Dennis Gomi stopped in the middle of the cubicle aisle, staring at what he swore was the 10th black cat he had seen cross him that day. The cat paid him no mind as it strolled from one empty cubicle to another, sniffing loudly at the furniture left behind before proceeding to the next tiny work space. He followed, taking a sip of his coffee with shaky hands until it walked into a cubicle. When he looked in, he found nine other cats meandering around the empty cubicle’s desk or peeking out of the drawers. They all stared at him with big, wide eyes. The one that he had been following walked to the desk, turned around, and neatly sat down with its tail curled around itself. It raised its paw at a chair set off to the side.

    “Hello, Mr. Gomi. Please, have a seat,” the cat said, its gaze laser focused on the man. Dennis didn’t know what to do. He thought that perhaps the stress from endless looming deadlines and overconsumption of coffee to compensate for his lack of sleep had caused him to imagine all of this. But, the voice was so distinct and clearly came from the cat. Wanting to decide if this was a hallucination or not, he set his coffee mug down on a file cabinet and walked in, taking a seat on the floor in front of the cat. Surely, if this was something from his mind and he was aware of it now, then simply being aware would prevent the hallucinations from happening, right?

    “You don’t have to sit on the floor as we do, Mr. Gomi. Please, take the chair. We procured it, special, for you.” The talking cat elegantly tiptoed to the chair on the side of the cubicle and rubbed its body against it. Dennis walked over, creeped out by the nine other cats that stared at him. But the moment that he sat down all nine cats got out of their positions and rubbed their bodies against the other things around the cubicle, marking them as theirs. The talking cat jumped onto the desk in front of Dennis and began cleaning itself.

    “I’m sorry that it has come to this, Mr. Gomi,” he said in between changing spots to lick. “My associates here tried to get into contact with you, but it seems that you ignored their calls. So, I’ve had to come into the picture.” The cat said, now biting its claws.

    “What’s happening? Am I imagining all of this? Who are you? What do you want?” Dennis asked.

    The cat continued its gnawing. “We are Club 10, a magic organization that deals specifically in gambling rings, as humans like to call them. There’s currently a bet on you, Mr. Gomi, that says you are going to die in a few hours from a combination of fatigue and a caffeine overdose. Because the method of death is so rare and, frankly quite silly, the stakes are rather high. So, what we would like to do, as we know many of our associates are doing, is tip the scales in our favor.” The cat abruptly stops, looks up, and straightens itself into a proper sitting position.

    Dennis glanced at his mug of coffee on top of the file cabinet. Steam was still rising from it.. He couldn’t believe what the cat just said. He didn’t even like coffee, it just became a necessity for work. “Are you saying I’m going to die?” 

    “Well, all things on Earth die, don’t they? I’m telling you that if you help us then you won’t die from fatigue and a caffeine overdose. And all you have to do is abstain from anything caffeinated for the next 24 hours. Doable for a smart working man such as yourself, right?” The cat said. Dennis swore that he saw a smile flash for a second.

    The cats gathered in a circle around Dennis and began grooming themselves as well. Dennis watched them with wide eyes, trying to determine if this was real or not. He thought about how he couldn’t sleep for longer than an hour last night. The possibility of this being a hallucination became more real to him. It made him laugh and he thought that perhaps playing along with it would make the hallucination go away faster. He started thinking about what magical creatures could gain from something as mundane as his life. Surely nothing extravagant, perhaps a share of food or an entertaining yarn ball. Whatever it was that they might want, he decided that they would get it. He shrugged and reached out his hand for a handshake, thinking that it would be better to stay away from caffeine not only for 24 hours, but for a while if he was going to have visions like this.

    The lead cat looked at his hand and then walked around to the cubicle wall touching the back of the desk. “We’ll be in touch soon, Mr. Gomi. Wherever it may be, well, it’s not required, but we consider it good manners and generally considerate to have food on hand for guests.” 

    They all lined up with the lead cat taking up the rear and bopped their heads against the wall. The cubicle wall distorted with each head bop, the carpeted wall made ripples as if a stone had been thrown in water, and they disappeared. Before the talking cat could walk away, Dennis called out, wanting to really fulfill what the hallucination wanted.

    “Wait. What’s your name?” He asked. The cat looked back and stared at him for a second, as if it were contemplating what to say.

    “You may call me Frank, Mr. Gomi. I look forward to working with you,” Frank said and disappeared into the wall.

    One of Dennis’ bosses walked by and glared at him with angry eyes. “Hey, I know this is your first major deadline time crunch, but stop sitting around and being dead weight to the team.” 

    Dennis apologized and grabbed his mug. It had lost its steam and was only lukewarm now. His boss raised his eyebrow questioningly and Mr. Gomi looked down at the coffee, contemplating Frank’s words again.

    “I just need to throw this out. I think it went bad,” he said.

