I Unintentionally Became Her Kitten

Chapter 90: (Boring) Paperwork

We got some sparse sleep that night. I didn't feel comfortable. My veins were still buzzing from anxiety

Alisha was probably in a similar state, though she was quiet and calm appearing. Perhaps too quiet even.

The next morning was standard, though felt distorted. I made coffee but the machine sounded quieter, more distant, and I got a mocha yogurt but it tasted plain. I didn't feel hungry nor thirsty, but my feet carried me along the usual route anyway.

Alisha came down shortly after having applied makeup and gotten dressed. She sat at the table with me and drank her coffee, sighing with relief shortly after.

“Coffee is amazing,” she explained.

“Mm,” I agreed. The warmth was helping me feel more awake.

We sat in silence for a while and Alisha finally got up and toasted a slice of bread to put some sliced avocado on.

When she came back she sat with another gentle sigh and started to nibble on the bread. “On account of Matteo being out of commission, Kitten,” she said softly. “I'm not sure what we're going to be able to do day to day.”

I nodded. “He needs rest…” I agreed. “But you do, too. As much as you can.”

“I'll take today to do some paperwork,” she agreed. “And dig through the rest of Nico’s business records. Probably Toni’s too, since he has to go.”

I swallowed, not liking the thought of death.

“I guess,” I started. “I'll apply for some jobs today. I was going to wait until my name change paperwork went through but it might free up your security.”

Her brow furrowed slightly.

“Since your kind of people would avoid going after me in a public space like that. Like my boss or whoever would notice if I just disappeared and it would bring attention, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah,” she agreed. She seemed bothered by the idea though.

“I'd still need a ride to and from work though… and the Escapade…”

“Mm. I’ll start the process of getting another one. The main time constraint is getting the bulletproofing done… and I'll add run-flat tires too. I never expected to run over a spike strip for the sake of ramming us like that.”

I nodded. That was why the Escapade’s tires looked so massacred.

“Do you want a car or your own?” she asked.

“N-no,” I panicked. “No I don't need one.”

“I don’t really need two cars either. But it makes life easier. I’d like you to be able to have the freedom to do what you please, even if it's a bit difficult for you to go anywhere without security.”

“I guess…” I agreed. “But there hasn’t been any issue before.”

“The Mercai is also pretty identifiable so riding in it can bring unwanted attention to you,” she pointed out.

And if the new Escapade was anything like the old Escapade, it would have the same problem. Flashy and too easily recognizable and tracked.

“We’ll see,” Alisha said. “Things are still up in the air. Tye’s looking for a replacement for Matteo and Lili but the people I’d trust with your life are getting more and more sparse.” She reached over to run her hand across my cheek. “Go ahead and look around for jobs, if you’d like. I want you to have a sense of normalcy if possible.”

I nodded. “Okay,” I agreed.

She stood, and went into the back office, coming back with a laptop which she set up on the table.

I watched curiously for a moment.

“I’m going to do what I can from home today,” she explained. “And part of that is going to be moving some assets and business fronts around. There’s a tablet in there if you want to use it for your job search.”

“I think my phone will be okay for now,” I told her. “I’m not applying for anything particularly complicated.”

Alisha nodded. “Like… a… Sophia’s a cashier right?” she asked.

“Yeah but… I’ll probably try getting a job at a Starmaids or something. Or something else that’ll keep my hands busy.”

Alisha was listening, though her focus was pretty split between the laptop screen and me.

“There’s risks to you being in public like that. I’d like someone to stay with you for protection.”

“Uh… Alisha… wouldn’t that kind of defeat the point?” I asked. "Don't you have to pay anyone that stays with me?”

“Yes but if it's for your mental health…” she trailed off, realizing the problem.

“I want to support myself at least a bit,” I told her. “And I'm sure anyone you assign to watch me all day gets paid more hourly than I would make.”

She nodded. “And I'm short on people so those that I do have are invaluable.” There was contemplation again. “Working from home would probably drive you crazy too, huh?” She asked.

“I … yes, I think it would.”

She stopped typing to think. The silence stretched too long and I felt the antsiness starting to push me to say something. Anything.

