Sal, Butter and Pepper || ONC2024

Chapter 15: Easier said than done

"Rise and shine, my lady," Butter said, almost jumping up and down on the bed-stand. "Ppppppp! Wake up. Wake up. Wake up."

"Be quiet, B." Pepper buried her face under the sheets and disappeared between the mounds of water.

"We have work to do. I need to teach you how to be more ladylike and seductive."

"Agh! Not this again."

"Pleeeeease, mistress."

Pepper poked her head out of the quilt just enough for the familiar to see her dark, sleep-soaked eyes. It reminded Butter of Tur, the turtle that Mistress Paige, Pepper's grandma, had kept during her school years.

Ah! Good old times.

"B, I won't doll myself up or act like a goody two shoes just to please a man."

"Whyyyyy?"

Pepper threw her quilt off and sat up on the giggly bed. "Because that's not who I am. I can't be fake now. Or he will expect that of me for the rest of my life."

"Good. It makes me happy that you are considering spending the rest of your life with him."

The witch blew a lock of hair off her eyes. "You're impossible!" She got off the bed and walked into the bathroom. "Thanks for spoiling my mood, B."

"You are most welcome, my lady."

"May I say you look like a dream, Ms. Woodgrip," Sal said, handing a bouquet of pink tulips to Pepper.

"Thank you, Sal." Pepper ran her hand over the skirt of the three-piece attire. "Felicity sent it over. It's called a Ghagara-Choli. I thought this was for a theme party, but you are dressed casually."

Good start, Butter thought, watching the two interact. He had to agree with Sal on his mistress looking like a dream. The attire that she was donning was made up of a bright blue ankle-length skirt with an extensively embroidered matching crop top that displayed her midriff. Surprisingly, it looked rather elegant and classy on the young witch despite the skin-show.

It had been delivered to Sal's room just as Pepper had walked out of the bath, ready to change into a modest white and black formal office wear.

Sal replied with a shrug. "My addition to the guest list was kinda last minute. Maybe it got lost in the mail."

"Oh."

Sal laughed. "I was joking. The costume was not the right size. So, I sent it back for alterations. Housekeeping must have had it delivered to your room by now."

"That makes much more sense." The witch laughed. Butter could almost see the nervousness waffling out of his mistress's person.

Pepper stopped abruptly and added: "For a moment there, I thought you were gate-crashing this event."

"Of course not. I have business with the Bolts. I was invited by the senior Bolt in person."

"I had presumed you were close to the Bolts."

"Not with all of them. And not in a personal capacity."

"Right..."

Butter found it odd. Hadn't Sal mentioned something about being a guest's plus-one to this event? Was he lying now, or had he lied then?

"Say, Ms. Woodgrip-"

"Please call me Pepper."

Sal quirked his brow.

"I mean, I have been calling you Sal since yesterday, and it would raise questions if you keep calling me Ms. Woodgrip."

"Makes sense," the man said, then grinning, he added, "Pepper, why don't I escort you to the venue and go get changed?"

"No, I can wait. Let's go there together."

"Brilliant! Be back before you know it."

With that, Sal was gone. It gave Butter the opportunity he had been waiting for since waking up his mistress. "My lady," he said in a small voice, drawing the witch's attention.

"What is it, B?"

"How about you go to the event without me?"

"Why?" Pepper crouched next to the window sill where the kitten was perched with his head kissing the top of his olive bed.

"I just want to enjoy this borrowed space before we shift back to ours." He ran his eyes around the room. "You are planning on returning to our room as we speak, are you not?"

"I am, but-"

"Then that settles it. I won't ask you to extend our stay here, and you will not drag me to the event."

"Fine, but do not leave this room, understood?"

"Absolutely." The kitten lied, bobbing his head in delight.

Shortly after, Sal returned in a three-piece costume that perfectly complimented Pepper's dress. After he had picked up his date and proceeded to the event, Butter, free to do what he wanted, put his plan into action.

Closing his eyes and hoping he wouldn't be asleep for long, the familiar made a wish, cried out loud, and fainted.

As soon as Butter's eyes opened, he glanced at the clock. He had been out for barely ten minutes. Not too bad!

The mirror facing the window told him his wish of invisibility was granted. Armed with this weapon, he could take on the world; playing Cupid for Sal and Pepper, by comparision, was going to be a cakewalk.

First things first, he thought and looked outside the window. Squinting his eyes and scrunching his nose, he concentrated on finding Pepper in the sea of people on the lawn, which, once again, stood transformed.

In the center was a white picket fence. That wasn't strange. What was, however, was what the enclosure currently housed.

Cows!? What in the heaven was happening? And where was Pepper? Butter scanned the area, but neither she nor her date were anywhere to be found. The only place he couldn't inspect was under the multicolored canopy in the top right corner of the venue, surrounded by half a dozen men who donned hats made from some type of twisted fabric. Butter recalled seeing it somewhere, but try as he may, he couldn't put a finger on it.

The men in question were playing musical instruments. Butter had never come across them. The thumping melody, though novel, was not to the kitten's taste. It also made it impossible for him to listen to the conversations in and around the venue.

Butter closed his eyes. His entire being hurt as if he had been on the losing side of a boxing match. But he was left with no choice. He had to get his aching butt and the rest of his equally miserable body downstairs if he was to keep a watch on Sal and Pepper.

No sooner did the kitten jump off the sill, land on the floor, and drag himself to the door, the realization that he had mucked up, kicked him in the butt. The door was locked.

Oh, darn!

Chapter word count: 1114