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She huffs and moves to stand at the other end of the shower while I wash and rinse myself.
Turning the faucet off, I take cautious steps to the towel rack and wrap myself, then glance at Dana. “I’ll give you an entire steak if you go into the other room and shake water onto our Mystery Man out there.”
Dana snorts with what could only be amusement and slips out of the room quickly, water still dripping from her thick fur.
I wait in anticipation and silence for a long moment before I hear him cursing loudly at Dana, and her nails clacking quickly as she hurries back in the bathroom to what she can presume is safety.
She zips into the room and I grab a secondary towel to start drying her fur more to avoid the stink of wet dog later on. Mystery Man stomps in the bathroom with a huff and I have to concentrate all my effort on not showing amusement.
“The wolf is going outside.”
Dana growls and bares her teeth at him, hackles raised.
“I don’t think she wants to. Why are you trying to throw her out anyways?” I ask, feigning innocence.
“It just got water everywhere. I’m nearly certain it was on purpose.” He crosses his arms and frowns at her as if she knows every word he’s saying and will suddenly speak to argue his statements.
I bite the inside of my cheek so hard that I draw blood in a desperate effort not to laugh.
“She’s a wolf, Mystery Man. I doubt it was on purpose. You know how dogs are after baths, they get the zoomies, roll around and shake a lot. Can’t really blame her, can we?” I continue to feign innocence as thoroughly as I can until Dana looks at me and huffs with a twinkle in her eyes that tells me she’s enjoying this as much as I am.
My commentary is completely ignored as he raises his brow in pure amusement and barks a laugh. “Mystery Man?” He chokes out and bursts into laughter again while I’m left blinking at him.
He smiles and laughs, what a surprise.
“Well it’s not like you told me your name.” I say, heat rising to my cheeks while rolling my eyes for added dramatic emphasis.
“Caspian-” He chokes out in a failed attempt at suppressing a laugh, his green eyes bright with amusement, “My name-, my name is Caspian.” He composes himself with a deep breath before he continues. “I’ve been called many things in my life, but Mystery Man. That’s one for the books.”
“Well, Caspian. I think we have plenty to talk about, so I’ll meet you in the other room after I change.” I motion for him to leave, and he tips his head before backing out of the bathroom.
Dana clacks after him to the doorway pausing to cast a glance at me.
“You sleep with me in my room, you’re not going outside,” I tell her, “and we will talk while I get you your well earned steak. Shake if you want it raw, huff if you want it cooked.”
I say the options as a joke, but Dana’s eyes twinkle, and she huffs loudly before leaving the room.
I blink, taken aback.
Did she truly choose cooked steak or am I humanizing an animal once again? God, this is yet another thing I can never tell Claire.
Treading carefully on shaky legs, pain radiating with each step, I reach in the closet, grabbing a soft pair of pajamas and pull them on before venturing to the kitchen.
As I peer into the living area, Caspian is sitting on the couch watching Gladiator and Dana is laying on the love seat near the front window.
I suppress a snort at the sight and open the fridge, rifling through the meat drawer.
“Are you hungry?” I call out, leaning back to look at Caspian in the living room.
His eyes widen and he turns his head, “You are going to make me food? We haven’t even talked about-”
“Don’t.” I hold my palm toward him, “I plan to make the food prior to you telling me so there’s no rash decisions.”
He laughs under his breath, the slight smile on his face sending butterflies through my chest as he concedes, “Sure, I could eat. I can make it though, you’re still injured.”
I shake my head. “Cooking is therapeutic, and therapeutic is what I need after tonight.”
He nods once in response and leaves me to it.
