Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
I arrived at Cat Dad’s apartment just in time to admire the harbour view from his living room as the sun melted beyond the horizon, splashing the sky pink, orange, and purple.
When the last remnants of sunshine faded, I flicked on the light. The cats lay on the worn-out rug in front of the fireplace. Bowey was curled up, snoozing, while Chichi licked her grey fur clean. I approached them, offering my hand for them to sniff with their wet little noses. Bowey lifted his head. I noticed the poor thing had a little scratch by his nose. He sniffed once, then resumed his nap. Chichi rubbed her face against my hand, purring and tickling me with her whiskers.
Just like last time, the house was tidy, with only a few errant paperbacks, a half-finished glass of water, an empty video game case, and a newspaper marring the otherwise uncluttered surfaces. The air smelled clean, apart from a trace of stuffiness.
In my rush to leave this morning, I had forgotten to bring any cleaning supplies, but Cat Dad’s stock was adequate to get the job done. I dusted, then polished, then vacuumed. The cats scarpered onto the patio when the vacuum cleaner roared to life. I daydreamed while I took care of the monotonous task. Who was the man who lived here? Why did I feel such a strong connection to him? Was it just because I liked his apartment? What kind of man was he? What did he do?
Smash.
I hurtled back to reality at the ominous sound.
What was that?
I scanned the floor around my feet and saw a black rectangular object lying at the foot of the bookshelf. I must have knocked it off while I was vacuuming. I picked it up.
A photo frame?
Why hadn’t I noticed it before? I had looked all around for a clue that might point to the identity of Cat Dad, but I hadn’t seen this. I turned the heavy frame in my hands, heart thumping. A small crack cut through the thick layer of glass. Underneath, a woman and a boy smiled out at me from a park bench. Mother and son? The grainy quality of the photograph suggested it had been taken with a film camera, so it was unlikely to be a recent picture. Could the boy in the photograph be Cat Dad? He had wavy chestnut-brown hair, dark eyes, and pudgy cheeks. Even if it were him, he’d look a lot different now.
I put the photo frame back on the shelf and returned to cleaning. Hopefully, the frame wasn’t valuable.
Cat Dad had left me an envelope on the kitchen counter again. When I finished up, I checked inside. Another forty-dollar tip. My heart sank, knowing I couldn’t rightfully accept the money. I left it to cover the cost of the broken photo frame.
At least there was one good thing to come out of my clumsiness: an opportunity to chat with Cat Dad again. I sent him a message through the app.
I broke a photo frame. Sorry!
On my way down to the lobby, my phone buzzed. I grinned in anticipation, certain he’d be nice about the broken frame. I swiped the screen, revealing one new message. But it wasn’t from Cat Dad.
It was from Leon.
I stared at my phone in disbelief. I thought I had blocked him, but evidently not.
Hey. Want to meet up again soon?
Was he delusional? Why on earth would I agree to see him again? Did he think I hadn’t seen his last message—or had he forgotten he even sent it to me? This time, I made sure I blocked him for real, then I went one step further and deleted the dating app off my phone. I hadn’t used it since that disastrous date, and I didn’t intend to again. In fact, I hadn’t thought about the prospect of romance at all since then. Everything else going on in my life had occupied my mind. Besides, there was little point in starting a relationship when I planned to move away in the near future. Romance would have to wait.
Outside, the air was brisk and biting. I buttoned my coat all the way down and pulled my scarf tighter around my neck. Bright stars twinkled above the placid harbour, where the colourful city lights reflected in the water. Acoustic guitar music drifted from a restaurant. The outdoor seating was deserted, but the interior looked inviting, teeming with groups of diners, their plates laden with hearty meals.
As I walked to the train station, I passed multiple office buildings, noticing the lights still on in some windows and the occasional silhouette of a worker. It made me think about Neil. Was he still at the office taking care of that paperwork? It wasn’t unusual for him to work this late, but I couldn’t help feeling guilty—especially after disappointing him this morning.
An idea struck me. What if I went back and checked up on him? Maybe he would still need my help, maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he had already left. But if he was there, it could help me score some points with him and make up for some of my mistakes. We had to work together, and I didn’t want to remain in his bad books forever.
