Page 7 of Hell's Kitten

And that’s good because there’sno wayI want to be around that cutie in any kind of forced proximity. I’d never thinkstraight again. And since it’s me, no doubt I’d find a way to mess it up and hurt his feelings and…

Good lord, I’m acting like he’d even be interested in me. Just because I got cartoon cupids around my head doesn’t mean a thing. He’s probably not even a kitten in the lifestyle sense at all. Lots of people like those kinds of headphones. Why am I?—

“Earth to Nim?”

I shake my head and look back at Leah. She’s got her hands on her hips.

“Yeah?”

“Why were you mean to that poor boy?” she demands. “He looked crushed.”

“We don’t have any job vacancies,” I reply, still feeling like my brain is doing a lot of catching up.

“Great!” some guy says in front of me. He’s the one who yelled at the kitten. “Now we’ve established that for the fifth time, can I get an Americano and a bear claw to go?”

After the way he spoke to the kitten, I’m in no hurry to serve him. But I’m starting to realize, thanks to Leah, that the wayIspoke to the kitten was not okay, either.

“Do you think I should go after him?”

Leah sighs and visibly softens. “That might be good for your karma, yeah.” Then she plasters on her ‘I’m smiling but fuck you’ face and turns back to the customer. “One bear claw and one Americano coming right up, sir.”

Before heading out, I grab my jacket and slip the little tabby from my shoulder inside. He knows not to jump out of his pocket, so he’ll be safe to take with me like that. I’ve resisted naming him as he’ll soon be big enough to go play in the café, and I’m sure someone will adopt him then. I’m very proud of the high turnaround numbers we have.

That’s about all I’m feeling proud of right now. The daze is fading, and I’m seeing what an absolute ass I was to a kid whowas just asking about getting work. He said he loved cats, right? He’s probably a good person. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like garbage because my body went into shutdown on account of how gorgeous he is. That’s some creepy shit.

Urgh.This is why I try and avoid people like I do. I’m no good around them. Or for them.

It’s suddenly very urgent that I catch up to him. He should have been long gone, but luck is on my side. He’s about thirty feet away, sitting on the bench opposite the small, scruffy park.

His face is in his hands, but from the way his shoulders are shaking, I’m pretty sure he’s crying.

Fuck.

It takes a lot to make me feel small, but I certainly shrink in on myself as I walk up to him, feeling incredibly sheepish.

“Hey,” I say softly as I get close enough.

He jerks in surprise and looks up at me. Ihateseeing his tear-streaked face. His lashes are spiky, and his eyes are red.

I did that. I’m a bastard.

“I—what? Sorry?” he stutters, looking around in his confusion.

“Can I sit?” I grunt.

He stares at me for a second before nodding. I perch myself on the edge, putting a couple of feet between us. The last thing I want to do is intimidate him further.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

He frowns. “For what?”

“For being a dick.”

He sniffs and takes a deep breath, sitting up a bit straighter. “You weren’t, though. You don’t have any jobs open, that’s all you said. I went barging in there all excited and didn’t listen to you.”

It’s my turn to frown. “I could have been nicer about it.”

He looks me over. “Um, I guess. Thank you. But that’s not why I’m upset. Not really. You didn’t have to come out here. I saw how busy you are.”

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