----

    When Mr. Gomi returned to his desk, his mind was everywhere, jumping from the deadlines at work, to the wager brought up by Club 10, to wondering if he would make rent his month, to what he could afford to eat for dinner that night, to if he should plan to be at work tomorrow. He peeked up from his cubicle and looked around, seeing if everyone else was just as exhausted as he was. Their eyes were laser focused, darting from paperwork to the computer screen. It was quiet in the office, the sound of typing, whispers, and telephones ringing the only sounds around the office. They didn’t help calm him down or focus on anything specific. 

    His cubicle neighbor, Melanie, poked her head out from the top of the wall.

    “Mr. Gomi. Want to go grab some celebratory drinks after work with us?” She asked in her monotone voice. He could feel his breathing and opened his mouth to respond. But he heard Frank in his head.

    Just make sure it’s not coffee, Mr. Gomi, he said.

   Dennis blinked at Melanie. “To a bar? For alcohol?”

    She nodded her head with a blank face.

    “Yeah. Yeah, sure. I could use a little relaxation time.” He nodded his head and smiled at her. She returned the nod before sinking back behind the wall. 

    He went back to work, a little more focused, happy that Melanie spoke to him. She’s always been a little aloof toward him, but her presence has been a comfort to him. She was his mentor when he started a year ago. She had shown him how to use the systems at work, what the bosses liked to see on their reports, and which people you can report problems to with no trouble. And despite having a rigid personality that stuck with the same rituals, she accepted him into her closer circle of relationships. So, he didn’t need to worry about office politics or relationships much because she always had his back.

    Dennis typed away on his computer, finishing the previous day’s reports and numbers so he could start today’s work. The numbers and words all blurred together and before he knew it, the work day was nearly over. He didn’t even remember if he took a lunch break or not. But after reviewing his work, he found that he only needed to review his work to make sure it was correct.

    With nearly 10 out of 24 hours done, he felt much better about his hallucinatory Club 10 and their otherworldly bet about his death. He didn’t touch a drop of coffee, though it was difficult to stay awake now that he had nothing else to focus on. The day conveniently flew by as if time didn’t exist anymore. But now that he became aware of the time, he was glad and he looked forward to going out with his coworkers for a drink. It had been a while since he’d been out, what with the company’s expectation of always needing to be ready to come in.

    A few of his coworkers were getting ready to leave a little bit early. “Hey, we’ll meet you two over at the bar. Dennis, you know where we’re going right?” One of them called out.

    He thought about it and realized that he had no idea where they’re going. But before he could respond, the supervisor from before yelled, “It’s okay, Melanie will show you. We’ll meet you both there, alright? But finish your work!” They all got into the elevator, giggling, a few of them whispering, and others looking embarrassed as the door closed. Mr. Gomi shrugged and continued his work, catching a brief glance of Melanie quickly lowering her head behind the cubicle wall.

    “Sorry to make you wait, Melanie. I just got one more thing to do,” Dennis told her. She didn’t respond as usual, so Dennis went about his review. When he was done auditing his work, he shut his computer off and stood up and looked at Melanie. She was asleep. He called out to her and she was startled awake.

    “Oh. Let’s get going,” she said, fixing her hair and hurriedly gathering her bag and belongings. 

    “Sorry to make you wait so long. Today has been a little bit strange,” he said and walked out to meet her on the other side of their cubicles. She straightened out her skirt and looked at him.

    “It’s fine. I know your work is important,” she said plainly and led the way to the elevator. Dennis followed, slowing his usual walk down to match her speed.

    “Well, I don’t think the work is so much important as it is to keep the job, you know?” He let out a tired laugh. She nodded her head, keeping her gaze straight forward on the elevator doors. She pushed the button and they waited in silence. Dennis didn’t think much of her quiet demeanor or aloofness, but Frank’s voice popped up in his head again.

    What a nice young lady. You know, we hope that you have a really great time with her and your coworkers tonight. You should be merry, after all. You won’t be dying from caffeine tonight! He said.

    Dennis quietly nodded his head in agreement and smiled. The elevator doors dinged open and Melanie walked in first, waiting until he got in before pushing the button to the lobby. She continued looking straight ahead, as if avoiding him completely and letting the silence ring loud. Or maybe he just felt her usual silence even more because he hadn’t had his usual coffee. But he decided not to leave anything to chance. After all, if he did something to upset her, he wanted to know so he could find a way to rectify it.

    “You’re a little more quiet than usual, Melanie. Everything okay?” Dennis asked.

    “Yes. Just… a lot of stuff piled on today.” She said without looking at him. He wondered if he did or didn’t do something to make her a little more distant. Then, he remembered that he didn’t bring her a cup of coffee, one of their morning rituals. Or rather, they didn’t share their morning cup of coffee. He had been so preoccupied with Club 10 that he had thrown away her half and just started work. But he knew better than to bring it up.

