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I laughed. “I’m happy for you Hailey, just be careful.”
“Of course, you know me, always careful,” she joked in a sing-song voice. Then it was quiet for a few moments. “Aurora, are you alright?”
“Hmm?” I looked up, realizing I’d been spacing out. “Why do you ask?”
“You just seem like you have something on your mind. You know I’m always here for you if you need to talk about something.”
“I know.” I was trying to figure out if it was even worth talking to her about. Nothing had really happened. But still… that feeling.
“I was at brunch with my dad a couple of days ago,” I said, feeling a rush of relief as I started to talk about it. “It felt a bit like someone was watching me.”
“What you find arousing is your business Aurora, but that does not sound healthy.”
“I hadn’t finished yet,” I said, my cheeks growing red. “I turned around and saw probably the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, though he was older than I usually go for. He had the most piercing blue eyes, and his hair was the prettiest silver color—not like old silver, though there was some of that in it as well. Like dark grey silver, the kind everybody is trying to achieve but can never quite get, you know?”
“Anything else about this man you discovered?” Hailey teased, her eyebrows raised.
I ducked my head in shame, burying my face into Trixie’s fur as I brought her up to my face. “No.”
“Come on Aurora, don’t tell me you didn’t even talk to the guy? It’s been forever since you’ve actually been interested in someone.”
“I guess if it’s meant to be I’ll see him again. It’s not like I’m really remembering him that well anyway.” Trixie yipped from my arms, and I let her down to the floor again.
Hailey crossed her arms across her chest. “Don’t give me that romantic bullcrap. You need to promise me that next time you feel interested in someone you’ll actually talk to them!”
I was saved from having to answer her by the bell above our door ringing as someone walked in. Hailey immediately put on her best customer-greeting smile as I tried my best not to look terribly awkward.
“Welcome to the Humane Society, what can I do for you today?”
The stranger didn’t answer her immediately. Instead, he scanned the building, perhaps interested in the architecture. We were situated in one of the older buildings in the city, after all.
Then he made direct eye contact with me. His eyes were a deep, cold blue, and he had a smile that seemed so familiar, it was just nagging at the back of my brain. But I couldn’t quite seem to remember where I might have seen him before.
“Uh, can I help you, sir?” Hailey asked, clearly growing impatient.
“Not at the moment, just looking,” he said with a smile, his eyes never leaving mine.
“To adopt?”
“We’ll see.” His gaze traveled down my body, and then followed the leash I was holding to Trixie, sitting patiently on the end of it. “Is she yours?”
“No.” I shook my head. “My current apartment doesn’t allow animals. And if I let myself adopt her, I’m sure it would get out of hand.” I let out a little laugh, and Trixie looked up at me with wide eyes.
The man knelt and rubbed her fondly behind the ears. “She’s so sweet. I don’t know how you can resist her.”
“Maybe you’d like to see about adopting her then,” I ventured, but the man merely smiled up at me.
“I fear I don’t have enough time for a dog, especially a sheepdog puppy like her. If I was going to adopt one, I’d want to make sure I could give them everything they needed.”
His eyes were on me as he said this, and part of me wondered if he was saying it just to get on my good side. The tone was a little flirty after all.
“Perhaps a cat then?” I suggested. “They need less attention, and if you get a bonded pair they’ll pretty much keep each other entertained.”
“A bonded pair?”
“Yes, like really good friends.” I looked at Hailey with a smile. “Or sometimes lovers.” I blushed and looked down as I said this, not quite wanting to meet the man’s gaze.
“How lucky they must be,” he said. “The life of a cat is wondrous, to lounge around in bed all day, and eat all you want. And then to have a lover to share it with you…. ” His gaze was dark as he stared at me, and although I would normally cringe away from the suggestion behind the words, I couldn’t help but feel a strange pull to him.
