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