“Good,” Alaric replied, his eyes moving to me briefly before returning to the tray in front of him. “Still haven’t been able to find his owners.”
“That’s too bad.” I frowned, feeling sorry for the dog. “Did you reach out to the rescues?”
“I did. Somehow, I got roped into fostering him.” Alaric chuckled, shaking his head. “Took him to the vet last night. No microchip either.”
I let out a heavy sigh, feeling sorry for the pup. “He could have traveled for miles before finding you.”
“That’s what I’m thinking, too.” Alaric sighed, looking conflicted as he pulled an envelope from the pile and put it in his back pocket before facing me.
My thighs quivered at the sight of all six foot two inches of him covered in grime from a long day of welding. I’d never found welders attractive before. Granted, we’d never had a welder that looked likehimin the shop.
I dropped my gaze to the floor before meeting his eyes again. “Well, if you feel like celebrating the end of your first week and your new status as a foster dog-parent, we could check out that Shiny Bootleg Ale at the Watering Hole.”
His eyes heated, but when he blinked he’d regained his composure. “I’ve got somewhere I need to be tonight.”
“Oh, of course,” I said quickly, flustered and embarrassed. Of course he was busy. I should have never opened my mouth. “Have a good weekend.” I grabbed my keys and high-tailed it out of there, mortified at the rejection.
In my bustle to leave, I almost forgot I was the one who had to lock up, which meant I had to wait for Alaric. I paused, letting him walk by.
“Maybe next week, though. I wouldn’t mind sampling some of that Shiny,” he said, his voice heavy with innuendo as he moved past me.
I stupidly blinked after him before regaining my senses. Flicking off the lights, I punched in the security code and opened the door, stepping through it quickly. I was overly aware of Alaric standing a foot away, a cocky smile on his sinful lips, watching me. I shoved the key in and twisted, driving the deadbolt home, and turned.
He was still grinning at me, waiting for a response.
“Maybe. I’ll have to see if I’m busy,” I replied airily, walking around him with my nose aloft. I had my pride to consider, and I didn’t want to come across as too eager.
Although, I kind ofwaseager. The idea of being casual sex friends had grown on me, especially since Tuesday night. I was confident I could tolerate it better than being around him every day andnotgetting another round on that magical cock.
He barked out a laugh. “Have a good weekend, Gwen.”
“You too.” I saluted him, like an idiot, and walked to my car.
He let out another low chuckle, heading in the opposite direction to where he parked, shaking his head as he walked. I watched him climb into his blue Chevy Silverado.
I slid into my car, closing the door, and let out a sigh. Another Friday night, another boring weekend alone with my cat.
It kind of sucked that I had so few friends. Kelsey and my childhood bestie were it, really, and Renly lived in Oakville. He’d moved there for college and had never come home, preferring Oakville to Port Hope. I didn’t blame him in the slightest—it certainly offered more.
After graduating from interior design, Ren secured a job working as an interior decorator on the Home Renovation Channel’sBrightwood Interior, working with Tatum Brightwood herself as a part of her design team. His life was a thousand times more glamorous than mine.
I was a little jealous about that, and I missed my friend. I drove home, intending on calling him. But when I pulled into my parking spot, I squinted hard, spotting Ren as he leaned against the yellow brick of my building. He looked up, spotted my shitty car, and his entire face lit.
I grabbed my purse and keys, flying from the car and squealing with excitement. “Renly! What are you doing here?”
“I came to visit my girl,” he said, drawing in a deep breath for dramatic pause. “Your last message didn’t sound too chipper. I had the weekend off work and figured I’d make the trip!”
“That’s awesome! I’m so glad you’re here,” I said, unable to stop a pesky tear from leaking from my eye. I really had missed him.
Aside from my sister, Renly was my only constant. We talked daily on Facebook, Snapchat, or texting. After Erik left, Ren had really been there, and no matter what he had going on in his busy world, he made time for me.
“Well! Let’s head on up,” Ren said, squeezing my shoulders. “I brought stuff to make mojitos.”
“Did I mention you were my favourite person?” I sighed, leaning into his embrace as we started walking.
“Not lately, but that’s okay. I already know,” he said affectionately, his brown eyes softening. “You look good, Gwen. Better than the last time I saw you.” He bumped my hip with his.
“Ha, very funny.” I rolled my eyes, remembering his last visit. He’d driven out after the Erik thing and spent three days cheering me up. We’d come up with ridiculous names for Erik. Von Dick Shit was by far my favourite.
