What would a cat enjoy?

Irene had that question stuck in her mind for hours with no answer in sight. Roaming through the shopping center she had found a quirky pet boutique store. Adorned with pictures of cats and dogs this would probably be her best option to find something for Mr.Gato.

Ding

The bell indicated that Irene had entered the shop, at first glance she saw no one come to greet her so she just explored by herself. There were various sections to the shop, she started with the accessories.

Maybe Mr.Gato could rock some cute sweaters or hats, but then again ‘When have I ever seen a cat in a hat?’ Irene thought to herself setting down the blue stripped hat she had picked up. Collars could be a good option; they could be stylish but are still practical enough that a cat won’t claw them out.

Immersed in choosing the best looking collar she didn’t notice the person that creeped up behind her. “Hello! Do you need any help?” An overly enthusiastic voice startled her dropping the collar she was just looking at. Before Irene could bend down and pick the item up, the collar was back in her hands.

“Nice choice! I love this banana print; we also have shirts with the same print in case you would like to match with your feline friend!”

“Oh…I-”

“I’m Wendy I work here.” The red headed girl said with a smile on her face. Irene smiled back not wanting to seem rude since the other girl was giving off a cheerful aura. “Actually I’d appreciate your help” Irene figured the girl was an expert in the pet department surely she would know what a cat would like.

“Of course!” Wendy effused guiding Irene to another section of the store where the toys where located. “So tell me more about your feline friend” Irene shook her head “It’s my …friends cat, I just wanted to get him a gift” It felt weird addressing Seulgi as her friend but it was better than calling her ‘ex’ at least it meant things were getting better.

“Here this will be a perfect gift!” Wendy handed her an electric rat toy apparently it was rated number 1 between Cat owners. It made sense to Irene, cats liked rats…or at least that’s what cartoon shows taught her.

“You can never go wrong with a wool ball, cats love to play around with it” Irene just nodded, who was she to contradict a cat guru like Wendy? At the end of her time in the pet shop she left with a bag full of stuff. Somehow Wendy had also persuaded her into buying that banana print cat collar/human shirt matching set insisting that her friend would love it.

Driving to Seulgi’s new apartment was making her more nervous than she had anticipated. Ever since their reunion they had been texting everyday but their schedules didn’t allow them to meet in person. So when an opportunity arose Irene was quick to say yes.

Irene was surprised to hear that Seulgi would be cooking for their evening together, Seulgi wasn’t known for being a mastermind behind the kitchen. She was glad the other had been exploring new sides of herself. When Seulgi said that she had matured she was right and it made Irene even more proud of the woman Seulgi had become.

She parked her car making sure not to forget the cat gifts that took her hours to buy. ‘I’m here! :)’ she texted Seulgi before walking up the flight of stairs that led to the apartment. The building was nice, a light brown color that seemed well maintained despite the corroding weather. Irene felt her mind at ease knowing Seulgi lived in a safe place.

“Irene, come in!” Seulgi was already waiting for her eager for the older girl to come inside. The inside of her apartment was lively, bright colors matched with earth tones gave the place a nice look. She spotted some paintings that had Seulgi’s signature at the bottom, Irene made a mental note to ask about those later.

“I brought Mr.Gato some gifts” Irene placed the bag on top of the table so Seulgi could see what was inside. “I love this!” The banana print shirt was a hit and when she saw the matching cat collar Irene received a hug from the other girl. “We just need another one for you and then we can all match” Irene felt her heart burst with happiness seeing how Seulgi still considered her to be a part of her family despite what had transpired between them.

That was why she felt nervous to meet this cat. In a way Mr.Gato had become Seulgi’s priority during their time apart and was now an important aspect of her life. If she wanted to be a part of Seulgi’s life again then it would be crucial that Mr.Gato not hate her in case they had to live together in the near future.

Whatever food Seulgi had made smelled good or maybe she was hungry from having skipped breakfast in the morning. Irene waited in the living room as Seulgi prepared the final touches so they could eat. ‘Where is the cat?’ she thought to herself as she looked for the orange cat. If she could get him alone for a few minutes maybe Mr.Gato could warm up to her before Seulgi saw them interact.

Her search was in vain finding no traces of the cat that had been plaguing her thoughts for the last few days. She decided to give up for the time being as she saw Seulgi come back with two plates. “I saw this recipe online and it seemed easy to make so I gave it a try” The dish was a little messy but Irene didn’t mind, she’d probably eat burnt food if Seulgi was the one giving it to her.

“I’m excited to try it”

Seulgi got up again as if she had forgotten something. “I bought some red wine to go with it” She poured Irene a glass first then she poured herself some. When they started eating Irene was able to soak in the moment better. Seulgi looked breathtaking with her top bun and cheeks full of food, Irene was aware that there wasn’t anything spectacular in just eating a meal with someone. To her this moment was blissful because she almost lost it forever.

“Want a house tour later? Well more like an apartment tour”

“I’d love to ,so I can finally meet Mr. Gato” Irene hadn’t seen the cat at all, she’d assumed it might come out as the scent of the food penetrated the apartment but still no cat in sight. “He likes to hide in the weirdest of places, he’ll come out eventually”

Irene insisted in washing the dishes as a form of gratitude for the meal. Besides washing dishes was something that relaxed her contrary to other people who loathed the chore. Since it was Tuesday Seulgi had to take the trash down to the containers before the garbage truck beat her to it and then she would be left with two weeks’ worth of trash.

Pots, pans, cups and to finish off silverware was Irene’s preferred method of washing dishes. She had just finished the last set of pots dumping the water out of the container to make new soap water for the next set of dishes. As she reached for dish soap she felt something fuzzy underneath the tip of her fingers jolting her back in fear it could be a cockroach.

“Ahhh” When she opened her eyes she didn’t see the animal she was expecting instead she saw an orange and black cat staring intensely back at her. This is the cat she had been looking for since she got here only to have him appear out of thin air. Damn cats being all ninja like.

Mr.Gato was a unique cat in his own right, his fur was orange with splotches of black all around. However, the main thing that set him apart from your average cat was the two white lines directly above his emerald eyes; making it seem he always had an angry expression to him.

“Hi there kitty….I’m Irene ” As soon as her name left the cat hissed sending her stumbling until she hit the her back on the countertop. ‘Oh no…he hates me’ Irene was doomed all her hopes for a smooth first meeting had vanished. “Mr.Gato…I have some gifts” she approached him with precaution as not to startle him. The cat moved slowly towards her outreached hand Irene relaxed her stance thinking t