“So, you’re not going to believe what I told my friend,” Griffin began. “He saw today’s date circled on my calendar, with your name in the center, and - ”
I cut him off, nearly spitting the syrup out of my mouth. “You what? You actually wrote my name in a calendar?” I laughed, unable to believe it. “And you even circled it? Was it a heart or a circle?”
“A circle,” he said with a hint of a smirk. “And yes, I like to keep track of all my dates - whether they’re appointments oractualdates.”
“So, is this an actual date?” I asked, leaning back on the couch and tossing another chocolate in my mouth.
“That’s up to you,” Griffin replied. “As I was saying, as far as my friend knows - ”
“Wait, is this the guy who was at the café with you?” I asked.
“Rafael, yes. I’ll get to him in a moment, if you’ll let me finish my story.”
I grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. Go on.”
Griffin didn’t seem annoyed that I kept interrupting him. I was sure most alphas would have yelled at me to shut up by now.
“So, he saw the date circled on my calendar,” Griffin went on. “I had to make up an excuse for why I was meeting up with you.”
As if he knew I was going to break in again, he paused and gave me room to speak.
“Why did you need to make up an excuse?” I asked, genuinely curious. “Wouldn’t he understand if you just had a booty-call?”
Griffin cast me an intrigued look. “Is that what you are?”
I shrugged. “I mean, I sleep around. You know that. Skylar knows it. It’s not exactly something I keep a secret.”
Now Griffin’s expression changed into something soft but unreadable. “Have you done so since meeting me?”
The question took me aback. I hesitated before admitting, “No.”
I didn’t like the silence that followed, so I waved my hand in Griffin’s direction. “Finish your damn story already.”
“All right.” Griffin chuckled. “As I was saying, I needed an excuse for meeting you. Something plausible, not too far fetched. When I was put on the spot, the best thing I could come up with was that I was getting a cat, and wanted to talk to you about it, since you work at the pet store.”
I burst out into laughter. “Oh my god. Did you really say that?”
He nodded. “Yes. So you better tell me at least a few facts about cat-keeping so I can go back to work on Monday armed with knowledge.”
I wiped a tear from my eye after the giggles died down. “So, you’re notactuallygoing to get a cat? You’re not even tempted by the kittens we have for adoption at the store?”
Griffin shrugged. “I mean, I’ve never actually thought about it. I didn’t have pets growing up, though I’ve always liked animals.”
I smiled. Something about the way he said that so innocently endeared me to him.
“What about you?” Griffin asked. “You seem to be quite at-ease around them.”
I nodded, although I didn’t think it was a big deal. “We always had a cat or dog running around the house, so it’s like second nature to me.” I shrugged. “Maybe that’s why I really like my job, even though the pay isn’t the greatest. I haven’t had a pet of my own for a while, since...”
Uneasily, I realized that the topic was veering towards uncomfortable territory - one I didn’t feel like being within ten miles of. I steered the conversation away from it.
“Anyway, cat things. Uh… They’re not like dogs, where a wagging tail means they’re happy,” I told Griffin. “A cat wagging its tail usually means it's pissed.”
“Huh,” he said. “I didn’t know that.”
“And they like to have someplace high, so if your house doesn’t have any ledges, you should probably get a cat tree, or install some shelves,” I went on. “A cat would really appreciate that.”
“Maybe I should write this down,” Griffin said, amusement in his eyes.
