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Scout gasped. “Which one? I used to love that show.”
“The one who drank a lot.”
“That doesnotnarrow it down,” Theo replied with a dry chuckle. “I swear, everyone who lives in a fantasy realm must have pickled insides.”
August laughed. “True. I usually sign an NDA for the really big-name clients, but I’ve got all kinds of people on my list. Some politicians, a supreme court judge, a fashion designer, and then some regular people as well.”
“How did you end up with such an impressive list of clients?” Lane asked.
“Recommendations. Once you prove you’re punctual and do good work and that the animals like you, word spreads.” August seemed to glow under the attention and genuine interest. It was wonderful to see her passion for her work shine through. “But enough about me!”
“How is the filming and the competition going?” Lane asked.
“You mean other than us crushing it in the photo challenge,” Keaton said, winking at August and pretending to dust off his shoulders.
She turned to him and grinned. “Wetotallycrushed it.”
“Oh, you should have seen it, Theo.” Isla grabbed his arm. When his wife was in close proximity, Theo’s reserved outer shell seemed to dissolve and he looked like any normal guy who was utterly smitten with his partner. “The photos of this husky were hilarious. They called the series ‘Molly Hates Everything’ and it was just photos of her looking unimpressed.”
“Sounds like my kind of dog.” He chuckled.
“I think Molly and Camilla would totally be BFFs,” Scout chimed in, nodding.
Theo’s Dachshund might be the only other dog to rival Molly in levels of sassiness.
“They would.” Isla nodded. “The filming crew has been shadowing us for a full week already. We had them along to a campaign we were shooting with one of our biggest TikTok stars, Sasha Frise.”
“TherealSasha Frise,” Scout said, looking at Lane.
“They also filmed me doing an interview with a local news station and even came to the office one day, to see us doing all the boring admin bits.” Isla shook her head. “I don’t know why they wanted that, but it was no skin off my nose.”
“They take hours and hours of footage, and only a small portion will make it into the documentary,” Theo said. “Sometimes they don’t know exactly what they need, so better to get more rather than less.”
“They must have a ton, since they’re also following the other two business owners.” Isla sipped her wine. “I have no idea how they go through all that footage to decide what to keep and what to discard. It must be an incredible amount of work.”
“And you’re taking part in the talent competition?” Lane asked, looking at Keaton. “With August’s help?”
“That’s right. Molly is my sister’s dog, but Leah is unwell at the moment. I’m here on her behalf so she didn’t miss out,” he said. “And August and my sister went to school together, so we’ve all known each other a long time.”
“Keaton is doing a great job,” August said encouragingly. “Especially since Molly can be a little difficult at times.”
“I know that feeling.” Theo shot him a look of respect. “They can be stubborn animals.”
“But worth it, right?” Isla beamed up at her husband and pressed a hand to his cheek.
“Yeah.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “Totally worth it.”
The whole way through the dinner, August tried her best to stay engaged. But all she could think about was freaking Asher Benson and his egotistical DIYThe Bachelor. Who evendidsomething like that? What an absolute dick.
She should have taken Keaton seriously the night they bumped into one another. But oh no, she had to be all pissy because it felt like a slight against her independence and her ability to make good choices for herself. Like he was a big brother teasing her. Like he was her parents questioning her every move. Like he was that little doubtful voice in the back of her head brought to life.
If only she’d listened.
Was she destined to be single forever? Maybe life would be better that way.
But as she looked at her friends being supported by their amazing partners, her heart panged. She wanted that. Not because she thought finding a man would make her whole—she was already whole. But August was a deeply social creature and she wanted someone to share her life with.
Because sharing was the cherry on top of the sundae of life.
