He stared at the words. It felt right - a proper apology, a chance to spend time with them without worrying about anyone getting attacked. He could buy them drinks, explain that Basil really was normally a sweet cat, and maybe figure out why these three impossibly attractive men kept showing up with so many gifts.
Sam’s thumb moved toward send.
Basil’s head snapped up. The cat stared at the darkened window, ears flat against his skull. A low growl started in his chest.
“What now?” Sam followed the cat’s gaze but saw nothing except his own reflection in the glass.
Basil jumped onto the windowsill, tail lashing. The growl grew louder.
Sam stood and walked over to peer outside. The street looked empty. No movement in the shadows, no strange cars parked along the curb. Just the quiet residential road he’d lived on his entire life.
“There’s nothing there,” Sam said, but Basil didn’t relax.
The cat’s pupils had gone wide, swallowing the green of his eyes. Every hair on his body stood on end, making him look twice his normal size. He pressed against the glass, claws scraping on the windowsill.
Sam felt something cold slide down his spine. Basil wasn’t normally a dramatic cat. He didn’t react toshadows or strange noises. He’d slept through thunderstorms and ignored the neighbor’s yappy terrier...mostly ignored.
But for the past week, he’d been on edge, and that’s without the attacks on all three men.
Sam looked down at his phone, at the unsent message about meeting up at Pat’s Pub.
Basil hissed at the window.
Sam deleted the message.
“Maybe you’re right,” he murmured to the cat. “Maybe I should be more careful.”
But even as he said it, he couldn’t quite believe it. Rux, Mabon, and Urien had been nothing but kind. Awkward, yes. Overly generous, definitely. But they weren’t dangerous.
Unfortunately, Basil clearly disagreed.
/~/~/~/~/
“Your cat is possessed.”
Sam looked up from the espresso machine to find Maya leaning against the counter, arms crossed, bright purple hair pulled into a messy bun.
“Good morning to you, too.”
“I’m serious.” She grabbed a cloth and started wiping down the steam wand. “Three hot guys are all interested in you, Sam. All of them. And your cat hates them because cats are territorial jerks who don’t want you to be happy.”
“They’re not interested in me that way.” Sam measured out coffee grounds, keeping his focus on the portafilter. “They’re just being friendly. I told you, they’re likely new to town, and trying to make connections.”
Maya laughed. “Right. That’s why the tall one brought you flowers from his garden. Because friendship.”
“People give friends flowers.”
“Not men. Not unless they’re interested.” She moved to stand directly in his line of sight. “And the redhead? The one who drank sixcoffees and then ran away after giving you his number?”
“Rux was nervous about meeting new people.”
“Sam.”
“What?”
She gave him a look - the same one she’d given him when he’d insisted the elderly woman who came in every Thursday wasn’t flirting with him, right before the woman had slipped her phone number into his apron pocket.
“You’re an idiot,” Maya said, without heat.
