Feliformia Ch. 14

"Okay, the café is open now, and the clients will show up soon. I think it's going to be a busy day, so get ready to work hard."

The pets nodded.

"So, just a few tips and rules. See the room in the corner over there. If you have any problem whatsoever with a client or anything else and I'm not around, you go in there, and you press the big red button with your paw. I'll come to rescue you right away. If you need water or food, just let me know, but your lunch is at noon, so you'll get fed. You just have to be patient because I can only feed one of you at a time. Clara is not here to help me today."

The pets nodded again.

"So, now, your job is just to take good care of the clients. I don't mind them touching you here and there as long as it's nothing sexual. It's up to you to tell them what is good or too much. But crotch rubbing is a big no, and if it happens, you tell me immediately. And that is valid for you as well. No touching the clients in inappropriate places, that's not what the café is about."

Savannah nodded, but Kitty was a bit disappointed. Wearing latex without getting fucked hard was a relatively distressing prospect.

"You have a problem with that, Apricot?"

Apricot shook her head, no. She would have to focus if she wanted to do better than her competition.

"Good, we are all set then. Take great care of the clients, make them stay and buy more cakes, and if you do well, perhaps you'll be able to do it again in the future."

The pets nodded.

As soon as Lucy left her seat, Kitty stared at Stella through her black eyes. It was not evident to know what she was thinking, but she was pretty sure the rivalry was on. This girl wouldn't sell more cakes than her. She would not allow it.

But there was one problem. Even though Kitty had been a valuable asset at keeping the clients entertained at the Cats of the Caribbean, her most efficient skill, her voice spitting insanities like an eternal river, would be unusable. How would she manage to entertain the guests if she couldn't make them believe that they had a shot at fucking her? It was a bit problematic.

She got off her seat and went straight to Meeka, who offered some reassuring cuddles.

It only took about 10 minutes before Lucy let the first clients into the lounge; a young couple, a male a female. Not wanting to lose her chance to experience this, Apricot rushed to them and literally tackled them as if to say, "mine!"

"Oof! Doggy! Yes, yes. You are very cute. A bit intense, though."

Meeka grabbed her doggy friends by the waist and pulled her away from them. The clients then turned to another pet they were familiar with.

"Viiiix! Yay! You are working today. Come. We have so much to tell you."

Vix trotted to them and pushed her back against the woman's chest, wanting to be hugged. Those seemed to be regulars, and Vix was their favorite pet ever.

As the little group walked to the nearest table, Meeka signaled Apricot to calm down a bit. There was no reason to rush this. Chances were high that soon enough, a dog lover client would show up and select her. It wasn't something she could force upon people. To Kitty, this felt a bit unfair, she thought, because a lot more clients would lean toward the cheetah rather than the dog. Cats were the best, after all.

Shortly after, a few more clients showed up. This time, Apricot kept her distance, letting them choose whatever pets they wanted to spend time with. To her greatest despair, Savannah was the second one to go... then Asha... then Oreo... then Meeka... That couldn't be good. She lowered her head and went to the pillow pile in the corner and belly-flopped on it. Being a pet without being petted was not that fun, and now that she was alone in her corner, it was even worse on her morale.

For many long minutes, she relaxed, eyes closed behind her mask, and let her mind wander around. It could only remind her of home when Mark and Erika were at work, and Syr isolated herself in her workshop. At first, it wasn't a problem. She liked staying inside her crate, waiting patiently for someone to come get her. But since she moved into Erika's home with Mark, she got used to being surrounded by the people she loved.

Mark always took good care of Kitty, Erika was so into her for sex and other twisted games, and Syr always addressed her other non-kinky needs, like talking and eating. But everybody got busy with work recently, and waiting was not as fun. She was even a bit lonely at times.

The animal café had changed something, though. After having spent a few hours playing with Meeka and the other pets a couple of days ago, she got a sense that, maybe, it would be a good idea to make more friends. Not necessarily to do perverted activities, but just to expose herself to something different... something that was more... like her.

There was no question about it; she was still madly in love with Mark. Erika was a lot of fun too, and there was no one else like Syr, particularly when she wore her bikini. However, they all lived under the same roof, had the same routine, and didn't do much outside trying not to go insane because of their jobs. Now that Kitty had a steady life and felt safe around those people, perhaps it was time to look into doing something new with her life. Would getting a job the answer to this growing sense of emptiness?

