“It’s puppy formula. Basically just baby formula for dogs. He only needs a couple of drops at a time, but he needs them really often. Plus warmth,” Scott explained as he filled the feeding syringe. There hadn’t been a bottle teat on hand small enough for the puppy’s mouth, so this was the next best solution.
“Oh, cool. I never thought about that being a thing.”
“It’s for situations like this,” Scott said, settling the puppy so he could feed it comfortably.
“What’s his name?” Charlie asked, still watching intently.
“He doesn’t have one yet. I was thinking Chewie.”
“As in Chewbacca?”
Scott nodded. “Yeah, exactly. Plus he chews on stuff, so it fits. I mean, he’s not really my dog, but… I give them all names. They all come no matter which one I call.”
“How many dogs do you have?” Charlie asked.
“Uh, right now? Five, including this little guy.”
“Wow,” Charlie said, leaning back against the shelf beside the desk. “Isn’t that kind of a handful?”
“Kinda.” Scott shrugged. “I dunno. I like having the company. Mostly they just follow me around house and take up my whole bed.”
Charlie chuckled. “I bet your partner loves that.”
“Haven’t got one,” Scott responded. Between work, study, and dogs, it wasn’t as though he had time to look.
“Oh. Uh, me neither.” Charlie scratched the back of his neck.
Was he flirting? Scott had no idea what that was like coming from another man.
Itfelta little like flirting, but he had no way of knowing whether Charlie was into other guys.
Not that it mattered. Scott wasn’t, but he didn’t want to be the kind of man who reaffirmed his heterosexuality to every new person in the first five minutes of conversation, totally unasked.
“I have dogs,” Scott said. “They’re easier than people.”
“I don’t disagree,” Charlie said wryly. “Anyway, I’ll leave you alone. If you need anything or any help, I’m usually at the front desk. Charlie, by the way.”
He offered his hand, which left Scott juggling the puppy and the syringe around to shake it. Not that he minded. He’d gotten away with having the puppy there in the first place, so being nice to Charlie seemed like a small price to pay. “Scott. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too. Take care, Chewie,” he said, his voice soft and playful, the same way Scott would have spoken to a baby.
Scott watched Charlie wheel the cart away and then focused on finishing up with the puppy.
Well, he supposed it was called Chewie now. That was as good a name as any.
This was easily the coolest library he’d ever been in.
Chapter Three
As much as Charlie hated days when the automatic checkout system broke down, hedidlike getting to talk face-to-face with people who otherwise had minimal contact with him when they came into the library.
When he saw Scott approaching the desk, his heart skipped. It was probably stupid to have formed a crush on him after only a few minutes of conversation, but Scott wasgorgeous, with bright blue eyes and the prettiest smile Charlie had ever seen, broad shoulders leading down to a narrow waist and, Charlie had noted when he walked in earlier, a great butt. Besides, he came with five dogs.
Basically, Scott was the ideal man.
Also probably straight, but Charlie could dream.
“Just a little light reading,” Scott said as he set a pile of what must have been ten or fifteen thick reference books on the desk. Charlie was proud of his own ability to lift heavy stacks of books, but he would have struggled to lift all of them at once.
