Animal Café Ch. 25

Since Lucy wasn't around, I decided to bend the rules a little bit. I crouched behind Oreo and placed my hand on her rubbery butt; I just had to. It was so warm and soft, and the texture of the latex just made me want to lick it.

She turned around to see who was massaging her rear.

"Hi, Oreo."

Slowly, and cautiously looking left and right because she knew I was breaking the rules, she waved a paw at me.

"I wanted to talk to you, Oreo... but I didn't have much luck so far today... Eeep!"

As I tried to engage in a conversation with Oreo, two snow-white paws wrapped around my waist and pulled me away. It was Asha who didn't seem to appreciate what I was doing or, at the very least, tried to prevent me from making a big mistake. She probably knew what her friend had done to deserve a red collar.

"Ashaaa! I wanted to talk to Oreo! Let me go!"

The rubbery snow leopard leaped in front of me and pushed me in the chest, forcing me to retreat to the nearest empty couch. Asha then climbed on top of me and sat on my lap as a safety measure so I wouldn't go see Oreo again; Asha was way more athletic than I was, so I didn't stand a chance. And then, she poked me on the forehead with her cushy paw.

"I knooow! But I didn't get to say hi to her this morning."

Asha straddled me and touched my nose with hers as if to say that I could cuddle her instead of risking it with an inaccessible pet. Considering the circumstances, she wasn't wrong. Not only cuddling with Oreo right now could end badly for me, but that could have put my cat friend in hot water as well.

I wrapped my arms around Asha's waist and pressed my face in her smooth latex chest. Yes, it wasn't a bad alternative option.

As I was hearing her little heart beating fast, I wondered how I could explain to her what was going on in my mind? For the past few days, I had a lot of fun at the pethouse with Trixie, Misti, and Accalia; lots of stressful activities, lots of sex, and no real regrets. I liked doing things with them all. Even having Asha in my arms right now felt incredible, she was a beautiful snow leopard, and I adored her. But, how could I tell her what has been bugging me for such a long time?

... since that day when I met Oreo out of costume.

Oreo, the cat, wasn't even my favorite costume of the bunch. It was a super cute catgirl like Misti, but if I had to choose, I would probably pick Vix, Asha, or Trixie as my favorites, maybe because I had my first intimate interactions with them. But since the day I found Oreo all tied up in latex on the big bed at the pethouse, the first time I saw her incredible eyes... That feeling I got in my belly, and the way we ended up kissing languorously so quickly after we met... How could I explain this to Asha when even I couldn't understand what was happening?

And right when I was about to get to know her better, Trixie had fractured her arm, and Oreo had been working since then, leaving me in a confused state. But, even though it was a while ago, I still had the same feeling lingering in my chest. I didn't exactly know what it was, but it was just enough for me to decide to explore this strange sensation. Today didn't seem like a good day for that, though.

"Asha... Am I crazy?"

The small snow leopard pushed on my shoulders as if she were surprised by my odd question. She cocked her head to the side, and then she nodded energetically.

"Awww! Don't make fun of me!"

She then tapped on my mouth and back on her chest.

"You want to know why I'm asking, uh?"

Asha helped me a lot during my meltdown and again when I moved to the pethouse. Without saying she was like a sister to me, it was a person I trusted quite a bit. She wasn't hyperactive, like Trixie, which made it easier to interact with her, and she didn't seem to have a heavy past like some other pets. We had some intimate time together, and it has always been pleasant and comfortable. Perhaps I could ask for her advice once more. Since she was a pet today and couldn't talk, it would probably be less embarrassing for me to discuss this.

"You... You know Oreo, right?"

Asha scratched her head and nodded. Of course, she knew Oreo. She lived with her. It was my first idiotic question that betrayed my discomfort.

"Well... You know... When I met her for the first time... She was all tied up and... well, that has nothing to do with it... but... you know..."

Asha scratched her head some more, trying to make sense of what I was trying to say.

"Aaaah! I thought she was... cute."

Asha nodded, then shrugged.

"No, I mean, you are all cute..."

Asha nodded and pointed at herself.

"Yes, you are the cutest, of course. But... I don't know... It was different with her... Do you understand? Like... different..."

Asha paused for a moment, then very slowly she extended her arm toward Oreo, who was still lying down on her belly in the pillow pile, depressed, and then pointed at my chest. Then she finished by drawing a big heart in the air with her paws. I was not very good at understanding sign language, but I understood what she had meant right away... and my face turned beet red.

"I... I... I..."

Not needing my words, Asha leaned forward and hugged me tightly. What have I done? Did I just admit to her that I had a crush on Oreo? Have I been in denial since the first day I met her? And even if, deep down, I knew what this feeling was, did my brain have tried to avoid the topic? Did I really need Asha to draw it for me before I grasped what was happening here?

