The Heiress CEO

Chapter Eight

“So, anyway, where to next?” Jude asked. After the dealership, they stopped in Soho to collect some of Caden’s belongings.

Since they maintained a home in the States, it had always been easier for Julius, Macey and the kids to keep clothes and essentials at the house. It allowed them to travel light and simplified packing when it was time to visit. Now, it would bolster Caden’s wardrobe while he waited for the rest of his things to arrive and largely made a trip to Reagan’s unnecessary, though they still went for some cousin-bonding time.

“Groceries, right?”

Caden glanced out at the passing storefronts, still deep in thought. Suddenly, he exclaimed, “Here. Pull over here.”

Jude jumped at Caden’s sudden outburst, but managed to pull over as instructed. As soon as the car came to a stop, Caden was out and headed down the block to his goal. Not sure what captured his cousin’s interest, Jude hurriedly followed, only to find Caden in front of a small storefront called Downtown Animal Rescue.

“Animal rescue?” Jude asked, even as Caden pulled open the door and stepped inside.

The front was designed like a small waiting room. Along one wall were small display enclosures with the dog or cat’s name posted on the front, though those were mostly puppies and kittens. Beyond the front counter was a wide window looking into another room filled with cat trees and a variety of toys. Several adult cats were lounging on various platforms or playing. As they stepped inside, a bell on the door announced the arrival of potential adopters.

“Hello,” a young woman emerged from the back. “Picking up or dropping off?”

“I’d like to adopt,” Caden said, instantly bringing a smile to her face as she relaxed. She hated dealing with drop-offs, as invariably the cat or dog howled and whined for its former owner for hours.

“Absolutely,” she said, reaching under the counter. “Here is our adoption paperwork. I’ll just have you fill this out.”

Caden nodded, reading over the simple contract. His father stressed never to sign any agreement without carefully reading over every word. Since there were no other visitors in the room, he remained at the counter as he filled out his name and contact information. The hundred dollar adoption fee didn’t bother him, but at the bottom where it asked if he was interested in a cat or dog, he paused.

Asking Jude to pull over had been a complete impulse and he really hadn’t thought much about his actions. There was no escaping the fact his new apartment lacked life and a pet was certainly more attractive than the idea of having a roommate underfoot.

Did he want a cat or a dog?

A dog would require walks and training. He wasn’t sure exactly how intensive his practices and performances with the Philharmonic would be, so he didn’t want to commit himself to a pet that required a lot of time. In which case, a cat had greater appeal. As long as it was fed and its litter box maintained, it would mostly mind itself.

That seemed more fitting, so Caden circled cat before handing the papers back to their host. She looked it over, nodding, and said, “All right, Caden. Are you interested in an adult cat or kitten?”

“Adult,” Caden said without hesitation. He certainly didn’t want to deal with a young animal given his lack of experience.

“Fabulous!” she smiled. “Come right this way into the Catarie. Are you here to adopt too?”

Jude blinked, realizing she was speaking to him, “No, I’m just here for moral support.”

“Oh, well, you can come too.” She was disappointed that there wouldn’t be two adoptions, but there was still time. He could change his mind, after all.

They followed her behind the counter to the room of cats. The felines had varying reactions to them. Some darted to a hidden corner while others simply stared. Still, others hurriedly climbed up the trees to higher platforms where they were largely out of reach.

“There are about ten in here today,” she said. “Oh, that calico is Cally. And the gray tiger next to her is BB.”

“BB?” Jude repeated.

“Brooklyn Bridge, that’s where he was found,” she explained. “The orange one is Ahab.”

They listened as she named off the cats while they cautiously approached, offering a hand for the felines to sniff before they petted them. Jude picked up a toy from the floor and jingled it for the felines’ entertainment.

Caden cautiously stood after petting a slate-blue colored cat. Suddenly, a paw batted at his head and he jerked back before looking to see a brown tabby lying on a platform at head height. It studied him with yellow-green eyes. They stared at each other for a long moment before Caden reached up and gently stroked the feline’s domed head.

