Early the next morning, Adrian stepped out of the town's most expensive hotel, his box swapped out for a duffel bag slung over one shoulder and a backpack on his back. He was wearing one of his new purchases, a blue round t-shirt and jeans.
Clark had left the town after dropping him off at the hotel the day before, now it was just him.
By 7:00 AM, he was standing in front of the cat cafe. The door was still locked, and the sign was flipped to "Closed."
The streets were still quiet. Just a few shop owners were unlocking doors and setting up for the day. The town's postman cycled down the street, and a brown dog trotted faithfully behind him, tail wagging. Adrian settled onto the bench by the entrance, placing his bags by his side.
The air smelled of freshly baked bread and pies. He felt relaxed and refreshed just sitting there.
The sky brightened gradually. Sunlight spilled across the pavement, and he heard a muffled voice and soft footsteps from inside. Then came the familiar jingle of the bell as the door swung open.
Felix stepped out of the shop, holding a green watering can, and walked towards the hedge. He froze when he noticed Adrian.
His eyes widened with guilt. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry. Did you wait long? I was busy painting last night and ended up sleeping late."
He didn't say he had spent the night painting the man in front of him. That would make him sound like a pervert.
Adrian stood, picking up his bags. "It's fine," he said casually. "I just got here."
Felix studied his face, but let it go. "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Come inside, I made more than enough."
Adrian followed him through the cafe. Instead of stopping in the main room, Felix led him past the counter and out through a side door.
They stepped into a small, beautiful garden. A pebble path wound through it, between bushes of blooming flowers and rows of neatly arranged potted plants. Ceramic cat gnomes peek out from behind the flower pots, like knights protecting the garden.
Beyond the garden stood the house.
A two-storey brick building that had stood the test of time. Pink roses in full bloom crawled up the walls, and white lace curtains fluttered lazily through the open windows.
The inside felt just like the coffee shop, warm, cozy, and welcoming. The scent of fresh flowers and coffee lingered in the air.
"You can take off your shoes here," Felix said, gesturing to a small wooden shelf. He reached down to open the cupboard beside it and pulled out two pairs of slippers. "I don't know if either of these would fit. They're still new."
Adrian took the blue ones and slipped them on.
Felix returned the other pair and changed into his own green slippers.
"Welcome to my humble home," he said, stretching out his arms. "Let me show you around."
They moved through a short hallway and into the living room. Three brown couches and a long sofa surrounded a large curved wooden table with a beautiful flower arrangement in the center.
Fluffy pillows covered the chairs, and multiple gardening and cat magazines were scattered across the table.
Across from the living room, a door stood wide open, sunlight streaming through the window.
"That's my studio," Felix said, pointing. "It's not exactly out of bounds, but it's a bit messy cause I have a lot of easels and paint containers lying around."
Adrian stepped closer and peered inside. There were a few half-finished paintings leaning against the wall. In the centre of the room, one canvas sat on an easel with a white cloth draped over it. So that's where all the magic happened. He nodded in appreciation. He knew Felix was a gifted painter, he even bought one of his pieces before traveling down.
"You got a commissioned job?" he asked.
"Huh?" Felix blinked. Adrian pointed to the covered canvas.
"Oh, that one?" Felix hesitated, then rubbed the back of his neck. "It's the one I painted last night, just for fun."
He looked at the man standing beside him, the same as the one in the painting, with a small, almost shy smile.
They continued into the kitchen. It was filled with cat-themed plates, mugs, and dish towels. Rows of glass jars lined the shelves, sugar, flour, cocoa, and at least ten different types of coffee beans. Multiple Polaroids of each of the cats were pinned on the fridge.
"Would you like to eat now?" Felix turned to face him. "Or would you pick your room first?"
"Emm…" Adrian thought for a moment. "Room first."
Felix nodded and led him upstairs. He gestured to the hallway where four rooms lined the walls.
"There are two rooms available," he explained, pointing to the far ends of the corridor. "These two, in the middle, are occupied, one is mine and the other is for my friend who visits sometimes. You can pick any of the other two rooms."
His friend, who visits sometimes. Was it Jack? But Jack had never left his side for any extended period of time. And the reports didn't mention any close friends either.
Adrian glanced at the doors, walked to the one next to Felix's, and opened it.
Felix followed his movement, then smiled softly. "Well… I'll leave you to unpack."
He leaned against the doorframe. "I need to head over to the pastry shop to pick up the cakes and stuff before the customers start trickling in. I'm already far behind schedule. You don't have to do much—just a little table dusting for now. I already did most of the cleaning last night."
Adrian nodded, setting his bags down by the bed.
"Don't forget to eat breakfast," Felix threw over his shoulder as he walked down the stairs.
Adrian walked to the window, watching Felix make his way across the garden till he disappeared inside the cafe. Then he walked to sit on the bed.
This was his new home.
At least for now.