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At least I don’t see any cats. That’ll make this easier.
“My name is James. I work reception and help with the baths when the groomers need an extra hand,” front desk guy said. Confusion briefly flickered across his face when he saw Charon, Aristide, and Ker slip inside, joining Noctus in the tiny lobby.
Noctus glanced back at them, unconcerned. “These are my friends, who are very concerned about Ama’s grooming experiences, and wished to be here to inspect the place.”
Yeah, they would be why I’m not sure this is going to work.
Charon—for once sans his ever-present cloak and instead wearing a button up shirt, slacks, and a suitcoat that was the same watery gray color as his cloak—bowed slightly to James.
Ker, standing so Aristide could hold the back of her right arm, waved to James with her free arm. “Yes!” she said. “Ama is such a sweet creature. I need to see for myself that she’ll be comfortable. Isn’t that right, Aristide?”
“No,” Aristide said. “I’m here because I need to find a new place to take my seeing eye dog for her grooming sessions,” he announced, going entirely off script.
“You do care deeply for your seeing eye dog,” Ker said. “One might say she’s your closest friend.”
“Goodness,no,” Aristide shuttered. “She’s a hellion—much like the famed Kerberos who guarded the gates of Hades. But she is a large dog and has an unfortunate tendency to collect mud on her underbelly.”
“She does not,” Ker said.
“She does too,” Aristide stubbornly said.
“How would you know?” Ker challenged. “You can’t see it!”
“Smell, my friend. It’s all in the nose,” Aristide said.
And this just raises more concerns. I knew only Noctus and I should have come in here.
I had suggested the plan, and was shouted down by Ker, Aristide, and Charon with such vigor I was certain Noctus must have suggested that plan before picking me up.
James—apparently recognizing what level of pet parents stood before him—just smiled and nodded. “Bellies on large dogs do commonly collect debris, particularly if your dog has long fur. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them!”
Charon whipped out his tiny notebook and pen. “Firstly, you take cat clients, yes?”
“Absolutely!” James nodded. “Cats—particularly elderly cats and long-haired cats—cannot always groom themselves well enough, so we maintain grooming services to help such clients.”
Charon wrote in his notebook and asked, without looking up, “How do you keep the cat comfortable during the process?”
“Depending on your cat’s comfort, we will either bathe them in a basin, or let them stand in a wash stall. Additionally, we use tools like the Happy Hoody to quiet the noise of the dryers, and will use positive reinforcement with owner-approved treats,” James said.
Charon, perfectly playing his part, looked up so he could eye James from head to toe. “How can we trust she will like you and the groomers?”
“As I mentioned, whenever possible we use positive reinforcement,” James said. “But you are correct, there is a certain chemistry that is needed for the cat to trust us so we can work on her. If you want to set her on the partition, we can see how comfortable she is?”
I unhooked my claws so Noctus could slide me off his chest. He set me down on top of the wide partition, rubbing under my chin.
Okay, it’s showtime.
I needed to engage James enough that he felt he was accomplishing something so Noctus could then casually ask him questions about the attack.
“Hello, Ama.” James smiled at me. “If you don’t mind, I’ll fetch a treat—”
No, no, no. Stay here!
I purred as I ambled up to him, sniffing the hand he had resting on the partition, before rubbing my face on his fingers.
“Wow, you’re such a friendly girl—and so beautiful, too!” James gently petted me, a smile blooming underneath his massive beard.
I sat down, tucking my tail around my paws, then rubbed my head on his arm.
