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Nearly six.
The Pilots for a Paws coordinator said she would call by six if she needed help. She must have found someone else to pick up the pilot in distress. As much as I love book club time, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. I’ve been a volunteer for the organization for two years, but all I’ve had the opportunity to give is money. I’m happy to donate, of course, but I’m a hands-on girl. I want to help save puppies with my boots on the ground.
And I wouldn’t have minded meeting a heroic pilot who volunteers his time and private plane to save animals from kill shelters. I’ve sworn off men for at least the next five years—I’m going to be way too busy for dating—but that doesn’t mean a girl can’t look.
“Speaking of the Dark Ages,” Elaina says, stroking a still purring Maybe. “Did I tell you that Mrs. Spiegel is back on the warpath again? She’s lobbying the town council to shut me down until I change the café’s name to something more ‘family friendly.’ Ugh.”
Gertie rolls her eyes. “God, when is that woman going to give it a rest? You’ve been open almost three years.”
“I know,” Elaina says with a baffled shake of her head. “Who knew people would get so upset over the name of a cat café?”
Maya hums. “Um, I did? People around here look for things to be outraged about, just to alleviate the boredom. Hazard of small-town life.” Her lips quirk up on one side. “And you knew the name sounded dirty, Elaina. No way was that an innocent mistake.”
Elaina grins. “Well, of course, I did.” She lifts Maybe into the air with her hands beneath his front legs, nuzzling her face into his as she adds in a sweeter voice, “But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it, Maybe? And you are the sweetest pussy in the world, yes, you are.”
“That’s not what Mark said last night,” Gertie mutters beneath her breath, triggering a round of excited squealing that sends Maybe dashing across the shop to play with the other cats.
Even Pudge, Maya’s sleepy friend, lifts his big head, blinking annoyed green eyes before melting back onto her thigh with a huff.
“Tell us everything,” Elaina demands, leaning her elbows on her crossed knees, her dark brown eyes bright beneath her black fringe. She looks so cute with her new rockabilly haircut. I’m tempted to try a similar look when I get back to the city, but Dad would have a fit.
Perry-Watsons don’t do trendy haircuts.
Perry-Watson’s embrace a classic, Upper East Side aesthetic that skews heavily beige and soulless gray. The fact that I have strawberry blond hair instead of something more sedate like sandy blond or respectable brown is already flashy enough as far as my father is concerned.
“But it was your turn, remember?” Gertie grins as she exchanges her toy for a catnip mouse that she tosses across the carpet for the kittens. “You were about to tell us the title you’ve selected for our September book club enjoyment.”
Elaina snorts. “No way. You’re not dropping a sex bomb and moving on like nothing happened. Book club business will still be here when we’re done hearing about your star-crossed, but clearly hot-and-heavy romance with Mark Tripp.” She nods my way. “And Sydney won’t be here in September. It would be rude to get her all excited about our next pick and leave her out of the fun.”
“She could join us online,” Maya says, sympathy flooding her blue gaze as she shifts her focus my way. I’ve never said a word about how much I’m dreading the return to the city, but Maya’s too empathetic for her own good. “Or you could come stay with me that weekend, Syd. You’re always welcome at my place. I do have to put the lighthouse back up for rent, though. See if any winter tourists bite.”
“Of course, no worries. I get it,” I say. “And I’d love to come back for a book club weekend. I doubt I can make it in September, but October might work.”
“Oo! Oo! And we could do a scary romance that month in your honor,” Gertie says, tossing the mouse again, sending the kittens bouncing across the room like intoxicated jumping beans. “You love spooky stuff as much as Maya and me.”
“We could do All the Reasons to Be Afraid by Logan Riley,” Maya says, book nerd excitement shining in her eyes. “It’s been on my To Be Read list for ages. It’s about two teens falling in love while they’re on the run from their killer imaginary friends.”
“No. No teen romance,” Elaina says. “I need sex in my books to make up for the lack of sex in my life.” She cuts a sharp glance Gertie’s way. “And I need dirt from my friends who have miraculously found a decent guy to date in this one lobster town.”
“Okay, okay.” Gertie leans back, her hands braced on the carpet. “But there’s honestly not that much to tell. We aren’t dating. We aren’t even having sex. At least not, full on sex… We’re just…” She laughs and shrugs. “I don’t know what we’re doing. But whatever it is, it’s doomed. Gramps hates Mark’s dad for being a rich seafood overlord who’s destroying the mom-and-pop vibe around here, and Mark’s dad hates my entire clan. He’s convinced my dad is the one who dumped fish guts in his convertible when he was visiting last summer, and Gramps has a ‘Tripp Lobsters Taste Like Oppression’ t-shirt he wears to dock meetings.”
Elaina sighs. “You’re the Romeo and Juliet of the lobster world. Which reminds me…” She collects her mug of spiked cider from the end table, taking a sip. “My book club pick is similarly juicy and star-crossed, but with less fish guts.”
“Thank goodness,” Maya says.
“There’s a new stalker romance out based loosely on Romeo and Juliet,” Elaina continues. “But Romeo’s a creepy stalker, Juliet’s blind, and they’re both in college. I’m pretty sure there’s a decent amount of bondage and kinky shit, too.” Her lips curve into a Cheshire Cat grin. “In any event, I need it in my eye holes, and I want you nerds to fall in love with evil Romeo along with me.”
Maya pouts. “But I don’t want a man to stalk me. I don’t like bad guys.”
Elaina clucks her tongue. “Of course, not, Maya-Moo. Neither do I. But there are different rules for book boyfriends.”
She’s so right.
Take my ex, Adrian, a tortured, rebel-without-a-cause type with brooding brown eyes and a beef with his real estate tycoon father. He would make a great romance novel hero. In real life, however, Adrian’s family issues and unrelenting drive to be more successful than his dad left little time to attend to the needs of anyone else…including his girlfriend. He was never there for me, even when I could tell he wanted to be. He was too distracted by his own unresolved issues.
Eaten alive might be a better description…
I can sort of identify. My father is a workaholic, too. He stayed late at the office most of my childhood and left me with nannies in the city while he went to The Hamptons every other weekend on alleged “business.” But he was there when I really needed him. He never missed an award ceremony or science fair, unlike Adrian’s dad, a soulless, money-hungry billionaire who basically disappeared from Adrian’s life when he was still in elementary school.
