Page 87 of Love On and Off Set

I might lose my co-parent. We’d agreed Minnie would stay in Vancouver, but I needed to be looking for doggie daycare, which would be incredibly expensive given the wonky and unpredictable hours I worked. The movie and television business was crazy enough—my job was even more intensely so.

Whatever. It’ll work out.

It had to. Because I wasn’t losing my baby.

Chapter Two

Robbie

Regrets…I’ve had a few.

I struggled to recall if those were song lyrics or just the words playing over and over in my mind for the last three months.

Could’ve gone either way.

As I hotfooted my way along Robson Street in downtown Vancouver, I tried to clear my mind. Another day down. And now a week off. Most offices took the week between Christmas and New Year off, but my boss understood people needed dental work during the holidays. With most other offices closed, our clients who couldn’t normally get time off work were gracing our chairs. Plus, a pile of emergencies had me hopping to fit everyone in. My very non-glamorous role as a dental receptionist paid decently, gave me good hours, and kept me out of trouble.

I pulled up the lapels of my wool coat. I’d chosen stylish today over practical—even knowing the wind would be blasting from the west. Damn Pacific Ocean. Well, if one went over the Strait of Georgia, then eventually one reached the Pacific.

Whatever. Seriously…that’s what you’re choosing to think about?

Better than the alternative.

Yeah, okay, that’s true.

I kept walking westward. The Christmas lights still shone brightly in all the stores. Along Robson Street, those shops tended to stay open late. To catch both locals hustling home from work as well as the tourists who were so plentiful this time of year. The big city on one of the biggest nights of the year.

My plan to drown my sorrows sounded better and better. I was supposed to have a date tonight. With Vernon. Seriously. His lovely parents—whom I’d never met—had named him after the town in the south interior of British Columbia where he’d been conceived.

Some parents really wanted to set their children up for failure. Not that Robbie was much better. Sure, I could’ve gone by Robert. But if I pronounced it the way my parents did, then it was ro-bear. Way too fucking pretentious. Even for the cosmopolitan Vancouver. So I stuck to Robbie. Easy to remember. Two syllables. Simple.

Kind of like me. As much as I wanted to be fancy, I was just a guy who liked the occasional drink, enjoyed his job, and kept a tidy studio apartment.

Vernon hadn’t appreciated any of those things. He’d declared me dull and had tried to make me over into someone he’d be proud to be seen with. I’d declared our fledging relationship terminated and had booted his butt to the curb.

Which made me feel all kinds of pathetic because I couldn’t even make a go with a guy named Vern.

I hit the corner of Thurlow and Robson and nearly barreled into someone who’d stopped abruptly.

Fucking asshole.

As I righted myself, I caught sight of the red light.

Jesus, I would’ve just walked right into the intersection. And likely been splatted.

Memories of three months ago assailed me, and I staggered.

The dog, clearly belonging to the guy who was turning, woofed.

Said guy turned.

My breath caught.

I nearly passed out.

Because it couldn’t be him. He was dead.

“Sorry about that.” He gazed at me with familiar pale-blue eyes. “Hey, are you okay?”