1.
The fact that my boss, Lucas Carter, and I ended up living together was a complete accident.
I was only a junior assistant who’d just been officially assigned to a project. I wasn’t even important enough for him to remember my name.
But I did have a side gig.
I went to people’s homes to feed their cats—or, to put it more professionally, I was a pet sitter.
It was an ordinary weekend.
I’d accepted a job online and brought my supplies to the client’s house. I’d just finished bathing the cat when I heard the door open behind me.
I turned around and came face-to-face with Lucas Carter, fresh back from a business trip.
In that moment, saying I’d turned to stone didn’t even begin to describe it.
I never imagined I’d end up taking care of my boss’s cat in his own home!
I tried to act calm, silently telling myself he wouldn’t recognize me, let alone remember who I was. I lowered my head and pretended to be busy blow-drying the cat’s fur.
By the time I turned off the dryer, Lucas Carter had come over to stand beside me.
He’d changed into comfortable clothes for lounging around the house. From where I stood, even just his backlit silhouette was so handsome it made my heart race.
But this was no time to get distracted by his looks!
I quickly turned my head and let my hair fall over my face so he couldn’t get a good look at me.
He only asked, “Were you the one who came the last few times, too?”
I nodded silently.
Then I silently cursed myself. I’d been here so many times, and I still hadn’t realized this was my boss’s house!
“You do a good job,” he said simply, then offered, “Would you be interested in working with me long-term?”
“Huh?”
“This cat’s a little difficult to care for. Otherwise…”
He paused, then said, “All right. To put it simply, I need someone to look after the cat regularly, preferably someone who can stay at my place. We can negotiate the pay. Would you be interested?”
I panicked. “...Stay here as a live-in nanny?”
For some reason, he let out a soft laugh. “You could put it that way.”
I hesitated again, speaking softly. “But I have a job of my own.”
“I know you have a job.” He replied calmly, “Aren’t you an assistant on Morgan Anderson’s project?”
“I remember you, Casey Brooks.”
!
I was completely taken aback.
Hearing him say my name hit harder than Mars crashing into Earth. I just stood there, stunned.
He continued, “You can work at the office during the day and take care of the cat here at night. It won’t disrupt your life.”
“But, but...” I kept making excuses.
Lucas Carter suddenly said in an oddly pointed tone, “I seem to remember the company has a rule against employees taking outside jobs.”
!
I came to my senses again.
Getting caught working a side job by my boss would also mean losing the precious job I’d only just been promoted into as a full-time employee.
His words were part threat, part coaxing. “Stay and take care of the cat, and I’ll let it slide.”
…
With no other choice, I nodded.
And that was how Lucas Carter and I began living together.
Or, more accurately, I moved in with his cat.
2.
His little cat was named Hạt Dẻ.
According to Lucas Carter, Hạt Dẻ had a very haughty personality, didn’t like responding to anyone, yowled at night, and was always scratching people.
He placed particular emphasis on that last part.
It seemed they had quite a history.
For some reason, I found it funny.
It reminded me of an amusing rumor from my internship.
For a while, faint scratch marks kept appearing on Lucas Carter’s neck and hands.
Given his status, and the perpetually stern, chaste expression he wore, even the tiniest hint of romance was enough to send everyone into a frenzy of hushed speculation.
Some people claimed Lucas Carter’s girlfriend was marking her territory in public, making sure all the women at the company kept their distance. Others marveled at Lucas Carter’s seemingly boundless energy: partying every night, yet still working overtime until midnight…
Rumors flew all over the company. There was no end to them.
Who would’ve guessed they were cat scratches?
I was still trying not to laugh when Lucas Carter continued, “I have an online meeting tonight. You’re in charge of taking care of her.”
I silently nodded, accepting this glorious mission.
I’d thought there was no way anything could go wrong.
But just before the meeting was due to start, my teacher, Morgan Anderson, suddenly sent me a message.
[Eight o’clock. Join this meeting. It took a lot of effort to get you a spot as an observer, so make the most of it and study hard.]
I looked at the meeting title, then at my boss’s cat sleeping soundly beside me, and felt like crying.
I never thought my two jobs would collide like this.
Sure enough, if you walk by the river long enough, you’ll get your shoes wet.
I quietly replied, “Yes,” quietly adjusted the camera, moved to the spot farthest from Hạt Dẻ, and turned on the meeting video.
When the time came, the host announced that the meeting was starting…
A second later, the still-sleepy cat suddenly strutted into view, taking over my camera frame.
The host said nothing. Several bigwigs looked up from their screens.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the cat.