Then she looked at her screen again and typed some more, then turned it to show me. “This is one of the monitoring centers," she explained. “Enforcers work here. Do you think you could find a job that's close by so if something does happen, Tye or Matteo can get someone to you within a couple minutes?”

I nodded. “I think that's a good balance,” I told her, and leaned closer to the computer screen.

“There's a Starmaids… something called the Grind Guys, a SubMart… nothing not in food service though.”

“It's an office district,” she explained. “Quiet neighborhood, you might be able to find secretarial or janitorial work but what you choose is ultimately up to you.”

I nodded. “I’d rather do something with a little more room for passion.”

“You are … a passionate one,” she agreed.

I blinked, not sure what the second meaning was there but decided she probably meant the dirtier interpretation.

I mentally shook the brief urges off and instead focused on the task at hand, pushing my yogurt container aside to get my phone. A text from Sophia, though, sent a new wave of panic through me.

“I was supposed to get coffee with Sophia tomorrow,” I told Alisha.

“We’ll figure out a guard for you. If it's just a couple hours, I might be able to get Tye to go,” she said calmly.

“No– but–”

She looked up, her pristine hair gently shifting with the motion.

“My face,” I pointed out and touched where my lip was still swollen and painful. I had other bruises on my arms and the cut on the palm of my hand still required a bandage, though it was closed now, but still fragile.

She nodded. “What about it?”

“She's gonna think you beat me up or something,” I explained. “She knows… that you're not completely straight laced so…”

“Your injuries aren't consistent with getting beat up though,” she said and turned back to the computer.

“She wouldn't know that,” I pointed out.

Alisha blinked. “But… you have battering injuries in a random pattern, not like a targeted attack like someone attacked you.”

“But Sophia doesn't think like that,” I explained. “She'll see I'm injured and think I was in danger somehow.”

Alisha listened quietly as I reminded her of how concerned Sophia was about my hand being cut and that she had connected the dots that Alisha had a criminal operation going even if she didn't know what for.

“I'll go with you,” Alisha said.

“Won't that make it look like you’re controlling me?” I asked.

Alisha shook her head. “I have injuries too, Kitten. We'll give her some of the truth. We were in a car accident. The vehicle rolled over and your head hit the window. That should be enough for now. But maybe don't schedule things with her until we have all the threats taken care of.” She went quiet suddenly, as if realizing what she just said. “I have the urge to put you up in a safe house but I don't want you to feel constrained.”

“I … appreciate that.” I didn't want to go into hiding, especially if Alisha wouldn't be there with me. But she had important things to handle.

She started typing again, and I could see property documents and reports on the screen.

“We'll go together, at least for part of the time. And when it's been established that it wasn't me beating you up that caused your injuries, I'll go and let the two of you have your sister time. Sound fair?”

I nodded, agreeing to this.

She reached over and gave my hair a few luxurious pets, letting her fingers linger a bit. There was a certain element of need in it and I scooted closer to lean against her before going on my phone. I responded to Sophia, confirming I'd see her tomorrow, though also mentioning Alisha would be there briefly. 

And then it was a boring process of filling out job applications. Alisha got my documents from the safe for me so I had the information for background checks and the like. It wasn't ideal to do this before getting a name change, but at least my dead name was gender neutral. I would just be strange by requesting to be called ‘Kit.’

Alisha’s body heat was a constant gentle reminder that she was there and I had a deep appreciation for it and leaned against her more until she shifted and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. She took a phone call from Tye at one point. Toni was gone, evidently, and they put a contract out on his head. Alisha’s people knew to look for him, of course, but she then called Mr Santos and the other dons of the neighboring families to let them know there was a reward for his delivery, dead or alive.

And then she went back to the computer, even took some notes as she twirled my hair around on one of her fingers. I found it very hard to focus on my phone as she did this, and after I realized that even though I was enjoying the cuddliness it was filling me with, I wasn't being productive and finally squirmed out of her arm. She looked up as I stood. I felt a bit flushed and picked up our few sparse dishes from the morning and went to the kitchen sink to rinse them. Her eyes didn't leave me the entire time.

AN: 18+ Chapter going up Wed (7/9)