She set her glass in the sink. “Oh, honey, you don’t have to worry about me. I could have slept on the couch. This is your house.”
After getting a drink of water, I searched our food cabinet with apprehension. “Do you like oatmeal?”
She hooked her arm in mine. “I like sausages and pancakes much better. It’s early. Let’s have breakfast out this morning. It’s going to be a beautiful day, and I think it’ll be fun to help you with the store.”
“That’s sweet, but you can just drop me off. It’ll be boring around there.”
She flashed a bright smile and ushered me out of the kitchen. “Nonsense. I’d to love help however I can. Besides, breakfast is on me. You’ll need all the energy you can get with a busy day ahead.”
I gave a downhearted smile as we gathered our purses and keys. “I’m sorry you had to be the one to stay here.”
“Well, I, for one, am not. It’s lovely to escape and do something different. We had such a good time the other day, so I’m excited to be here and get to know you better.” After slipping on her shoes, she opened the door. “Breakfast awaits!”
Breakfast awaited,all right. I’d never eaten so much in all my life.
Joy insisted on treating and told me to order anything I wanted. While we didn’t have any diners nearby, Dragonfly’s never closed. I’d never been, and it was very quiet, which I preferred. Joy ordered sausages, a tall stack of pancakes, and fresh cantaloupe on the side.
Stomach full, I sat back and stared at my empty plate.
“Isn’t a big breakfast the absolute best?” She tapped her lavender fingernail against a glass. “How was your french toast?”
“Divine. I can’t get over how thick the bread was. And the bacon was exactly the way I like it.”
She winked. “There’s always room for more.”
“No!” I laughed when I realized she was only teasing.
“Our inner animals know where to put it,” she said around a mouthful of cantaloupe. “Trust me. Mine likes to eat like a horse.”
I chuckled. “Did I ever mention what my animal is?”
Joy paled, and her eyes turned saucer wide. “I didn’t mean to be offensive.”
“It’s okay.”
Our conversation had been light but interesting. Joy reminisced over her worldly travels and exploits across the globe. I didn’t have captivating stories to entertain her with, but she listened in earnest when I spoke about my childhood home, our flower garden, and some of the adventures I had while exploring the city. Since we hadn’t owned a large piece of land, I’d always had to shift in the backyard. My mare had never been free to roam. And that applied even now.
Joy glanced around. “This is the first time I’ve been here without the pack, and we’ve never come for breakfast. We shoulddo this more often. It’s peaceful at this hour. We could get the girls together and have breakfast once a week. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
I soaked in the opulence of the underground restaurant. A stucco wall with high archways ran through the center of the gold room. Wood flooring, pendant lights, leather seating—it was like something out of one of my romance novels. Some of the booths along the wall offered privacy because they were inside faux gold carriages. Joy and I had chosen a regular booth in the back.
“I can only imagine what it looks like at night,” I said in awe.
“They light candles and dim the lights. It’s stunning, and the music is soft. But the other rooms are loud and the customers obnoxious. That’s why I prefer going to the Rabbit Lounge, but only during their lunch hour since the evening crowd is too rowdy.” Joy wiped her mouth. “We should get going so you’re not late for your grand opening.”
As she searched for the waiter, a scruffy man chewing on a cigar approached the table.
He placed his fingertips on the edge and half smiled. “What are you dolls doing in here at this unseemly hour?”
“Having a private business meeting,” Joy replied. “If you don’t mind…”
He cackled. “Business meeting, huh? I don’t recall seeing either of you around here before. Are you new in town?” He flattened his hands on the table and leaned in, smelling like old cigars and bad cologne. “If you want to make dough, I need girls for a lucrative business I’m starting up. Excellent pay.”
“I’m sure,” Joy said with derision.
“What’s your Breed?”
“I’m asking you to leave.”
