And I do my best not to think of the evening with Chloe, or the dog I don’t have. Someday, maybe someday.
The dog, that is.
Not the woman.
* * *
After a solo morning bike ride, I return home to shower, then change into work clothes—tailored black slacks and a sapphire-blue shirt. On the way to Dog Tails, I’m locked into the all-business zone still. I swing by The Sweet Spot for the first time and survey the offerings. What will win me dessert rights for today?
Everything looks mouthwateringly good, from the banana bread to the chocolate croissants to the monkey bread. You really can’t go wrong with monkey bread—it pulls double duty with the taste and with a name that makes people want to devour it. I’mabout to opt for a sliced loaf when the baker sails past me with a silver tray of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls.
“I’ll take a half dozen of those, please,” I say.
I bring them to work, set them on the counter, then all but secure my victory as I say, “Breakfast is on me.”
The staff descends like seagulls. It’s a beautiful sight, and so satisfying when Chloe grabs the last one, holds it up, and declares, “Cinnamon. I like cinnamon.”
I don’t dare crack a smile as I say, “So do I.”
She bites into it with a decadent moan. Her eyes fly to mine as she chews and swallows. Which makes me think about other uses for her sweet, pretty mouth.
The things she offered that night in San Francisco.
The things I didn’t take her up on even though I can still hear her say,Let me…with you.
The things that are distracting the fuck out of me once more at work.
With barely a glance, I turn away from her, not even bothering to gloat about the dessert rights I just won.
I need to get to my office. Stat. Before anyone notices I have a fucking hard-on for the woman I work with.
* * *
Chloe’s busy most of the day, and so am I. That helps me keep my mind off her and square on business—where it should be, especially with this Webflix possibility. I do some research in the late morning on the producers, slip into Chloe’s training room for a second toask her a question about scheduling, then return to my office. A few minutes later, I tell Zuri I need to take off for a bit to pick up some supplies we need.
“I’ll hold down the fort,” she says.
“Appreciate that.”
As I pass Chloe’s training room on the way out, she’s saying hello to a cuddly Pit Bull mix named Teddy. Looks like she’ll be busy for at least an hour. That’s good too. I handle my errand and return right when Chloe’s saying goodbye to Teddy on the street outside Dog Tails, telling him what a good boy he was with his obedience.
A minute later, she strolls back in through the door and catches my eye at the front counter. “The cinnamon rolls were excellent, but the coconut bread went faster.”
I scoff. “Not even close.”
“Hmm. I’m not so sure about that.”
I set my palms down and stare straight at her. “The cinnamon rolls were gone in less than ten minutes.”
She hums doubtfully, her voice just audible over the roar of a doggy hair dryer in the back of the room. “Are we sure about that?”
“Yes, we are very sure.”
“Tell you what—I’ll give you a do-over just to be certain.”
“A do-over?” I ask, incredulous, but also more amused than I’d like to be with her bluff.
“Yes, that thing where you get another chance. You’ve heard of them before, surely?”
