“I can always find something.” He shrugged.
“Are you just jealous that I might get tips from handsome guys?” Could he possibly be jealous? She was pretty sure that was the flicker.
His cheeks got red when she mentioned being jealous.
He was so cute when he got all weird and jealous.
“I don’t get jealous,” he said on a huff.
If she hadn’t seen the little glimmer of jealousy, she would have believed that. Eli was the epitome of a lone wolf. He just didn’t realize that he had a full pack of family backing him up at all times.
“That wasn’t an answer to my original question. Do you think I could make good tips at the bar?” she asked.
He bristled. “Yeah, Mar, I think the tips would be good.”
“I should try for that then.” She focused on her plate. It was either that or the television—but football was on—or Eli, and he was prickly as all heck.
“Seriously, Mar. I can find something for you to do in the kitchen.”
“Health insurance, vacation time, all that?” she asked around a bite of cheesy goodness.
He scowled. “What did I get myself into with you?”
She nudged him with her elbow. “I’m messing with you. If there’s something I can help out with, that’d be awesome. At least until I can find something more permanent.”
“The dog’s gonna have to stay in the office. He can’t be in the kitchen.” Eli acted surly toward Lothario, but Marlee knew deep down he had a soft spot for the dog. She’d caught himnotglaring at Lothario more than once. He even petted him a time or two. “You can’t have a dog in the kitchen. Health codes and all that,” he said.
“Fair enough.” Lothario wouldn’t like to be where everyone was walking anyway. He had a solid fear of being stepped on. “This is going to be great. And maybe I can waitress, too. Extra money is extra money.” Not even a day and she had a sort-of job with her sort-of husband, which was fantastic until they could get that real divorce.
Chapter Eleven
Eli needed a night out with his buddies. A night without a reminder that he was in a marriage, waiting on a divorce. They’d only been back one day, but he wasn’t used to having others in his space. He’d specifically arranged his schedule when Sadie had stayed with him so he was at work most of the time.
That morning, he’d gone with Marlee while she distributed a dozen cups of Starbucks to a crew of homeless folks who met her at the corner by the drive-thru. This was apparently a ritual of hers a few days a week.
That was the morning. Then, they’d spent the day together at the kitchen, picked up the boxes from her house, and that led to where they were now. Home. His home.
Lothario sat on the floor by Eli’s feet while he shaved. He whined and tilted his head like Eli should say something.
“I see your mom dressed you in your blingy collar tonight.” She had a whole slew of collars for the mutt. Tonight’s was a rhinestone number that matched the rhinestones on Marlee’s socks. Yes, Marlee had rhinestoned socks. And she coordinated them with her dog.
Lothario shook his whole body in response.
Which was exactly the response Eli would have had if he’d been forced to wear a rhinestoned collar that matched Marlee’s socks.
“Just tell her no next time,” Eli said. “Tell her you are your own man and you’ll pick out your own collar.”
Lothario huffed, walked in a circle, and plopped down on the top of Eli’s foot.
“Make yourself at home.” He rubbed the shaving foam between his hands. “Just don’t get sexy with my foot while I’m shaving. I don’t want to cut myself.”
Lothario rolled onto his back, tongue lolling to the side.
He had made himself right at home in Eli’s apartment. Lothario had officially started a relationship with each pair of Eli’s shoes. He’d also taken to following Eli around instead of Marlee.
“I don’t have asthma, kid,” he’d said more than once.
Lothario didn’t care. Eli was his new infatuation.
