Kat

Alexa, Chapter Eleven

 "Cobb," she said as he poured her more coffee. "I have a meeting with Antwon in the near future, do I not?"

Cobb nodded, and stopped pouring just as the coffee was exactly half an inch from the brim of her mug. Always a perfectionist, she thought. "Indeed. This Friday, I believe."

Alexa sipped at her coffee and hummed. "Ooh, this is good Cobb."

"Thank you, Madam," he said with a grin. "Oh, and Kat would like to know if she may have a new book. Apparently, she's devoured her first one and hungers for a second. Quite a fiend, her."

Alexa chuckled. "Tell her I said sure, we'll get her something this weekend. But back to Antwon, Cobb," she said, a serious look befalling her face. "You know what I told you?"

"Yes, Madam," he said, placing the coffee pot back and wiping down the counter with a wet towel. "I couldn't forget something quite so astonishing."

"Right. Well, this Friday, I'm thinking we should give our friend Antwon a very, very special treatment, don't you think?" she asked, raising an eyebrow with a wily grin on her face.

Cobb looked over his shoulder and smiled hungrily. "I do agree, Madam. I think that would be most fitting."

Alexa took another sip of her coffee and set it down on the table. "Good. Now, where is Kat? I haven't seen her all day."

"She is out back, Madam. Her plants are starting to blossom quite well, and she takes some pride in them, if I may say. It's honestly been rather enjoyable to watch."

"You and that garden, Cobb. One day you'll become one of your precious plants, you know. I read it in a book one time. You'll grow roots and vines and become a tomato," she said, matter-of-factly, holding a finger up to illustrate her intelligence.

Cobb turned around and leaned on the counter. "And they say if you eat too much meat your brain becomes a little too fat. Shame you're such a carnivore."

She sipped her coffee and flipped him the bird. He only laughed it off and turned back around, starting to do some dishes. "She is quite an alright catch, Madam. And, I'll say, you seem much better now that she's returned."

"Yeah, well... I'm just glad she's back," Alexa said, staring into her coffee. Her reflection looked up at her with tired eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "Dunno if I could handle losing her."

"I'm not sure I could either, Madam," Cobb said. "You should spend time with her in the garden, if I may. I'm sure she would appreciate that."

Alexa smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. Good one, Cobb."

He shrugged. "My pleasure."

Alexa downed the last of her coffee and stood, heading for the door. The morning sunlight was bright, but pleasantly warm, she thought as she made her way around the house and into the garden. When she got there, stepping under a lattice arch overgrown with morning lilies, she found Kat trying to plant something from a smaller pot into a bigger one.

She cleared her throat so as to not spook Kat. Kat still flinched, but turned around and, upon seeing Alexa, smiled and said, "Good morning, Mistress."

"Good morning to you," she said, walking over to Kat. She stared down at Kat's little project. It looked like a little tree. "What is this?"

"A gooseberry bush, Mistress," Kat said, digging a small hole in the dirt of the larger pot.

"Ah, those," she said, smiling. "I like the way they hide in their little shells, but are so sweet once they come out."

Kat nodded, looking up. A small bead of sweat trickled down her forehead, and she wiped it on her sleeve. "They are really tasty."

Alexa bent down next to her. "I never took you for a gardener. I guess Cobb has been getting into your head more than I thought."