets, not people. I’m just gonna have to accept that.”

I felt pity. If this wasn’t much better than Starmaids, and Starmaids hadn’t been the worst job Alex had had, I couldn’t imagine how worn down they were by now, without the near death experience from the Sergei incident.

“Let me know if you even need help. I… the office is just down the street so I’m close by.” My tongue suddenly glued to the roof of my mouth as I tried to flow that statement into asking for their phone number. I couldn’t bring myself to unstick it though.

“Thanks… how are you doing? With everything?” they asked.

“I’m actually pretty okay,” I said. There was still an electric charge in my soul from my earlier activities with Alisha but even beyond that. “I feel pretty stable.”

“That’s good… still with the same– person,” they asked next. The question was extra clunky.

I nodded. “But I am happy. I know things were… stressful last time you saw her but… she’s a better person than you would think.”

It was then the two drinks were slid out on the counter, complete and ready to go. I felt a little well of saliva seeing the pastel yellow of the lemonade with its ice cubes dancing about.

Alex gave me a nod. “Enjoy the drinks,” they said as a goodbye.

I collected them, and gave Alex a final look. “Take care of yourself.” I managed, feeling more guilt over their situation. Over the entire thing.

Guilty over taking away the last bits of innocence an adult could have.

I left the cafe, walking back the three buildings with Lili falling in step behind me.

It was all very lonely.