I wanted to die.

If Asha were to repeat this to everybody, what would happen then? Or did they already know? A couple of pets teased me in the past, saying that Oreo was my special person. Even if I dodged those comments, thinking they were not serious, perhaps they had seen something that I hadn't?

But even worse, what would happen if Oreo learned about this? Would she still want to be my friend? Or would she freak out and ignore me? I knew she was a very sensitive girl with some social issues, so this could be too much for her to handle.

I wanted to die.

As I crushed Asha in my arms, Lucy entered the room and headed directly to the black and white cat. She flipped her to her back like a crepe, and that was when I learned the true reason for the red collar.

"How many times did I tell you not to climb on the table? Don't you remember what happened to Trixie? She broke her arm after standing up on the couch. You have to listen, Oreo."

Oreo shrugged.

"Don't give me attitude. You walked on the client's cake! She almost cried, thinking I would charge her for her new slice."

Oreo lowered her head. Yes, it was not the first time Oreo pulled this kind of stunt, but she didn't seem to learn from her mistakes. That catgirl had more in common with a little alpinist than a café pet sometimes.

I knew Lucy wouldn't stay mad for long as Oreo was one of her favorite pets to take care of, but the real good news was that Oreo was no longer off-limits for me as her collar was removed. Since all my courage had vanished after my little conversation with Asha, at least I knew I could go see her when I would be ready to talk again.

Asha, who had observed the same scene as I did, knew what I was thinking, mainly because I was still staring at Oreo, who was pushing back the pillows she used into the pile, butt out and tail dancing in between her slim legs. What would happen now? Would Asha go tell everything to Oreo, or worse, force me to do something about it?

After tidying up her corner, Oreo headed toward us, probably remembering that I had squeezed her butt and wanted to talk to her earlier. Now what? What should I tell her? I didn't even know what I wanted to discuss the first time.

As she placed a knee on the couch to join Asha and me, the lounge door opened again, and two girls walked in. Asha and Oreo were on high alert, wondering who would have the task to entertain these two. Asha got off me and, accompanied by Oreo, went to see them. Following some arm waving and hugs, they selected Oreo and headed toward an empty table with her. Asha, kicking some dust, just trotted back to me, rejected... At least they patted her on the head as a consolation prize before sending her off.

Not too sure if it was a good or bad thing, it appeared that I would have to wait some more before spending time with Oreo. But, at least Asha was here to keep me company. Her arched back over my lap was a clear invitation to rub her belly, which I gladly did. The soft part between her navel and sternum was always so warm and squishy.

But this fun activity didn't fix my issue. What now? Somehow, I felt like the crepe-leopard was trying to think of something as well because we remained silent for such a long time. Was it even okay to fall for a pet more than another? The café clients were doing it shamelessly, but it was different when it was simply for a short moment. In my case, there was a risk in favoring someone in particular within our group of friends. Or was it just in my head?

Misti and Trixie were incredibly close to each other, and I could tell that they behaved differently together than with the rest of us. But was it just because we all did it? I was not acting the same way around Vix as around Asha, after all. Or was it because Misti and Trixie were, in fact, closer and perhaps even lovers? Their tight relationship wasn't causing any conflicts, though, so could I have the same type of behavior around someone else without causing any trouble?

Then all of a sudden, Asha crunched up as if she had been struck by lightning and sat back on me, all excited.

"Aaaah! Asha! You scared me. What is it?"

For a moment, she performed a series of pointings and gestures. She kept pointing at Oreo and me and then placed her two paws on the side of her head as if she pretended to sleep.

"What is it? Are you tired?"

Asha slapped me on the forehead and tried again, frustrated by my inability to understand her quickly. Nonetheless, she persevered until I finally completed the math.

"Oh... You want me to sleep here tonight."

Asha nodded.

"... so... I can spend time... with Oreo?"

Asha nodded again while my face began to burn. Usually, sleeping at the café with the pets was always fun, but since there was an ulterior motive this time around, such a proposal was harder to accept.

"Awww... but what if she finds out I like her? What if she doesn't want to talk to me again after?"

I fell to my side on the couch, defeated by my own paranoid brain. I shouldn't have come here today. I wasn't ready for these kinds of emotions. Asha climbed on me and crushed me deeper into the soft seat. At least, buried like this into the seat, nobody would see me ridiculously suffering.

***

Later in the afternoon, I went to see Lucy.

"Lucy?"

"Yes, Clara?"

"Could.... Could I sleep here tonight? With the pets."

"Sleep here? In the lounge?"

"Yes."

"Not really, no. I mean, you can sleep here, but I would prefer that you sleep upstairs in one of the capsules. The other day, I caught Asha, out of costume, sleeping with the pets in the lounge. She had sneaked in during the evening to be with them. I'm trying to teach them that it is not okay, so if I permit you to do what I don't want them to do, it would be counterproductive. Do you understand?"

