"Hail Satan, lord and master of all things not quite human." 

"Ouch!"

"Hail Satan, lord and master of all things not quite human."

"Ouch!"

"Hail Satan, lord and master of all things not quite human."

"Ouch!"

Butter repeated the spell like a mantra- and endured the resulting pain in different parts of his body as an aftereffect- till he made it all the way back to Whistling Greens, which is when things got complicated.

The garden and the lawn were brimming with activity. Human activity. The place was swarming with the resort staff, both housekeeping and managerial. 

With so much to see, Butter’s attention wavered, and he tripped on a wire and bumped into a young man donning a blue and red uniform, carrying a plate of Chicken Tikka Masala. Though startled, the man didn't lose his footing. Unfortunately, though, the plate of goodies flew out of his hand, setting a collision course directly for Butter's face. The perpetrator watched the events unfold (in slow motion), frozen to the spot.

I have managed to find trouble before finding Pepper!

Was this foreshadowing? The kitten hoped not. 

Hail Satan, lord and master of all things not quite human.

Ouch! 

His feet left the ground and found comfort in familiar warmth. 

Salvador Hart? 

"Are you alright, little one?"

Butter opened his eyes. And yep. It was indeed Mr. Hart. But the gossip-mongers were nowhere to be seen. How come they had left their front-page material alone? 

"Meow," Butter purred and licked the man's most approachable body part: his pinky finger. 

"Awww. Aren't you a gem?" he said. Then looking at the stunned waiter who had spilled pink-colored salad on him, Butter's saviour added, "My apologies. This little guy lost his way and troubled you. I will make sure you don't get into trouble for this."

Recognition and admiration flashed in the eyes of the man in blue and red, and of those who had watched the rescue. To Butter's surprise, none approached the celebrity.

Butter blinked up at his savior. It was a pity he couldn't use human language to thank the man. Well, that was not entirely true. He could do that if Mr. Hart married his mistress! But that could never come to pass… or could it? 

"Little one, you get into trouble a lot, don't you?" Salvador scratched the kitten under the chin. "Why don't I take you inside? You will be much safer there," he spoke only for Butter's ears. 

He is handsome, rich, famous, and caring! Yes, he is the one, but… 

This was when Butter recalled Salvador mentioning that he was someone's plus one. 

Oh no! 

What was he going to do now? He didn't even have a candidate in mind for his mistress. He felt like crying. The sinking feeling in his chest returned. Suddenly, the prospect of finding a suitor for Mistress Pepper felt akin to being confronted by Mao, the prince-eating duckweed from four hundred years ago.  

"We're here." The gentleman placed the kitten on the tiled floor of what Butter recognized as the ground floor of the main complex. Right above, on the fourth floor, was where Pepper lay resting. 

"You be on your way now." The man crouched and caught Butter's green eyes. "I am in a bit of a pickle. I wish you could talk to me." He smiled. His eyes twinkled. "Wish me luck; I really need it today."

The kitten meowed and tapped his tail on the glossy milky floor. 

"See you around, little one."

Please let him have a good day. 

Hail Satan, lord and master of all things not quite human.

Ouch! 

Butter's left paw hurt like someone had taken a hammer to it. It was too much for the kitten to bear. A long, pained yowl left his chest, and he collapsed.

The last thing Butter heard was panicked footsteps approaching him, whispering: "Oh my God!"

***

"Butter. B…Please be alright." 

Mistress Pepper? 

Butter opened his eyes. He was back in his room, but how? 

"Mr. B!" The young witch scooped him up in her arms. "I was so worried." Bringing him up to her eye level, she asked, "How are you feeling? What happened? Where did you go? Bad boy, Butter!"

Oh, dear. Butter was in trouble, but first, he had to put his mistress's mind at ease. "I was excited to get myself acquainted with this place. But you were sleeping. So I stepped out alone."

"You could have woken me up, B." The witch snapped her fingers. "Bowl." 

An oval green bowl landed on the bed next to the kitten. Pepper's dark eyes roamed over her familiar’s body. "You don't look hurt. What happened?"

Two hard-boiled eggs stared at him, reminding him that he was famished even though it was nowhere close to his dinner time.

Did the spell make one hungry, too? Probably, there wasn't much he knew about its side effects after all. "I don't know." He lied, attacking the treat kept in front of him. 

While he ate, Pepper kept staring at him but asked nothing else. When he was almost done, she said, "Do you know who is staying right next door?"

"Un-uh." Butter shook his head, trying to get at the scraps. This kitten didn't believe in wasting food. No, sir. 

"Salvador Hart."

The last bits of egg that had just entered Butter exited him, accompanied by something akin to a cough.

"Butter!" Pepper snapped her fingers, making the crumbs that had unceremoniously landed on the purple quilt disappear.

"Sorry, my lady. You caught me off guard. What is that man, I mean jerk, doing here?"

"I thought you would have seen him around. He is kinda hard to miss given the horde of attention seekers following him." 

"That's true... " Butter bumped the rim of his bowl with his nose. He had no idea how to respond, so he just sat fidgeting with the bowl. 

"You are awfully quiet, B. Are you feeling fine? How about we stay in tonight? Let's skip the flower ceremony; what do you say?"

Nooooooo! Mistress has to go out. How will I find a man for her if she stays cooped up here with me? 

"I want to go. Pleeeeeease." Butter begged his mistress, offering her his cutest most charming pout.

The witch cocked her head; her arched brows crawled closer, "Really? You 'I hate humans, despise crowds, and love spending time on the couch' want to go to a party?"

"Yes." Butter's reply was quick, confident, and without hesitation. 

"But I don't want to!" Pepper rocked her body back and forth before letting herself fall face-first into the pillow.

"Felicity would be hurt if you don't show up. You don't want to hurt her, do you, my lady?"

With her head buried in the pillow, she moved it from side to side. Turning to face him, with her hair all messed up, she said, "But if I go, I will have to see that jerk again."

"Who? Brandon?"

"No, B. Not him. Salvador. Salvador Hart."

Chapter word count: 1182

Hey all, I would really appreciate if you could give me feedback on this story. What do you like? What you don't like? What you hate?
I know it's a lot to ask for, considering you are already doing a lot just by giving this story a chance. But still, I am going to be selfish and ask you for this favor.