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In a word, she was gorgeous.

Beautiful.

Attractive.

That was more than one word.

“Is that cat food?” Her voice, rife with accusation, broke into my thoughts.

I clenched my teeth and squeezed the tiny tin more tightly.

“Are you feeding the cat?”

The cat in question leaped onto a shelf and bumped her head against my arm, clearly wishing for me to continue what I was doing.

“Yes?” Why I phrased it as a question, I couldn’t say.

“I really don’t want to like you.”

I burst out laughing. I could totally relate.

Cassandra waved at the cat. “You’d better get that can open before she starts climbing you.”

“Right. Ah…” I lifted a finger in the classic wait motion. After I gave Patches her dinner, I slowly straightened again, savoring the moment as I soaked in every aspect of Cassandra before blurting, “Your hair.”

She patted the coifed strands while biting her lip. It shouldn’t be hot.

It was totally hot.

“Oh, no,” she lamented, “did the updo fall? Daruka was so thrilled with how it turned out, and now I’ve ruined it.”

I shook my head vehemently while swallowing several times. “N-no, it didn’t fall. It—it’s breathtaking.”

Her hand froze in the process of another pat. “Oh.” She slowly lowered it to her side. “Thank you.”

Well, this was awkward. First, she’d caught me being altruistic. Now I’d just complimented her. Not just a simple “you look nice.”

I used the word breathtaking.

I might as well ask her out on a date at this point.

Not happening. Dating led to potentially catching feelings, and feeling feelings over someone—for me, anyway—meant they would be in danger.

Grave danger.

“I, ah⁠—”

“Why are you feeding the cat?” she asked. “I mean, the why is obvious if you are a humane person, which, clearly you are. What I’m trying to ask, I guess, is why don’t you just adopt it? Or can you not have pets?”

“I own the building I live in, so I could probably negotiate with myself if I really wanted to adopt a cat.”

She blinked.

“That came out sounding pretty weird, didn’t it?”

“Not really, although you didn’t answer my question.”

“Oh, right. Well, the truth is, I tried.” I flapped my hand at the cat, who had finished eating and was now grooming herself. “I’ve taken her to my apartment three different times. And each time, she escapes and comes back here.” I glanced around at the old dust-filled storeroom.