Chapter 67: Tessa - A New Friendship

The first few days after Madame Faye’s return settle into a strange unpredictable rhythm. Everyone is busy, but somehow I feel steadier than I did before. I can manage the White cat roster without feeling panic or dread, so I suppose that is progress.

Every morning I sit in the administration office in E1 with my clipboard, the roster sheets, and a mug of coffee that always goes cold before I can finish it. And every morning, the grid of names and duties feels a little less overwhelming.

I’m still juggling too many variables. The are so many locations around the resort that White cats need to clean and keep supplied. And then there is the separate E4 roster that doesn’t count toward a White cat’s twenty hours per week of labour to obtain a discount on their stay. I’m learning how to anticipate the gaps before they appear, and ensure everyone is treated fairly, as far as that is possible.

Black cats still hire White cats at the most inconvenient times. The caste name change has made no difference in that respect. I guess that will never change. Fortunately most Black cats will ask Helen or me to allocate a White cat for a hire. Only a few Black cats will commandeer a hapless White cat while she is working for the club. A few White cats get hired more often than others, and I do my best to ensure that doesn’t occur to excess.

The gardens and the inside of E3 are the usual places where Black cats will ambush a White cat for a hire. Now, when someone is pulled from the gardens, I already know who can cover. When someone is hired from E3, I have a backup ready. When two White cats disappear at once, I take a breath, reshuffle the grid, and somehow make it all work.

Madame Helen even said ‘Nice work’ yesterday. That’s practically a trophy.

Melissa and I fall into a comfortable companionship. We walk together between duties, share breaks when we can, and talk in the evenings in the staff White cat dormitory when the others are asleep. We talk about everything, but our conversations often drift to discussions about Madame Faye. Not in a romantic or jealous way, but simply expressing our honest feelings.

We both feel the same strange pull toward Madame Faye. I’ve felt that for more than a year, ever since I first met her. It isn’t desire or sexual attraction, but there’s something that instinctively draws me into her orbit. Melissa is clearly experiencing the same effect. A gravitational tug toward someone who pushes boundaries we didn’t previously know we wanted pushed.

“She makes me want to try things I’d never dare to do on my own,” Melissa says one night.

The ‘Madame Faye effect’ isn’t like Melissa’s romantic feelings for Madame Chloe. It’s nothing like that at all. It’s the feeling of wanting to follow someone who makes us walk boldly whenever we hesitate. It’s something we both experience, and that understanding becomes the foundation of Melissa’s and my friendship.

My biggest challenge of the week comes on Thursday afternoon. I’m heading toward the Black cat accommodation in E3 when I hear raised voices. I first I think they are words spoken in anger, but I soon realise they are worse ... a group of women are mocking another woman.

Three Black cats have cornered Danielle, a young White cat who arrived last week for her first stay on the island. The Black cats are toying with her. Danielle has pierced nipples with large rings attached. The Black cats have added weights and a bell to each ring, and they are making Danielle perform for their amusement. It’s not violent. But it’s cruel.

I step in before it escalates.