“Well, he has your coloring. The hair. The eyes. The muscular stature.”
“You have the same coloring as I do,” he said. “Does he look like you?”
“Oh gosh, I hope not.” I laughed as I tugged the door open. “Hey, Jeanette. Tell me you didn’t let anyone take Meatball home.”
“Meatball?” he said, gaping at me, and I just laughed.
“Trust me. It suits him.”
Jeanette chuckled. “Oh, sweetie, no one has been in here today aside from you. He’s exactly where he was when you came by this morning.”
“See. It’s meant to be,” I told Cutler with a look.
“Interesting name,” he said as we followed Jeanette to the back.
“You’re going to love him. He’s gentle and sweet, like a meatball.”
“He really is the sweetest,” Jeanette said as she pulled out her keys. “He’s a chocolate English bulldog, and he’s four years old, so he’s fully potty trained, and he’s just a great dog.”
“If he’s so great, why is he here?” Cutler grumped, and I knew he wasn’t thrilled about this, but I had to do something. I hated the idea of him being lonely after I left.
“We don’t know,” the older woman said as she pulled open the door. “He wasn’t chipped, and someone found him sitting outside the Cozy Griddle a few days ago. I searched all the usual places, and no one reported him missing. Sometimes touristsjust decide to leave their pets after they visit. I just can’t imagine leaving a family member behind like that.”
I glanced over at Cutler and then back at Meatball, who moved at a snail’s pace and came up to me and then immediately walked over to Cutler, where he dropped to sit on his feet.
Cutler bent down and scratched the back of his head. “Hey, buddy. Did someone leave you behind?”
Meatball dropped all the way down before rolling on his back, and Cutler laughed. Jeanette said she’d give us some time alone with him and excused herself.
I dropped down to sit on the floor as well, and Meatball pawed at Cutler to keep rubbing his belly.
“He’s pretty fucking cute,” he said.
“I told you. Can you see the resemblance?” I asked, which made him laugh again.
“Yeah, Jeege. I can see it. He’s got a big head and a wide chest. I’ll take it as a compliment.” He dropped to sit beside me. “And what about you? Are you going to get a dog?”
“Well, I’ll be living in a small studio apartment in Manhattan, so that’s a hard no. And I’ll be working long hours in the beginning. You can take Meatball to work with you, and he can go to Four Clovers with you. It’ll be great.”
“You know I’ve lived alone for a long time, right?” he asked as Meatball fully climbed onto his lap.
“I know,” I said with a sigh. “I just don’t like the idea of you being alone.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Well then, do it for me.” I shrugged. “If you have this big guy in your bed, I don’t think there will be room for anyone else.”
I kept my voice light, but I think he saw through me. I wasn’t just nervous about leaving; I was heartsick over it.
Heartsick because I’d finally found what I’d been looking for my whole life, and now I was just going to walk away from it?
Why was life so damn complicated?
First, I left a great job and a great apartment, for the wrong man.
And now I was leaving the right man, for a job and an apartment that wouldn’t mean anything to me if I wasn’t with him.
“Hey. Look at me.” His voice was commanding and firm.
