Now the question is — what the hell do I do about it?
Chapter three
Kelly
“I was looking up rental properties in the area — do you know Mila and Ethan Monroe? I guess they’re the couple to talk to about renting apartments in Dogwood Cove. That’s where you work, right?”
I choke on the laugh that bursts out of me. Jensen stops walking, rubbing my back with a concerned expression. Eventually, I catch my breath and try to figure out how to respond. There are just so many things wrong with what he just said.
“Yes, I know Mila and Ethan. They’re brother and sister, though, not a couple.”
Jensen barks out a laugh. “Shit. Glad you told me that before I called them and put my foot in my mouth.”
“But do you really want to live in Dogwood Cove and commute to Westport every day?” I hurry on, although, in actual fact, the plan makes sense. Rentals in Westport are few and far between, and the cost of rent is going up. I’ve considered moving to Dogwood Cove myself a few times over the past six months.
“I figure you do it in reverse every day, so it can’t be that bad. Although, it would be nice to not commute,” Jensen muses as we continue walking. We left my house earlier to take Oliver out to stretch his legs after the ferry ride over. I was already in love with Jensen’s dog; he’s pretty much the cutest thing I’ve ever met, and his personality is hilarious. But seeing him and Jensen today, without Tatyana putting a damper on everything, he’s just a big bumbling ball of joyful fur. The facial expressions he makes are like nothing I’ve ever seen on an animal, and sometimes I swear it’s like he understands perfectly what Jensen is saying. When I mentioned the word walk, he smiled. Seriously, the darn dog smiled! And it’s a good thing I ignored Jensen and bought all the toys at the store earlier because after a game of tug-of-war, I’m pretty sure I cemented my role as Ollie’s favourite person.
“What are your plans for the rest of the summer?” I ask as Ollie lifts his leg on yet another bush.
“Aside from finding a place to live so I don’t have to crash with you forever?”
His response shouldn’t bother me, but it kind of does. “I’m happy to have you stay as long as you need, Jensen.”
He wraps his free arm around my shoulders. “I know, Kell, but I don’t want to overstay my welcome. That’s all.”
The affectionate gesture feels just a little bit too comfortable. I huff and shrug off his arm, stealing the leash from his other hand, and take off jogging down the street. Ollie lopes along with an excited woof.
“You can’t steal my dog, Kelly,” Jensen yells after us. I ignore him and just keep running. It’s a straight path, so there’s no hope of Jensen getting lost, but I need a little distance from the bizarre feelings mixing around in my head right now. It’s not like being physically attracted to Jensen is new for me, he’s a good-looking guy, always has been. But watching him settle into my home and seeing Ollie curl up on his bed in the living room caused something to click in place inside of me.
“Pizza, sushi, or Chinese tonight?” I pull out the three different menus and drop them on the counter in front of Jensen later that evening.
“Pizza, but only if you act like a rational human being and don’t put mushrooms on it.” He visibly shudders and I roll my eyes.
“There’s nothing wrong with mushrooms.”
“They grow underground, covered in shit, and some of them look like dicks. Everything is wrong with mushrooms,” he deadpans.
“Just because you can’t appreciate the joy of mushrooms doesn’t make them wrong,” I reply as I take two beers out of the fridge and hand him one. “But fine, tonight, because it’s your first night here, no mushrooms.”
“Thank you.”
We clink our beers together and drink. A part of me marvels at just how easy it is between us, despite not spending as much time together in recent years, thanks to his marriage. This feels similar to high school and college when we would study together with pizza — and back then, pop instead of beer. There was never any awkwardness between us, no sexual tension to navigate. This is so familiar, yet also different. There’s a crackle of energy in the air that has never been there before.
I quickly drink down my beer and avoid thinking about it.
A couple of hours later, my stomach is full of pizza, and my fridge is empty of beer. Jensen and I are sprawled out on my couch, our heads at opposite ends and our feet sort of tangled in the middle. He can’t stop laughing about my descriptions of Mila’s cookie baking disasters, which weren’t all that funny, but the alcohol running through our systems makes it hilarious.
“So when are you going to put yourself out there and try to meet someone? I’m sure the ladies of Westport are ready for you to dazzle them.”Oh God.Why did I just say that? I can feel my face flushing with embarrassment the second the words leave my mouth.
Jensen scoffs, oblivious to my sudden discomfort. “I’m not. I don’t need to date. I just need to find an apartment, settle in at work, and get my life back on track after hurricane Tatyana.”
“Nah, come on, you need to get out there and meet some new people.”
Stop! Abort! Why the hell am I pushing this?Sober Kelly wouldn’t have pushed the whole dating thing, that’s for sure, but drunk Kelly has less of a filter than the three-month-old Brita water pitcher in the back of my fridge. Apparently, I have an incessant need to poke at all the awkward things. Drunk Kelly is also a total masochist. I don’twantJensen to find a girlfriend, do I?
“Whatever. I have you and I have Oliver. If my best friend and my dog can’t help me meet new people, then I’m destined to be alone,” Jensen says dramatically. He peers into the neck of his beer bottle. “My drink’s empty. We need more.”
“Umm, there’s no more beer, we drank it all.”
