“Wouldn’t be the first time. Besides, I’m thinking when she’s at the shop, this’ll feel safer for her.” Again, his thinking wasn’t flawed, was it?
“You should get a flat version too, for when she’s in your… house? Room? I don’t know where you live exactly, but-”
“Angling for my address now. Why don’t you just admit you want in my bed, woman?”
I picked up a flat puppy bed and thwacked the back of his head with it.
“You wish. Okay, next we should look at dishes and stuff. You can’t keep a dog in that shop all day without a permanent water source.”
“Jesus, it’s like, oh hello,” his tone suddenly changed, and I turned back to see a young woman standing close to him, practically melting all over the pup in his arms. Little Nixie. His face was relaxed and smiling, nothing like it normally was around me. Not because I made him unhappy, but because he was often guarded. Like he was waiting for the next insult. Was I that awful to him? Probably. For some reason it was bothering me that he was entertaining the gushing brunette, who was now chatting him up instead of stroking Nixie.
Not my business. Not my man, right?
I headed into the aisle with dishes and feeding stations, and grabbed one of the foldable bowl/bottle combo things for on walks. Next I grabbed two small dishes, one for water and one for food, then rethought it and grabbed another for a spare. I turned to ask him if he’d need more, but he was still presumably in the other aisle with the flirty woman. Why the hell was I doing all the work for him while he was making a date? I grabbed a basket, tossed these bits in, along with a simple collar and lead, and a pack of the puppy food he’d need to start weaning heronto. At that point, I was done being his lackey. I found him back in that same aisle, chatting to the same woman, and I dumped the basket by his side.
“Do the rest yourself, once you’ve finished your playdate.”
I heard him yelling my name as I left the store, but for some reason I was really pissed off at him, and I couldn’t let myself consider why that was. I wasn’t into him. He was a man, ergo definitely not worth my emotions, but maybe I felt a little betrayed, because I’d gone out of my way to help him out, and he’d prioritised flirting with some tart instead of making use of my time and knowledge. That was it. Wasting my valuable time. Something he clearly didn’t appreciate.
I was in my car, starting the engine, when I realised I couldn’t just ditch him here, because whether I was pissed at him or not, little Nixie didn’t deserve my stupid jealousy, wait, no. Not jealousy. Perfectly reasonable frustration. That was it.
The car door was wrenched open and Rocket placed Nixie on the seat, while he opened the back door and tossed several carrier bags of supplies in there.
He scooped up the pup again as he dropped heavily into the passenger seat, and glared at me.
“What the fuck was that about?”
I waited until he latched his seatbelt and started pulling out of the car park. He was still glaring right at me, his gaze practically burning my cheeks, or maybe that was just embarrassment, or mortification. I was pretty sure I’d overreacted, but there was no going back now.
“Nothing,” I finally muttered, keeping my focus on the road, because I could still feel him staring at me, but I wasn’t sure if it was with anger anymore.
“V, I appreciate you for helping, I really do. I have no clue what I’m doing here, and you’re going out of your way to help me. I get it. Thank you.”
Well, shit. Way to make me feel like the asshole in the car now.
“You’re welcome. Maybe I should have given you more time with your hot date instead of getting bored.”
Bored. Ha. Call it what it was, for god’s sake. It was jealousy. I’d never admit it though.
“Wait. That’s what it was? You were jealous. Aw baby, that’s so cute. She just wanted to get all moist over the pup, I swear.”
I had to stop for a red light, so I finally turned to glare at him, seeing that smug grin on his face.
“First off, fuck you. Secondly, I was NOT jealous, I don’t get jealous of guys I barely know, who couldn’t get me if they fucking begged, and last of all, did you have to say that fucking word?!”
He blinked several times, but that grin remained. No matter how much I denied it, he could see it.
“If you’re offering to fuck me, I’m down, baby. I’d make it worth your valuable time.”
“That’s all you took from that?!”
He chuckled, while I focused on moving again now the light was green, ignoring the bastard behind me who’d leaned on his horn the very instant it changed. Prick.
“I am NOT fucking you!”
Rocket snorted. “And I’m not begging. Trust me, you’ll be the one begging soon enough. I’m already getting you moist…” he chuckled again as I grimaced, “so sexy andmoist, baby. I’ll-”
“Finish that sentence, and I’ll kick you out of my car.”
