“Fantastic. What about the supplements?”
I opened the notes app on my phone, going through her preference for the vitamins Jenna had me adding to her food.We adjusted the dosages before Melissa took her to the back to complete the exam.
“So,” Jenna said, arching an eyebrow as she finished entering the exam notes into her iPad. She crossed her arms and tilted her head, smiling like she was about to share some big secret. “Are you bringing a date to the party?”
“Hell no,” I answered, shaking my head. My hair bounced around my face, and I tucked it back behind my ears as Jenna chuckled. “I refuse to subject your family to my string of horrendous dates. Especially on your mother-in-law’s birthday. The night needs to be about her, and I’ve been teaching myself crochet. After seeing the guys wear her hats and scarves for years, I figured it would be nice if someone made her something. You can almost tell the difference between a scarf and a sweater. It should be perfect by the party.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” She chuckled, leaning closer to give me a hug. “I’ve been trimming a bonsai plant for her, but keeping it away from Phoebe is half the battle.”
“Oh, yes. I understand that. I gave up on having plants in the house with Minerva years ago.”
“I should do the same, but I’ve had my plants longer than I’ve had that kitten,” she said, laughing. “I’ll go check on Minnie. Text if you need anything. Lunch next week?”
“Definitely,” I said, returning her embrace and waving before she stepped out of the room. I pulled up the messages on my phone, staring at Miller’s texts and wondering if I could just wander through the clinic to find him. Perhaps the scent of sweetened coffee creamer—his signature scent—would lead the way.
Nope.He was working, and even if his sister-in-law was the lead vet, it would be rude to interrupt just to say—what?
Confess my frustration with the dating apps? He knew that.
He was my person—one of my best friends—and things were weird. Maybe it was his haughty, passive comments about my lackluster dates or his constant reminder that my entire existence should not revolve around a freaking promotion. Whatever it was, he’d gotten too close to the thoughts plaguing me, and I couldn’t decipher how to handle it.
We were in desperate need of a night filled with pizza, beer, movies, and orgasms to get back to where we were pre-dating apps. How ridiculous was my life that it had to be divided into pre- and post- possible promotion? I was halfway to adopting a decrepit spinster persona that babbled to flowers about the unfairness of her life.
Clearly, these not-great dates were devastating to my emotional well-being—not to mention my self-esteem—or lack thereof. Perhaps I needed to almost suffocate in self-pity to crawl out stronger.
“I thought Jenna said Minerva had an appointment today,” Miller said, causing me to jump as he walked into the waiting room with his arms crossed and a smile spread across his features.
“Hey, you,” I said, breathing in his sweet scent as he leaned down and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Minerva was due for vaccines and a trim.”
He rested his head in between my neck and shoulder before planting a swift kiss on my pulse point. My body shivered with the contact, and I returned his hug tenfold, molding my body to where he pressed against me.
Neither of us moved as Melissa opened the door, smirking and maneuvering a very angry feline back into the carrier. Her eyes flicked between us, and she wiggled her fingers before slipping back out. I smiled as he pulled away to peek into the carrier, a warm fuzzy feeling enveloped me—a feeling I’d long sincerealized was just from me being near him—like he was a boost of serotonin made just for me.
“Poor little princess,” he cooed, bending to look at her as I watched his shirt tighten across his back, showcasing the muscles rippling underneath.
“What time are you planning on getting to the party, Em?” he asked, sticking his finger through the holes of the carrier to scratch Minerva. She pushed against his hand, and I rolled my eyes, knowing I’d have to suffer through some disgusting food preparation like rabbit liver or raw catfish to keep her from pooping outside the litter box in retribution for this visit.
“I think Maverick said he booked the room for eight. I’ll be there right at eight or a little before, depending if y’all need any help with the setup.” I rested my head against the wall, watching as he nodded, interacting with my traitorous cat. If it was up to Bev, I know she wouldn’t do anything for her birthday—especially this big milestone—but all four of her boys insisted, going so far as to hire a party planner for the occasion.
“Oh, good. The planner is handling everything, so I’m sure eight is fine,” he said as his eyes slid from the carrier back to me. “It wouldn’t be weird if I brought a date, right?”
I blinked as this odd, unpleasant, swooping sensation took root in my belly, extinguishing the warmth. My nose twitched, and I bit the inside of my cheek. “I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”
He furrowed his brows and shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m not. Seeing anyone, I mean. Just, you know. Thought I might bring someone.”
He wouldn’t meet my eyes, keeping them firmly planted on the tile floor as I swallowed thickly, hoping to displace the nausea that had taken over my stomach. My meager lunch threatened to reappear, and I was glad my subconscious choiceof apple slices with peanut butter had prepared me for this scenario.
“You know, Magnum has Brooke. Mark has Jenna and Eloise. I assumed you’d try to break yourself of the string of bad dates and bring someone new along. Just thought I’d try my hand with someone as well.”
I should interrupt his ramblings, but I couldn’t get the idea of himwith a dateout of my head. There was no reason for me to be so bothered. We’d both dated before—and I was actively dating this very moment. Why did I care if he did the same?
“You’re acting strange,” he said, snapping his finger in front of my face before shoving his hands in his front pockets. “If you’d rather I didn’t bring anyone, it’s fine. I’d never do anything to make you uncomfortable.”
I held up one hand, shaking my head so he’d stop talking. “Why would it make me uncomfortable?” My voice came out higher than normal, and he stepped closer, lacing his fingers through the hand resting by my side.
“Emma. You know I haven’t been with anyone since we started things up again. I wouldn’t do something like that to you. You’re too important.”
He squeezed my hand, and I tried to return the gesture, but my heart was lodged in my chest as the gurgling in my stomach shifted violently.