Hạt Dẻ stopped in the most conspicuous spot in the frame, paid no attention to everyone staring, flopped down, and went right back to sleep.
I was completely mortified and kept saying, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. I’ll move her right away.”
Before I could even get up, Lucas Carter’s voice rang out. “It’s fine. Let her sleep.”
…
The CEO had spoken, so naturally everyone chimed in with a casual “Adorable.” And with that, the awkward opening passed in silence.
For the first ten-odd minutes of the meeting, more than half my attention was focused on the cat.
Luckily, aside from sleeping, Hạt Dẻ didn’t do anything else.
I gradually calmed down, and my attention and energy shifted back to the meeting.
Just then, it was my teacher, Morgan Morgan’s, turn to speak.
I was afraid he’d quiz me tomorrow, so I focused on writing down the key points without even looking up.
Suddenly, he stopped mid-sentence.
I looked up in surprise.
At some point, a cat had appeared on CEO Lucas Carter’s screen, too.
What’s more, it was curled up in his lap.
Everyone fell silent.
A second later, they all turned to look at my camera.
I couldn’t help feeling flustered.
Then I mustered my courage and turned around, only to find that the cat, which had been sleeping in plain sight, had disappeared.
The cat had run off.
And run straight to Lucas Carter’s screen.
My mind raced. I was about to explain that this was all a misunderstanding…
The cat in Lucas Carter’s arms suddenly wouldn’t sit still. It wiggled its rump and meowed twice.
My heart leaped into my throat.
I saw Lucas Carter pat its rear soothingly, just as he always did, and say, “Be good. Go find your mom.”
…I’m getting promoted.
3.
Everyone was silent.
No one said a word, but everyone had clearly misunderstood.
Two managers who’d given me a hard time at work looked at me guiltily and mouthed an apology.
I silently lowered my head. I couldn’t even imagine how this could possibly end.
There was simply no way to salvage this.
Those knowing looks plainly spelled it out: So she was Lucas Carter’s cat’s mom!
I let out a long sigh.
Apparently, even this still wasn’t enough to make my jaw drop.
Because Hạt Dẻ actually listened to Lucas Carter and happily trotted from his study to my room.
The British Shorthair was leaning against my leg, staring up at me with wide, round eyes and a vacant look.
My mind went blank.
After a second of blankness, one thought came into even sharper focus.
And that was…
I absolutely could not let it show up on my screen again!
Otherwise, there’d be no way to clear my name.
I was trying to figure out how to talk it into staying put when Lucas Carter asked calmly, “…Why did your cat disappear again?”
?
I froze, then gave the camera an awkward smile. “It found somewhere else to sleep.”
“Mm.” He gave a brief acknowledgment, then casually added, “It’s a lot like my cat.”
That one sentence lifted the gloom from the conference room.
Morgan Anderson was the first to recover. He cleared his throat and asked, “So, Lucas Carter, shall I continue…?”
Lucas Carter leaned back in his chair, just as composed as ever, and said, “Go ahead.”
Hạt Dẻ didn’t appear on my screen again until the meeting was over.
It sat by my feet, playing and dozing by turns.
I spent the rest of the meeting with my heart in my throat.
After I turned off my camera, I let out a sigh of relief.
My shirt was soaked through with sweat.
I watched Hạt Dẻ happily play nearby and couldn’t resist giving it a light tap on the forehead. “Don’t think you’re sleeping with me tonight!” I grumbled.
After my shower, I took Hạt Dẻ back to the room, which was even bigger than mine.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw Lucas Carter coming out for a drink of water at the same time.
He’d clearly just showered, too; his hair was still slightly damp. A few drops of water trickled down the side of his face and disappeared beneath his shirt, outlining the perfect curve of his chest muscles.
I pressed my lips together, feeling a little embarrassed.
He seemed to feel the same way. He drained a glass of water in just a few seconds.
It suddenly occurred to me that even though my regular job had unexpectedly shown up tonight, I hadn’t done a very good job of my side gig, either.
I hurriedly said, “I’m so sorry, Lucas Carter. I wasn’t keeping a close enough eye on Hạt Dẻ tonight!”
Lucas Carter looked a little surprised.
Then he said, “It’s okay. I’m partly to blame, too.”
As if afraid I’d misunderstand, he added, “I’m just used to saying it. Don’t mind me.”
He must have meant when he’d said, “Be good and go find your mom.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s okay.”
The reason Lucas Carter called me Hạt Dẻ’s mom was that, on the day we signed the pet-care contract, the animal behaviorist had said something.
On the day we signed the contract, besides me, Lucas Carter, and the lawyer, there was also an animal behaviorist.