    So, they stood in silence, Dennis wondering what was going through Melanie’s head. When the doors opened they walked out into the busy street and toward a row of bars and restaurants until they arrived in the back alley where an unmarked door was hidden away. Despite its secretive entrance, it was busy. Fortunately, they were able to find their coworkers seated at a large table near the back. They waved them over and they sat in the two vacant seats side by side. Dennis set his briefcase down and looked at the beers that they’d already poured for them. Then he looked over to Melanie. She didn’t return his gaze and instead whispered to the woman he knew as her best friend, Kelly. Both of them smiled as they talked.

    “Dennis! Thanks for all of your hard work!” One of his coworkers slapped him on the back and continued, “we know that it’s been a nightmare the past few days with the deadlines and dry spell of ideas of how to pull our department out of the red, but it’s all thanks to you and your crazy plans in those late nights and early mornings! We were all wondering if you ever got any rest!” His coworker held out his own glass of beer out for a toast. Others that he barely recognized also held out their glasses.

    This was the first time that he had been recognized by his coworkers for anything. Dennis nodded and clinked his own glass of beer against the man’s. They took a long gulp before the man returned to talking to others around the table. Dennis looked back to Melanie, wanting to chat with her. He noticed that her glass of beer was empty now, not even within two minutes of entering the bar. It surprised Dennis - she normally nursed a beer or cocktail throughout a night of drinking. Her back was turned to him now and she was now engaged in a conversation with another group of women who he doesn’t recognize from their department. He wondered if she was really that mad at him over her missed coffee. But knew that bringing it up would probably spell more trouble than anything and spoil the mood for everyone else.

    He downed the rest of his beer, deciding that he would get drunk tonight and deal with it tomorrow. His coworkers were quick to pour him another, big smiles on their faces. They all laughed and he felt a bit uncomfortable with everyone staring at him. But he guessed that they were beginning to see him less as the new guy and more as a regular part of the team. They all called out another round of cheers and everyone at the table downed their drink. Right after stealing a glance at Melanie, he noticed that his mug had been refilled and his boss was loudly ordering another round for the entire table. Another one of his coworkers that he recognized but didn’t know very well came from nowhere and held out his glass for a toast. Dennis, not wanting to disrespect anyone or cause any tension, clinked his glass against the man’s and downed a third mug of beer. After a quick refill, his boss slapped Dennis on the back and proposed a fourth drink, for his newfound dedication to the company and his work family. When he pulled the empty glass from his lips, Dennis noticed that his measurement of time was replaced by the chatter, laughter, and hollering inside of the bar. Then, he heard Frank laugh and speak.

    Yes, Mr. Gomi. Drink to your heart’s content. Caffeine only brings the stress of living with it, while alcohol brings along joy! Celebrate your life now with yet another one.

    So, Dennis drank in agreement with Frank. He decided then and there that even if Frank was a hallucination, he would no longer rely on caffeine to stay up because it only kept him up with his anxiety and stress longer than he wanted to be. And for this night, at least, he decided that he would drink more alcohol and be merry with the people who he had toiled with. A clarity hit him that he resolved was because of the alcohol. So, he began proposing his own toasts and clinking glasses with everyone who gladly accepted. 

    But despite this determination to stay merry for the night, he stole glances at Melanie more than a few times, trying to see if there was anything he could do to rectify his error earlier in the day. But she had the same serious look on her face that she’d had when they left the office which he interpreted as a desire to be left to her own conversations without him. In fact, he became so focused on trying to think of a way to apologize that he didn’t notice that it was only him, Melanie and a few of the others left at the table. After realizing the fun had been wisped away into the night, they all drunkenly walked out of the bar, their coats and briefcases and bags knocking around into the chairs and tables on their way out. Kelly and Melanie went off to the side, both red as tomatoes and still whispering to one another. Then, quite suddenly, Kelly put her hands on Melanie’s shoulders, stared into her eyes, then nodded. Kelly laughed and Melanie looked into nothingness with her eyes wide open. It was difficult to tell, but Dennis thought that she looked a little distressed.

    “Dennis! I have to go rescue a friend in another part of town, so I can’t walk Melanie home. Can you please take her to her apartment? It’s not a far walk, right?” Kelly said confidently. Melanie nodded and Dennis immediately thought to himself that he could apologize to her since they would be alone. So, he agreed, already feeling a wave of relief. Everyone else parted ways, giggling and whispering and looking back at Dennis and Melanie who waved goodbye to them as they disappeared into the thinning crowds of the city.

