Diane smiled. “I did catch part of that. He apologized, didn’t he?”
Given that his apology had involved sex in the closet, Lauren pressed her lips together so as not to give anything away. She felt her face heating anyway. “He did,” she said, hoping she sounded noncommittal.
“He’s really sweet with animals,” said Diane. “I guess that’s his type. Good with animals, terrible with humans.”
“It’s not that, exactly,” said Lauren.
Diane and Page both turned to look right at her.
Lauren sighed. “He just rubs me the wrong way, is all.” Or he rubbed her in all the right ways, which was becoming more of an issue as time went on. Surely this enemies-with-benefits situation had an expiration date. In no way was it sustainable. And the minute Caleb met some woman he did actually like and want to spend time with, this whole thing was over.
“You may yet make it work,” said Diane.
“You and Evan are both crazy,” said Lauren.
Diane smiled. “Love and hate are just different sides of the same coin. And it’s not hard at all to flip a coin over.”
Lauren sighed. “Trust me, there’s no future for me and Caleb.”
“They’re on a first-name basis,” Paige whisper-shouted to Diane.
“I noticed.” But perhaps Diane recognized further pushing was futile, because her next question was, “And how are things with you, Paige?”
Paige laughed. “Well, if it’s true a girl has to kiss a lot of frogs before finding her prince, I’m in luck, because all the dating apps are sending my way are frogs lately.” She held up her phone. “Maybe I’m too old for dating apps. I mean, fond as I am of these hipster boys who know a lot about craft beer and kinds of avocados but can’t balance a checkbook.”
“There’s more than one kind of avocado?” asked Diane.
Paige looked forlornly at her phone. “Aside from the internet, how do people even meet anymore?”
“Well, in my day, people met in person and looked at their phones much less. Were there no eligible bachelors at the adoption party last night?”
Paige frowned. “Not really, no.”
“What about that Mitch fellow who runs the rescue organization?”
“He’s nice, but not at all my type. Also, like, fifteen years older than I am.”
“So dating is going well,” Lauren said.
Paige laughed. “I’m not trying to be picky, I just haven’t met anyone worthy of a second date in a while. But my prince is out there somewhere.”
“It’s good that you haven’t given up hope, dear.” Diane patted her knee.
Theunlike Laurenwas implied.
***
Olivia walked in with a cup of coffee and a grimace. Caleb sat at the front desk, updating charts while Rachel was at lunch, and he found Olivia’s expression alarming.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“I saw Diane at the Cat Café.”
“Diane…?”
“She owns the building. So she’s our landlord, but she basically lets us operate without interference.”
“Okay.”