"Apricot? APRICOT! What are you doing? Are you asleep?"

Apricot turned to her back and looked at the person who had startled her, Lucy. And she didn't look too too happy.

"What are you doing, lazy butt? There are two new clients over there. They wanted to spend time with you, but they weren't sure if they could because you looked dead on those pillows. Come on! I gave you a great opportunity here, at least try to do your job."

That couldn't be good. She had not noticed these new clients getting in the lounge, and now Lucy caught her napping in the corner instead of taking care of them. Very bad timing.

"Don't look at me with those puppy eyes. Go say hi to them! They almost left. Don't forget that people come here mainly to spend time with the pets. If they can't do that, they might not stick around."

Apricot got up on her feet and rushed to the other end of the lounge, trying to find the clients, but Lucy recalled her and rolled her eyes.

"Nooo! Silly dog. They are here. Come on, Apricot. Use your eyes!"

She trotted back toward the booth that Lucy was pointing at. Because of the tall backrest, she couldn't see who they were right away, which was kind of exciting. Who would be her first clients? Two girls? Two guys? A male and a female? Young? Old? Cute? Ugly? Fat? Skinny? Black? White? Brown? Nice? Angry? Nerdy? Boring? Fun? The possibilities were endless.

Back to her previous thought, could this be a job she liked? Could it be what she needed for a change of pace? A place to express herself that wasn't home? Clearly, she loved people, and she loved latex, and she loved animals, and her new friend Meeka was incredible. If she stopped angering Lucy for a minute, perhaps she could get a job here.

"Alright. Apricot was asleep, so that's why she is a bit lost. She joined the café a couple of years ago, so I'm sure she will take good care of you two."

Apricot looked at Lucy in shock. That was such a lie... or was it? The Apricot costume was not new. Earlier today, she had heard Meeka talking about how she had missed that costume. Perhaps another girl wore this character in the past and had moved on.

Lucy rubbed her head and walked away.

"Do a good job, Apricot. I'm counting on you."

Apricot nodded before making the last few steps separating her from the clients and discovering them for the first time.

When her eyes landed on them, she stopped breathing.

"AAAWWW! Mark! Look! She is soooo cuuuute!"

"Deja vu..."

"Ah! Come on! That's not the same as what you are used to. If you don't cheer up a little, I'll gut you like a fish!"

"Fiiine, Erika. But let's not stay here all day, okay."

"Awww... Don't listen to the mean man over there. Come sit next to me, doggy!"

Apricot looked left and right but couldn't believe what she was seeing. Mark and Erika, her romantic partners, were here at the café for no apparent reason. Syr must have told them about this place... but at the same time, Syr had no idea that Kitty would be here today. All Syr knew was that she was going to spend time with Meeka. There were no talks about going to the café again. So... HOW!? WHY!?

Not having any answers to those questions, Apricot thought it would be better just to play the game and gather more information. She didn't even know if they knew if she was a pet or which one. Walking away from them wasn't an option since Lucy would undoubtedly kick her out, so she climbed on the seat and sat next to Erika. Being very close to the girl she savagely fucked every night was definitely not a challenging experience.

"Haha! Look at her, Mark! So cute. Well, if the dog has been around for a couple of years, we can scratch her off our list. It's hard to tell which one Kitty could be. They are all small and adorable."

"Syr didn't say Kitty was working here. She just said that it was the place they visited the other day."

"I know, but... I could totally see her working here. It would be perfect for her."

"Well, why don't you ask your new dog then. Maybe she knows something we don't."

"Good point... Apricot, is it? Do you know a girl named Kitty? Or Theresa?"

Apricot shook her head, no. Lying was absolutely appropriate.

"Do you know a woman named Syr? Or Elizabeth? She is the one who crafted your costume."

Apricot faked thinking about it for a moment but then offered a generic lie. She shook her head, no. This was super fun.

"What? You don't know who made your costume?"

Same hypocritical answer.

"So, you've never met a small Asian lady who always talks about sex?"

"ERIKA! Don't get us kicked out, at least. This is a café, not a nightclub. The owner was pretty clear about that."

