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Tom Kazansky had led squadrons, survived impossible missions, and endured decades of military meetings.
None of that had prepared him for Oreo.
The tiny black-and-white kitten had only been living in his house for three weeks.
Three weeks.
And he already acted like he owned the place.
“You are not allowed on the desk during meetings,” Tom informed him one morning.
Oreo blinked.
Then sat directly on the laptop keyboard.
Tom sighed.
That should have been a warning.
It wasn’t.
It was only the beginning.
⸻
The first important video call happened on a Monday.
Tom was meeting with several high-ranking officers.
His camera was on.
His uniform was immaculate.
His expression was serious.
Everything was going perfectly.
Until a tail appeared.
A small black-and-white tail slowly crossed in front of the camera.
Tom saw it.
He tried to ignore it.
Everyone else saw it too.
One admiral raised an eyebrow.
“Kazansky… do you have company?”
Tom closed his eyes for a brief second.
“The cat.”
“Oh.”
As if that explained everything.
Oreo chose that moment to climb onto Tom’s shoulder.
In full view of the entire meeting.
⸻
After that, Tom decided to keep the office door closed.
Problem solved.
Or so he thought.
Two days later he was participating in another meeting.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Then he heard a sound.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Tom tried to focus.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Several people on the call began looking around.
“Does anyone else hear that?”
“Yes.”
“Sounds like someone scratching a door.”
Tom already knew who it was.
Oreo.
Of course.
The kitten spent ten straight minutes trying to open the door.
Ten.
Whole.
Minutes.
Then somehow he succeeded.
Tom still had no idea how.
The door slowly swung open.
And Oreo walked inside with all the dignity in the world.
As though he had been invited.
⸻
The third incident was worse.
Much worse.
Because Maverick was involved.
⸻
Pete had come over to visit.
Oreo adored Maverick.
Possibly too much.
Whenever Pete showed up, the kitten completely forgot that anyone else existed.
Tom was in the middle of an important video conference when he heard laughter from the kitchen.
He ignored it.
A mistake.
Seconds later Maverick appeared behind him carrying Oreo.
“Look who found a feather.”
Tom felt every participant on the call staring.
Pete finally looked up.
“Oh.”
Tom stared back.
Pete smiled.
“Hi.”
“Pete.”
“Yeah?”
“Out.”
“Yes, sir.”
Before leaving, however, Oreo stretched out a paw and smacked the microphone.
The entire meeting heard a loud, offended meow.
⸻
Things got worse when Oreo discovered the screen.
⸻
Tom was explaining something complicated.
Charts.
Data.
Planning details.
Everything was professional.
Then the kitten jumped onto the desk.
He walked directly in front of the camera.
And stopped.
He stared at the faces on the screen.
Absolutely fascinated.
One officer waved.
Oreo raised a paw.
As if waving back.
Several people laughed.
Tom rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Please ignore him.”
“We can’t.”
“He’s staring directly at the admiral.”
“I know.”
“I think he’s judging him.”
Tom glanced at Oreo.
The kitten was indeed staring very seriously.
“Yes,” Tom admitted. “He probably is.”
⸻
After that, Oreo developed a routine.
He waited.
Watched.
And the moment he heard:
“Good morning, everyone…”
He attacked.
⸻
It didn’t matter where he was.
He always appeared.
Like a force of nature.
Once he emerged from beneath the desk.
Another time he descended from a bookshelf.
Once he somehow materialized behind the monitor.
Tom never figured out how.
⸻
The worst incident happened during an international conference.
The most important meeting of the month.
⸻
Tom had spent days preparing.
Everything was ready.
Documents organized.
Presentation polished.
Nothing could go wrong.
Nothing.
Or so he believed.
Because Oreo had other plans.
⸻
The meeting had been underway for fifteen minutes when Tom noticed movement.
Too late.
Oreo launched himself onto the desk.
Knocked over a pen.
Sent several papers sliding.
And landed directly in front of the camera.
The entire screen filled with kitten.
Pink nose.
Whiskers.
Huge curious eyes.
Every participant vanished from view.
All anyone could see was Oreo.
Enormous.
Tom heard laughter erupting through the speakers.
“Well.”
“I think we’ve met the real boss.”
“He’s adorable.”
Tom reached to move him.
Oreo responded by lying down.
Directly on the keyboard.
⸻
The presentation closed instantly.
⸻
Tom sat in silence.
Across the room, Pete laughed so hard he nearly fell off the couch.
“Don’t.”
“I tried.”
“Pete.”
“I really tried.”
⸻
To Tom’s surprise, nobody seemed annoyed.
In fact, the opposite happened.
⸻
Several weeks later, during another meeting, a colonel asked:
“Where’s Oreo?”
Tom blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“The cat.”
“What about him?”
“He hasn’t shown up yet.”
Others nodded.
“That’s true.”
“He usually interrupts something by now.”
“Is he okay?”
Tom stared at the screen.
In disbelief.
These people were asking about the cat.
During an official meeting.
⸻
That evening he told Pete.
Pete nearly choked on his coffee.
“They asked about Oreo?”
“Yes.”
“That is amazing.”
“It’s ridiculous.”
“They love him.”
Tom glanced toward the couch.
Oreo was asleep on his back.
Completely relaxed.
Not a single worry in the world.
⸻
The next meeting answered everyone’s questions.
⸻
Tom was speaking when a small head appeared in his lap.
Oreo.
Sleepy.
Freshly awake.
The kitten yawned.
Curled up.
And immediately fell asleep again.
Right in front of the camera.
⸻
The reaction was immediate.
“There he is!”
“Hi, Oreo.”
“He looks tired.”
“Rough week?”
Tom couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Yet a small smile appeared on his face.
⸻
When the meeting finally ended, Tom looked down at the kitten sleeping peacefully in his lap.
Oreo opened one eye.
Let out a tiny meow.
Then closed it again.
Pete appeared in the doorway.
“Successful meeting?”
“Depends on your definition.”
“Did Oreo participate?”
“As always.”
Pete grinned.
“Then it was a success.”
Tom looked back at the little intruder.
The kitten had taken over his office.
His meetings.
His routine.
And, if he was being completely honest…
His heart too.
Oreo answered with a sleepy purr.
As if he had known that all along.