Mind made up, I headed back to Hobson Street. I looked up at the Luxmore building from the footpath and took in the patchwork of lit and unlit windows, but I couldn’t see up to Neil’s office from this angle. My all-hours access card granted me entry through a side door. The lobby was vacant except for a security guard and a cleaner making the rounds.
When I got to the twentieth floor, I had to use my card again to access the corridor. The light spilling from Neil’s office proved his presence. My nerves ratcheted up. Had I made the right decision to come here? I could be at home reading a book and drinking hot tea…
No. I was here now.
Let’s do this.
I walked up to Neil’s half-open door. Through the gap, I could see him hunched over his paperwork with a pen in hand. He had ditched his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, exposing the expanse of his throat, the swell of his Adam’s apple, and a dash of collarbone. I knocked on the door to get his attention as I entered. He looked up at me with a surprised expression. “What are you doing here?”
His voice was huskier than usual. The texture of it made me shiver.
“I’m not busy anymore, so I thought I’d come back and see if there’s anything I can still help you with.”
“You needn’t have.”
“Are you almost finished?”
“No.”
“Then what can I do? I’m here now, so I might as well help.”
Neil sighed. “All right. You can sort these documents. Approved, declined, and pending.”
“Got it.”
I sat in the chair opposite his desk and pulled it up close. Working in such close proximity to him felt strangely intimate. I could smell the spicy undertone of his fragrance, see how his forehead wrinkled as he concentrated…
I shook myself out of it. Why was I getting so distracted by him? I turned my attention to the task at hand.
When I next looked up, it was Neil’s gaze that was transfixed on me. My eye contact broke him out of his trance. “Could you stop that?” he said.
“Stop what?”
“Your…” He gestured near his lips.
What on earth?
“My…?”
Then it clicked. I had been poking my tongue out in concentration—an old habit I thought I had grown out of, but apparently not. “Ah. Sorry.” I sealed my mouth into a tight line.
After sorting the documents, I scanned and saved them to the drive, then Neil gave me a fresh batch of instructions. Most of the time, we sat in silence. I heard only his breathing and the scratch of the nib of his ballpoint pen against paper.
The work was taking longer than expected and with no end in sight. A twinge of sharp pain stabbed my stomach. Hunger. I hoped my stomach wasn’t going to growl in front of him again.
“Are you okay?” Neil asked. He must have noticed my discomfort.
“I’m just a bit hungry. I haven’t had dinner. Have you?”
“No.” He looked at the time on his phone and seemed surprised. “Perhaps it would be a good idea to eat.”
“Why don’t I go out and buy something?”
Neil shook his head. “I need you here if we’re going to get through all of this tonight. Let’s get some food delivered.”
“What would you like?”
“It’s your choice.”
“How about Japanese?”
“Okay. You’ve still got the credit card?”
“Yep.”
I organised the delivery. I had forgotten that Neil was a vegetarian, but he reminded me when I showed him the menu. The food arrived in forty minutes. I collected it from the lobby. By the time I brought it up to Neil’s office, I was ravenous. I used a fork instead of chopsticks so I could eat faster. Neil was a dainty eater compared to me. After I filled up on rice, I slowed down to match his unhurried pace.
“How’s your tofu?” I asked.
“Good. And your chicken?”
“It’s delicious.”
I took a sip of miso soup and revelled in its savoury warmth with a sigh of contentment.
Neil stared at me.
“Do I have something in my teeth?” I asked.
“No.” He returned his attention to his meal. “Once you’ve eaten, you can finish up. I should be able to handle the rest of the work.”
I shook my head. “I’m re-energised now. I can keep going. Let’s get this done.”
“If you’re sure.”
I cleaned up after our meal and returned for the next round of work.
“Do you often stay this late?” I asked, signing a document as a witness.
“Not if I can avoid it.”
“Do you have family waiting at home?”
“I live alone.”
“Do you have family back in Singapore, then? The UK? You’re British, right?”
“I grew up in the UK. It’s just me these days. I have no wife or children. My mother passed away a few years ago. I’m not in contact with my father.”
So, he was alone then. Just like me. I felt my heart squeeze.
“What about you? Do you have family here?” Neil asked.
“No. We’re similar in that way. I’m single, and I live alone. My parents are dead, and I don’t have any siblings.”