The cat blinked sleepily. After a moment, it began purring in a rough, rumbling purr that almost sounded like a truck engine. Caden’s lips twitched with a smile.

“Oh, that’s…wow.”

Caden glanced at the woman assisting them. She stood as if frozen with a look of surprise on her face. After a moment, he asked, “Something wrong?”

“No,” she shook her head. “That’s Beethoven. He’s usually quite standoffish with people he doesn’t know.”

“Beethoven?” Caden repeated, considering the cat again. It leaned into his hand, purring loudly. Caden stepped closer and picked the cat off the platform and held it as he continued to scratch its cheek and chin.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him allow anyone to hold him before,” she said as the cat practically fell asleep in Caden’s arms.

“Really?” Jude asked.

“He’s not a people cat,” she explained. “He’s very independent and likes to lounge around. When he wants attention he’ll approach you, but usually a pat or two is enough to satisfy him.”

“Interesting,” Jude smirked. “Looks like you’re a cat whisperer, Caden.”

Caden gave his cousin a questioning look. He wasn’t so sure about that, but he definitely liked this one. Looking at the woman, he said, “Can I take this one?”

“Yes, of course. We have to wait for your background check to clear and then you’re good.”

“Let’s start the paperwork,” Caden said, carefully placing Beethoven back on the platform. The feline looked disgruntled, but still leaned into his hand as he gave it a couple more scratches before following the rescue employee out.

“So, have you ever owned a cat before?” she asked.

“No. I know the basics, but that’s it.”

“All right, well, you should definitely get the supplies beforehand: litter box, food and water dishes. You don’t want dishes that are too deep or narrow. Some cats are sensitive with their whiskers. When it comes to litter, you should stay away from anything that’s scented. Cats don’t like it and some are actually allergic to it.”

Caden nodded, taking notes on his phone while he listened to her advice. Eventually, they returned to the car. Jude chuckled, watching Caden review his notes.

“Well, that was interesting. What now, cuz?”

“Pet store, then groceries,” Caden said.

“Pet store?”

“Yeah, I need cat supplies.”

Jude let out a laugh. It seemed Cade was serious about his new roommate.

* * *

Hours later, they returned to Caden’s apartment loaded with groceries and cat supplies. It took several trips to bring everything up. The doorman alerted them that several crates had also arrived for him while he was out, so his concern about clothes was pointless after all.

Putting the groceries away first, Jude and Caden returned to the first floor to retrieve the crates. The attendant allowed them to use a wheeled cart to haul them up in one trip as well as a hammer to pry off the lids. His clothes they piled in his room along with the things he retrieved from Soho. Books, sheet music and artwork they sorted in the living room.

Jude arranged books by author’s last name, while Caden set out the framed pictures of his parents, siblings, extended family members and friends taken through the years. His sheet music was stored in canvas boxes in the cubby compartments of the bottom of the bookshelves. One particularly large crate contained a massive canvas nearly as tall as themselves and twice as long. It took up a whole wall once they managed to hang it thanks to the doorman allowing them to use the maintenance tools. The canvas was off-white with black lines and colorful splotches across it.

Jude studied it for a long time before asking, “So where’d you get this? It doesn’t seem like something you’d be interested in.”

“Lyra painted it,” Caden said as they took a moment to relax.

“Lyra? Really?” Jude asked. He knew Lyra had followed in their mother’s footsteps, delving into the art world.

Caden nodded. He was happy and proud to display his little sister’s artwork alongside their mother’s photographs and grandfather’s paintings. One day, he knew she would be just as highly praised as their mother.

After helping haul the crates down to the dumpster, Jude bid farewell. Caden spent the next several hours putting away his clothes and assembling the various cat trees and feline-friendly furniture, arranging them around the apartment to give Beethoven options for where he wanted to sleep like the rescue worker suggested. The food bowls were set on the floor at the end of the island counter and the food stored in a convenient cupboard. The litter box was regulated to the laundry room.

Four days later, Beethoven came home.

Three days after that, his car was ready.

Two days after that, Caden made his societal debut.