Page 16 of Cat’s Guide To Romance

“Anywhere.”

For just a moment, Sparkle lights up. His ears stand tall as if he’s already imagining where we could go. Then it disappears. “I can’t.”

The disappointment hits immediately, but I swallow it down.

“I want to,” he adds quickly.

Oh. My tail curls behind me.

Sparkle notices and groans before walking a few steps ahead. “Don’t look so happy about that.”

“I’m trying very hard not to.”

“You’re failing.”

“Miserably.”

Sparkle smiles again, but it doesn’t last. He grabs a box of noodles and checks something off his phone before placing it in the cart.

“I just can’t, Lucien. I don’t have time.”

“You have to eat.”

He shoots me a look over his shoulder. “Are you trying to turn grocery shopping into our first date?”

“Is it working? I already thought it was.”

“No. Grocery shopping is not a date.” But his tail shows me he definitely thought it was too.

“Then I’ll keep brainstorming.”

He laughs under his breath and grabs two boxes from the shelf. I take them from him and put them in the cart before he has the chance. Sparkle stares at me.

“What?” I ask innocently.

“I can put things in the cart.”

“I’m aware, darlin’, but I like helping.”

His mouth opens, but nothing comes out. He shakes his head and keeps walking. I don’t understand this cat. He says he has too much to do, but the moment I take one tiny thing from him, he looks at me like I’ve sprouted another set of horns. Maybe I need to change strategy. The guide says he’s close to his family.

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Six.”

My hand slips off the cart. Holy catnip, that’s a lot.

Sparkle keeps going until he notices the cart is no longer following him.

“Six?”

“Yeah.”

I catch up. “And who usually does the groceries?”

“Me.”

“Deliveries for your mother?”