Days After You's

Chapter 12 - Face Seeker Men

Every Sunday or weekend, one of the routines I live with usually includes taking Stella to an animal shelter. This is in line with what he said first that he would regularly visit the kittens we used to bring there. At first he only went once a week, but once he decided to volunteer there since three months ago, the frequency of his visits naturally increased. He also often goes alone in a taxi when I can't drive him.

Today, as before, I had Stella come in first while I went to park the car in the field a few steps away from the shelter. When I finally caught up with him coming in, the front desk of the usual shelter worker welcoming guests seemed unusually empty.

"Where are people?" My toot.

Stella shook her head, "I don't know. I've already rang the bell but no one's coming out."

It was only a few minutes later that a very young-looking woman appeared from the back room. He was surprised when he saw us but rushed over.

"Ah, sorry-sorry. I didn't hear the bell, there were important people visiting so all the workers were busy inside. Can anyone help?" Said the girl while scratching her head.

I don't come here very often. But I've memorized enough of the faces of the people who work in this place, as well as those of me and Stella. And this woman seems to be a new worker.

"Oh, I'm Stella and this is my husband Luiz. Um..we've been here a few times to visit the cat we brought here and I've been volunteering here for three months."

Stella introduced herself quite smoothly even though her cheeks were a bit flushed again.

"Style? Oh wait a minute, let me check first. Stella´s...Wilcom?!" The girl suddenly glared at us from behind the book she was holding. I raised both of my eyebrows while turning towards Stella, while she also just shrugged in surprise.

"I'm sorry for my slackness from realizing you! Come in, Mr. Wilcolm, Miss Wilcolm!"

The girl led me and Stella in with a big smile on her face, "I don't know if there's anyone else who's going to visit today, so please be understood. But I heard that my father and mother have donated a lot to this place."

Stella always looks happy after visiting from here and the animals here are also so many who need care, so I think it would not hurt to make a donation here. Aside from this one form of encouragement to Stella to be able to do the things she likes, the money I spend also has more benefits for moral activities.

Stella and I followed the girl into a sizable dog playroom. This is where I used to spend time with some puppies while waiting for Stella to finish other activities in another room. As a volunteer or volunteer, Stella used to be involved from bathing, feeding, to cleaning the animal enclosure here. That sounds exhausting, but for Stella it was a fun job as long as she could see a lot of cute animals.

I rubbed the head of the labrador dog sniffing my leg as Stella continued talking to the girl.

"I want to see the kittens."

"Bye, mom. It just so happens that today is their bath day, so again on all fresh. Let me take you."

Stella and the girl's voice slowly shrank as they moved away. The cat and dog playrooms are separated to prevent anyone from becoming aggressive with each other, so I don't have to worry about my cat's fur allergy while I wait here. I looked at the entire room, there was only one worker who was also cool to accompany the dogs to play. Oddly, usually every playtime, there will be two or three workers watching or taking care of these dogs.

A few minutes passed.

I didn't count how long it had been since Stella left, but the sound of footsteps from outside before it wasn't long before the open playroom door caught my ear. I suddenly looked up. There was a pair of men and women dressed in luxurious clothes and three guards who entered. Ah, so this is the important person they came in with. I didn't pay much attention to their faces and wasn't interested either so I continued to play with the two dogs in front of me.

"Sir Luiz?" The voice of the man calls me.

Hearing that, I looked up again. The man who was standing at the door was now walking towards me, I watched his face closely.

Uh.

I know him, he's one of the managers at my company. Mr. Russell. The man who had recently also been trying to get close to me after making a promotion raise request. His licking intent seemed too visible, I didn't like people like him. Besides, what was he doing in this simple animal shelter? I smelled a suspicious scent but still tried to return his greeting politely and also stood up.

"Sir Russell," I answered, watching him in a red suit wearing a full and neat scarf with his shiny shoes. Her hair was also polished with gel until it looked so greasy.

Gee. With all the activities and saliva of the dog that I will meet here, even I feel sultry and reluctant to wear my usual shirt and choose to wear a polo shirt that is more practical. Mr Russel, are you sure you didn't mistake this place for a party building that you should attend?

"I didn't know Mr. Luiz liked coming here either. My wife and I are interested in donating to animal shelters right now. Well, you know, we're gonna have to raise awareness with these unlucky animals, right, sir?"

"Hm."

"Oh, yes. This is my wife sir. Honey, this is Mr. Luiz, the director at the company I used to tell you about."

