Greg turns to me and smiles. “Had fun, though. How about you?”
“So far, yeah,” I admit, and I am. It’s not terrible.
For once.
“Let’s sit down so we can eat!” Daphne picks up the plate Miles made (to her specifications, of course) and leads our little group over to a four-top table near the front of the space. The room fills with chatter as the other students all prepare to sample what they’ve made.
We sit, and Greg pulls out his phone.
“I’m so sorry, I have to check on my babies,” he says.
I meet Miles’s confused expression with one of my own. “You have babies?” he asks.
Greg looks up. “Oh! Not the human kind.” He laughs. “I just adopted two kittens.” He turns the phone around to reveal what looks like a nanny cam video of two cats in a small crib.
Daphne’s “awwww” is so long I want to smack her on the back to make sure she didn’t glitch. She reaches into her bag and pulls out her phone. Miles, who apparently doesn’t care one bit about any of this, pops a roll into his mouth and quietly chews.
He nods and looks at me. “Whoa. That’s really good.”
“These aremybabies,” Daphne says, showing a photo of her with three cats, all wrapped up around her neck like a living scarf.
Greg takes the phone and zooms in on the cats—or Daphne’s ample cleavage, I can’t be sure. “You’re a cat person too?” He hands the phone back to her.
“Always have been!”
“They’re amazing, right?”
“I know!”
Miles and I share a look.
“Are you a cat person?” Daphne asks, looking at Miles.
“No,” he says. “I am thinking about getting a dog, though.”
“I want a dog too,” I say. “A yellow Lab maybe? They’re supposed to be such a good breed.”
Miles nods. “They are. I used to have a Lab. That’s a good pick.”
I have no idea why, but this simple exchange makes my pulse quicken.
Daphne rolls her eyes. “You two are crazy. Cats are way better.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” Greg says.
I pick up my sushi roll and take a bite. I have no idea what to expect—this is pretty far out of my comfort zone. As I put all the ingredients together, I found myself watching Miles for which flavors would be best. The end result is a roll that’s nearly identical to the one he’s eating.
He picks up the soy sauce and pours a little onto my plate. “Trust me.”
I take a bite, letting the flavors fill my mouth—fresh vegetables and rice and spicy tuna—and I pause for a second to enjoy it.
Miles raises his eyebrows. “Good, right?”
“So good.” My mouth is a little full when I say this, and I have to cover it to keep the food inside.
The corner of his mouth turns up in a faint smile as he takes another bite.
Daphne has angled her body—and her boobs—toward Greg. “What made you want to adopt?” She presses a hand to her chest. “There are so many cats out there that need a good, loving home.”
