Thank you so much to @whatavery for the amazing writing commission below! Here is the beginning of Rocky and I’s story- how we first meet each other!
With a soft chime from the bell above the door, Jill stepped into the small café. She had passed it a few times, though she didn't come to this part of town often. It was a quaint-looking place from the outside, especially with the sunlight coming through the windows facing the street. The floor had a monochromatic checkered pattern, and a few tables were placed near the door, though the café didn't have a lot of patrons.
"Hello, Miss!" the brown cat behind the counter greeted her. The brown cat looked quite young, certainly younger than Jill, at least at a glance. "What can I get you?"
She decided to take a seat on one of the round stools by the bar, smiling back at the waitress. "Oh, just some tea would do, please."
Taking a look around, it really was a nice establishment. It was on the smaller side, and it was nearly empty. The tables near the front door had a few occupants, but the booths further away were empty. Music played from the tinny speaker of a radio on a small shelf.
Jill had hardly even had a chance to sample her tea when the door swung open and someone entered while humming loudly. Lowering her cup, she turned her head to look, noticing that everyone else in the café was looking as well. The humming came from a gray tabby, who was strutting inside, holding a crate.
His mere presence seemed to liven up the quiet café considerably, though Jill was almost impressed by the way he carried himself. He seemed so confident, like he really enjoyed the attention..
The tabby looked slightly younger than her, a wide smile on his face - clearly, he was having a good day. He wore a pair of bright blue pants and a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up. As he passed her, Jill's eyes met his, which were also blue. He flashed her a toothy grin that made her heart skip a beat for a moment. She gave him a small smile in response before turning away, feeling suddenly flustered.
She raised her cup again, almost as if to hide behind it as she took a too large sip that ended up burning her tongue slightly. Still hiding part of her face behind said cup, she watched the tabby make his way behind the counter, striking up casual conversation with the waitress. Jill averted her gaze, not wanting to look like she was eavesdropping.
They appeared friendly, but not overly so. Still, even as she tried to look away, her eyes were drawn to the gray cat. He appeared quite cheerful as he was asked how the pickup went. "Oh,
'twas ducky, Ms. Pepper! I'll head on down with this and I will be right back!"
"Yeah, into the pantry." Though Jill didn't pay as much attention to the waitress, her tone was a bit strange. She didn't think much of it, however, as the tabby disappeared into the pantry in question.
Once he was out of sight, Jill heard a mild racket coming from the small storage room next to where the waitress was. The brown cat had taken to reading a magazine behind the bar and occasionally stopped to take care of the other patrons before they left. Surprisingly, the noise from the pantry died down rather quickly and for a moment, the café was dead silent again, save for the radio.
The tabby was inside the pantry for a surprisingly long time, and Jill found herself wondering if the pantry had a door that would lead out back. It seemed like an odd thing to have, however.
Eventually, the gray cat returned, looking just as upbeat as before. He sat on the chair at the far end of the bar and asked Ms. Pepper for a drink. Once more, Jill looked over at him and their eyes met almost immediately. His grin was as wide as it was bright. She averted her gaze, feeling flustered, though she did steal a few glances at him.
"Howdy do, miss!" When Jill turned again, the tabby had skipped a few stools and now sat closer to her. "I don't believe I've seen you here before."
"Oh, I don't usually come to this part of town.." The more she looked into his eyes, the more she noticed just how bright blue they were. On a less friendly face, they might even appear somewhat unnerving, but his smile was inviting. "My name's Jill."
The stranger raised his hand as if to tip a hat he wasn't wearing before awkwardly saluting and offering her his hand. "Rocky Rickaby, Miss Jill. How're you enjoying the Little Daisy?"
"It's nice..." she replied somewhat vaguely, smiling slightly as she shook his hand. His presence was almost infectious; it was hard not to smile back. "It's rather quiet, but I like it. Better than it being too busy!"
Rocky chuckled at that. "Oh, Ms. Jill, I can't remember the last time we were busy. But it's a pleasure to have you! I hope you didn't come looking for company, though..."
"Well, somewhat. I didn't come looking for it, but.." She paused as the waitress excused herself to the pantry, then turned back to Rocky. Jill glanced around, noticing that the café was entirely suddenly empty, save for the two of them. "If the company's always this good, I might come back."
The gray tabby's bright-blue eyes lit up immediately. "Splendid to hear! Hopefully you'll get to try some of Ms. Pepper's- Oh, she left. Well, fear not - I will entertain you!"
Jill let out a soft laugh before taking another sip of her tea, finishing it. She smiled at him and in a eager tone, she said, "Oh, you'd be my savior from this boredom - that'd be just dandy!"
"If you'd like, I could play my violin for you sometime," he replied as he looked at her with an almost restrained interest. His smile faltered slightly.
She hadn't initially taken the tabby for a musician, but it was a pleasant surprise. "Oh, you play the violin? That's grand, I'd really like that, Mr. Rickaby! When should I come back?"
A surprisingly sheepish smile made itself home upon Rocky's face. "I can bring it around for you tomorrow?"
Jill smiled warmly at him and nodded. "Tomorrow would be lovely!"
"Wonderful, I'll look forward to seeing you, Ms. Jill." Rocky's smile grew wider, and Jill could feel her heart skipping another beat at the prospect of seeing this eccentric tabby again. There was just something about him...