The woman who had been standing behind Mr. Russell came forward and appeared. Like her husband, she also wears the same luxurious clothes. I saw the chocolate blazer she was wearing, maybe she wanted to camouflage it to look like the dog in this place.

"Seline," said the woman, extending a hand. He smiled but also blinked his eyes so strangely. Maybe he has an eyeache because his false eyelashes are too heavy...?

"Luiz," I shook the woman's hand briefly.

I've had enough of Mr. Russell's behavior in the office, I don't have to face him here anymore. Instead I sit back and let them stand there. They came to do their social mission to help the animals here, didn't they? Then let them do that without my interruption.

I looked up at the workers standing near them. One of the meticulous workers immediately answered that question for me. I only come to play with these dogs once a week, how do I know their whole condition? So let the expert answer that question.

Other voices were heard from outside. This time from Stella and that working girl, they were laughing at something but I didn't know what it was about. Stella has changed clothes like she always does every time I come here. He did not want to be careless in the slightest and made the cat fur left on his clothes hit me so he always brought a change of clothes and washed his hands and feet before returning to this room. I felt that I had inconvenienced him for it, but he always said it was not a problem and kept asking me to play with the puppies here while waiting for his business to be done.

Stella picked up a pug dog that was running towards her and walked slowly towards me. Unknowingly, Stella was standing right next to Mr. Russell's wife. Without high heels, Stella looks much shorter than the woman. White t-shirts with flowers and yellow long skirts appear to be slammed when coupled with the eccentric clothes of the couple next to him.

"Luiz, look at this puppy. He ran to me right away" Stella exclaimed before stopping to say hello to Russell's partner, "Oh. Hello."

Mr. Russell—'s wife I forgot her name—s meekly when Stella's arm accidentally comes into contact with her arm. I squinted my eyes.

"Stella—"

"Hey, you, get us a picture. We need to capture this moment" Mr. Russell spontaneously interrupted me. He passed his cell phone to Stella who of course happily did as she was asked without feeling offended at all by Mr. Russell's call to her.

I frowned as I stood up, "Photo for what? No need."

"Ah, don't be so. It's a precious moment that marks our coalition as animal-watcher activists."

What coalition. I hinted Stella to stand next to me and she immediately switched positions.

"Hey, where are you going"

I cleared my throat, "Sir Russell, Miss Russell meet my wife Stella. Stella, Mr. Russell is the manager of my company and his wife."

"Oh hello, Mr. Russell, Ms. Russell," Stella reached out to the two men who were sculpting it. They glanced at each other before quickly shaking Stella's hand so enthusiastically.

"Good, daddy's wife? I could be unconscious. Hello, Miss Stella. Nice to meet you."

"H-hello Ma'am Stella."

I nodded, "You know how else. Mr. Russell's the only manager who didn't come to our wedding so you don't know my wife's face."

Mr. Russell's face paled. I'm just telling you the truth. A year ago, you didn't even bother to come to my invitation and now you're trying to find face to face for a promotion.

Mr. Russell laughed crisply, "Ah, is that sir? I was not feeling well at the time. Is that right, baby?"

"I-yes," Mr. Russell's wife nodded quickly, she pursed her lips as she rubbed her husband's arm, "It hurts so much she can't get up."

"It's a shame..."

I was about to turn to Stella, but Mr. Russell was still not done with his congor.

"That's it, sir. What if the father and wife had lunch with us to make up for that time? I heard there's a good restaurant around here. And, uh...and Bu Stella can also exchange numbers with my wife for—"

I exhaled and raised my hand, "Enough, Mr. Russell. Director's meeting is in a few days. If you still insist on doing all of this, I will be the one who will desperately defy your promotional request at that time."

The speech managed to silence and return Mr. Russell with his wife without much more talk. He apologized and promised not to bother me again at the office or outside the office. But of course, before I leave, I make sure they actually make the donation they promised to the animal shelter workers first.

Stella was too stunned at what happened to directly speak, but she looked at me curiously.

"...What's?" My toot.

"Luiz, you refused their lunch."

"..."

"Maybe Mr. Russell really knows a good place to eat around here that we don't know and want to treat us...? It's a pity to refuse the invitation to eat."

"Stella, if there's nothing else you have to do, we'll just go home."

That afternoon, before returning home, I brought Stella to eat at one of the restaurants that looked quite crowded. Many often mean delicious, right? So I booked a VIP spot there and how relieved I was once Stella said she liked the taste of her order chicken casserole and started eating voraciously. I myself watched him eat while chewing my ordered tortellini carbonara.

Honestly, for me what he made himself was still better. But if he really likes food here, I don't think coming here every once in a while is a bad idea.