CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND FOUR – MISTAKEN CAT IDENTITY

The cat simply blinked slowly, evidently unbothered by this strange woman's overly affectionate display. Across the cafe, Claire had risen to her feet in alarm. "Jasmine, be careful! That might not actually be-" But she was interrupted by a shrill voice cutting through the peaceful ambiance of the cat lounge. "Hey! What on earth are you doing with my Midnight?" Jasmine looked up to see an irate young woman stalking towards her, hands on her hips. The cat went rigid in Jasmine's arms at the sound of its apparent owner's voice. "Put her down this instant!" the woman demanded shrilly. Realization slammed into Jasmine like a ton of bricks. This wasn't Whiskers at all - it was just an uncanny lookalike sharing the same coloring and white patch. She immediately released the squirming cat, which sprang free and scampered off, looking deeply offended. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" she gasped out, horrified. She scrambled to her feet, face flushing scarlet as all eyes in the cafe turned to