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I knew she wouldn’t. Especially after Lucy came into our lives.
What’s more, I didn’t want her to go back there.
I liked her here. In my kitchen, in my bed, lounging on the couch with a sleeping puppy on her chest while I worked.
There was a tentative date for Deja Brew’s reopening in four weeks’ time. And I was doing my best to lean on the construction crew to make that happen.
I knew that as much as I liked having her around all the time, that Shale was anxious to get her shop open again. She’d been working to keep the interest in Deja Brew up by posting pictures and videos on her socials of new recipes she was trying out for the grand reopening. The engagement she had was good. And right at the top of all the comment sections were the horny book ladies saying they couldn’t wait to be back, and they were so excited that there would be more room because their book club was growing with each passing week.
She was going to have a line out the door when she reopened. And I couldn’t fucking wait to see her see her dreams come true after struggling for so long.
I knew my mom and cousins were all reaching out to friends to let them know about the place. She’d be full just of our extended crew. And I think she was unsure about it. Which was only going to make it happening all the sweeter for her.
“Lucy-Goosey!” Barry called, barging in without knocking.
Which we’d talked about. Extensively. Especially because Shale and I shamelessly fucked on every fucking surface of this loft. We didn’t want him walking in on that.
But this was Barry.
We couldn’t expect miracles.
“Who’s ready to go to our playdate?” he cooed as she ran over to him.
Shale and I both walked her both morning and night, long, lingering walks full of sniffing all the good smells. But she was always more excited to go with Barry. Because Barry, amazingly, had found a little crew of his own.
The dog walking crew.
Apparently, there was a group of dog lovers in the area who liked to get together and take long walks through new parks and trails several times a week.
We liked that Lucy was getting socialized.
Welovedthat Barry was getting socialized.
“Okay, off we go,” he said after getting on her harness, her jacket, her leash, and her booties, then grabbing her bag that included treats, potty bags, and a water dish. The water was hanging from some bag holding a thermos he’d had when he’d come in. “Say bye to Mommy and Daddy,” he said. “Try not to take it too personally,” he said when Lucy ignored us and dragged him toward the door. “She has a crush on a girl doggy named Patricia. And we are going to accept her choices,” he saidwith a firm little nod. As if we gave a damn who our dog had little dog friendships with, same-sex or otherwise.
With that, he was gone.
“See?” Shale said when the door closed. “I told you he didn’t need to get laid to get a life.”
“Doll,” I said, grabbing her legs, so I could sit on the couch, then pulling them over my lap, “hate to break this to you, but someone is fucking that guy.”
“What? No way,” she said, mouth falling open. “You can’t know that.”
“I do. I knew it the day after it happened.”
“Did he tell you?”
“No.”
“Then how—“
“It was just obvious,” I said, shrugging.
“Do you think it’s Patricia’s mom? Or, ah, dad?” she asked.
“I have no idea. And I don’t care. I’m just glad he’s not squatting here anymore.”
Sure, he still hung out. A lot. But he went home after. Or he went to… someone’s home after.
