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Kevin cracked open two energy drinks he snatched from the fridge, handing her one. They clinked cans.
“To a night with Frodo,” Kevin said before taking a long sip.
She scrunched her nose. “Frodo is the worst. Everyone knows Samwise is the real hero.”
They debated this for a solid thirty minutes. She was surprised how much Kevin knew about The Lord of the Rings, even down to the particulars of the book versus the movie. Jess had attempted to read them, but never got past The Hobbit.
“I never had time to read the others,” she explained.
“You should make the time,” Kevin jested as he collected the empty can out of her hands. “You’ll see the movies from a whole different perspective.”
The timer buzzed on her phone, then a soft yipping noise came from the front room.
Jess straightened. “Where’s Honey?”
“Don’t worry, Jessica, she was sleeping in her dog bed. She must have woken up.”
She relaxed and pulled the golden focaccia out of the oven, the smell of roasted tomatoes and basil wafting past her. “Wanna get her in the car? I’ll wrap this up.”
“We can’t watch at full volume if we’re in the same house as Gram and Calvin. No, sweetheart, we’ll be heading upstairs.”
“To your apartment? No way.”
“Yes way. It’s the only way.”
“When’s the last time you cleaned?”
“This morning.”
“Liar.”
“Jessica, I swear, on my beautiful little Honey’s life, that I cleaned my apartment this morning. I also piled extra blankets and pillows next to the couch, and I even have a surprise for you in the freezer.”
She scowled but grumbled, “What kind of surprise?”
He smiled, holding the door open for her. “The kind that involves a carton of ice cream from Scoops.”
“Not much of a surprise anymore.”
He placed a hand on his hip, not taking her shit. “I do have one warning, though.”
She lifted a brow.
“I only have one bed, so if you decide you want to sleep, well…”
She kept a tight hold on the hot pan with an oven mitt as she shoved him with the other. He cackled, offering to take it for her, but she shook her head. “There’s a bottle of red wine underneath the counter.”
Kevin seized the bottle, then grinned. “When did you have time to get this?”
“Zach offered to grab it for us after his shift. He already deserves a raise.”
Kevin scooped up Honey then flicked off the lights as she followed him out of the shop. “I know it’s hard for you to comprehend, but people actually like to do nice things for their friends without expecting anything in return.”
“That is hard for me to comprehend.” The words whooshed right out of her. She couldn’t control them. But they were the truth, and now they were out there.
His gaze softened. She instantly felt pathetic and shook her head. “Please don’t,” she pleaded.
So he didn’t. The two of them remained silent as he locked the front door of Port Wheels. She followed him around the building and up the stairs to his apartment.
