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“Farrah isn’t the most common name,” I observed. “The only Farrah I can think of is Farrah Fawcett. I had a crush on her when I was in high school.”
Farrah, the living and breathing one standing in front of me, snorted. “My parents named me after her.”
I studied her honey-blond hair with the curl at the end of her ponytail and her big green eyes with thick lashes. “It suits you,” I offered.
Farrah’s eyes twinkled. “I actually liked Farrah Fawcett. She was my personal role model and an inspiration when I was growing up.”
“Oh?”
She nodded. “Mom was a fan of Farrah’s when she was really popular in my mom’s younger days. I always wanted to meet her. She seemed badass and beautiful. Even though she’s gone, she’s still an inspiration to me. I figure I might as well embrace my namesake.”
I lifted Humpty’s carrier and held the door as Farrah walked through, smiling up at me. Her lips were maybe a foot away from mine, and I wanted to slide my arm around her waist, pull her close, and kiss her. For God’s sake, she had just “expressed” my cat’s anal glands. Nothing about this moment should’ve been sexy.
Exceptshewas sexy as all hell. She stirred up desire and muddled my thoughts just by existing near me.
“And do you think you’ve lived up to her?” I asked lightly, telling myself I was just making casual conversation.
“Bullshit,”my skeptical, cynical mind retorted.
That side of my brain taunted, but even stronger than that was a fierce voice. That one was fucking loud.Forget her.
A new but far too familiar sense of bitterness rose inside. I ignored it.
I wanted to linger as we reached the door that led out to the reception area. I wanted to have this conversation. Farrahwasbadass and beautiful to me. Yet I sensed she didn’t feel that way, and I wanted to know why. I wanted to know all of her secrets.
I opened the door just as she reached for the handle, and our hands brushed. A sizzle of electricity raced up my arm, spinning into the heat that had been simmering on low burn ever since I’d looked into Farrah’s eyes.
She looked up at me, her eyes widening slightly as if she had felt the same jolt of electricity. She shrugged as she took her next step, replying, “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
The next thing I knew, my mouth got ahead of my brain. “You’re definitely beautiful.” I was completely serious, my voice sounding almost earnest.
She missed a step, stumbling and catching her balance before she spun back to face me. “Oh!” Pink tinged her cheeks. Need sank its claws deeper. “Thank you,” she finally said, looking so surprised I didn’t even know what to think.
How the hell did she not know she was beautiful? Surely, she had men beating down her door.
“Hi, Farrah,” a voice said.
Holy hell. I hadn’t even noticed someone was out in the waiting area. I kicked my brain into gear. Cynical didn’t even come close to capturing the man I’d become in the last year or so of my life. I hated it.
Farrah glanced over, smiling when she saw the woman who stood there.
“Cooper, nice to see you!” exclaimed Janet James, the owner ofthefavorite coffee shop in town.
I forced myself to step away from Farrah, creating what I hoped was enough distance for me to think. I dipped my chin as I smiled at Janet. “Hey there, Janet. How’s it going?”
Humpty let out a disgruntled meow from his carrier as Farrah set it on the reception counter.
Janet looked at Humpty. “This must be your cat?”
Since I rented from Janet, she knew I had a cat, but she hadn’t officially met him. “Sure is. This is Humpty. He just had his anal glands expressed, and he’s not happy about it. I hope he forgives me soon.” I shrugged.
Janet burst out laughing. “That’s why I’m here.” She gestured to a cat carrier on one of the chairs. “I just got a cat from the rescue program. He’s old and really affectionate, but he scoots everywhere.”
Farrah laughed as she rounded the reception counter. “Let me check Cooper out and then Alice can take a look. If that’s the issue for your cat as well, I can also show you how to take care of it yourself.”
Janet was already shaking her head. “I’m game for many things, but not that.”
I chuckled as we stepped to the reception counter together. “That’s pretty much what I said.”
