I didn’t wait for him to reply before I handed off Pico’s leash and jogged back to the apartment. The keycode was easy to remember and I went in, grabbed paper towels and was back all within thirty seconds. “See? You’re a pro.”
“The one in the carriage looks like she wants to eat me.”
“Who wouldn’t?” I said, not thinking. My face warmed and I shrugged at his surprised laugh. “Apologies. That wasn’t appropriate of me. It’s just that your looks distract me.”
“Are you always so…honest?”
“Yes. It’s an issue, I know. My brain just is slower than my mouth. Or my mouth is slower, I’m not sure. But whatever tube my thoughts travel through to get to my mouth is clogged or something, because I say whatever comes to mind without filtering.” I wiped the mess up and groaned. “Damnit. I forgot a ziploc bag.”
I didn’t ask before hustling back inside and grabbing one, shoving the messy paper towels into it and shutting it. Brigham stared at me like I was the most bizarre creature he had ever seen and a trickle of doubt seeped in. I was weird. I knew it, my parents knew it and my friends told me all the time. The issue was, they got to know the real me so my weirdness didn’t bother them.
First dates were not so great for me. Dating in general wasn’t too great for me. The members of the opposite sex who I happened to be attracted to weren’t that into me. I accepted it and only let it bother me every so often. Like now. I cleared my throat and pushed my hair over my shoulders. “Thank you for your help. I can take it from here.”
He frowned as he passed over the leash. “Are you taking them, well, one of them, for a walk?”
“Per Mr. Alexandre’s orders, they require walks two times a day.” I pressed the elevator button and tapped my foot on the floor to the song I’d been rocking out to beforewalkingtime. Brigham could’ve left at any time and I didn’t want him to think I was keeping him here. I snuck a glance and he had a cute little line between his eyebrows, which could have been concern, curiosity or displeasure. The attractiveness of his face threw me off and I couldn’t decipher his mood. Thedingsignaled the doors opening and I was glad to escape the narrow hallway. I went to push the stroller in first, but Brigham reached out and took the bar in his hands.
“Can I walk with you?’
“I mean, I won’t stop you if you walk outside on a public sidewalk.”Goddamn it. Why am I this way? Why?
“It is out of your jurisdiction.” He looked down at Cassie with tender eyes. “She looks so grumpy. Honestly, she has the same expression my grandma has when I cuss at dinner.”
That made me snort in a very unattractive way. “You shouldn’t cuss in front of your grandma. It is ungentlemanly of you.”
“Noted, Blue Bell.”
We stared at each other as we descended, and the longer I studied him, the hotter my face got. He looked like a good time wrapped in a pretty, sparkly, hot pink bow. There was no reason he should be giving me any attention. I was so far out of his league, it was laughable. The kind of laughing that required a knee slap or two. My mind whirled, and the more I thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense. “Why are we talking?”
“Excuse me?” He gave me an odd look before reaching over and petting Cassie. The hussy dragged her tongue all over his hand—which, who can blame her—and did not growl once.Rude.
“Why are you walking with us?” I asked as we headed into the foyer. Fernie saw us and scowled, so I winked at him. Maybe I’d make him some lemon squares. He looked like he could use some. He was totally not a brownie type of guy.
“Are you meeting up with someone? Shit, sorry. Am I keeping you?” He stopped walking and ran a hand over his jaw. It was endearing to see actual worry in his eyes.
I held up a hand and smiled. “No. You are not imposing in the least. I was just curious as to why you, a rugged lumberjack model, want to hang out with me, a pet sitter with four hundred dollars to my name.”
He laughed. Hard. “God, you’re great.” He kept giving me warm glances that obviously went to my head, because there was no reason for tenderness on his face. But both hands remained on the stroller and he pushed. “Four hundred, huh? Don’t spend it all at once.”
“Ha. Ha.” I started walking behind him and my skin started perspiring the second the heat hit us. “I took out all these loans for school, where I went to classes I didn’t want to attend. It was a shit decision. My dream job is doing what I’m doing—pet-sitting. But if I’m going to share it all, which I might as well, my real dream would be to start my own pet-sitting business.”
“People do treat their pets better than some kids.”
“Right? I love animals but don’t want to be a vet. School is so not my thing.” I scrunched my nose. “You need to share something about yourself now, since I’ve told you everything in my diary.”
His expression warmed before we turned the corner so we were on one of the busiest streets in downtown Phoenix. Cars whipped by and the sun reflected off the windshields so it hit my eyes. I held up my hand to block the aggressive light, but it was no use. Brigham handed me his aviators. “Here, wear these.”
“Those manners again.” I took them without letting my fingers touch his because I would surely combust from the contact. “Thank you, Brigham. Do I look super cool in them?” I asked, striking a model pose. “I could never wear aviators since I tend to wear sunglasses like a hair accessory and the little nose guards get stuck in my hair. It’s a whole thing.”
“The fanny pack overrides the cool glasses. No offense.”
“None taken.” We passed a coffee shop and I swore a couple of heads turned our way as we passed. I got it. He was a looker and I was walking next to him. But one woman took out their phone and captured a photo of him. I checked to see if he noticed, but he looked unaffected.Weird.“Anyway, tell me your darkest secret. That’s only fair.”
He coughed down a laugh and got quiet for a few seconds. “I’m terrified my current…job won’t want to keep me after a pretty big misunderstanding. The fear paralyzes me and I get lost in my head.”
“Hm.” I bit my lip and digested his words. “Can you clear up the misunderstanding?”
He made a pained face. “I’ve tried, but there are people who have more influence and are…twisting the story.”
