“If you’re calling to tell me you’ve changed your mind, it’s too damn late. We’re on the ferry,” I say, half teasingly. The other half of me can’t stop worrying that I’ve asked too much of my friend. After all, what woman willingly puts up with her newly divorced friend and his dog for an undisclosed amount of time? Saint Kelly, that’s who. When I determined I’d need a home base while I apartment hunt, she didn’t hesitate to offer her spare bedroom. We’ve never lived together. Hell, we’ve never even spent the night in the same house before. So this could be interesting.
What if she’s one of those annoying people that never shuts off the light when she leaves a room? Or leaves her dirty dishes in the sink for days? What if she can’t stand the smell of my body wash, or if I forget to put the seat down on the toilet?
This could ruin our friendship forever. Or, I could be majorly overreacting. Yeah, it’s probably the latter.
“Shut up, J, I have a very important question.”
I straighten in my seat, Ollie lifting his head in question. “What’s up?”
“Does Oliver like beef or chicken treats better?” She holds up two bags with her other hand, and I clue in to the fact that she’s at a pet store. As if the shelves behind her didn’t give it away…
“Seriously, Kell?” I arch an eyebrow at her. “He’s a dog, he likes food.”
“Jensen, come on! I want him to settle in and be comfortable at my house. You know what, forget it, I’ll buy both. Now, on to toys. Does he like to play tug of war or fetch better?”
“Uh,” I say, my gaze dropping down to my dog, who’s currently snoring on my lap, my mind blank. Something about the fact that Kelly is so concerned with mydog’swell-being hits me in a weird way. Tatyana liked Oliver well enough, but it was clear from the outset that he was my dog, not hers. Not even ours. “He likes both.”
“Okay, I’ll get both. Does he need a new bed?”
“No, he does not. Kelly, listen to me carefully.” I put on as serious a face as I can. “Buy the treats, fuck, buy a toy, if you insist. But then, walk out of the pet store. Ollie doesn’t need anything. He’s fine, I swear.”
Kelly pouts and I hide my smirk.
“Fine. But if Oliver isn’t happy at Auntie Kelly’s house, then it’s your fault.”
“Auntie Kelly?” My grin sneaks past my lips, and soon Kelly’s shaking her head and laughing as well.
“Yeah, yeah, okay, I’m a weirdo. I just want him to like staying at my house.”
“He’s a dog, Kelly, he’ll be fine as long as he’s fed,” I reassure her, pointing the phone down at Ollie, who’s still passed out on the seat beside me. “Now leave the pet store, go home, and enjoy your last few hours without dog fur everywhere.”
Her smile widens, and it lights up her whole face.She’s pretty.I’ve always known this, but I guess I’m seeing her differently now. And that’s dangerous.
We hang up and I go back to Candy Crush, but my head isn’t in it. I’m on a trip down memory lane, remembering moments from mine and Kelly’s past that I’d pushed away for years. After all, it isn’t exactly appropriate to remember the one kiss you shared with your best friend during study period while you’re still married to a woman who never liked her in the first place.
“Here we are, bud, now you be nice to Kelly, okay? Charm her the way you do everyone else.”
Ollie doesn’t answer from the back seat as I pull in the driveway of Kelly’s small house. It’s cute, with white shutters around the windows, and a small porch that has a rocking chair on it. I park beside her bright red car and shut the engine off as the front door opens, and she steps out with a big smile.
I climb down from the truck, leaving Oliver inside, and close the distance between us before picking her up in a big hug.
“Put me down, I wanna see Ollie!” She laughs, swatting at my back.
“Nope, hug me first, then the dog,” I grumble. Fuck, she smells good. Like peaches. I try to be subtle as I turn my nose to inhale again. This is bad. I put her down and take a step back to regain control. Shit. I can’t go down this road with Kelly. I need her, and our friendship, too much. But there’s no denying the shift in energy between us. We’re adults, and we’re both single at the same time.
But if Kelly feels anything she doesn’t show it, walking quickly around me to open the back door of my truck.
“Hi, boy,” she coos at my dog. “Oh, who’s a handsome dog? You are! Yes, you are!”
Ollie eats up all of her affection, licking her hands and nuzzling into her touch. He’s such a needy dog..
“Alright, alright. Let’s go inside,” I joke, reaching around her to clip his leash on. He’s not one to run away, but he’s also in an unfamiliar place, so better safe than sorry. “Can I let him off his leash in the backyard?”
“Yup, this way.” Kelly leads us around the side of the house and opens a gate. I unclip Ollie’s leash, and he takes off, sniffing all around. We watch him for a second and I’m all too aware of our proximity. Good grief, I should be able to control myself better than this. I’m chalking up my reaction to the fact that I haven’t had sex in way too long. That’s all this is. Hormones, pheromones, whatever you want to call it. My dick is thinking for my brain right now, and I just need to shut it down.
Should be easy enough. I’ve gone close to fifteen years without having a problem being nothing more than friends with Kelly. There’s absolutely no reason that has to change now.
But when I look over at her and see the delighted smile on her face as she watches my dog play in her backyard, I realize something. High school Jensen missed his shot with Kelly, but grown-up Jensen wants another chance.
