MEOW: Magical Emporium of Wares - A Cozy Slice-of-Life Fantasy - Chapter Two

“Tell me about the benefits,” I asked. I had to ask something. Otherwise, this might seem weird to him, especially depending on how many people they must have interviewed already. I tasted my vanilla latte and wished I could crawl inside it and take a bath. This was a dream come true. That I’d have lattes on tap for the next year was unbelievable. This whole thing was a little unbelievable. But at some point you just had to win the lottery, right? Right?

“We listed the compensation in the ad. I’m not in charge of that. I can forward any of those questions to the owner. Just send them to me tonight.”

Hold up. “Wait, I thought you were the owner?” I asked. I assumed he owned the place and was retiring to a warmer location.

He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m just the shopkeeper, though I’m retiring. My contract is up and I’m excited to step away from the place. I don’t own the store but I get to pick the replacement.” The cat hissed. I jumped, glancing around for the little guy but he wasn’t in my sight. “And the cat. He gets a majority vote if I’m being honest here.”

That cat must be someone special.

“Good to know. The compensation is fine, I was just wondering about things like health insurance. I know the student loan stuff was mentioned.”

The cat appeared at the top of the stairs and padded toward us. He rubbed against my ankle and health insurance be damned. The cat was worth it. He was so fluffy. I bent down to scratch him on the head, careful to not spill my drink. Not to mention I didn’t want to share it with him.

“The compensation is higher than normal since it is a 24-hour job because of looking after the cat. The work schedule is 6 days a week, and the store is open 8 to 10 hours a day. You are the only one on staff. We are only closed one day, and it’s your only day off.” That was true. I hadn’t ever lived on the property for a job before. He continued, “And the cat can be a tough master.”

I reached down and scratched his head. “Awww, can this awesome little bud be a tough one?” I didn’t resist keeping the cuteness out of my voice. Picturing the cat getting into trouble was hard. Maybe he drank out of any cup left down. He had gone after that foam like no tomorrow. Or he might knock over glasses like you saw on the internet.

“If I’m the only one working, what happens if I get sick?” I asked. It had slipped my mind that I would be the only one in the shop and not have any backup.

He frowned. “Well, if you get sick, you can close the shop early. Your health is a priority here.”

“So if I have to close the shop for a week because of the flu, the owner doesn’t get upset?” Most jobs freaked out if someone had to miss a shift. Here being the only one on staff had some downfalls.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“If needed, the shop can be closed, or the owner will find someone to help temporarily. That’s not your responsibility.”

Alright, I didn’t need to find a temp employee if I was down with the flu, that was a good thing. I did not want to upset the owner or risk my job because of illness. Not that I got sick all that often, but while in college, I had gotten a few different bugs from being on campus. Having so many people in one area, it was easy to catch a cold. I had nothing else to ask, and I dug deep to keep the conversation going.

“So, are you happy to be retiring? This position seems like you would keep doing it for a long while.”

He shrugged. “I have done this job long enough. I’m ready to not have to deal with customers any more and while I like cats…” His voice trailed off, but he didn’t continue. The cat was glaring at him. He might be sick of the cat as well. I understood getting sick of customers. Customers could make or break a job and after a certain point, you were just done with them.

“Are you interested in the position?” asked the shopkeeper.

“I am.” Yep, I was in with both feet. “I think I would be a great fit and can handle everything we have gone over.” Or at least I would fake it until I learned everything.

“Great. I will get the contract for you to sign and go over.” The guy headed down the stairs whistling a merry tune. The cat was staring at her from the top of the stairs.

“Sounds like we are going to get to know one another,” I said to the black, whiskered face.

I leaned down and scratched behind his ears. He purred, and I melted. This cat was so adorable and fluffy. The realization that I got the job, and this was going to be my life over the next year was shocking.

“Are you coming?” echoed up from below. The cat darted down the stairs before I had time to respond.

“Be right there.” I glanced once more over the railing at the sun-filled room below. The bookshelves gleamed in the light and I saw little bits of cat hair floating in the air. I would need to put a cleaning schedule in place to deal with the cat hair, but it was still so worth it.

I was going to get to work here, every day, and run this little bookshop. This would be my home. The paperwork was just a couple of pages that I barely glanced over. It was a yearlong contract to stay on the property, run the shop, and take care of the cat. The details were light, and I didn’t have questions. It caught my eye that I was required to find a replacement before leaving the position. It made sense. The owner probably didn’t want to leave the shop closed.

By the time I finished my latte, I had signed and dated the last page. The shopkeeper flashed me a bright white smile and his shoulders relaxed.

“So, what time do you want me here tomorrow morning?” I asked.

“Around eight a.m. would be perfect. It will give you time to settle in upstairs. I don’t think we will be open tomorrow to give you time to unpack and get some training in. I will have a copy of this for you tomorrow once the owner signs it.”

He held out his hand, and I shook it. “Sounds good. I will see you tomorrow.” The cat wound around my ankle one last time before I headed out the door. It was time to pack! I couldn’t wait. The bell rang behind me as I headed out the door and into the sunlight, grinning from ear to ear.