“More like what’s under it.”
“Undressing me with your eyes, huh?” I raised my shirt a few inches, flashing my abs. “Maybe later?—”
“Hey, Damon!” Hammy bellowed. “How’s it going?”
I tugged my shirt down, and Maverick and I both turned to see Hamilton and his little Yorkie coming up the sidewalk. They looked kind of ridiculous, Hammy such a big guy and his dog this small, squat thing. They wore matching grins, though, and matching shirts with the Goldenrod Days logo on them.
“Hammy, man, you’re looking festive,” I said.
He grinned. “Yeah, I came across a vendor selling matching doggo shirts, and I couldn’t resist.” He scooped his dog up in one arm. “Isn’t he adorable?”
“He really is,” Maverick said with a smile.
Hammy’s gaze landed on Maverick, and his brow creased in confusion. “You’re Damon’s neighbor, right? The one he’s always pranking?”
“That’s me,” Maverick said.
“Cool.” He glanced at me. “We were just about to go over to the park. They’ve set up an obstacle course for the pups. Want to come?”
“Actually, I came by to see if Mav needed any help. Maybe some other time.”
“Oh.” He gave us a confused look. “I didn’t realize you guys were friends. By the way you always talked…”
Maverick chuckled. “More like enemies, right?”
“Frenemies at the least,” I objected.
Hammy snorted. “Yeah, that tracks. Catch you later, man.”
I turned back to Maverick, but I noticed a few odd looks tossed our way as people whispered to each other. An older couple came by—Duke and Marilyn Lattimer—and Maverick gave Doris a carnation.
“Thank you, dear.” She cast a glance at me, her lips flattening. “You treat this boy nicely, you hear? I know all about your little neighborly feud, but Maverick deserves better.”
I raised my hands. “I’ll be nice.”
“You better!”
I got Maverick some water, kept him company while he worked the crowd, and after three more encounters with people surprised to see us together, warning me to be nice, or both, I was starting to get a complex.
“Oh!” Iola exclaimed as we came across her in the crowd. “Maverick and Damon, just who I wanted to see!”
Finally, someone who’d be happy to see us together.
“I’d love to get a testimonial for the website about how we set you up.”
“But you didn’t really set us up,” I said.
Iola looked offended. “Excuse me?”
“Well, I asked to go on the date with Maverick, so?—”
“So, you asked me to arrange it, didn’t you?” she said with a huff. “You went through our service.”
“Well, I guesstechnically,but?—”
“As I was saying, we want to post a testimonial.” She glanced between us. “Assuming this is going to last.”
Maverick and I exchanged looks.