"Oh, yes. The capsule is fine... but... Can I take a pet with me?"

"Absolutely. But only one this time. Because of all those recent changes, Trixie, breaking her arm, and Savannah, who just started with us, I want everybody to rest as much as possible."

Well, that turned out even better than I had expected. Not only would I be able to sleep with Oreo tonight, but on top of that, I would have a legitimate excuse for not inviting the other pets who would want to join us.

"Yes, that's fine. I'll not pick more than one."

"Oh, and since you'll be here tomorrow morning, could you take care of feeding the pets their breakfast? I have something else I need to do in the morning. I should be back around 10 am. Deal?"

It was a lot of unexpected work, but it was a small price to pay for being able to spend the night with the elusive Oreo. I would do anything.

"Deal."

"Good. Aaaah! More clients are coming. Why is this day so busy?"

Lucy turned heels and went back to the reception to welcome the new visitors. That was when I noticed Asha next to me with a paw up in the air.

"Asha?... Do you have a question?"

Asha rolled her head as if I had said something super stupid. She then motioned her paw in a way that made me understand what she wanted from me.

"Oooh. You want a high-five?"

Asha nodded, and I slapped my hand in hers. As usual, Asha took care of me and used her smart brain to find a solution to my problems and provide me with a comforting presence. All there was left to do now was to wait for the business day to pass and hope that Oreo would actually want to spend time with me tonight.

***

It was a long wait. All afternoon, the café was very busy. I had no more petgirls to play with and ended up helping Lucy quite a bit even though I wasn't officially working. But since I was ready to do anything to repay the favor she had granted me, I didn't mind putting in the extra effort. The downside was that Oreo would surely be exhausted tonight because her clients were really happy and active. I've never seen her getting this many hugs and cuddles in one day. This much affection would have certainly killed me, so I admired her endurance.

At the end of the business day, after the last client finally left, Lucy took a minute to sit with me for a coffee and to decompress a bit before going home.

"Feeew! What a day! Good job, Clara!"

"I didn't help... much."

"You are too modest. You are always helping so much. You have to start believing it. So, listen, I wanted to apologize for what I've said this morning..."

"..."

"You know... When I said that I didn't picture you as a finance person. I kind of regretted what I said and changed my mind. I think you would be great at it."

"... Really?"

"Yes. When you do something, you take your time and do it well. You are never in a rush and avoid mistakes because of it. I think if you pay the same attention to details when you manage people's money, you'll make them very happy."

"... yes?"

"Absolutely. And I'm good with finance too, so I'm going to enjoy teaching you what I know as well. That's going to make me feel useful."

"You are... always useful, Lucy."

"Haha. I have my moments. So, do you still want to sleep here tonight?"

"Yes. If that is still okay."

"Of course it is. Oh, and if you have some free time, your furniture in the basement, could you start making a list of what you will keep or not? It can't stay down there forever, you know. Is it still going well at the pethouse? Do you like it?"

"Yes... It's going very well. I will decide what I'm going to keep. It's all old things anyway."

"Good. Alright, I'm going now. You take good care of my café and my pets, and don't forget to lock the door behind me."

"Yes."

Lucy gulped down the rest of her coffee, stood up, and stretched for a long moment. After working this hard, she definitely deserved to go home and relax. And me, I would finally have time to spend with Oreo. It was a good day, after all.

As usual, Lucy said goodbye to her pets, hugging them all and moralizing them one last time, and then she headed toward the lounge door.

But something wasn't right...

... Why did she hold Oreo's wrist and led her toward the exit?

"Lu... Lucy?"

"Yes, Clara?"

"... O... Oreo? Is she... leaving?"

"Oh, yes. Didn't I tell you? She has an appointment with the dentist tomorrow. She hates it, so I promised I would go with her. She is sleeping at my place tonight. As I said, I'll be back around 10 am."

"..."

"Is there a problem?"

"... N... no... Have... a good night."

"Alright then... Come, small cat. Let's take off your costume and go. Oh, how about we watch your favorite movie tonight? Would you like that?"

Oreo nodded as she happily walked out of the lounge, not even looking back at me, more interested in this privileged time she would get to spend with Lucy.

When the door closed, I stood up, looked at the remaining pets. Asha was holding her head, knowing very well what had just happened and how devastating it had been for me.

Our master plan had turned to ashes.

I walked straight to the pillow pile in the corner of the room and let myself fall flat on my belly. A moment later, I felt a bunch of supportive cushy paws rubbing and patting me on the back.

Tonight, I would probably sleep with Asha... And probably just sleep... because of all that extra work I would have to do before Lucy came back tomorrow...

I should have stayed at the pethouse today... I knew it.