“It’s been playing up since last night.”
“So you haven’t checked on them this morning?”
Her eyes went wide, and she rushed to the back. I followed her too, and we checked on the kittens. They were absolutely fine, but we did top up their water and food and left them in peace until it was time for their visit with Duke.
“So, you didn’t go on a date last night?”
I rocked my head from side to side and pressed my lips together.
“Well, we kinda did. He came with me to the rescue and then helped me here.”
Zainab cooed, and I huffed in fake frustration.
“And here I thought you’d finally done the deed.”
“Why would you think that?” I asked and raised an eyebrow.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at me.
“Really? Your face is glowing? What else should I assume.”
I bit my tongue and didn’t move lest I give away what I’d actually been doing in the privacy of my own home, and Zay sighed.
“So nothing happened.”
“Well,” I drawled. “I didn’t say nothing happened.”
Zainab’s eyes lit up, and she shrieked like a schoolgirl.
“Tell me everything!” She grabbed both my hands and sat me back down behind the counter.
And so, I did.
“Gosh. You guys are movingsoooslow! Alina and I had already slept together by the second date,” Zainab said.
I glared at her.
“Thanks for reminding me of your cheating ways,” I told her, but the truth was, I didn’t care about that.
By the time she’d met Alina, Zainab and I were basically roommates with a fancy paper that said otherwise.
“Oh, do shut up, dear, and take the kittens to the vet,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“Yes, dear,” I answered.
I left shortly after. Once Duke gave them the okay, and their flea and worming treatment, I made my way back to the store.
Before I got to work, I sent a message to Cole to make sure our date was still good to go for tonight and got all wrapped up serving customers and wrapping books for the eager beavers who were already buying Christmas presents.
It was only after the lunch rush when I got a few minutes to myself to eat and catch my breath that I checked my phone and the reply waiting for me.
Cole: I’d love to go out but my sitter just bailed. Rain check?
Did I linger on the word second word? Yes, yes, I did. Did my heart flutter reading the message over and over again? Yes, it did. And for a change, I wasn’t ashamed of it.
After last night, I couldn’t have gotten a bigger confirmation that Cole liked me too and wasn’t just going through the motions for the benefit of the auction. After last night, I was ready to go all-in into this adventure and figure out what awaited me in the end. Maybe it was heartbreak, but maybe, just maybe, it was something more. Something I’d been craving my entire life.
A connection. A real-life connection. A relationship. A companionship.
