Sawyer would love this. She’d been asking for a puppy for years, but Cheryl claimed to be allergic and refused all pets. I’d planned on getting Sawyer a pet at some point, but not right now. I’d barely finished unpacking.
I closed the door to the mudroom and went upstairs, thinking about the dog. I wouldn’t have time to take him into the shelter before work, so I’d have to call on my break.
The stores wouldn’t be open when I needed to leave for work, so as I laid in bed, I Googled human foods safe for dogs. Normally, I grabbed a bagel on my way into work, but it looked like tomorrow I’d be making scrambled eggs and oatmeal.
5
Sweet Addiction
Gwen
At noon on Tuesday, I glanced up when I saw movement through the office doors. Alaric stood on the sidewalk with his phone to his ear. I was just about to dive into my lunch but seeing him made me want to go get a sub just so I had an excuse to run into him.
Shoving my homemade sandwich into the bottom drawer of my desk, I picked up my purse and phone. I’d been shamelessly waiting for another opportunity to talk to him, and I wasn’t about to waste this one.
Alaric had his back to the doors, and he didn’t hear me as I slipped out, catching the tail end of his conversation. “Okay, I’ll give that a try next. Thanks.”
Sliding his phone into the back pocket of his work pants, he turned, about to head back into the shop, and caught sight of me.
I smiled, slowing my jaunt. “Oh, hi Alaric.”
“Hey.” His eyes seemed to be tracing the shape of my lips. He cleared his throat, looking conflicted.
“Everything all right?” I asked, tilting my head, hoping his discord had something to do with the wanton way his gaze swept over my hips. It was a beautiful May morning, and I was feeling pretty in a peppy little dress. It was black with tiny white dots, with a bow that tied the slit from my neck to my collarbone together.
“Yeah,” he replied, seeming to stand taller. “I’ve got to get back to work though.”
“Right. I need to get lunch. See you around,” I said, brushing past him on my way to my car. His head turned as I moved by him.
“Gwen,” he said, and I halted, pivoting to face him. “You wouldn’t happen to know the name of any dog rescue groups, would you?”
“Not off hand, why?”
“A stray dog wandered into my garage last night,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “The shelter said they were overcrowded.”
“Aww!” I squealed, unable to help myself. Although I considered myself a cat lover, I couldn’t resist animals of any type. “Stray dogs tug at my heartstrings. Those Sarah McLachlan commercials kill me every time.”
“Yeah, well. Do you want it?”
“No way. My landlord would kill me. He hates that I have a cat,” I replied, shivering. I tried to keep my interactions with Greg limited. The man gave me the creeps. “Tell you what, I’ll do some research. Come to find me at the end of the day, and I’ll have a list with some numbers.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He looked relieved.
I smiled and turned, walking toward my car. I didn’t chance another look at him, but I could feel his gaze on the back of my thighs as I walked away. It was enough knowing I had his attention. Besides, I had an excuse to see him later. Unlocking the door, I climbed into my car.
When I looked up, my eyes locked on his. I smiled again, this time just a little half grin that I hoped conveyed playfulness and not a creepy-stalker vibe. It was hard to tell without a mirror to practice, but I saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, so it must have worked in my favour.
* * *
I spentthe rest of the afternoon researching rescues and writing down numbers. At five o’clock, I started getting ready to leave for the day, the list tucked into my skirt pocket. Yeah, the dress had pockets, which had been the only reason why I’d bought it.
Well, maybe not theonlyreason, but still. Dresses with pockets were the shit, and after the breakup, I decided to go a little online shopping happy and buy myself a new wardrobe. Not my smartest decision, but at least I had an endless supply of cute outfits.
Every so often, my eyes darted to the shop door. I worried my lip, wondering if I should slip in and hand the list to him. After all, I’d told him to come to find me, and I was supposed to be playing it cool.
The goal was to get him to chaseme, not to follow him around like a lost puppy. Apparently, he already had one of those.
I stood, about to start shutting off lights and locking up, when Alaric walked through the metal shop door.
