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Tony cocked his head. “Well, more of an omission. But what I’m trying to say is that I won’t lie or omit things from you again. I promise. That was the big secret I had and now it’s out there. There’s nothing else.”
“Okay.” I wanted to stay mad at him, but I just couldn’t. He loved me. But then a thought occurred to me. “Wait, does Jesse know?” If my best friend was hiding something this big from me, I would feel even more betrayed than knowing Tony was hiding it.
“No.” Tony rubbed his cheek against my forehead. “I didn’t tell Harris because I didn’t want to ask him to keep it from Jesse. I knew he wouldn’t be comfortable with that…just like I was uncomfortable keeping it from you.”
I glanced at the pile of papers on the desk and saw the corner of the note I wrote. “Oh, and for the record, I wasn’t snooping in here. I wrote you a note.”
“A note?” Tony followed my gaze and reached for the yellow sticky note on the edge of his desk. “This one?”
I nodded as he read it.
Tony ran his fingers through my hair. “So, you didn’t get a shower yet?”
“Nope.” I shook my head. “I was just about to put the note in the kitchen when I dropped the file.”
In a move that was way too graceful for a man in his forties, Tony stood up with me still in his arms. “Well, then, I think we’ve earned our dessert in the shower.”
My arms wrapped around his neck, and I kissed him hard. He wouldn’t get any arguments about that out of me.
13
TONY
Thankfully, Jason didn't hold my little lie-by-omission against me. He understood that our landlord-tenant relationship didn't change the dynamics of our personal relationship. I reassured him that his business was his own, and I was merely providing him with the physical space to pursue it.
And his business was thriving.
The doggie daycare center he and Jesse had started together was seeing an influx of clients, both regulars and drop-ins. The drop-in services were priced higher than the daily guests, so those proved to be a great boost to their bottom line. They even had plans to expand and offer overnight boarding for dogs as soon as they could hire a few more people.
Every other night, Jason had to work late and close up after the last dog was picked up. Jesse took turns with him, ensuring fairness in their schedules. Whenever Jason got home later than his usual 7 PM arrival, I tried to have dinner ready for him, either by cooking or ordering takeout.
It was a small gesture to show him how much I cared for him. And he appreciated it.
As I was preparing dinner, I received a call from Jason at 7:45 PM. Sensing something different in his tone, I couldn't help but worry. "Is everything okay?"
"I'm fine, but..." His mischievous tone put me at ease, at least to some extent.
"But what? Do I need to come to you?" I asked, ready to jump into action if necessary.
"No, I'm actually on my way over. But Peaches, one of the dogs we care for, didn't get picked up. So, I'm bringing him with me."
"Peaches?" The name didn't exactly reassure me. I had a feeling this particular dog was one Jason had been complaining about for the past few days. "Okay, do I need to get food or anything else?"
"Nope, I'm bringing everything we need. We'll be there in a few minutes. Love you," he said affectionately.
Hearing those words from Jason never failed to warm my heart. "I love you too," I replied, my voice filled with sincerity.
After finishing up dinner, I quickly made my way through the house, picking up any items that could potentially become chew toys for Peaches. I’d never had a dog of my own before, so I was somewhat clueless about what to expect.
When Jason and Peaches finally arrived, my first encounter with the energetic dog didn't go as well as it could have. As I reached for an empty water bottle that had somehow wedged itself behind the sofa, Peaches bounded over to me, his tail wagging enthusiastically. Before I knew it, he had licked the side of my face and proceeded to mark his territory by peeing all over my shoulder.
"Peaches!" Jason exclaimed, clearly flustered by his charge’s behavior. "No."
I closed my eyes, taking a moment to collect myself. It wasn't Peaches’ fault—he was just being a dog. "It's okay," I reassured Jason, trying to ease his worry. "Accidents happen."
"Dammit, I'm sorry," Jason apologized sincerely. "He peed outside before we came in. I don't know what this dog drinks, but he always manages to make more when he sees something to mark."
Not knowing how to respond, I slowly got up from the ground and carefully removed my shirt, making my way to the bathroom. Instead of tossing it into the hamper immediately, I decided to give it a pre-rinse in the sink, running water over the soiled area.