Trying to defuse the situation and stop the ongoing interview, Apricot stood on the bench and, with the cushy paw, dragged the plastified food menu toward Erika. Not only she had to sell cakes if she wanted to be hired, but it would have the benefit of shutting Erika up. It would have been easier if it had been a whiskey lounge, though.

"Aaah! You want me to try a cake?"

Apricot nodded.

"You've been here for a long time. So, which one should I get?"

Apricot had never seen that menu before, so she had no idea about what she was doing. For the sake of trying to be entertaining, she comfortably sat between Erika's legs and looked at the menu through her smoked lenses while her red-haired companion held her by the waist.

Having an ace up her sleeve, basically knowing Erika like the back of her hand, she spotted the Triple chocolate cake and tried to isolate it on the menu with her big paws.

"Oh... Nice. You are well trained, doggy. I love chocolate. It looks delicious."

Apricot then pointed at Mark and selected the most sugary-looking cake from the menu, knowing very well that he wasn't a fan of sugar at all. That would teach him to invade her privacy like this without warning.

"Haha... Alright. He can try that one."

"Can't I choose my own cake?"

"No, our café dog is a superior species. She gets to decide in your stead."

"Very funny. At least let me choose my drink."

Erika was unsurprisingly not shy to pet her new rubber companion. Apricot returned the affection but giggled internally because her girlfriend had no clue who she was. Lucy's lie had thrown her off track big time, to the point where both Mark and Erika were now scrutinizing the other pets from afar to determine if Kitty could be one of them.

"She can't be the fox. Kitty doesn't move like that at all."

"I agree... And the raccoon... It's hard to tell. But I don't think that's her either."

"Yeah, no. Kitty would never wear anything else than a cat costume. She would make a fuss about it until she gets what she wants."

"Yes. She would be like, I must wear the cat costume! I must!"

"Haha. So true."

That last snippet of discussion was almost offensive to Apricot. She was nothing like that... Well, maybe a little. But they made it sound way worse than the reality, in her opinion.

"So, I think she might be the black and white cat."

"I don't know, Mark. I think the cheetah is more her body shape."

"No, definitely not. Kitty got fat recently because of all those brie and fig jam grilled cheese she eats."

That time, Apricot sank in her seat, crossing her arms. She wasn't fat... she was just a bit healthier... And Mark would totally pay for that comment later. She would bite his dick off. But now wasn't the right time to act on this as she would get discovered.

"How are we going to find out? I'm pretty sure the owner lady won't tell us. And Kitty won't tell us either. She probably saw us walking in already anyway and just ignored us. She might be mad because we came to her café without her permission."

"Erika, we don't need permission to come here. Anyway, we wouldn't have found out about that place if you had not exchanged the information for a new light novel. You knew Syr wouldn't say no to that."

"Whatever! I just wanted to see why Kitty wanted to come here so badly. Now, I know."

It was not easy for Apricot to keep a straight face even with a mask on. Now she would have to take revenge on Mark, Erika, but also Syr, who had spilled the beans just to get a new nerdy book. That said, learning the truth from unsuspecting people was also amusing. That was one more thing to love about being a pet at the animal café.

For the next little while, Apricot innocently listened to the conversation. It was no longer enjoyable because they talked about work and other boring things, but at least she got to cuddle with Erika during all that time. Lucy had dropped by to take their order and, a few minutes later, bring the cakes to the table. Erika loved hers, but Mark thought his was too sweet, which was well-deserved.

Mark and Erika agreed that Oreo, the black and white cat, was the most probable candidate to be Kitty, but they had no way to confirm it. Only a bit later, when Oreo's clients left, the small black and white cat, exhausted, dragged her feet toward the pillow pile for a short nap before lunch.

"Oh, Erika. Look... The cat is coming."

"She won't tell you, Mark. It's pointless. They can't even talk."

"I know... But I have an idea. Just watch... Hey! KITTY!"

Oreo stopped in her tracks and turned to Mark, who was seemingly talking to her. The small cat pointed at herself, wanting to confirm she was his target.

"AH! I knew it! She IS Kitty!"

"..."

"Come here, Kitty. We suspected it was you."

Oreo scratched her head, having no idea what this guy was talking about. Nonetheless, it was her job to entertain the guests, so she walked to the table and sat next to him. That done, Erika had an urge to make him understand how dumb his strategy had been.

