“Red?” Josie asked, glancing up.
“Yes. Pick a bottle. Whatever you like.” Eve didn’t usually give her dates this much decision power, but she loved seeing Josie’s confidence and competence when it came to her job.
“The Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is really good. It’s rich but not too dry, just fruity enough to soften the flavor,” Josie said, an adorable wrinkle between her eyes as she looked over the menu.
“Sounds perfect.”
The waitress approached, and Josie ordered their wine, leaning back in her seat with a satisfied look on her face. “I’m so glad to be here tonight, you have no idea.”
“Here, as in, not in the bar?” Eve asked, watching her closely.
“Well, yes,” Josie said. “But I meant here, in this restaurant, with you.”
“I’m glad too,” Eve admitted. Sometimes she forgot how nice it was to go out with someone whose company she genuinely enjoyed, to share a romantic meal, wine, conversation, and the anticipation of the night ahead.
“I really needed this.” Josie reached out and squeezed her fingers. “I’ve been on so many bad dates lately, and this one is already a win, just because it’s with you.”
Eve wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Luckily, the waitress saved her by arriving with their bottle of wine, pouring a taste for Josie to approve. Eve smiled slightly. Usually, she was the one who approved the bottle, the one in charge. Not tonight.
Once the wine had been poured, Josie leaned forward, forearms on the table as she took a sip and settled her gaze on Eve. “So tell me, what do you do when you’re not working? Hobbies? Activities?”
Eve swirled her wine, inhaling its rich scent before she took a sip. “Nothing terribly exciting. I try to make it to the gym a few times a week, and I do some yoga at home.”
“Yeah, I can tell.” Josie dragged her gaze appreciatively over Eve’s body, filling her with a delicious warmth. “And what do you do for fun?”
“Believe it or not, I enjoy my job, which is good because I work long hours.” At Josie’s skeptical look, she shrugged. “I also enjoy art. I like to wander through museums and galleries, and I buy way too much for the amount of wall space I have.”
“Interesting,” Josie said with a smile. “See, I just learned something new about you. And now I want to wander through a museum with you, because I know nothing about art, and my walls—as you’ve probably noticed—are pretty bare.”
“Not true,” Eve told her. “You’ve got kitten and cat pictures everywhere.”
“Well, okay, I suppose I do.” Josie laughed. “But maybe I could use some art too.”
“Maybe.” Eve took another sip of her wine. “Your turn. Tell me what you do for fun when you’re not working.”
Josie sighed, looking wistful. “Honestly? I just really like to go out with my friends. I like to go out for drinks somewhere I don’t work. I like to go dancing. And I like caring for orphaned kittens. I don’t know why. It’s my calling, I guess.”
“Even if it means endless middle-of-the-night feedings?” Eve didn’t mind doing it for the theater kittens. They were temporary. Already, they were growing, able to go longer between feedings. But the idea of taking in new kittens, an endless cycle of needy, helpless creatures? That sounded overwhelming and exhausting.
“Yes.” Josie shrugged. “I can’t explain it.”
“How did you get started?”
“I used to volunteer at the shelter, and someone brought in a litter of orphaned kittens just a few weeks old. And I found out they were going to be euthanized, these tiny, innocent babies, because no one had the time or ability to care for them. It broke my heart. I took them home, and I raised them until they were old enough to be adopted. And then I did it again. Eventually, I realized there was a gap in the system, and these babies were falling through it. So I formed my own rescue to save them.”
“That’s pretty inspiring, I have to say,” Eve told her. “Not many people would do what you did.”
“And I can’t blame them. It’s alot. If you work a full-time job, it’s almost impossible to care for them properly, as you found out.”
Eve nodded as she remembered the box of kittens behind her desk.
“I had a network of volunteers I worked with, and we were saving so many kittens. My YouTube channel was really taking off. It was all working out the way I’d imagined. And then my dad died.” Her expression clouded. “And my priorities shifted.”
“I understand what that’s like.” Eve related to Josie’s words to the very bottom of her soul.
“I guess you do,” Josie said. “When you lose someone you love, it changes everything.”
“Yes, it does.”
