Page 28 of New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe
‘You like the idea, then?’ said Joyce.
‘Yes! I think it’s the best idea ever!’ Tori’s voice cracked with excitement. ‘And you really think this is something you want to do? It’s a big step and—’
‘Absolutely,’ said Joyce. ‘We’ll need to do our research, though, but we can worry about that tomorrow.’
‘But what about Ernie? Do you think he’ll get jealous with a load of new cats next door? I wouldn’t want to put his nose out of joint…’
‘Oh, he’ll be fine, love. He likes other cats, doesn’t he?’
‘Well, yes, he plays with that little tortoiseshell cat from a few doors down – they’re always in the garden together.’
‘Mags said he’s snuck into their place a few times and cuddled up with Troilus, their Siamese, she’s found them asleep together on the bed.’
‘Really? The cheek of him!’ Tori laughed. ‘But that’s why we love him.’
‘Don’t worry about Ernie, he’ll be fine, and he won’t be mixing with the café cats anyway, he’ll only get a glimpse of them through the window.’
‘True,’ Tori agreed.
‘Now how about you put that milk on and then maybe we can both try and get some sleep?’
‘Is it too late for champagne?’ asked Tori, as she opened the fridge.
‘Champagne?’ said Joyce, smiling up at her. ‘I thought you wanted something to help you sleep?’
‘I did, but now we’ve got a reason to celebrate, sleeping seems less important.’
‘You’re on! I’ll get the glasses, love,’ said Joyce.
When Tori finally made it back to bed, she was giddy with champagne and excitement at her mum’s plans for the tearoom. She scrolled through her pictures of Tokyo on her phone and her face broke into a smile when she found a whole album devoted to the cat cafés she had visited during her time in the city. There were cats of all shapes and sizes: thin ones, fat ones, super-fluffy ones and hairless ones, pedigrees and moggies alike. Tori stopped scrolling when she reached a small, grey cat with a streak of white fur across his chest.
‘Kenzo! Oh, I’d forgotten just how cute you are!’ She reached across the bed and held her phone out towards Ernie, who still hadn’t moved from his spot at the end of the bed. ‘Hey, Ern, look! This is Kenzo. He kept me company in Tokyo when I was missing you.’ Ernie opened his eyes and pawed at the screen. ‘You two would get on great, you know. Kenzo reminds me a lot of you.’
A cat café in Blossom Heath. She couldn’t believe it. She had been looking for a project, a new adventure to take her mind off things but she’d never expected…This.
‘Come on, Ernie, we need to get some sleep, tomorrow we’ve got work to do.’
By eight o’clock the next morning, Tori was back in the kitchen surrounded by a mountain of notes. She rubbed her eyes and looked down at her empty coffee cup. She needed more coffee, much more. Tori flicked through her notebook and looked at everything she had researched since she’d been up. The more she had read online, the more certain she had become that shecoulddo this. That it would work. She’d even come up with a new name, if her mum was happy with the tearoom being rebranded… The Cosy Cat Café. It was the perfect blend of old and new. She heard footsteps padding down the stairs towards the kitchen.
‘Morning, love. You’re up bright and early,’ said Joyce, stifling a yawn.
‘Well, there’s lots to do today,’ said Tori brightly, ‘plus I needed to check.’
‘Check what?’
‘That you really did suggest we open a cat café in the middle of the night – that I didn’t dream the whole thing.’
‘You didn’t dream it. I’m just pleased you’re as excited about it as I am.’
‘Oh, I am. Honestly, it was something I’d never even thought about before, but I think it sounds brilliant!’
‘And you’re up for putting the hard work in?’ said Joyce, reaching for the orange juice.
‘Absolutely! I can’t wait to get started actually,’ said Tori, nodding.
‘We’ll need a back-up plan – what happens to the cats if things don’t work out?’
‘I’ve been thinking about that. One of the cat cafés I was reading about teamed up with a local rescue, and all the cats in their café are looking for forever homes. Customers register their interest in adopting them with the rescue centre, so the time they spend in the café is like a halfway house.’