"Mark... If you call a cat "Kitty," how is she supposed to react?"

"... Hmm... I didn't think about that..."

"Hey, small cat, are you OUR kitty?"

Oreo scratched her head some more. Did they mean Kitty, as in her being a cat, or as in the girl who had visited a couple of days ago? How was she supposed to know who they were talking about? She shook her head and laid down on Mark for her nap. Trying to understand those strange people was irrelevant.

"Yeah, I don't think that's her, Mark, but she likes you."

"Urgh... I have enough latex catgirls at home. I don't need another one snoozing on my lap."

"Hey, be nice. That cat did nothing to you. Alright. Finish your cake so we can go to the giant liquor store. That's why we came downtown in the first place. There are a few bottles of whiskey I wanted to add to my collection."

"You spend way too much on those."

"To each his own. I play with my whiskey, and you play with your nerdy maid."

***

The day went by, and Apricot got to experience many fun things at the café. First, obviously, was that her real-life partners, Mark and Erika, had come and gone, not suspecting for one second that she was wearing the cute dog costume. Then, at lunchtime, Lucy showed her softer side when teaching her how to eat and drink while in costume. She thought it was kind of hot, but Stella, wearing Savannah, didn't appreciate the experience nearly as much, which was satisfying to watch. And from the afternoon to the evening, Apricot got to spend a lot of time with many different clients. Lucy had asked her if she wanted a break, but she was not remotely finding this job difficult to do, so she declined.

She also got to spend time with all the other pets, who, outside Meeka, had no clue that she was the same girl who had visited with Syr two days ago. They were still as friendly but would certainly make a funny face when Meeka would tell them later about who wore the dog costume.

It was only fun and entertainment until the sun had completely disappeared behind the city buildings. Lucy was closing the café, but before she could leave, she had something else to take care of. As usual, the lounge was tranquil after a busy day. The pets rested here and there on the comfy sofas or pillow pile and even on top of a table, Asha's favorite spot to chill.

"Savannah, Apricot! Come here, please."

The two small pets extracted themselves from their comfy position, Savannah from the pillow pile and Kitty from Meeka's arms, and they walked up to Lucy.

"Good job, you two. Not bad for your first day. Did you like it?"

Apricot nodded energetically and even bounced a little, but Savannah's reaction was much timider. She did what she was asked to do and did it well, but did she enjoy it? That was hard to tell.

"Okay, let's take you out of your costume now, so you can go home."

Savannah went straight to the lounge's door as if she couldn't wait to get out of here, but Apricot froze in place. That wasn't the deal. Meeka had told her she could sleep at the café tonight, whatever that meant.

"What's wrong, Apricot? Come on. I know you liked it, but that's it. The café is closed."

From the back of the lounge, Meeka rushed to Lucy and began flapping her arms, trying to tell her something. She pointed at Apricot and herself and pointed at the ceiling.

"Oooh! That's right. I almost forgot. You asked me if Kitty could sleep here tonight. Hum... Let's see... I'm not comfortable letting a newbie I don't know sleep here with you guys. But if you both take your costume off, then that would be fine, I suppose. You can play with the pets and sleep upstairs. I trust you, Meeka."

That sounded like an amazing deal to Apricot, or at least it was better than being evicted from the café late at night. But it didn't seem to be what Meeka wanted. So she gesticulated something incomprehensible that only Lucy appeared to have the skills to understand.

"Alright... That would work too. But I'm warning you, if she damages her costume in any way, shape, or form, it's not going to go well for you tomorrow morning. You are responsible, Meeka. Are you okay with that, Kitty?"

Apricot didn't follow the conversation at all and scratched the back of her head.

"Ah, you didn't understand. Meeka said that she would take her costume off, but you'll stay in yours overnight. That way, if you want out, she can help you. Are you fine with wearing your costume overnight?"

Once more, Apricot bounced in place and clapped her hand before throwing her arms around the raccoon girl.

"Good to see you are a happy pet. Alright, Meeka, Savannah, let's go. I'm tired. I just want to go home and take a hot bath.

***

After Stella and Lucy left, Meeka returned to the lounge as a human. She would be in charge of the pets for the night.