He laughs, eyes gleaming with amusement. “I wiped it on the bottom sheet. Does that count?”
“Works for me.”
“So,” he begins, and my smile turns wry because I know what’s coming next. “We should probably?—”
His words are cut off by the thunder of feet up the stairs. We just manage to wipe ourselves cleanishwith Jerry’s underwear when the door bursts open and thirty kilograms of excited dog lands on the bed, worming her way between us.
“Jen,” Jerry admonishes softly. “You know you’re not allowed on the bed unless I say so.” He negates that by stroking her head and she grins lovingly at him.
“You know,” I say, scratching her ears, because she’s too adorable not to pet. “For a vet, your animals are a little unruly.”
Kyla chooses that moment to jump up and proceeds to walk onto Jerry’s pillow, turn around a few times, then settle herself in the crook of his neck. Can’t say as I blame her.
Jerry peers over the top of her and with a straight face says. “I have no idea what you mean.”
I wait a few seconds wondering if Frank will make an appearance and feel a mixture of disappointed and sad when he doesn’t show. I don’t like the idea of him sitting somewhere allalone while we’re in here. I mean, I’m sure he probably doesn’t give a shit, and I’m worrying over nothing, but it doesn’t stop me from reaching a hand out from under the quilt, rubbing my fingers together and clicking my tongue.
“What are you doing?” Jerry’s watching me with amusement that he doesn’t even try to hide.
“I’m calling Frank. Obviously.”
“Ahh. I have no idea why I didn’t get that straight away.”
I’m vindicated about thirty seconds later when there’s a loud meow and then Frank jumps up on the bed. He stops mid-stride, one paw in mid-air, and surveys the scene in front of him. With a feline huff, he settles down where he is at our feet and faces the other way.
Jerry sniggers. “I guess he’s not impressed.”
“I guess not.” But he’s here and that’s the main thing. I’m not sure why I feel better with my cat on the bed with us, but I do. It’s like we’ve got all the family here now, which sounds ridiculous—believe me I know. And I would never say that out loud, but the feeling’s there nevertheless.
I look back at Jerry and we stare at each other for long seconds. As much as I’d like to remain in this bubble, the real world will intrude soon enough. “What were you going to say before you were interrupted?”
Jerry sighs, but his smile is that small private one and any nerves I had about this conversation disappear. “I guess we need to talk,” he says, then adds, “But I don’t think we need to make a big deal of this.”
“Neither do I.”
He reaches around Jen and twines his fingers with mine. “I know you’re not looking to start a relationship right now. You’ve just started your new job, and you have your house to sell.”
“And I need to look for somewhere new,” I add because I don’t want him to think I’ve forgotten I’m only here temporarily.
He frowns for a second, then just as quickly it’s gone. “Yeah, that too.” He squeezes my fingers. “I don’t know about you, but I’d like to do that again.”
I swallow. “So would I.”
His smile is back. “I don’t think we need to label what this is, do we?”
“What do you mean?”
He scrunches his nose. “I don’t like the sound of friends with benefits. It’s sounds so transactional. I thought maybe while you’re here and we both want to, we could keep doing this and leave it at that.”
“And when I leave?” I don’t like thinking about that while we’re tucked up in bed like this, but it will happen and I’d rather we talk about it now rather than later.
Jerry shrugs a shoulder, stopping halfway when Kyla grumbles. “I guess we discuss that when the time comes.”
Sounds fair enough.
“I think,” he says, squeezing my fingers again. “As long as we talk to each other, it’ll work out.”
“I think so too.”
