Charlotte takes Mano from me, but the cat seems to be in no mood to return to her owner. Instead, she jumps to the ground, and with her tail up in the air, she wanders off. I move to pick her up again, but Charlotte shakes her head. “It’s fine. All the doors are locked. She’s probably going to go into the back office to take a nap.”

It’s just the two of us now, and the silence that falls between us is awkward.

“So,” I begin, but Charlotte cuts me off.

“Are you really going to ...