As quickly as my arousal had come, it vanished. I sat up, splashing more water over the side. Enough to have Roxy peek up from her curled-up position, ears pricked.
I’d just come imagining George finger fucking me.
I think I found that glaring red flag I’d been searching for.
Slumping in the water, I wiped a wet hand down my face. ‘Fuck.’
12
George: Black or charcoal for a suit?
My eyes readthe message twice, double-checking the sender to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind.
Rosie: You are aware of who you’re texting, right?
George: Or is navy blue a better option?
I frowned at the screen as I wandered down the hall of the clinic to the treatment room where I had been administering medicine to a pissed-off Chihuahua, who squealed and growled like I was severing a limb.
The entire morning had gone on a swift decline the moment I stepped through the glass doors of the clinic, and Lawrence—my boss—accosted me about taking some of my leave, a conversation I’d been avoiding for the past month.Since I started working for him four years ago, I hadn’t taken any holidays and barely any paid sick leave. For a few reasons. The biggest one was that I liked my job, even on thedays when I had all kinds of bodily fluids sprayed at me. Or the time I’d nearly been mauled by an Alsatian who hated having its claws clipped. Even when my feet were so tired they barely switched gears in my car on the drive home, I wouldn’t change it.
Being around animals and having a job where more often than not, you got to save, treat, and heal creatures whose only desire on earth is to receive love and safety… nothing in the world could top that feeling. That’s the reason I told myself I was averse to taking any leave. The other reason was so pathetic that I had the urge to vomit whenever I thought about it.
I never wanted to go on holidayalone.
Fallon was my usual holiday buddy. But she had been so busy this past year with the book and Oliver that it never seemed like the right time to suggest we go away.
Lawrence had apparently had enough of me fobbing off his attempts to catch me at a good time and hauled me into his office, demanding I take some holiday or he would fire me.
The threat was empty. I knew that. Lawrence knew that. The green sofa in the corner of his office knew that. His voice dipped, taking on a note of desperation that I rarely heard from him.
‘Please take your leave. You’re becoming a liability, Rosie.’I’d clapped a hand over my heart and batted my eyelashes at him, even though his words stung.
‘You say the sweetest things to me.’Then, I’d waltzed out of the office and started on my rounds. But it left a bad taste in my mouth all day.
By the time my phone buzzed with George’s odd message, my tether was close to snapping.
Rosie: Neither.
George: Unhelpful. Sweetheart, we need to work on your text flirting.
Rosie: I flirt just fine over text.
George: If I told you I had a really great time the other night, how would you respond?
Rosie: Ditto.
I waited a few seconds, watching those three dots appear and disappear on the screen.
George: Christ.
Rosie: Is this part of your teaching-me-to-date plan?
George: Yes, texting is a big part of a new relationship.
Whatever gremlin was dancing the can-can in my stomach at reading those words needed to get a fucking hold of themselves.
Rosie: Since this isn’t a proper relationship, I don’t need to bother.
