Page 92 of Avenging Azalea

The last hour of work flew by. Before I knew it, the day was done. I said goodnight to Doreen and headed home with Sheba and Winston. My plan was to take them with me everywhere possible, just like Titus did. Winston was learning fast, but I couldn’t take any of the credit. Sheba was a heck of a teacher, and I’d been reduced to an assistant who provided the treats.

“Great,” I muttered as I pulled into the driveway and spotted Vera leaning against her car.

She looked like she was posing for a French fashion magazine from the sixties. Her style was fresh and crisp, complete with large red sunglasses that matched the color of her lips and a red and white scarf tied around her head. It was a level of elegance that I’d never achieve. Titus said he didn’t love her, and I believed him, but there was no denying that Vera was the walking embodiment of every man’s wet dream.

Vera smiled as I parked my car and got out. I called out to her before she could move closer.

“Hi, Vera. I have two of the dogs in here with me. Are you going to be okay if I let them out?”

She tensed, her gloved hands gripping her small purse.

“You promise they won’t do anything?”

“They may sniff you, but they won’t bite.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Sheba and Winston jumped out when I opened the back door of my Jetta. I had to give Vera credit, as it was easy to tell that she was terrified. Despite that, she held still and let Sheba sniff her hand.

The dogs trotted to the front door and sat down as I grabbed my purse and bag from the car.

“Wow, that really worked,” Vera said, walking up to me.

“What worked?”

“I hired a trainer to help get me over my fear. That’s the first time that I haven’t screamed.” She smiled and I smiled back, but my heart sank. Could this woman get any more perfect?

“I’m happy it’s working. Are you waiting for Titus? I’m not sure what time he’s getting home.” Closing my door, I faced her.

“No, I was actually hoping to speak to you,” she said, and a nauseous wave hit me. Getting to know Titus’s fiancée was the last thing I wanted.

“Oh, okay. Come inside and I’ll make us some coffee.”

“I prefer tea, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“None at all.”

It was strange walking into the house with Vera. Titus’s home had always felt like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. Now it felt like it had been washed and given to someone else. It was the same, but the comfort was missing.

Sheba and Winston padded ahead of us.

“Don’t worry, the other dogs are with Titus today. He does that sometimes,” I said, wanting to find something to talk about rather than let the awkward silence hang in the air.

“You know a lot about him,” she said.

It wasn’t a question, so I just nodded as we walked into the kitchen. Vera perched on one of the stools and took off her dark sunglasses.

Busying myself with the kettle and coffee pot, I tried not to think about how weird this was.

“Would you like something to eat?”

Vera shook her head. “No, the tea will be fine.”

“I’m meeting a friend soon. Give me a second to let her know I’m running late,” I said, and turned my back on Vera to text Steph.

This was awkward. There was no denying that. With nothing else to do but wait for the kettle to boil, I sat down and waited for Vera to say something. It was so quiet that I could hear the rhythmic sway and tick of the grandfather clock in the dining room.

Vera finally cleared her throat.