Chapter 313
After dropping Leanne off at her house, Curtis lingered at the doorstep, feigning formality, “May I come in?”
Before Leanne could respond, her cat scampered out from the living room to greet them
with a meow.
“Well, since you’re inviting me so earnestly,” Curtis joked, stepping gracefully over the
threshold.
Leanne rolled her eyes. “You are fearless, aren’t you?”
At this point, the cat was pretty much Curtis’ secret operative. Without it, he wouldn’t even get past the front door.
Familiar with the place, Curtis found himself a mask in the hallway, “Don’t worry. I’m already on allergy shots and got one just yesterday.”
Allergy treatments were a long haul, typically spanning two to three years. For someone with a cat allergy like his, it wasn’t necessary for everyday life, but he went through with it
anyway.
Leanne felt a tad powerless trying to shoo him away now.
Curtis hung up his coat, washed his hands, and headed to the kitchen, opening the fridge.
“What’s for dinner?”
“Whatever,” Leanne replied distractedly.
She changed her clothes, fed the cat, tossed laundry in the washer, and vacuumed the cat hair off the living room carpet.
Busy with chores, she caught glimpses of Curtis cooking in the kitchen. To many, the elusive Mr. Curtis seemed above worldly concerns.
Yet, there he was, in casual chic, blending effortlessly with the homely kitchen vibes and creating a curious chemistry.
The lighting cast a warm glow over his crisp white shirt. The cat, loyal to its benefactor, sat close by, eyeing the salmon under his knife
After cooking, Curtis shared a small piece of salmon with the cat and prepared a mix of chicken and egg yolk for it.
Both the cat and Leanne were well-fed by the end of the evening.
When Joy called during a break from her tedious overtime, Leanne, feeling slightly guilty, took her phone to the living room to talk.
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09.15
Chapter 313
“Where’s the cat? Show me the cat,” Joy demanded.
“It’s shitting,” Leanne looked over.
“I wanna see that even more,” Joy giggled mischievously. “Little kitties are the cutest when they’re doing their business.”
“You’re so weird. Give the little guy some privacy,” Leanne chided.
After their chat, Joy went back to her grind.
In the bathroom, Curtis had prepared a bath, adjusting the water to just the right temperature, calling out to her, “Bath’s ready.”
Leanne, in her nightgown, thought indignantly that she wasn’t incapacitated. She didn’t
need him to run her bath.
Sensing her mood, Curtis glanced back, “Need help, or can you manage?”
Leanne was set in stone, “Get out.”
With a chuckle, Curtis exited the bathroom.
After sealing her bandages with waterproof film and bathing, Leanne emerged to find Curtis hadn’t left. He was lounging on the sofa, listlessly playing with the cat.
Seeing her, he dropped the laid-back act.
“Are you heading to bed?” He got up and grabbed his coat with a glance at her, “Well, I gotta go.”
Leanne merely nodded.
Outside Golden Grove Manors, Jake waited to open the car door for Curtis.
Once Curtis settled in, the warmth he had upstairs vanished, replaced by a detached coolness as they drove away.
08:45 90.