Chloe: I have a cat now.
Emily: WHAT!
Chloe: Found a kitten stuck under my car. Tyler helped me rescue her.
Emily: TYLER WAS AT YOUR APARTMENT?
Chloe: He was jogging by. Lives a block away apparently.
Emily: That's very convenient.
Chloe: It was a coincidence. Sidewalk construction changed his route.
Emily: Sure it was. What happened?
Chloe: He rescued the kitten. Asked me to keep her because he can't have pets. Offered to help me get supplies.
Emily: That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard.
Chloe: He's coming back in an hour. We're going to the pet store.
Emily: That's a date, babe.
Chloe: It's not a date. It's pet supply shopping.
Emily: With the man you've been crushing on for months. Sounds like a date to me.
Chloe: I need to shower and change. Talk later.
Emily: Wear something cute!
Chloe: It's not a date!
Emily: Keep telling yourself that
I set my phone down and look at Mochi, who's now investigating my stuffed animal collection.
"What am I doing?" I ask her.
She mews in response.
"You're right. I'm overthinking this."
I shower quickly, then stand in front of my closet trying to decide what to wear.
It's not a date. It's just... helping with a kitten. Being neighborly.
I settle on jeans and a soft pink sweater. Casual but cute.
When I emerge from my bedroom, Mochi has claimed Mr. Snuggles as her napping spot.
"Good taste," I tell her.
Exactly one hour after he left, there's a knock on my door.
I open it to find Tyler freshly showered, wearing dark jeans and a charcoal henley that makes his eyes look impossibly blue.
"Hey," he says, and his smile is devastating.