“I’m sorry to hear that about your parents. You are young to have lost them.”
I bowed my head, feeling the weight of his pity. “Yeah. Well, I lost my mother when I was still a toddler, so I don’t really remember her, and my dad… in hindsight, he wasn’t exactly a great father.”
The sound of a phone ringing interrupted the solemn atmosphere. Neil’s phone was lit up on the desk. I glimpsed the name on the screen—Ruby. No surname. Just Ruby.
“I need to take this,” Neil said, grabbing the phone. “Yes?” he answered on his way out of the door with the phone pressed to his ear.
Ruby . I had overheard Neil speak that name before. More than once. It wasn’t anyone work-related that I knew of. I wondered who she was. He didn’t have a wife, but could she be a girlfriend? I didn’t know why the thought bothered me so much. I pictured her all glamorous and mysterious for some reason. The opposite of me.
I strained my ears to hear what he was talking about with her, but I couldn’t make out his murmuring. I checked my own phone. Still no reply from Cat Dad. I shrank in my seat.
Neil returned to his desk a few minutes later. “You’ve done enough,” he said. “You should go home.”
I was about to protest, but a yawn escaped my mouth, sealing the deal. “Okay.”
“How will you get home?”
“I’ll take the train.”
“Are you okay walking to and from the station this late at night?”
“Of course. I’ll be fine.”
Neil looked like he wasn’t so sure, but he didn’t stop me. “Thanks for your help tonight,” he said. “I’ll compensate you for the extra hours you’ve put in.”
“It was no trouble.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you.” I threw on my coat and headed out.
As I descended to the ground floor, I realised I had meant what I said. It really was no trouble. It was actually kind of pleasant. Maybe Neil would stop mistreating me from now on, and we could work in harmony. Wishful thinking?
I pushed open the exit door, about to step outside, when I heard hurried footsteps coming straight towards me. I swung around. It was Neil, holding something in his hands—my scarf. “You forgot this,” he said, passing it to me.
He had caught me off guard. All I could do was mumble, “Thanks.”
Neil didn’t have to come running after me. I could have got it back the next day, no big deal.
“It’s cold outside,” he said, as if that explained his gesture.
I wound the scarf around my neck, smiling to show my appreciation. It felt warmer than usual—Neil’s body heat?
“Good night,” Neil said.
“Good night.”
I left the building feeling bemused. Was that him being nice to me?
Cat Dad replied to my message the next morning.
Don’t worry about it. Thanks for telling me.
I sprang upright in bed.
I knew it!
He wasn’t mad at me at all. So far, he was still living up to the man I imagined him to be. I typed my reply, fully awake now.
I’m not normally that clumsy, I promise! How are the kitties? I noticed Bowey had a wee scratch on his face.
He’s always getting hurt. I don’t know how he does it.
Poor lil fella.
Maybe he annoyed Chichi too much. She’s been known to take a swipe at him now and again.
Haha! I can imagine her doing that.
We continued to text back and forth as I got ready for work. The next message was a photograph of his cats cuddled up together on the couch. Bowey’s head was tucked under Chichi’s chin, and Chichi’s front legs were wrapped around him like a hug. Something else in the picture caught my attention. Cat Dad was partially visible—but just his knee, sadly.
So cute!
It’s the one-year anniversary since I adopted them today.
Happy anniversary!
He sent another picture. This time of two scrawny, scraggly looking kittens staring at the camera with wide, frightened eyes.
This is what they looked like when I adopted them.
Wow! They look so much happier and healthier now. You must be looking after them well.
They had a rough start in life, but they’re doing much better now.
Thanks for giving them a better life. That was so kind of you to adopt them.
I wish I could adopt more, but sadly I’m too busy to look after more animals at the moment, and an apartment isn’t the best place for them. Maybe in the future.
I’d like to adopt animals too one day. I never had pets growing up.
Cat Dad didn’t reply. I set my phone down with a wistful sigh.
Who was Cat Dad? I wondered what he looked like, what his voice sounded like, and what he did for a living. Part of me wished I could meet him face to face, but I shook my head, banishing the thought. What was the point? It seemed inevitable that he wouldn’t live up to the fantasy man in my head. Not to mention I’d be leaving the country at some point. No. I was his cleaner, nothing more, and that’s how it would stay.