Stray Cat Strut Chapter Forty-Eight - A Date

Chapter Forty-Eight - A Date

Pick your Battles.

--Bloodsuck 2027

***

I wanted to do sothing nice for Lucy. Not for any reason in particular, it was always...

Id had a dream once, while scrolling through my dia feeds and looking at videos of so celebrities living the high life. People with a lot of money and a lot of fa, just doing things and probably not realizing that there were people like , so, so far below them wishing they were in their shoes.

It was a stupid sort of day-dream at the ti. A what if I could go to that kind of place? or what if I pulled up sowhere in that kind of supercar? Idle fantasies to forget that life was shit, if just for a mont.

Life wasnt so shit anymore though.

Ready to go ho? I asked Lucy.

She turned, coat swirling around her, and for a mont clinging to her sides and hips in a way that made my heart skip. Arent we ho here? she asked with the kind of dimply smile she always had when she was being cheesy.

I looked past her and to the museum, our ho. Yeah, but not yet, I said. I wouldnt say sothing like wherever you are is ho. Shed poke and call sappy.

Alright. Do you know if the kittens are alright?

I blinked a few tis, navigating through the nus in my augs until I found the status screens for my new cat-cha. They were all green, and the preview windows that showed what the robots were seeing revealed glimpses of the kittens in the penthouse, playing gas and being lazy little shits. Theyre fine, I said. Cmon, food!

Food! Lucy agreed with a cheer. She brought her arms up and made a familiar grabby gesture. With a roll of my eyes I turned around and didnt protest when she jumped onto my back.

Youre not twelve anymore, you know, I said as I grabbed her under the knees and pulled her up.

I refuse to believe that, Lucy said. I am eternally youthful and adorable.

I laughed as I carried her out the front of the museum.

Our ride, the Charon Limo-Taxi, was still waiting for us on the roof. It was a bit of a pain getting up there with Lucy weighing down, especially since she kept complaining about my back-mounted guns digging into her stomach. Not that that was enough to get her to let go, of course.

Alright, now get off, I said as I stopped next to the taxi.

Not gonna tuck in? she asked as she leaned her chin onto my head.

Nope, but I might drop your skinny ass.

She mock-gasped. My ass isnt skinny, its perfect and plump and all that is right in the world.

We got in the back seat, and I gestured for Lucy to give a minute. Just need to check sothing real fast, I said. Here, play with Myalis. I placed Myalis little drone on Lucys lap.

Are you using super-advanced alien technology to distract ? Lucy asked.

Yes, I said.

I flicked through my augs and found a text box to write in. M. I want to bring Lucy sowhere nice.

I see. What sort of place are you thinking?

Glancing at Lucy from the corner of my eye, I held back a smile. Soplace with good food, I wrote. Sothing fancy.

Understood. There are a few reservation-only places in the region, all within half an hours driving distance from your current location. Cross-referencing reviews, and dismissing those that were paid-for or solicited, then eliminating places with nus that wouldnt agree with either of you leaves you with four options. Might I suggest La Maison des Rois?

I nodded. Sounds good, I said aloud. Okay, were heading out now. What do you want to grab for the kittens?

Oh, we should go to one of those nice places, the ones that give you a little toy with your al. You know, Choking Hazard or sothing?

I nodded. That was a favourite of so of the kittens, though mostly for the ads. We couldnt exactly afford that kind of food ourselves. Sounds good, I said.

Leaning back, I listened to Lucy prattle on about this and that while the taxi took off and led us out of the incursion-zone and back into the flows of traffic around New Montreal. We climbed higher and higher, into the nicer, faster lanes usually reserved for people a dozen tax brackets above normal folk.

We started arguing over how to decorate the house. I was almost more keen on low-tech, old school decor. Nice and square and simple, but Lucy liked things curvier. If I let her have it her way, the place would be colourful and bubbly. It would still look great, because Lucy had an eye for that kind of thing, but it was really not my style. What if we invite so samurai over? I asked. Itll look like a kids place.

Itll look aweso, Lucy corrected. And so what if they think it looks a bit immature. Itll basically be an orphanage.

Well, yeah, but those arent cool.

Lucy snorted. Your idea of cool is graffiti on the walls and, like, a decorative dumpster in the corner.

That would be kinda cool, in a sort of, ironically tasteless way.

You just know so of the kittens would put actual trash in it, she said.

I crossed my arms. Grunge is a perfectly acceptable style.

Its not a style, its what happens when you cant afford anything nice, but still look good under all the clothes, she said.

You saying I look good under all the clothes? I asked.

She nodded. Im only with you because of your looks, she said without an ounce of sarcasm.

The taxi slowed to a stop behind a really fancy car, so fire-red Italian thing that looked fast while standing still. Lucy started to look around, but by the ti she knew to start searching for clues we were pulling down and onto the pavent on a covered driveway built into the side of a skyscraper. It was near the top-most floor too, one of the bigger ones. The restaurant looked like it took up most of the floor, which was sothing Id co to appreciate the cost of a little more in the past few hours.

Um? Lucy asked.

I grinned. I thought we could grab a bite, you know, before grabbing burgers for the kittens.

Lucy looked out the windows. So n in nice suits and won that had to be models were waiting in a line to enter, a serious looking man at the door checking them off on a floating tablet. This place looks a bit extra.

My grin wavered a little. Youd rather go sowhere else? I asked.

Lucy hesitated, eyed , then smiled back. Nah, this is fine. Wish Id co dressed for the occasion.

You look fine, I said.

Youre biased.

I jumped out of the car and ran around the back to open the door for Lucy and to give her a hand out. She giggled at the gesture and stretched. Our little taxi was fancy, but it was out-fancied by all the rides parked around the multi-level parking machines on the other side of the driveway. It was one of those with glass sides so that people could gawk at everyones hundred-million credit supercars.

I entwined my fingers with Lucys, and we skipped up the steps to the front. Do we have a reservation, Myalis? I asked.

Of course.

Cool! I said as I walked past all the fancy sorts and up to the waiter-guy at the front. Yo! I said. Reservation for Stray Cat and Lucy, I said.

The man paused in the act of talking to soone important looking. Um, the line is right there, maam, he said.

The dude in front of him, so chubby guy in a suit with a New Montreal pin on his lapel glared at . Rather rude, he said.

Ive been called worse, I said. So, we got seats?

Maam, youre supposed to wait in line, the waiter said.

I dont do great with lines, I explained.

The man nodded. I understand. La Maison des Roi can be a very exciting place. Nonetheless, regardless of status, we ask that all of our guests have the common courtesy to wait their turn. Please.

I pouted and Lucy giggled, but the guy was right. So I went to the back of the line and pretended not to notice so folk smiling at the bit of drama.

Youre an idiot, Lucy said.

I thought we could cut in, I said.

This isnt so cinema, she said. Its a proper fancy place.

Yeah yeah, laugh it up. Well see if you think its all that when you cant read the nu on account of its fanciness.