“Thought you were planning on staying in there all day. Hate to break it to you, but you’re not going to be much help from inside your car.” Her judging eyes skate over my luxury SUV. Her tone implies she doesn’t think I’m going to be much help even if I make it inside.
“I just needed a minute.” I pass her the takeout tray of coffee. “Not sure what you like, so I got two Americano Mistos. One is soy milk, just in case you’re not into dairy.”
I can feel her eyes on my back as I head behind the car to pull my bags out of the trunk.
“Umm,” she says. “Thank you?”
The bag of cat food I bought is massive, so I sling that over my shoulder first, then grab the handled bags. I don’t feel like making a second trip, so I gather them all up, dividing them between my hands. The plastic bags dig into my palms.
“What did you do?” She’s eyeing my loaded arms as I hit the button to close the trunk.
“They had a notice on their website of what donations they need the most, so I hit the pet store to stock up.”
The snow crunches under my shoes, and I take my time, not wanting to slip on an invisible patch of ice.
“Oh. Well, that was nice of you.”
I shrug, and she falls into step beside me, finally getting over her surprise that I’m not a complete asshole.
“I was thinking maybe we could do a donation drive at one of our upcoming home games. Collect pet supplies and money donations for the shelter. Since we’re here today, maybe you can mention it in your video. I’m not sure of a date yet, but I sent the info to Sin. She’ll let us know when she can get it together. Theguys will definitely help gather and carry it over to the shelter.” Even if they all abandoned me today.
“That’s a fantastic idea.”
“Don’t sound so surprised, Wilder.” When I turn around, she’s contemplating the white cup clutched in her red-mittened hand.
“I’m not surprised. I just didn’t think you were an animal person. You didn’t sound all that enthusiastic when I told you the volunteer job was at a shelter. That’s all.”
“I don’t dislike animals. My sister Cece recently acquired a ferret and two guinea pigs. They’re growing on me. I just don’t particularly want one in my house. I don’t like mess.”
“Oh, but when they’re your pets, it’s not the same. You love them so much you don’t mind when they pee on your backpack. It’s the same thing everyone says about having kids. Even if you’re not really a kid person, you still love your own. Not so sure about that one, though. I’ll stick to cats for now.”
“Did you have any pets growing up?” They say you should get to know your enemy, and even though I’m starting to think she’s not quite an enemy, I’ll still be better off if I get to know her. Since we’ll be working so closely together this semester.
“We have two cats. Winchester and Castiel.”
“Supernatural fan?”
“Yes. One of my best friends in high school was obsessed with the Winchester brothers, and she dragged me along for the ride.” She turns around to study me again, but her eyes are softer this time. I’m starting to feel like some kind of zoo animal around her. Every time she looks at me, there’s confusion on her face. Like we’re not quite the same species, and she’s trying to figure me out. I feel the same way about her.
“Nice. My sister was into the graphic novels, so then she made me watch the show. It’s kind of our thing since I’m not so comic book obsessed as she is.”
“She’s into comic books, and she has fuzzy pets. Nice. She sounds cool. Are you sure she isn’t available to help me out here? It would be a win-win.”
“She would love that, but no, she’s pretty busy at the moment.” Spending time with my best friend. “Plus, she’s not on the hockey team, so I don’t think that would do anything for our public image.” Gotta bring her back to our purpose. Remind her why we’re here. This is all an illusion. A show we’re putting on for a potential donor. This personal talk is putting me off balance. I don’t know what I’ll do if my dislike softens to like. That, plus the physical attraction, would be a dangerous combination.
“Too bad.”
“Lulu! So good to see you.”
I’m kicking snow off my sneakers as a dark-haired guy steps over to give Wilder a hug. I glare at my feet. Should have worn boots. Icy snow crept down the sides, and now I’m stuck with frosty wet socks. Fantastic.
“And this must be Beauregard. Pleasure to meet you.”
Beauregard. Fuck. I can’t stand it when people use my full name. The guy is staring at me with an interest that’s a little too personal.
“Beau. Call me Beau.” I stick out a hand, shifting back on my heels before he pulls me in for a hug. He seems to pick up on my signals, grasping my palm in his for a firm shake. Hugs from strangers are not for me. Even handshakes are a struggle, but they’re unavoidable in the business world, so I’ve learned to tolerate them.
“I’m Damien, the founder, CEO, owner, and manager of this fine establishment. Welcome.”
