Kiss My Assimilation

Chapter 2 - Kitty

The hotel clerk was a sweetheart, he understood and gave Annie a schedule for each of the guys. They all had a specific time they could go by themselves. The clerk assured her that no one would be there. It would be locked and he would send them each a key they could use to open the exercise room door. Problem solved. The clerk explained that he often had that kind of guests at the Waldorf and he was used to it. Just last week, he wouldn't say who but a big star had asked for the same thing. Well, her facilitator did. He called it her 'assistant'. Sounded too personal. Annie preferred 'facilitator', herself. More professional.

The next two weeks were gone in a blur of busy nothings. We need this. The football matches couldn't be missed. Good God no! Please get them to add a channel where we can see the games. To be fair, Annie had to admit that the guys were working their collective butts off. These shows looked tiring. All that dancing while singing. She couldn't imagine herself doing something that physical. She had done a bit of jogging, but this was on another level of intensity. When they finished a show, they looked dead on their feet. She tried to fix all their little problems and smooth out their stay here.

One day, early in the morning. As she was walking across the lobby to go outside jogging, a hotel clerk stopped her and indicated a man in an expensive suit sitting in the waiting room reading the New York Times.

"He's been waiting for you since six this morning Miss Goldman. He told me not to disturb you, just give you his card when you came by for your morning jog." The clerk explained.

Annie looked closely at the man waiting patiently and comfortably for her. He was sitting down, but she could tell he was tall by the long legs he had crossed over each other. His hair had some gray in it near the ears. He looked like an aristocrat waiting for another club member. In his fifties, slim and well groomed. Who could he be? As Annie got close, he seemed to sense it and looked her way. She wasn't much to look at in her sweatpants and sweater. He stood up and smiled, bowing a little.

"How do you do? I'm Nathan Caulfield. I'm Mister Baugmarten's assistant from Richard Kent Productions. You must be miss Goldman I presume?" He said in a warm voice.

"I am. How do you do?" Annie extended her hand, he looked at it for a second or two and shook it. His handshake was dry and firm.

"Charmed. I'm here to deliver a gift to the young men you are taking care of." He motioned a small traveling cage with his hand.

"A cage?" She said curious.

"You see, Mister Baugmarten benefited recently from the advice of a prominent physician who recommended zoo therapy for his considerable daily stress. He learned that the young men in the band your uncle is representing had been suffering from the same debilitating stress he had suffered himself and thought he might suggest the same cure."

Zootherapy?

"Mister Caulfield. What's in the cage?"

"A kitten."

Bloody hell.

"A... I'm sure the boys will be touched by Mister Baugmarten's solicitude. But I'm not sure the guys will have time to take care of an animal, much less a cat, with their tight schedule."

"Then, consider it a personal favor to M. Baugmarten. He insists that this will help the morale of the group." Caulfield insisted.

She had no choice. Nobody said no to Brian Baugmarten. Even when the demand was this weird, not when it was this insistent.

"Alright M. Caulfield, I'll do as you ask." She smiled. "But just because you asked nicely."

His smile showed a perfect row of teeth. He took Annie's hand and kissed it, taking his leave. As she watched his receding back, she realized he had left the cage with the cat in it.

"Wait!" She called after him, but he was already out in the street entering one of those big American limousines. "I'm allergic to cats." She finished lamely.

When she came back from her morning run, she went up to her room wiping her face with her towel. She suddenly remembered the cat. She'd asked the lobby clerk to send the cage containing the little beast to her room. She would have permanent red eyes from her allergy to cats. Something to look forward to. Ugh. Plus the little demon had hissed at her when she had tried to pick up its cage. Rude.

She slipped her entry card in her door's slot. After a healthy metallic click, she pushed the door open to find her room cat free. Now what? She was feeling relaxed right now, the kind of state you only get after physical activity. She didn't feel like spoiling the mood by making inquiries to the lobby clerk about the whereabouts of a stupid cat. But it was Brian Baugmarten's cat and she had to do something. She barely had picked up the room's phone when a knock came from her door. Expecting the lobby clerk, she opened the door to reveal Peter Patel with a big smile on his face.

"Am I too early? I could come back after your shower if you want." He said to Annie.

"No, no. Come in Peter." She moved aside to let him in and looked down the corridor to see if she could spot her missing critter. Bloody cat! "Did you see a small cat on your way here?" She asked Peter hopefully.

"Ah, that's the reason I'm here actually. I have the cat in my room. We got a text from Brian Baugmarten of Richard Kent Productions this morning about the cat." He explained.

"You did? Why didn't I get a text message?"

"You don't have a phone remember? It's most annoying you know. Anyway, the cat is with me. I'm like Hermione, I love cats. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all, I'm allergic to them and the little monster seems to hate me," She said relieved.

"Then all is well. Cool. See you later." Peter said waving goodbye.

Problem solved.