"A...a cat told you what kind of coffee I like? Xiumin?" I was astonished by his statement. "What ..what did you say Miss Emmy?" Minseok asked with panic in his eyes. "How can a cat tell you what kind of coffee I like?" I questioned. "No! After that. You said..said a name or something." By that time Minseok had grabbed a hold of my shoulders and brought me in closer to him. I could see a nervous twitch jumping along his sharp jawline. The cause for this stress was unknown to me but was very intriguing. "Do you mean Xiumin? He is a cat I found on the streets the other day when we had that rainstorm. I brought him into my home while I look for the owner. I don't know why I said his name. It just struck me as funny because I told him this morning I didn't have time to make coffee and now here you are, saving my morning." "Uh, oh yes. Here I am with coffee but .. but I can assure you that I am not a secret cat whisperer or anything like that." By this time Minseok had released my shoulders and gave a nervous little laugh that was rather charming.  "Oh no? I thought maybe you knew Xiumin and he called you before you made your way to Java Express." I a little which resulted in a coughing fit.  "Are you ok?" He finally responded after catching his breath, "Mmm yes. I'm ok. Seasonal allergies. Never know when they are gonna strike." "Do you need some water?" He nodded his head to the affirmative so I told him that I would be right back then made my way to the employee lounge to get a bottle of water for my guest. The two minutes that I was gone did wonders for Minseok on regaining his composure for when I returned he was all smiles. "Thank you Emmy. I hope I didn't worry you. It's nothing that a Benadryl won't fix." He took the bottle from me and proceeded to swallow a quarter of it's contents. A small drop hung onto his top lip and he must have felt it for his tongue made quick work in capturing the drop as well as my attention. He then caught me staring. Deflect Emmy deflect!! "So about a cat telling you about my coffee preferences?" "Oh..oh that is simple enough. When we were in the supermarket a few days ago I actually first started following you around the pet supplies. I noticed that you bought things for a cat then by the time you got to frozen I noticed a few of the non-feline items in your cart and the flavors leaned toward caramel and nutty and of course the chocolate almond ice cream helped with my decision on what you might like for a coffee beverage too. I take it you do not like plain old coffee, hmm?" "No, you are right. Coffee by it's self is too bitter for me. After listening to your breakdown and your reasoning I wonder if I am standing before a distant relative of Sherlock Holmes?" "Haha Emmy. I can assure you I am much more fun than a literary character." He then spared a moment to look up at the clock on the wall. "Oh no is that the time? I have to meet my grandmother in 10 minutes! I hate to run Emmy but I will be in touch soon. Enjoy the coffee. Have a good rest of your day." Before I could say anything other than Bye he dashed out the door. I kind of want to meet his grandmother, if she can get someone like him to jump that fast she must be a real firecracker.

 

The day went by fine as most workdays, filled with phone calls, meeting sales people, getting orders from the different departments. Most of the time department needs are always the same but occasionally something new or odd is requested that I have to question as a legitimate expense. Today was the day that I would find myself in the Children's Medical area asking their manager about a request for 1000 balloons and a helium tank and the possibility of a clown that could make animal shapes out of said balloons. The minute I walked through her door I asked why would she need a clown since she already had Chanyeol, Jongdae and Baekhyun. That brought a laugh and a smile as I knew it would. The reason for the request turned out to be simple, the head nurse would be retiring soon and the employees of that wing wanted to give her a going away party that the children could enjoy as well. Since the nurse had been one of the center's longest employed people I liked the idea and wanted to expand upon it. I suggested that we have cake and treats throughout the day along with pizza for lunch and dinner for the later hours, something that every worker could stop and enjoy. We had a fund that would allow us to do this from time to time, especially for our loyal employees. We talked a bit more about the arrangements then I agreed to making some calls to set up the event. 

