Chapter 3
THREE
It wasn't every day that I got to bring out the power tools but I was feeling quite chuffed about it. There was something about swaggering around with a big drill in hand, even if it was for something silly as installing a doorbell.
I crouched down outside of the Lazy Cat with the cheap doorbell that I got online. Maybe I should've gotten Gran's permission before I started drilling holes into the doorframe but...
Oh.
Sticker. The doorbell came with a sticker.
"Well, that makes that easier," I muttered as I peeled the back off and stuck the doorbell down at cat-height. It took ten seconds to install and I looked like a fool with my drill.
I gave it a little whirr just for good measure and nodded, pleased with my handiwork nonetheless. Hopefully the presence of a cat doorbell would help Balthazar feel more at home.
I'd ask him next time he was in the coffee house because he had run off early this morning while giving me his usual vague excuses. Even if he agreed to be my familiar, he was still keeping me at arm's length. Hopefully, as time passed, the distance between us would disappear.
"Cassie?" a bright voice said from behind me. "What are you doing?"
My stomach instantly filled with flutters and I stood up quickly, the blood rushing to my head. Faye was only a few steps away and looking at me with a curious-confused smile that made her look so very endearing.
"I'm installing a doorbell. For Balthazar, in case that wasn't clear," I clarified, in case she thought I lost the plot.
Faye chuckled. "Cats sure are demanding creatures."
"Yeah, no kidding. I promised to install a doorbell at my bedroom window as well." My mouth tugged up in a smile. "It's part of my proposal promise to him."
It took Faye a moment. "Wait, you asked him to be your familiar? What did he say? Did he say yes?"
I let out an excited squeal. "Yes!"
"Cass, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you!
" Faye's whole face lit up for me and she darted forward, her arms held out like she wanted to hug me.
She paused before she could reach me, clearly having changed her mind about how to congratulate me.
She bounced backwards, pulled an adorable face and stepped towards me again, only to pat my arm. "Congrats, umm. Yes, congratulations."
It was so adorable and awkward, I felt myself smile. "Thank you."
"I'm glad he said yes. He's already practically your familiar anyway. He's got you under his thumb, that's for sure," she said, tilting her head sideways. "Do cats have thumbs?"
"I think so," I said with a shrug. I didn't really care about feline anatomy. Instead, I was far more interested in the woman standing in front of me with a shy smile. It hadn't even been forty-eight hours since we kissed in the antique shop but it felt like forever ago.
Maybe because we hadn't really talked about it yet.
"Well..." Faye said, rocking back and forth in a way that showed she was a little uneasy and awkward.
I felt it too.
"Well," I repeated, not sure what else to say.
"How are you? Apart from the exciting news about Balthazar, is everything..." she paused, clearly dancing around the subject. "Are you good? Cause we've not seen each other since..." she trailed off, gesturing with her shoulders. Somehow.
Butterflies tumbled through my stomach. "I'm good. How are you feeling about it all?" I asked. I hadn't intended for us to have this conversation outside the coffee house but this was as good a place as any.
Faye brushed some of her black hair out of her face. "Not going to lie, I'm half convinced I hallucinated the whole thing."
What an adorable answer, especially because she looked so adorably shy. Faye rarely looked shy.
I reached for her hand, causing her to look at me properly. As cute as she looked like this, I didn't want her to feel worried and unsure about this. My thoughts raced as I tried to think of something smooth and reassuring but it was hard to come up with something that didn't sound corny.
In the end, in an effort to convince her that this wasn't some fever dream, I brought her hand up to my lips and pressed a light kiss on her knuckles.
I regretted it instantly and heat rushed up to my face. Of all my options, this was quite possibly the corniest thing I could've done.
"When did you get so smooth?" Faye asked, her voice soft and thick with affection.
"You think that was smooth?"
"Better than finger guns," she mumbled.
A snort came out of my mouth, an unbecoming sound. "I thought the finger guns were cute."
"You must really like me if you think that."
Something restricted in my throat when I looked at Faye. "I do, actually."
"Oh." A smile appeared on Faye's full lips and while her cheeks remained their usual tanned shade, her ears got a tint redder. "So... What does that mean for, you know, us?"
"I think that's up to us to decide," I said, stepping to the side to let some customers into the coffee house. I should go back in to help Mila but I was sure she could manage a few more minutes without me. This conversation with Faye was far too important.
I’d confessed my feelings to her on an impulse. Telling her I was in love with her with finger guns, a mortifying memory. And she told me she liked me back. She’d kissed me and it had been amazing, like fireworks exploding in my stomach and liquid fire running through my veins.
And then we hadn’t seen each other or talked since and our friendship was now up in the air, floating somewhere between best friends and more.
I didn’t know how to proceed and Faye looked a little uncertain of herself too, which was unusual again.
She was always so confident and flirty but some of that was just a facade.
There was a timidness to her that I knew she only showed to those closest to her. To me.
"Do you want to do it again?" I blurted out, cringing at how blunt my statement came out. I lowered my voice. “Kiss, I mean.”
"Now?" Faye asked, her eyes widening.
"No, not now-now but... I don't know. Later. Another time. After a date or something," I blabbered.
Some of Faye's usual smirk returned to her lips. "Cassiopeia, are you asking me out on a date?"
The heat from my face spread down my neck, like fire sliding through my veins. In my attempt to make the conversation feel more natural, I'd managed to ramp up the awkwardness. At least for me.
I touched the back of my head. This would be a good time for one of Balthazar's interruptions but no, that darned cat was nowhere to be seen.
"I suppose so, yes," I said eventually.
"You suppose so?" The amusement was fully back in Faye's voice now. "Wow, flattering."
I nudged her arm. "Hey, I'm doing my best here. Romance isn't exactly my strong suit and you have no idea how many hours I've already spent agonising over how to ask you on a date and where to take you."
Faye's grin melted into a genuine smile. "You have?"
Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that but Faye looked pleased. Very pleased. I was fairly sure I'd seen her exact expression on the cats when they got their way.
I looked away, tightening my jumper around me although the heat of my embarrassment was keeping me plenty warm. I put on my huffiest, haughtiest voice, hoping to sound snooty. "If you don't want to go on a date, then forget I said anything."
"No, I do want to go on a date!" Faye blurted out, sounding giddy and breathless. "Let's go on a date."
The butterflies rise up to my chest and I find myself grinning like an idiot. “Okay.”
“Okay! I'll message you to hash out the details because I think Mila needs your help,” she said, gesturing for me to turn around.
I twisted on my heels, nodding when I could see my cousin waving at me to come back inside.
“Yeah, looks like I'm needed.” I gave her a thumbs-up and turned back towards Faye, disappointed that our time was cut short.
“Well,” she said again, hesitating once more.
“Well…” I echoed, realising she was trying to figure out how to say goodbye. It seemed presumptuous to just kiss her but did I really want to see her off with a wave?
I leaned forward at the same time as she did, startling her and myself. A nervous chuckle bubbled up from her and she touched my arm instead, squeezing through the fabric of my jumper.
“I'll message you,” she said, moving back and departing with a big grin.
“And I'll reply!” I called after her, almost facepalming myself with the drill. What a lame response.
Luckily, Faye seemed amused and her smile was worth making a fool out of myself.
It wasn’t until she was gone that I realised she’d come to the coffee house and had left without a hot drink. A pleasant warmth spread through me knowing that she’d made the walk just to see me.
How cute.