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He shrugged. “Sure.”
Twenty minutes later, we were sitting in Gray’s Papaya. Merrick had let me order for him, so we both had hot dogs with the works.
He picked his up. “I can’t tell you the last time I had one of these.”
“You’re too busy at fancy restaurants because you’re all…” I waved my hand around. “Fancy…”
He smiled and sipped his soda. “So what kind of dog do you want to get?”
“Any kind. As long as he likes to snuggle. As soon as I move in, I’m going to go to the shelter to pick the ugliest one that no one wants.”
“I figured you had a certain type of breed in mind.”
I bit into my delicious hot dog and spoke with my mouth full. “Nope. Just one who needs a home.”
“Did you ever have a dog?”
I nodded. “Once. For a week. Arnold was the best dog ever.”
“Why’d you only have him for a week?”
“He bit my dad when he…you know.” I grinned. “That’s why he was the best dog ever.”
Merrick frowned. “I guess that’s why he only lasted a week?”
“Yeah.” I wiped the corner of my mouth. “What about you? Ever have a dog?”
“Once. Growing up we had a black lab. It got sick when it was maybe five or six and died young.”
“I’m sorry. Is that why you have fish now?”
He shook his head. “I inherited them. They were Amelia’s.”
“Oh.”
“She always had pet fish. She had a lot of trouble sleeping, so she would keep them on her nightstand and watch them swim when she went to bed at night. The funny thing is, they never lasted more than a year until they became my problem. It’s been years now.”
I was quiet for a minute. Then Merrick caught my eyes. “What? Does it bother you that I still have them?”
“No, of course not. It would bother me if you flushed them.”
“Then why does it look like something’s bothering you?”
“I don’t know. I guess...” I shook my head. “I noticed they’re still on the nightstand. So you haven’t moved them or anything in the last three years?”
Merrick looked back and forth between my eyes. “Where am I supposed to put them?”
I waved him off. “Sorry. You’re right. I’m being silly and reading into something. It’s an occupational hazard.”
Merrick nodded but was quiet after that. At least I thought he was, but maybe he was just chewing and I was doing it again. When we were almost done, my phone rang. “It’s my sister. Excuse me for a second. I’m going to answer it just in case she wants me to pick up something on my way home.”
“Of course.”
I swiped and brought my phone up to my ear, though I could have left it on the table and heard her the way she screamed. “Why aren’t you answering my texts?”
“I was looking at apartments and then eating. Is everything okay?”
“No!”