    When they were out of sight, Melanie abruptly walked in the opposite direction. Dennis ran after her, almost stumbling over his own feet and struggling to keep up with her as she weaved around crowds and light poles and leaflet handlers. Unfortunately, he could never keep up long enough to make an attempt at an apology. But eventually, she stopped in front of a skyscraper surrounded by a decorative iron fence and fumbled with her purse. Dennis felt a little more sober with all of the focusing and having to keep what felt like a jogging pace to keep up. His sense of time came back into thought and he realized that he was trying to keep up for 15 minutes. He didn’t quite know how to say it, but knew that right now was his last chance to say anything.

    “Hey, Melanie. I’m sorry about forgetting your coffee this morning. I know it’s a part of your daily routine,” he abruptly said. She looked up at him, and he noticed that was swaying a little bit from side to side. She shook her head.

    “It’s okay. I actually forgot about that,” she admitted. He was surprised. A disruption to her schedule was the only thing that he could think of that might make her as cold as she had been all night.

    “Then how come it feels like you’ve been avoiding me all night?”

    She looked at him and her lips formed into a shaky smile, as if there are words that are trying to escape her mouth and her last defense is that smile of hers.

    “Mr. Gomi… Dennis. May I tell you something?” She asked.

    In an instant, he knew what was happening, but he never really thought about it before. Him and Melanie were coworkers, maybe friends at most and that was all, right? He wouldn’t know what to say or how to respond and couldn’t think straight. He just knew that he didn’t want to say something that would regret. His mind reached at the only thing it could and he asked Frank for advice.

    What do you think I should do, Frank? He thought to himself. But there was only silence. In a quiet panic, he nodded his head.

    “I think that I may like you, but I’m unsure, I do find myself staring in your direction when you walk in, looking at the clock and wondering how early you’ll be that morning, and recalling the smell of the coffee from the previous morning and looking forward to getting another cup from you.” She said it all in one breath. Her eyes widened and focused on Dennis, now giggling while her eyes teared up. It’s the most emotional that he’s ever seen her.

    “I had no idea,” he said, sobering up and fumbling for what to say. Then, he did the only thing he could think of. “I don’t think I’m in the right state of mind to give you a proper response. I know that it might not be ideal for you, but can you give me some time to give you a proper answer?” He asked. She looked disappointed, but she met his gaze with her confused and bewildered one.

    “How about tomorrow? We can meet up for coffee. Around 12?” She suggested. He thought how many hours that was since Frank’s declaration and realized that it would be well after the estimation of Club 10’s associates’ time of death estimation. A wave of relief and joy washes over him and he nodded his head vigorously, suddenly energized by the thought of meeting Melanie outside of work and continuing to be alive.

    “That works for me!” He said and hugged her tight. She was taken aback and he felt her reluctantly wrap her arms around him. He didn’t know if it was his or her heart he could feel beating, but he felt an excitement that he hadn’t felt before. He pulled away and gave her a big smile before she looked at him with a happy expression that he’d never seen on her. She gave him a quick wave and rushed through the gate and into the apartment building. Dennis was overjoyed and wanted to yell out into the night.

    This is cause for celebration, Mr. Gomi. Why not enjoy another drink before you head to bed? Frank said. His voice was enticing, or maybe he was so enamored with the feeling of being drunk and being confessed to that the other stresses of life being pushed aside for a moment. So, he nodded his head and walked into a convenience store and bought a big bottle of beer. He drank it in the street as he walked home, noticing that it had a vague metallic aftertaste. Despite this, he continued to drink and his thoughts and emotions swirled together in a fabulous whirlwind of dizziness in his head. After downing more than half of the bottle, his legs moved on their own. When he felt himself blink, he saw that he was walking through an alley and tilting the bottle for the last sips of the bottle. He heard Frank giggle and swore he could hear the other nine members of Club 10 snickering. When he blinked again, he was at the crosswalk in front of his house. 

The few people around were minding their own business, chatting and clinging on to one another. Dennis thought about how he might be like them soon and tried taking another drink from the empty bottle. Frank and Club 10’s quiet giggling turned into laughter and Dennis smiled to himself. This was the best that he’d ever felt in a long time. His legs moved into the crosswalk and for a second he felt unstoppable. 

Frank and Club 10’s laughter grew louder and soon Dennis was laughing with them. But, the joy that he felt was abruptly halted by an angry horn roaring at him. He felt something slam into him. His vision tumbled around and around and he felt a repeated sharpness against all around his skin as he rolled onto the asphalt. When the rolling stopped, he felt a warm liquid streaming down the side of his head. The only thing he could determine was that he was on the street.

    Then, he didn’t feel anything. He tried tasting a warm liquid that was in his mouth and it tasted familiar. Then, he realized that he’d already finished his beer, so he was tasting something else. He tried to smell, but the crisp night air was replaced by the smell of iron. And when he turned his head to look at the people running at him. Their mouths were clearly moving, but he heard nothing. And then they became blurry and distorted. He thought of how he was going to miss his coffee date with Melanie. A small part of him knew that he should be panicking, but another part of him found that sleep was more comfortable.