 

As I was walking back to my office I happen to spot Baekhyun in the waiting room talking to a very pretty woman. Not wanting to be noticed I tried to hurry by. "Oh Emmy! Yah! Yah! Come here! Let me introduce you to someone."  Baekhyun yelled out. I felt my shoulders deflate but I put a smile on my face and turned around. "Emmy please meet In ma. In ma this is Emmy, one of my best friends. Emmy is the manager of accounts for the center. In ma is my girlfriend, we made it official last night." His smile was brighter than the sun and went so pleasently with In ma's shy little one. The way she turned into his side was also sweet, like she fit there perfectly. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and he bent down toward her a little, "Come on honey, don't be shy. Emmy doesn't bite." He chuckled a little. "It is an honor to meet you In ma." I bowed as a sign of respect then held out my hand. Immediately she bowed then grasped my hand within hers. "It is a pleasure to meet you Emmy. Baekhyun has talked about you and I am thrilled to have met you." Her voice was soft and very pleasing. My first impression was that she was the opposite of my louder friend but just looking at them together I could feel they were well suited.  "Hey Emmy, would you like to go to lunch with us today? We were going to get Mexican. I'm hungry for nachos."  Baekhyun inquired in his fun way. "Nachos sound good but I have a zoom meeting in just a few that I can't miss. Thank you so much for the invite but I will have to decline today. How about In ma and I have lunch together another time though?" I thought that Baekhyun would answer for her but In ma spoke up right away, "I would like that very much. May I have your phone number so we may set that up?" I took her phone from her hands and went right to contacts to put my information in. "I put my cell number as well as my direct number here in. Call me anytime In ma."  Baekhyun continued to watch and smile at the exchange between me and his girlfriend. "I need to head back to my office. It was nice meeting you In ma. Enjoy your nachos Baek. Talk to you later." I gave them both a little wave and walked away. 

 

I really did have a zoom meeting during lunchtime, thank goodness my area did not rely upon me taking lunch break at a certain time because today was going to be held up for a while. It was almost 2:00 p.m. by the time we wrapped up and my tummy was protesting louder than the alien plant from Little Shop of Horrors, FEED ME! FEED ME EMMY! Alright, calm down!  I looked over my planner and was happy to see that I had no more meetings for the day so could head out for food rather than delivery or a quick sandwich from the shop next door.  Soup sounded good so I decided to walk to a little cafe a couple blocks away. 

 

The weather was ideal not cold, not hot, just right. I had sneakers on so even my feet felt fine. I felt like taking my time toward the cafe. I was half way there when I happened to look down a side walk that dissected several businesses in half. The sidewalk then ended in a small public garden and it was there that I saw Minseok sitting with what looked like a cat on a bench. I almost tripped over my feet in my haste to stop myself. What on earth was this sight before me? I could plainly see Minseok and a calico cat sitting together on a bench no more than fifty feet away from where I was. What was even more odd was that it looked like Minseok was talking to the cat. I should hold back judgement on that for I have been having rather lengthy discussions with Xiumin as of late. I was not sure if I should just continue on my way or not when fate made the decision for me, Minseok looked up and caught me watching him. His mouth opened a little to gasp I imagine while I brought my hand up and gave him a little wave.  I decided to take a moment to say hello then continue on my way to my late lunch. As I approached the cat jumped from the bench and took off toward the main part of the street. "Umm hello Mr. Kim.  I was just on my way to Garden Cafe the next block over and happened to see you. I am sorry if I am interrupting." He stood up to respond. "No, no. Emmy, you are not interrupting at all. I was just taking a moment to myself when I sat down. Then that pretty cat jumped up, probably to look for food or something. I was just telling it I didn't have anything. You caught me talking to the cat didn't you?" "I talk to Xiumin all the time. So do you like animals Mr. Kim?" "It is Minseok, please remember that Miss Emmy and yes, I like animals. Most every type but especially cats. Did you say you were heading toward a cafe? Late lunch today?" "Yes. I had a meeting that ran late." I tried with a little pout unknowingly. Minseok muttered something but before I could ask what he had said he asked his own question, "So, what type of food does this cafe specialize in?" "Home made soups, sandwiches, breads, comfort foods. That type of thing." "Oh? Do you need comfort today Miss Emmy?" He looked at me with a little bit of what I took as genuine concern. I had not thought about it when I was thinking about where to go for lunch but I knew that something warm would feel nice. "I think I just need something warm and made with care rather than something fast. I'm hoping for potato soup to be honest." "By all means please be honest with me Miss Emmy because I love potato soup. Would it be alright to share a table with an aquaintance? Is that asking too much? I am still trying to find my way around the city here and discovering a few good places to eat would be amazing." Before I even thought about all the rights and wrongs of the request I said yes. There was something about those dark brown eyes full of good humor today that made me agree to his request without even thinking about the irritation I had felt previously at him. Plus if I managed the situation just right I would try to find out if he reall