“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”
“But we hardly know each other.”
“It doesn’t matter. We have months to get to know each other better and I’m not going to make the same mistake Isaac did.”
“What do you mean?”
“There was a morning in Isaac’s office, a day or two after Olivia was elected,” I explain, “and he told me the story about how he met her. Apparently, for years in college, he took classes with her and never worked up the courage to ask her out. He overheard what you and Olivia were taking the next semester and signed up for them. The first day of class, he gave her his number, and she called him that night. He said their first date was the best night of his life and he knew that one day he would marry her.”
“One day? Try like fifteen years later,” I laugh.
“When you and I had our first lunch together at the summit, I understood what he felt for your friend. The way you get to know someone is by spending time with them, so that’s what I intend to do. No more stealing you away into some storage closet.”
“I wish it was that simple.”
“It is. While you may be a brilliant political strategist, I’m the one with the marketing background. When we’re ready to make our relationship public, we’ll ensure it’s a small story, buried by other headlines. It’ll be strategic, but there’s no rush. I want you to be comfortable before anything is in the news, but I’m all in.”
“Why are you so…”
“Charming?”
“No. I mean, yes, you are, but you’re a lot more emotionally intelligent than any other man I’ve met.”
“I grew up with a single mom. Being a parent, you’ll have to make decisions with their interests as a priority. So, as much as I’d love to walk out of this office with your hand in mine, you need to do what’s best for the family you planned on having before we met.”
“What happens in six months when I’m as large as a parade balloon and you’re dealing with me being a raging bitch?”
“I’ve known since the first day I met you that there’s a fire within you that burns brightly. That doesn’t make you a bitch, you’re justmi abayarde.”
26
Aubrey
As we’re leaving the appointment, I order a rideshare before Jamie can. While we wait, I double-check his calendar and mine, and neither of us have meetings until later in the afternoon. The only time we’ve spent together since he got here was either eating at home, or him eating me. He’s correct that it’s time we have a proper date that doesn’t involve him devouring something.
Our car arrives and the driver confirms the address for the animal shelter without divulging the name itself. They’ve been looking for volunteers to walk the dogs or snuggle the cats, and while I’ve never been much of a cat person—probably because felines and I have far too much in common—I’d love to spend time with the pups there.
Brows pinched, Jamie asks, “Don’t we have to get back?”
“Not yet. We’re just going to take a little detour.” I slide my hand onto his thigh and squeeze once. “Trust me. We won’t be there long.”
I’m about to pull my hand away when he covers it with his, tucking his fingers to keep me in place. It isn’t as if the driver would say anything, but even if they did, it would only move up the timeline I have in my head about hard-launching whatever this is with Jamie. It’s scary yet inevitable.
We arrive at the shelter and Jamie’s trademark boyish grin appears. “Please tell me you’re adopting a dog.”
“No,” I chuckle. “They contacted me a few weeks ago about wanting Livy to come by for a photo op. They need volunteers to spend time with the animals, so I figured why not scope it out first before I have you coordinate it for her.”
“Fuck, you’re serious. This is going to be so much fun.”
Jamie practically drags me out of the car, and after we make our way into the building, we check in with the receptionist. She lets us know that there are a few puppies brought in last week. They’re newly vaccinated and ready to be adopted, but they haven’t had anyone inquire about them yet, so the only human interaction they get is with staff.
We start there, meeting the four Alaskan Malamute mixes. They look like mini wolves, and I can only imagine how big they’ll get based on their size as puppies. “These four were dropped off by animal control,” the woman explains. “The breeder was selling them as being purebred, scamming pet owners.”
“They’re adorable,” I coo. “Are they friendly?”
“Absolutely. They’re quite loud, but none of them are showing any signs of aggression.” She reaches for one and it snuggles against her hand. “Feel free to pet them.”
Jamie doesn’t hesitate, sitting on the ground with them, and within seconds, all four pile onto him, trying to lick his face. He tries to keep them at bay, but they are persistent pups. I take out my phone and snap a quick picture; it’s truly one of the most wholesome sights I’ve seen in my life but will also make for great social media content.
