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“Think she’ll let me pet her?” I asked.
Ava made a face and shrugged. “It only took me six months, but maybe? She loved my mother instantly.”
“So, she might like me right away too?” I pressed, and Ava gave me a wicked grin. I liked seeing it on her face.
“I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
I moved my hand slowly toward the fattest cat I’d ever seen, a little terrified at what she might do to me. Cats always seemed unpredictable, so when she jumped up and pressed her head into my palm over and over before I scratched behind her ears, I felt like I’d won the damn lottery or something.
“Ha!” I said out loud, and Ava actually looked impressed.
Barley let out a whine, and Snickers hissed at him, clearly letting my dog know who was boss here.
Note: it wasn’t any of us, not even the two humans in the room.
“Man, cats are kind of mean,” I said.
“Tell me about it.” She nodded in agreement before pointing toward the brown paper bag. “So, whatcha got in there?”
IS THIS A DATE?
AVA
Iwatched as Tony reached into the bag he had brought, not missing the fact that he had shaved and washed his hair. He looked downright edible. It was a bit of an upgrade from seeing him earlier, and I only meant that in the best way. He’d looked so sad before. Now, he actually looked like he was in better spirits.
Looking down at my clothes, I realized that I’d texted him before I even left the restaurant and hadn’t had a chance to change before he was at my door.
“Don’t,” he said, breaking up my thoughts.
“Don’t what?” I asked, wondering if he could read my mind.
“You look great.” He gave me a grin as he pulled a bouquet of roses out of his paper bag of tricks.
Redroses. That meant that this was more than just a friendly meeting. This was an actual date of sorts.Maybe. Hopefully.
Barley barked, his tail wagging, and Snickers continued to hiss at him in warning.
“I’m so sorry,” Tony said for the millionth time. “I should run him home.”
“No. He’ll wear himself out eventually. And Snickers will pretend he doesn’t exist at some point. It will be fine,” I insisted, but I didn’t really have a clue.
Maybe Snickers would maul Barley’s face the second he went to sleep. Or maybe she’d use his fluffy body as a pillow for napping. Cats had a mind of their own. Half the time, it didn’t even feel like I owned Snickers at all. It felt more like she had simply chosen to stay at my place and could decide to take her leave at any time.
“Do you have a vase?” Tony asked, and I tried to remember the last time anyone had given me flowers.
Liamneverdid once we were married. He had said it was a waste to spend good money on something that would die two days later, and in my young naivety, I’d acquiesced with his stupid statement even though I thought flowers were romantic and I didn’t care how quickly they died.
“I do,” I said before opening the cupboard underneath the sink and pulling one out. “These are beautiful. Thank you.”
He took a step toward me and gave me a soft kiss. “You’re beautiful.”
My heart leaped into my throat as he turned back toward his oversize goody bag and pulled the next item from it.
“I knew it!” I practically shouted as I arranged the flowers into the vase.
I had smelled the seasoning and fresh baked bread before he even walked fully through my front door.
“Heard this was your favorite,” he said before adding, “when you aren’t eating seafood, that is.”
