The Billionaire's Possession (Voted Best Reads for Cats)

Chapter 3 Life and Love at Vicky's cafe

A/N Photo Sam Heughan As Alexnder Strong 

The next day I rushed into Vicky's cafe on main street.

"Everyone stay calm. Give me chocolate and a croissant and nobody get's hurt" I said pointing my clasped fingers at Marta.

On Saturdays, I worked in a local cafe called Vicky's Cafe with Marta. I came in to find my best friend Marta making coffee for Mr. Wallace. After the TS-17 virus she had developed a barista technique where she stood behind the espresso machine making noises in her mouth and then pouring hot water on instant coffee granules. This was a big hit with the locals as the barista in the nearby Starbucks just gave their customers a cup of hot water. I was the only one in 30 miles who could work the espresso machine properly. Weirdly Starbucks still got more customers.

"Hi Kaitlyn how's your mother?" said Marta's Mom Vicky, when I arrived behind the counter. She was sitting at table, with bits of paper arranged around her computer screen trying to do the accounts.

"I'll be right out but I've spent all morning trying to get these numbers into the computer."Vicky said." But for some reason the stupid thing, it's not working. I swear this machine as got the TS-17 virus."

"Mom says hi. Oh!" I said. I pretended to fall forward and caught myself on the power switch.

The computer came to life and the screen came on. Now the machine booted up.

Vicky squealed in delight.

"Kaitlyn your so my good luck charm. The computer fixed its self" she said.

"It's just dumb luck" I lied.

I high fived Marta and got to work wrapping an apron around me. The word had got out that I served the best coffee in town. Which was right. I could actually use the Expresso machine and Vicky could spot when coffee or milk was low and order more, another example of my dad's 'routine still works' in action Theory.

I knew all of our regulars and what they had. Some days it was like one big happy family. I looked over in the window and watched old Mr. Wallace looking deeply at his chess board. Vickey had me told me before the TS-17 virus, he would lower his snow haired head and play games of chess against all comers. In the summer Mr. Wallace would sit outside all day and do the same. Dad knew him they had both worked together once. These days he was content with following the moves from his little chess book. I thought I knew everyone. Everyone except the strange friend of Mr. Wallace who was sitting with him now. The man he was sitting was young and good looking he had long hair and a dark narrow face. Mr. Wallace and he were sitting drinking coffee and talking occasionally. Marta I noticed couldn't keep her eyes off the stranger.

On the walls we proudly showed off all the government emergency posters in the order they had been published. The first one said 'If you are resistant to the TS-17 virus your civic duty is to report yourself and join the homeland defense project'". The next one had come out a few months after the infection 'If you can read this then perhaps your not affected by that bad virus. Folk like you need to come and talk to folk like us at of homeland difference*'. The one next to hit had a picture of a cat with 'Wazup. You smarts to? Like wezz really nedz your helps. the department of homeland defiance and stuff #TS-17'. finally, there were the new one which had gone up a few weeks ago 'The possessed are everywhere. Have you seen one? Report immediately. #possessed.'

I wondered if the posters worked. Non-infected people were in short supply. l guess most were like me and my dad, most were now smart enough not to respond. The general population were being slowly taught that those resistant to the virus were dangerous untrustworthy intellectuals, who threatened the safety of the country. We had been originally described as 'those in possession of great intellectual gifts'. Eventually, the term 'possessed' came to describe anyone who was clearly smart enough to think for themselves. Failing that it also applied to anyone who could tell the difference between margarine and butter.