every neighborhood has one animal that somehow becomes everybody’s friend
on this block
it’s pepito
the shop cat at misfit beauty
i don’t think he takes a paycheck
not officially, anyhow
he just wanders the salon like he’s the one who signed the lease
curious about everyone who walks through the door
greeting regulars like they’ve been expected
investigating bags
sniffing shoes
skittering after a toy on the hardwood floor
making sure every new face gets a proper inspection
don’t be surprised if he hops right into your chair while Mickey is cutting your hair
like he’s there to supervise
nobody seems to mind
if anything
it makes the appointment feel less like an errand
and even more like stopping by a friend’s house
outside
salem keeps moving
traffic rolls by
phones buzz
people hurry to the next thing
inside
pepito has his own schedule
one minute he’s chasing a sunbeam across the floor
the next he’s curled up beside someone who didn’t know they needed a cat in their lap today
every town needs places with personality
the kind you remember long after the haircut grows out
sometimes that personality is a great stylist
sometimes
it’s a friendly gray tabby who thinks every customer came to see him
and honestly
he might be right
#thegleest #salemva #misfitbeauty #pepito #shopcat
