10. Kai
Chapter 10
Kai
I pretend to doze on the arm of the sofa while Janice gets Leo’s measurements. She seems to know what she’s doing. She measures his collar size, nudges him to hold his arms out to the side while she puts the tape measure around his chest and then asks him to lower them to his sides, measures his waist, hips, and—most amusingly—his inside leg. His face goes bright red as she does. She jots all the measurements on a pad of paper, tears the page off, and hands it to him.
“There. That should be all you need.”
“Thank you.”
She picks up the plate. “Have a biscuit.” She encouraged him to eat three before she measured him.
He waves his hand. “I really shouldn’t.”
“Please?”
He sighs and reluctantly takes one. “Thank you.” He sits and nibbles the biscuit.
“Why are you buying a suit?” Janice settles in her chair.
I jump down from my spot and join her. It’s a shame she doesn’t feel she can have a cat.
“It’s my cousin’s wedding on Saturday.”
“Saturday? You’re cutting it a bit fine, aren’t you?”
“Uh, time ran away with me, I guess.”
I adore that he didn’t make his cousin look bad, even though Janice is unlikely ever to meet her.
“Well, I hope you have a lovely time,” Janice says.
“I will, thank you.”
“Will you be gone overnight? You can leave Cayenne with me if you’d like. We’ll have fun, won’t we?” She scratches my head.
I purr contentedly.
“It’s okay. I’ve made other arrangements.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
“Maybe next time?”
She brightens. “That would be lovely.” She gasps. “Cayenne, you haven’t drunk your cream.” She picks me up and deposits me beside the saucer.
I glance at Leo, give him a ‘see what I do for you?’ look, and then lap the cream. Janice gives him another biscuit while I have my ‘treat’.
When I’m done, I curl up on his lap again. This time, he’s less hesitant about stroking me. I purr to show my appreciation and soak up the energy being close to him gives me.
Leo and Janice chat. Well, Janice talks, and Leo listens. It’s incredible how patient he is. I can tell he isn’t zoning out because he can chip into the conversation when necessary. He’s the same at the shelter, always knowing how to encourage people to interact with the dogs to help them find their perfect match—if it’s there. He’s never pushy, only sweet and kind.
“Well, you probably want to go. You need to order that suit,” Janice says.
“I can stay if you want the company,” Leo replies.
“I’m fine. I’ve kept you long enough. I bet you thought you were only popping around for five minutes, and I’ve kept you chatting for a couple of hours. Do come around again soon, though, and bring Cayenne.”
Leo chuckles. “I will. And let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.”
As soon as we’re back in Leo’s flat, with the door shut, I change form.
“Thank you,” we say in unison.
Leo’s face goes bright red. “What are you thanking me for?”
“Taking the time to talk to Janice. It’s kind of you. What are you thanking me for?”
“Letting her pet and fuss you. She misses having a cat.”
I shrug and roll my eyes. “I enjoy that. Besides, I like head pats.”
“When you’re a cat.”
I stare him dead in the eyes. “I. Like. Head. Pats. ”
The pink glow drains out of Leo’s cheeks. “Uh, that was kind of sinister. Are you sure you’re an angel?”
I fold my arms. “Positive. What else do you have to do except order your suit?”
Leo mutters something under his breath and sits at the table with the measurements Janice wrote out for him. I lounge on the sofa, waiting patiently for him to answer my question.
He breathes out a relieved sigh. “Suit ordered. Uh, I need to book a hotel room—hopefully they have space at the venue—buy a card, and get some cash to put in it.”
I narrow my eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t know what Saffron will want or need. She and Jensen have lived together for two years, so if they want an air fryer, they probably have one.”
“And a toaster?”
Leo laughs. Tension dissipates from his shoulders. “Yes, they’ll have a toaster.” He turns to his laptop. “The hotel has vacancies.” He rests his hands on the keyboard and tugs his brows together. “Should I book two rooms?”
“Two?”
“One for each of us.” He looks at me, eyebrows raised.
I force a smile. “Sure. Sounds good.”
Leo’s expression falls. “How much energy will it take to be visible?”
“How long is the wedding? ”
“The ceremony is at twelve, the wedding breakfast is at two, and the evening do is from seven until late.”
I whistle. “Long day.”
I hadn’t realised the wedding would be so long, but I won’t back out. Leo needs a plus-one. Okay, so he doesn’t need one, but I want to go with him. Besides, he’s told his cousin he’s bringing someone, so I can’t change my mind.
“Too long?” Leo asks.
“No, but I will be drained by the end.”
“That sounds bad.”
“Tired. Very, very, tired.”
Leo’s eyes unfocus, and he taps the table. Eventually, he makes eye contact with me again. “I’ll order a twin room. Two beds.”
“Thank you.”
He turns back to the laptop, his expression going through a range of emotions from frustration to shock to resignation.
“Room booked.” He leans down and rests his forehead on the edge of the table. “Weddings are so expensive.”
“Why is breakfast at two?”
He turns his head without lifting it. “Huh?”
“You said the ceremony was at twelve and breakfast was at two. But isn’t breakfast normally the first thing you do in the morning ? Won’t everyone be hungry?”
He chuckles. “It’s a sit-down dinner.”
“Oh. Then why is it called breakfast? ”
“Because it’s the first meal the married couple eat together.”
I purse my lips. “Confusing, but okay.”
Leo picks the laptop up and sits beside me. “Would it help if I went through what to expect from the day?”
“Yes, please.”
The next hour he shows me websites that have a breakdown of all the things that happen on a typical wedding day, videos that have parts of other people’s ceremonies, and photos of several weddings. Colour schemes seem to be very important. Everyone goes overboard on flowers, balloons, or both, and apparently, bridezillas are a thing. To explain that term, we look at several posts on a forum where either people are complaining about bridezillas or people are claiming they weren’t bridezillas, but judging by their behaviour, they probably were. I end up laughing so hard my sides ache.
“Is your cousin a bridezilla?”
“I hope not.”
“I guess we’ll find out.” I rest my head on Leo’s shoulder. “Thank you, that was fun.”
He stiffens but doesn’t ask me to move. “And useful?”
I sit upright, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. “Yes. Now I know exactly what to expect on Saturday.”
“Maybe not exactly.”
“Close enough.” I stare at my feet. “Do you have shoes to go with your suit? ”
“Ugh, no. I need to go shopping.” He closes his laptop, puts it on the table, and grabs his coat and shoes.
“Don’t forget to buy a card and get cash.”
“Thanks, Kai.” He rests his hand on the front door handle, but instead of opening it, he strides over to me and pats me on the head.
I beam at him.
“I’ll see you when I get home. Don’t get into any trouble.”
“Me?” I flutter my lashes innocently.
“Yes, you.” He leaves, closing and locking the door behind him.
Which is in no way going to stop me from following him and watching over him.